S – Lord, who is like you among the gods? 

Who is like you, glorious in holiness, 

revered with praises, performing wonders?

Exodus 15:11 CSB

O –  Commentary:  “Holy” occurs only a few times in the Bible prior to Exodus 3:5. It now becomes the central descriptor of God in the OT. In other Semitic languages, the same root occurs infrequently. It does not describe a moral quality in these other languages but simply what is “other than” human. The pagan gods, for instance, were “holy” only in the sense of being “other”—they did everything humans do, good and evil, but on a larger scale. In the Bible, by contrast, moral perfection is a central idea of the term holy. The one true God is the only being in the universe who truly stands apart from this world and is worthy of being called “holy” in this general sense. The true God is perfectly consistent and moral in his character.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – It is humbling to think that the creator of the universe, who is perfect and all-knowing, desires a relationship with us. His “holiness” is absolute.  In their deliverance, the Israelites acknowledge this character and power.

R – Lord, thank you for desiring a relationship with me.  I did not earn it.  You loved me before I loved you and acknowledged all that you are.  Let my life be an offering of praise and recognition of who you are today.  

S – But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.” 

Exodus 14:13–14 CSB

O – Even after the plagues, the Egyptians did not recognize God for who He is and neither did the Israelites.  Moses did and activated his faith.

A – What strikes me about this verse is “you must be quiet.”  The other parts are found throughout the Bible – don’t fear, stand fear, see what the Lord will do, and defeat the enemy.  You must be

quiet stops the people from expressing their lack of faith.  Instead of rehearsing your defeat, allow God to show you the victory.                                                                                                                                           

S – He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get out immediately from among my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the Lord as you have said. ³² Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.” 

Exodus 12:31–32 CSB

O – Commentary: The same Pharaoh who had said that Moses would never again see his face and live (see 10:28) now asked for Moses to come and see him. Just as God had predicted, Pharaoh then ordered the Israelites to leave his land. He implicitly recognized the Lord’s power as he asked Moses to bless him. He never formally admitted that the Lord is God and that he, Pharaoh, was not.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – The final plague broke Pharaoh’s pride.  He saw himself as a God but asked Moses to bless him. In all that, he never yielded himself to God.  He paid the price for it.  He lost a nation of firstborn sons, and livestock and saw his kingdom decimated.  Humility is better than pride.

R – Lord, help me to put you on “the throne” of my life today.  I want you to be my God, Lord and Savior.  It is easy for me to want to do it myself.  It only reveals my limitations and insecurities.  Help me to walk surrendered to you in all things.  In doing so, I pray a blessing over me and my family.  That you will lead and provide for us and make your presence known.  Thank you for all of this.

S – “…And every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is at the grindstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock. ⁶ Then there will be a great cry of anguish through all the land of Egypt such as never was before or ever will be again

Exodus 11:5–6 CSB

O – Commentary: 

The judgment was specific: in every Egyptian family the firstborn son would die in the middle of the night—from the poorest of the poor (the firstborn son of the slave girl) to the royal household (the firstborn son of Pharaoh). A firstborn son received special honor and a Pharaoh’s son, heir to the throne, was even considered a god. The wailing over the loss of sons would be unprecedented.

 “Exodus,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – Death is an equalizer for everyone.  Everyone will die and God holds the timing.  The firstborn son represents legacy, lineage and continuation in many cultures.  Even in Egyptian culture of being a God.  All of it comes is subjected to God’s will and sovereignty. We must submit our children to God.  We must surrender our parenting and will to God.  This allows our lives and our children to grow and be aligned with God’s will.  Then, no matter when death comes, our legacy will remain.

R – Lord, I no longer fear death.  To be absent from this earth means to be present with you.  Let my time on earth be aligned with your will and purposes for my life.  Let my parenting be life-giving to my children and grand children.  Help me model a relationship with Christ that draws them to a healthy, vibrant relationship of their own.

S – and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the Lord

Exodus 10:2 CSB

O – Commentary: Up to this point, the plagues served to glorify Yahweh and free Israel from Egyptian servitude. This wording indicates that these events were also intended to become an enduring part of Israel’s history. The plagues are cast as a dramatic example of Yahweh’s superiority to other gods and His bond with Israel. They will serve to instruct the young of each generation and remind the old of their ancestors’ redemption.

  Faithlife Study Bible

A  – * God is establishing history itself.

       * We have a responsibility to remember what God has done.

       * We have a responsibility to tell and empower the next generation with God’s actions.

       *  These actions should draw us closer to the Lord.

R – Lord, every day you are doing signs and wonders in us and around us.  Help me to recognize them.  Also, help me to share them with others, especially the next generation.  In my growth, help me to remember your grace, power and sovereignty in your relationship with mankind.  I choose to step closer to you.

S – Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, ²¹ but those who didn’t take to heart the Lord’s word left their servants and livestock in the field. 

Exodus 9:20–21 CSB

O – The plagues were so obvious in God’s power and authority that even some of the officials believed Moses’s words before Pharoah did.  Pride is a big part of self-destruction.

A – When it is obvious to others in the room and you don’t see your own flaws – you are in trouble.  Humbling oneself is a great step. Or God will do it for you.

R – Lord, I know I can be stubborn and have blind spots.  Please continue to surround me with core people who love me enough to be honest and straight forward.  Give me the strength to hear their words and humble myself.  I desire to bring you the very best version of me today.

S – Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor of choosing. When should I appeal on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?” 

¹⁰ “Tomorrow,” he answered. 

Exodus 8:9–10 CSB

O – Pharoah and Egypt go through the horrific plague of frogs everywhere.  Pharoah has the choice of when Moses will make his appeal to God.  Pharoah say “Tomorrow.”  Why would he wait until then when the plague, the stench of dead frogs everywhere and the visible wreckage of Pharoah’s sin is everywhere?

A – We do this.  We are facing something in our life that is “higher” than God.  When we face it, we don’t want to confront it or remove it.  We get to the point of decision and we say “tomorrow.” I will spend another night with it.  

R – Lord, search me today.  I do not want to spend another night with things in my life that don’t please you.  Give me the courage to “look in your mirror” and see my thoughts, words and actions like you do.  Give me the urgency to remove anything you don’t bless.  Thank you for your mercy and grace.

S – But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. ²³ Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and didn’t take even this to heart

Exodus 7:22–23 CSB

O – Commentary:

The Egyptian priests did not do anything as extensive as Moses and Aaron had done, but Pharaoh did not want to believe, so it took only the smallest thing to justify his unbelief.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – It doesn’t take a lot for unbelief to set in.  No matter how big God does something, we can find the tiniest “exception” and say God isn’t perfect, loving or who He says He is.

R – Lord, help me to see you in truth and grace.  You and your ways are perfect.  My imperfections cannot stand next to you. Through your grace, you allow me to have a relationship with you.  You allow me to grow through my sin and gain more of you character each day.  Let me do that today!

S – Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the Lord

Exodus 6:2–3 CSB

O – Commentary:  

While the patriarchs might have known the name Yahweh, it is possible that they had never seen God’s nature displayed as it was in the Exodus and the Sinai Covenant. In Hebrew, a person’s name has a broader significance than it does in English. People’s names were intended to reflect their character and nature, not just serve as a label (see, e.g., Ps 8:1, 9; 148:13). Here reveal is a Hebrew word often translated “to know,” which implies intimate knowledge and experience. In this case, the patriarchs knew God’s name, but they did not know and experience his nature fully as he revealed himself in the Exodus.

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

A – Each person gets to see the different aspects of God’s character.  Just as I am a son, father, grandfather and pastor, God takes on different roles with various qualities.  The two in this verse “The Lord” and “God Almighty” would be appropriate for what Moses was communicating.  We need to seek God according to his true character each day.

R – Today, I come to you El Shaddai.  You are Yahweh to me and there is no other.  I thank you that all of your character comes into this relationship -healer, provider, banner over me and more.  Thank you for allowing me to grow in an understanding of your heart and character.

S – So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me? ²³ Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and you haven’t rescued your people at all.” 

Exodus 5:22–23 CSB

O – Commentary:  The phrase brought all this trouble could be translated even more strongly as done all this evil. Is God really good or not? Instead of rescuing the people out of their evil circumstances as he had promised, it seems that God had only made the situation worse. Is he faithful or not? Is he powerful or not?

 New Living Translation Study Bible 

* God isn’t rescuing the Israelites like He promised and Moses wants to know why.

A – We have all been there.  We have a promise from God and it isn’t happening.  We ask God why and why me?  Moses was eventually known as “the man who walked with God.”  Before that, Moses struggled and had doubts like the rest of us.  Yet, his faith grew…like the rest of us.  We need to keep growing in our faith and relationship with God.

R – Lord, even when I don’t see it you are working for my good.  Help me not to question you or your results.  Help my faith and trust to grow in you today.  Help me to move through the “why’s” and into the “Here I am.”  Give me the strength, wisdom and courage to do this today.