S – Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.” 

Exodus 19:5–6 CSB 

O – Commentary: 

This proposal made by God (My covenant) would give Israel an exalted position among the nations in view of their acceptance of God’s righteous standards. If they accepted and obeyed the covenant stipulations, God promised to make them His treasured possession (cf. Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps. 135:4; Mal. 3:17). They would be His own people, highly valued by and related to Him. Also they would become a kingdom of priests, that is, each member of the nation with God as his King would know and have access to Him and mediate on behalf of each other as did priests. Also they would be a holy nation, a nation morally pure and dedicated entirely to the service of God. God redeemed Israel so that she might be in touch with and separated to Him.

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

A – Israel had thousands of years of knowing they were God’s chosen.  Even when different prophets mentioned the Gentiles, it was Jesus who brought the Gospel to all.  The early church broke the entire mold saying it was for all people.  Through Christ, we all have access to a covenant with God, as His treasured possessions.  We are His own people, a kingdom of priests and have access to Him.  It is our choice.

R – Lord, your Word invites me into a relationship with you today.  I pray that in all that I do, I am a minister of your love, wisdom and empathy for all that I encounter today.  I pray that my words, thoughts and actions bring glory to your name.  Thank you that I can walk with you today.

S – “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. ¹⁸ “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.

Exodus 18:17–18 CSB

O – Moses was judging all the disputes himself.  It was tiring and ineffective.

A – This is a common thought in us.  We can do it ourselves.  With all your gifts and talents, you cannot do it alone.  You must raise up leaders and develop a strategy that will effectively take care of those you are responsible for daily.  My dad would love this story – it is common sense.  Keep it simple and invite the Lord into the process.

R – Lord, there are problems I will face today where I put the burden on myself that only I can fix it or be the solution.  Give me wisdom to know what is mine to carry.  Help me also see when others can use their leadership to shoulder that burden with me.  We is better than me.  Help me to not walk in pride and ego which prevents me from inviting others to lead with me.

S – When Moses’s hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword. 

Exodus 17:12–13 CSB

O – Moses needed help from Aaron and Hur to maintain the posture that ensured victory in battle.

A – We need people in our lives who help us maintain the “posture” we need – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – to win the battles we face.

R – Lord, there are battles to fight every day.  Thank you for going into battle with me – I am never alone.  Also, I am grateful for the men and women you put in my life that help me continue to grow and stay close to you.   I cannot win without you.  Thank you!

S –  “He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning”

 Exodus 16:23 CSB

O – God implemented the need for rest with the journeying Israelites.  Preparations were made the day before so they could eat on a day they didn’t work.

A – After 400 years of slavery, Israel needed to establish their own customs because they were free from captivity. Freedom can be scary because it is “all new” with a lot of changes.  God wanted to establish the need to rest and trust that God will provide on the day when work isn’t done.

R – Lord, continue to show me ways to rest physically, mentally and emotionally.  The world moves at a fast pace.  Refresh my mind and body so I can be available for your direction.  Help me to trust on days that I need to pull away and rest.  You have it all under your control.  

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.