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Today's Devotion - Audio

» The Power of the Gospel – June 18, 2026

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As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.
2 Thessalonians 3:1

The Power of the Gospel

Paul appealed to the believers of Thessalonica to pray. His concern was “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored.” The apostle knew the difficulties involved in proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Just before Paul went to Thessalonica, he was jailed at Philippi for preaching God’s word. Before that, he was stoned at Lystra. Just after leaving Thessalonica, he debated with some philosophers at Athens, and they scoffed at his message and rejected it.

Nevertheless, Paul’s enthusiasm for sharing the saving message of the gospel never faded. He sought to spread the word of life wherever and whenever he could. He recognized the urgency of telling people about Jesus and how the Savior rescued them from sin and hell. He asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14).

It is vitally important for people to hear about Jesus so that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. Therefore, include in your prayers the plea that God will cause the good news of salvation through Jesus to spread rapidly so that many people may hear the message of free forgiveness and eternal life. And pray that the word of God be honored by those who hear it—that through the power of the gospel, the Holy Spirit turn people from damning unbelief to saving faith in Jesus.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, use the message of salvation to call many more people out of the darkness of unbelief to the marvelous light of faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.



» Be Holy – June 17, 2026

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The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’”
Leviticus 19:1-2

Be Holy

Have you ever achieved perfection? Making the perfect sales pitch. Baking the perfect pie. Earning the perfect grade. When you reach that goal, you get excited. You rejoice. You let others know that perfection has been achieved. But how long did it take you to achieve that perfection? How many mistakes did you make on the way?

The Lord tells his people to be holy. In other words, be perfect. But he doesn’t say work your way to perfection. He says you are to be holy, right now, at this very moment, and then to keep being holy.

Of course, you aren’t perfect. You make mistakes. You do things that are wrong. And as soon as you make one mistake or sin even in the most insignificant way, you are no longer perfect. You are unable to be holy even though God demands that you be holy.

So, the Lord sent Jesus. Jesus was holy. He didn’t make any mistakes. He never sinned. He never did anything contrary to what God commands. Jesus lived a perfect life in his thoughts, his words, and in everything he did.

Now Jesus gives that perfection to you. Even though you are not holy, Jesus makes you holy by giving you his perfect obedience to God’s laws and washing away your sins with his innocent blood. Through Jesus, you are able to be what you cannot achieve on your own. You are holy.

Prayer:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess that by nature I am not holy as you desire. Cleanse me of my sins with the blood of Jesus. Lead me to always thank and praise you for the holiness that you have given me through Jesus. Keep me faithful to him. Amen.

 

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.



» More Than Enough – June 16, 2026

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But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

More Than Enough

Today’s Bible passage provides the opportunity for you to give thanks for one of God’s greatest blessings. He chose you to be saved! He rescued you from the curse of sin and the power of death. Salvation did not come about by your choice; it is completely the result of God’s gracious choice. Your salvation is not a matter of chance; it is certain and true. For even before the creation of the world, in love God chose you to be his own.

The Holy Spirit used the message of Jesus to turn you from unbelief to faith in Jesus as your Savior. And with that same gospel message, the Holy Spirit still preserves you in faith. Because of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death in your place, you stand before God as one of his holy people and are privileged to be an heir of eternal life.

Believe what God has revealed to you in his Word. That’s the only true defense against the assaults to your faith. Keep going back to the Word of God because that’s where you meet Jesus. That’s where God tells you about his plans for you. He shows you his Son, Jesus, and how he saved you from hell. He uplifts you with his certain word that you will share in the glory of heaven—all because of Jesus. Indeed, this is more than enough reason to give thanks to God!

Prayer:

Dear God, I give you thanks for planning and carrying out my salvation through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for bringing me to faith in Jesus and leading me to trust him as my Savior from sin and death. Encourage me with your sure promise that the glory of heaven awaits me. Amen.

 

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.



Forward in Christ Magazine

WELS Together Newsletter:

» New seminary graduate called as missionary to Senegal
New seminary graduate Stephen Gerling and his wife, Hannah, will serve as one of two missionary families sent to a new mission in Senegal. Drawing from their unique international backgrounds […]

» Growing in grace: 2026 master’s graduates and retreat
At the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) graduation service on May 22, 2026, four men received Master of Sacred Theology (STM) degrees through the Grow in Grace program. Grow in Grace […]

» God provides new workers
In the last two weeks, we experienced another amazing demonstration of God’s blessing on our synod. Candidates for the teaching ministry and staff ministry received their first calls on May […]

» Report to the Twelve Districts now available
The 2026 Report to the Twelve Districts (RTTD) is now available. You will find it at wels.net/synod-convention, along with the 2025 Proceedings. Report to the Twelve Districts, available only in […]

» Commencement celebrated at Martin Luther College
On May 16, 166 students graduated from Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn. MLC’s mission is to train men and women to meet the public ministry needs of WELS. […]



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Through My Bible In 3 Years - Audio

» Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 18

Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 18

Exodus 10 – 11

Through My Bible – June 18

Exodus 10 – 11 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

Exodus 10

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart unyielding, and his officials’ hearts too, so that I may perform these signs of mine in their midst, and so that you may tell your children and your grandchildren how harshly I dealt with Egypt and about my signs which I did among them. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that they may serve me. But if you refuse to let my people go, watch out, because tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. They will cover the surface of the ground so that no one will be able to see the ground. The locusts will eat what little you have left after the hail. They will also eat every tree that you have growing in the field. Your houses, your officials’ houses, and every Egyptian’s house will be filled with them, something neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, from the day that they settled in this land up to this day.” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go so that they may serve the Lord, their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But who exactly would be going?”

Moses said, “We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters. We will go with our flocks and herds, for we are celebrating a festival to the Lord.”

10 But he said to them, “May the Lord be with you if I would ever let you and your families go! I see you are determined to do evil. 11 No! The men may go and serve the Lord, for that is what you have been asking for!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 So the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt so that locusts come up over the land and eat every plant in the land, everything left by the hail.”

13 Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow over the land all that day and all through the night. When morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over the entire land of Egypt and settled down in the entire territory of Egypt. There had never been such a large number of locusts before, and there would never be again. 15 They covered the surface of the ground so completely that the land was dark. They ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees—everything left after the hail. Nothing green was left on the trees or on the plants in the field throughout the entire land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now please forgive my sin once more, and plead to the Lord your God so that he may also remove this death from me.”

18 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. That wind lifted up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained in the entire territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hard, and he did not let the Israelites go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness that can be felt.” 22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days none of them moved from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.

24 Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord. Even your families may also go with you. But you must leave your flocks and herds behind.”

25 But Moses said, “You must also let us take sacrifices with us and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock must also go with us. Not a hoof is to be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God. We will not know, however, what we will need to serve the Lord until we get there.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die!”

29 Moses said, “Just as you have spoken: I will never see your face again.”

The Tenth Plague: The Death of the Firstborn

Exodus 11

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will certainly drive you completely out of here. Now tell the people that both the men and the women are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (The Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Even the man Moses was highly regarded in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and the people.)

So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says. About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the hand mill, even all the firstborn of the livestock. There will be a loud outcry in the entire land of Egypt, unlike anything that happened before or anything that will take place again. But among all the Israelites, not a dog will bark [1] at a person or animal, so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, went out from Pharaoh.

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hard, and he did not let the Israelites go out of his land.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 11:7 Literally wag its tongue




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.





» Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 17

Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 17

Exodus 9

Through My Bible – June 17

Exodus 9 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

The Fifth Plague: Death of Livestock

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. But if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them back, watch out, because the hand of the Lord will bring a very severe disease on your livestock which is in the field. It will be on the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians so that not one of the Israelites’ livestock will die.’” The Lord appointed a set time by saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” So the next day, that is what the Lord did, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but none of the livestock of the Israelites died. Pharaoh checked and found out that not even one of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was unyielding, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and have Moses toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the entire land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals in the entire land of Egypt.”

10 So they took soot from a kiln and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it toward the sky, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand in front of Moses because of the boils, since the boils were on the magicians and all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning. Present yourself to Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 14 For at this time I will send all my plagues against you yourself, your servants, and your people, so that you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague so that you would have been wiped off the earth. 16 However, for this very reason, I caused you to stand: [1] so that I could show you my power, and that my name would be made known over the entire earth. 17 You still are acting arrogantly against my people by not letting them go. 18 Watch out. At this time tomorrow I will rain down a very severe hailstorm, unlike any other in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now give orders to bring your livestock and everything of yours that is in the open field into shelters. Every person and animal out in the open that is not brought inside will die when the hail falls down on them.”

20 Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock take refuge inside. 21 But those who did not take the word of the Lord to heart left their servants and livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, and let there be hail in the entire land of Egypt: on the people, on the animals, and on every plant in the field throughout the land of Egypt.”

23 Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning also flashed down to the ground. The Lord rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 The hail, with lightning flashing through it, was very severe. Nothing like it had happened in the entire land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 Throughout the entire land, the hail struck everything that was in the field, both people and animals. The hail also struck every plant in the field and shattered every tree in the field. 26 But in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail.

27 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is the one who is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead to the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you do not have to stay here any longer.”

29 Moses said to him, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will stop, and there will no longer be any hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the Lord God.”

31 (The flax and the barley were destroyed, because the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Moses went out from Pharaoh and from the city. He spread out his hands to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the ground. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials made their hearts unyielding. [2] 35 Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 9:16 The literal rendering of the Hebrew, caused you to stand, may mean “raised you to power” or “let you remain for so long.” Verse 15 suggests the latter.
  2. Exodus 9:34 Or unresponsive or calloused




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.





» Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 16

Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 16

Exodus 8

Through My Bible – June 16

Exodus 8 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

The Second Plague: Frogs

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. [1] If you refuse to let them go, watch out. I will send a plague of frogs on your entire territory. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up and enter into your palace, into your bedroom, onto your bed, into your servants’ houses, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you, your people, and all your servants.”

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, streams, and ponds, and bring frogs up onto the land of Egypt.’” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same thing by their occult practices and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I give you the honor of setting the time when I should plead for you, your servants, and your people so that the Lord will rid you and your houses of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile.”

10 Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.”

Moses replied, “It will take place just as you have said, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your servants, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile.”

12 Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs, which he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did as Moses said: The frogs from the houses, courtyards, and fields died. 14 The people piled them up into heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he made his heart unyielding and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Lice

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: ‘Stretch out your staff, and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become lice [2] in the entire land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so. When Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the ground, there were lice on the people and animals. All the dust of the ground became lice in the entire land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce lice by their occult practices, but they could not. So there were lice on the people and on the animals. 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Swarms of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh as he is going out to the water. Tell him this is what the Lord says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 21 For if you will not let my people go, watch out. I will send swarms of flies [3] on you, your servants, and your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies. They will even cover the ground. 22 But on that day, I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people are living. There will not be swarms of flies in Goshen. In this way, you will know that I am the Lord on the earth. 23 I will make a distinction [4] between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will take place.”

24 So that is what the Lord did. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt, the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.

25 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, offer sacrifices to your God in the land!”

26 But Moses said, “It is not right to do that, because the sacrifices which we will offer to the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable to the Egyptians right in front of them, won’t they stone us? 27 We will go on a three-day journey into the wilderness and offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he tells us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but do not go very far away. Plead for me.”

29 Moses said, “All right. As soon as I leave you, I will plead to the Lord so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. Only do not let Pharaoh act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded to the Lord. 31 The Lord did as Moses said, and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. Not a fly remained. 32 Pharaoh made his heart unyielding [5] this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:1 In chapter 8, English verses 1-4 equal Hebrew verses 7:26-29. English verses 5-32 equal Hebrew verses 1-28.
  2. Exodus 8:16 The identity of the insects is uncertain. Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and gnats are among the suggestions. The requirement is that it be an insect that is on people and animals. Lice is retained as the traditional translation.
  3. Exodus 8:21 The Hebrew simply says swarms. The type of insect is not specified.
  4. Exodus 8:23 The translation follows the Greek and Latin versions. The Hebrew reads I will put a redemption, which does not fit the context.
  5. Exodus 8:32 Literally heavy




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.





» Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 15

Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 15

Exodus 6:10 – 7:25

Through My Bible – June 15

Exodus 6:10 – 7:25 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Exodus 6

10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites go from his land.”

12 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, “Look, the Israelites have not listened to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?” [1]

The Family Record of Moses and Aaron

13 The Lord again spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

14 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: [2]

The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and
Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the founders of the clans
of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,
and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the
founders of the clans of Simeon.
16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their family records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17             The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei. They were founders of clans.
18             The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19             The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.

These were the clans of the Levites according to their family records.

20 Amram [3] married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she gave birth
to Aaron and Moses for him. Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the
sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to Nadab and Abihu,
Eleazar and Ithamar for him.
24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These
were the founders of the clans of the Korahites.
25 Eleazar, the son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel,
and she gave birth to Phinehas for him.

These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites that had become clans.

26 These were the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring out the Israelites from the land of Egypt according to their divisions.” [4] 27 These were the same ones who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring the Israelites out from Egypt. These were that same Moses and Aaron.

28 On the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I tell you.”

30 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, “You see, I am a poor speaker. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

Moses and Aaron Appear Before Pharaoh

Exodus 7

The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. You are to speak everything that I command you, and Aaron your brother is to speak to Pharaoh, so that he will let the Israelites go out from his land. But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn. [5] I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my divisions, my people the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand over Egypt, and I bring out the Israelites from their midst.”

This is what Moses and Aaron did. Just as the Lord commanded them, that is exactly what they did. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Give us a warning sign,’ then you are to tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.’”

10 Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did just as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 But then Pharaoh also called for his wise men and sorcerers. Those magicians [6] of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. 12 They each threw down their staffs, and those staffs became snakes. However, Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, [7] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding. [8] He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When he goes out by the water, stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.

16 “You are to tell him: ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But look, until now you have not listened. 17 So this is what the Lord says: “In this way, you will know that I am the Lord.” Look! With the staff that is in my hand, I will strike the water in the Nile, and it will be turned to blood. 18 The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink water from the Nile.’”

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its streams, its ponds, and all the reservoirs—and they will become blood. There will be blood in the entire land of Egypt, even in containers made of wood and stone.’”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile. All the water in the Nile was turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile. There was blood in the entire land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had told them. 23 Pharaoh turned and went to his palace. He did not take to heart even this. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they were not able to drink the water from the Nile. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:12 Literally I am uncircumcised of lips. Also in verse 30.
  2. Exodus 6:14 In each successive generation, the tribal and clan elders were called the fathers of the clan.
  3. Exodus 6:20 From Levi to the birth of Moses is over three hundred years. Only three men are named to cover this period: Levi, Kohath, and Amram. If the Amram in verse 18 is the same man as the Amram in verse 20, it is likely that he is a descendant of Kohath rather than his son. Another possibility is that there are two Amrams: one the founder of the clan, the other the father of Moses.
  4. Exodus 6:26 Or military units
  5. Exodus 7:3 Literally stiff or resistant
  6. Exodus 7:11 Or sacred scribes or occult practitioners
  7. Exodus 7:13 Literally strong
  8. Exodus 7:14 Literally heavy




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.





» Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 14

Through My Bible Yr 03 – June 14

Exodus 4:18 – 6:9

Through My Bible – June 14

Exodus 4:18 – 6:9 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Exodus 4

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go and return to my own people, who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”

Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for everyone who wanted to kill you is dead.”

20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, placed them on a donkey, and set out to return to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you perform in the presence of Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put into your hand. However, I will make his heart hard, [1] and he will not let the people go. 22 You will then say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord says: Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go to serve me,” but you have refused to let him go. Watch out. I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”

24 At a lodging place along the way, the Lord confronted him and sought to kill him. [2] 25 Then Zipporah took a flint blade, cut off her son’s foreskin, and cast it at his feet. Then she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

26 So the Lord left him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

Reunion of Moses and Aaron

27 The Lord had said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.”

So he went, met Moses at the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words that the Lord had sent him to speak and all the signs he had commanded him to perform. 29 Moses and Aaron then went and gathered together every elder of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses and performed the signs in the sight of the people. 31 The people believed. When they heard that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelites and that he had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped.

Bricks Without Straw

Exodus 5

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. Let my people go so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.”

Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I certainly will not let Israel go.”

They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to the Lord, our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or sword.”

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to your forced labor!” Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from doing their forced labor.”

That same day Pharaoh commanded the people’s taskmasters and overseers, “Do not give the people straw for making bricks anymore. Let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as they made before. Do not reduce it. You see, they are lazy. That is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder for the people so that they do their work and do not pay attention to lying words.”

10 So the people’s taskmasters and overseers went out and told the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it. But there will be no reduction at all in your work load.’” 12 So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters kept insisting, “Fulfill your daily quota just as you did when straw was provided!” 14 The overseers, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had placed over the Israelites, were beaten. The taskmasters demanded, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota yesterday and today, as you did previously?”

15 Then the Israelite overseers came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to your servants? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they tell us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 But he said, “Lazy! You are lazy! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now go! Get to work! Straw will not be provided to you, but you will deliver the same quota of bricks!”

19 The Israelite overseers realized that they were in trouble when Pharaoh said, “You must not reduce anything from your daily number of bricks!”

20 When they left Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord look at you and judge you, because you have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword into their hand to kill us.”

22 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

Exodus 6

The Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of a mighty hand [3] he will send them away, and because of a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.”

God Promises Deliverance

Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I was not known to them. [4] I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they were residing as aliens. I certainly have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered my covenant.

“Therefore, tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from being their slaves. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Moses spoke these words to the Israelites, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and because of the hard labor.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:21 Exodus uses three words for hardening or hardness of heart. The most common one chazaq is translated harden. The other two, kabad and qashah, are translated unyielding and stubborn. The verbs seem interchangeable.
  2. Exodus 4:24 Interpreters disagree whether it was Moses or one of his sons that God was about to kill. The whole account is cryptic.
  3. Exodus 6:1 Or with a strong hand. The question is whether Pharaoh is forcing them to go, or the Lord is forcing him to let them go.
  4. Exodus 6:3 The name Lord does appear in Genesis, so perhaps this means that the full impact and meaning of the name were not experienced by the patriarchs as they were during the events of Exodus. Others solve the problem by reading this as an unmarked question: Did I not make myself known to them?




The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.