Reading the Bible Through

Exodus 5-7   The beginning here confuses me. Moses and Aaron are saying that the Lord told them to take the Israelites into the wilderness for a 3 day festival to the Lord or they may be struck with famine or swords. I didn't understand anything about a festival from what I read earlier. Still, I guess they might get farther with that than just 'see ya.' I've always been puzzled as to how the Egyptian wise men and sorcerers also turned their staffs into snakes. Some would say by evil, but I have always wondered about some kind of trickery. Still, Aaron's staff (notice it's now Aaron's staff, not Moses like near the burning bush) eats up all the other snake/staffs. Pretty impressive.  Now the Egyptian magicians were also able to turn water into blood. I still wanna know how. Now, I also want to know were these Egyptian magicians got any water to turn it into blood? It looks like Moses and Aaron were pretty thorough. Maybe from the water people were digging up...

 Today's reading:  Exodus 2 - 4 Exodus 2:12 tells us that Moses committed a murder.  Moses flees to Midian and marries. His father-in-law, the priest of Midian, is called both Reuel and Jethro which seems kind of odd.  In 4:13, Moses asks God to send someone else. I think this is a place many believers have been.  Then in 4:24, God is going to kill Moses at an inn, but Zipporah, Moses' wife stops it by circumcising their son. What was that all about? It reminds me again that I think there's symbolic meaning to circumcision that I'm not getting. 

 Today's reading:  Genesis 44 - 46 A Silver Cup in Benjamin's Sack, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, Jacob & his family go to Egypt Why did Joseph use a cup for divination? Previously, Joseph gave credit to the Lord. Today, it occurs to me that Joseph maybe said that he could find things out by divination to continue concealing his identity from his brothers.  I also noticed that in 44:9 it is said that the one who has the cup will die. The steward replies,  “Very well, then let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it  will become my slave;  the rest of you will be free from blame.” So was becoming a slave the same as or tantamount to dying?  Judah begs to stay in Egypt as a slave instead of Benjamin. Judah had promised to return Benjamin to their father safely.  Joseph reveals himself to his brothers! What a shock that was!! Joseph says that God sent him ahead to Egypt rather than his brothers' selling him. The dreams that Joseph...

 Today's reading:  Genesis 41 - 43 Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph in charge of Egypt, and Joseph's brothers go to Egypt The chief cupbearer, after 2 years, remembers what Joseph had done for him by interpreting his dreams.  Joseph gives God the credit of interpreting Pharaoh's dreams. Too often, I fall short of giving God the credit God deserves--which is all of it.  Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams and is put in charge of Egypt. Remember, Joseph had just come from prison, now he's put in charge of the land.  Pharaoh gives Joseph a wife,  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest  of On. I find 2 things curious about this. 1.) the woman is named in the Bible. 2.) How can Joseph marry an Egyptian woman? Previously, the people of Israel went to their own people to marry. Isaac and Rebekah did not like Esau marrying the local women.  Joseph recognizes his brothers, treats them harshly, and puts them in prison for 3 days. Among themselves, the brothers say th...