Now the Sojourn of the Children of Israel Who Lived in Egypt was Four Hundred and Thirty Years: Exodus 12:29-42

Exodus 12:29-42: "29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, 'Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.' 33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, 'We shall all be dead.' 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds--a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. 40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years--on that very same day--it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations."

The Israelites after 430 years of being in Egypt, finally start their journey back to their own land; The land of Canaan. This sojourn in Egypt was exactly 430 years, to the very day, we are told. The night of this Exodus from the sojourning in Egypt was to be held as a solemn observance to the Lord. It was kept as a vigil.

Today, when we speak about a solemn observance, we are referring to a specific way of celebration. For example a solemn Mass is a Divine Service that is sung in its entirety. This includes the readings, the creed, everything. The only exceptions being the sermon and the General Prayer, which are never sung. This solemnity may even be accompanied by the use of processionals, and the use of incense. All these solemnities are meant to increase the importance of the Service. So that everyone who participates in the celebration, may know that what is celebrated is important. Most of these solemnities center around the life and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These solemnities often spill over into the prayer offices of the specific day, so that at Matins and Vespers, the entire office is sung, and again, there are special activities that are done on these days. These days typically for the New Testament Church, are the Sundays and Feast days.

In the Lutheran Church the days marked as days of special solemnity include first and foremost what are called the High Feast days. These are four in number: Christmas, Easter, Whitsunday (Pentecost), and Trinity. These High Feast days are celebrated for a whole eight days, so each of these High Feasts contain what is called an octave, that is, that the feast day is re-celebrated throughout eight days, and on the eighth day the feast is commemorated. This simply means that the Collect for this day is prayed in all services up to and including the services on the eighth day. The octaves also carry the same festive atmosphere as the Feast day themselves.

The octaves for these High Feast days are: The Circumcision of our Lord, Quasitmodo geniti, Trinity Sunday, and The First Sunday after Trinity (this is why this Sunday has white paraments instead of green), respectively. The only other day in the Church year that has an octave (besides the anniversary of the dedication of the Church which is a specific day of solemnity in a particular parish) is Epiphany. This is due to the fact that Epiphany was the original celebration of Christmas, that is, the incarnation. It's octave is the Baptism of the Lord on Jan. 13.

These High Feasts are technically the only days that should be called "Feast Days," for all the other celebrations in the Church Year, are technically called "Festivals." There are both Greater festivals and lessor festivals. These Greater, or Major festivals in the Lutheran Church are: The Sundays in Advent, The Circumcision, The Epiphany, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Ash Wednesday, the Sundays in Lent, the Days of Holy Week, Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, the Sundays after Easter, The Ascension, the Sunday after Ascension, Whit-Monday, Whit-Tuesday, the Sunday after Trinity, Reformation Day, All Saints' Day, The Dedication or Anniversary of a Parish, The Feast of Title.

The lessor, or minor festivals include all Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs Days, The Presentation, the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Annunciation, The Transfiguration, St. Michael and all Angels Day, Thanksgiving, a Harvest festival, a Mission festival, and a Day of Humiliation and Prayer. These days may be marked by special solemnity, but the Greater festivals are always marked by special solemnity.

You will notice that certain Greater Festivals are within penitential times of the Church Year, the solemnity of these days is marked by the penitential character, and are celebrated with this in mind. This includes the exclusion of the Gloria in Excelsis, or the absence of the Alleluias, (like we are currently observing) or it may include cross and images of our Lord being covered by violet monks cloth, or the tryptychs being closed, or the absense of flowers, or the use of the organ only being used to support the choir and congregation.

And so, we can see what it means to observe a solemn occasion in the Church. The event of the Exodus was also observed in this fashion by the people of God. It was done this way, not simply because it was an important day to remember, like one remembers Independence Day, or Memorial Day, it was celebrated with solemnity because on that day, the Lord God showed His salvation for His people. For the New Testament Church, our days of solemnity are all about the life and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is His life and work which we celebrate, which we remember. For one cannot have salvation, if one does not know our Lord Jesus. And one cannot know our Lord Jesus, unless we are told about Him. And so, throughout the year we hear over and over again, what our Lord Jesus did for us, and continues to do for; In His birth, and ministry, and death and resurrection. We also get to hear of the wonderful faith and life of those who preached and proclaimed our Lord Jesus, and of His Blessed Virgin Mother, who bore Him for us. Therefore, as we hear over and over again the life story of our Lord Jesus, throughout our lives, we come to know Him, and trust in Him and love Him, so that we learn to hope in His promises.

This is no different for the Israelites. For as they yearly, and weekly, remembered the Pascha, they were always reminded of our Lord God's deliverance from slavery and oppression. May the Lord God, ever keep us in the one true faith by keeping our ears attuned to hearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who delivered us from the slavery and oppression of sin by His death.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

It Is The Lord's Passover: Exodus 12:1-28

Exodus 12:1-28: "1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 'This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: "On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire--its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat--that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread."' 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, 'Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?" 27 that you shall say, "It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households."' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did."

Today's reading shows us a picture of the atonement. For we get to see the Passover of our Lord. In this Passover, we also see the image of the Supper that would come out of this Passover meal, which we Christians celebrate every Sunday and Feast day, that is, the Lord's Supper.

The similarities between the Passover and the Lord's Supper are striking. Obviously, they are both meals. They both offer bread and flesh (of the Lamb, representing the blood of the Blessed Sacrament). There is a particular rite that is to be followed for the meal to be valid. It is to be eaten only by the Israelites, that is, the people of God, and what was to be served was to be consumed completely by those in the family. What is leftover is to be disposed of properly. Both meals serve as a remembrance of the work of God's salvation from slavery and oppression.

And rightly these meals should be connected, and serve as a remembrance of what our Lord God has done for us, for they both picture the atonement, that is, the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. A lamb without blemish, without broken bones, which is a male lamb, is sacrificed and its blood is poured out as a sacrifice, to bring deliverance from death. Our Lord Jesus is also the Spotless Lamb, whose bones were not broken, who was male, and his Blood was shed to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil.

The blood that was put upon the lintel and doorposts, served as a mark that those who dwelt within that house, were covered with the blood of the Lamb. It was not placed upon the threshold, so that it would not be trampled upon. More interesting, is that in Early Christian symbolism, the symbol of this blood upon the threshold was symbolized by what is called a "tau" cross, that is, a cross in the form of a "T." And if one considers the lintel being the top of the "T" and the doorposts are joined close together, one can see how this can be. The point, however, is that the Early Christians, recognized the atonement, that is, the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Passover. They recognized this event as the means by which the Israelites were claimed as the people of God.

For that is really what is taking place here in the Passover, our Lord God, is declaring, by the blood of the lamb, that the people of Israel were now His people. He separates them from the Egyptians, by not harming them, but only harming the Egyptians. They would now be His people, and He would teach them His commands, and how He desired to be worshipped by Him.

We too, are the people of God, we are placed into God's family through Holy Baptism, for it is in Holy Baptism that the Blood of the Lamb of God is placed upon us, symbolically through the holy water of Holy Baptism. In Holy Baptism, we are washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, and are made the people of God, and on account of this cleansing, this Blood, our sins are passed over, and we are considered pure and holy in God's sight.

And just like the people of Israel, who in the night of the Pascha, ate the meal which both served as a sacrifice of atonement and a meal of remembrance of what took place in Egypt. We too eat the meal which is a remembrance of the one eternal sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. We eat His Body and drink His Blood, in bread and wine, and remember that His sacrifice of death on the cross, won for us salvation, and in this Blessed Sacrament, we are given forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Take You As My People, And I Will Be Your God: Exodus 6:1-13

Exodus 6:1-13: "1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.' 2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: 'I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: "I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD."' 9 So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. 10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11 'Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.' 12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, 'The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?' 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt."

Today, Almighty God reveals Himself in a more special way than He ever did to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To the three patriarchs, the Lord God only revealed Himself as God Almighty, but now He will reveal His true nature and power. He does this in part by identifying Himself to the Israelites, by His true Name, LORD, or Yahweh, or Jehovah. I AM THAT I AM. He does this for the sake of the Israelite nation. For Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did not need to see the great wonders that the people of Israel are about to see. No, they believed on God without seeing. And their faith was credited to them as righteousness.

He has revealed Himself to us in an even more special way, that is, through His Son Jesus Christ. He reveals Himself as the God who takes on our flesh, and becomes incarnate for our salvation. He first reveals Himself in this way to His apostles, and those who were witness to His life and work, and miracles and the great wonders that He did, that called to the minds of the people of Israel when He was alive on this earth, the great wonders that were done in Egypt to deliver the people of Israel.

Therefore, the people of Israel in Moses time and in the time of our Lord Jesus each got to be witnesses of our Lord's power, they got to see the Lord in action. And the people of our Lord's time saw that the Lord Jesus was the true I AM THAT I AM, Yahweh, Jehovah, the LORD. However, we today are more like the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for we do not get to see these wonders with our own eyes, but only get to hear His holy Word preached into our ears through simple means. We believe without seeing, just like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

However, the Lord delivers us out of the bondage of sin, just like the people of Israel at the time of Moses, who were delivered from slavery to Egypt and Pharaoh. Our Lord is just as gracious and loving to us, as He was to them. For although we must believe without seeing, He still grants us grace and delivers us through the simple means of grace.

And just like Pharaoh stood in the way of the people of Israel's freedom, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh stand in our way of freedom from sin and death. And our Lord sends a deliver to us in the form of a man of God, the ministers of the Word, just like He sent Moses and Aaron to speak to the people of Israel the comfort words of our Almighty God's deliverance.

The Israelites did not heed the preaching of Moses. Today, there are still those who refuse to heed to the preaching of our Lord Jesus done through His called servants. But our Lord continues to send them, even as in today's pericope He continues to bolster Moses against both the unbelief of the people of Israel and their captive Pharaoh.

May the Lord God preach the good news of His promised deliverance from sin into your ears, so that by the same faith that the patriarchs of old possessed, you too may believe without seeing, and receive the grace that our Lord God desires to give to you.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

Israel Is My Son, My Firstborn: Exodus 4:1-31

Exodus 4:1-31: "1 Then Moses answered and said, 'But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, "The LORD has not appeared to you."' 2 So the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He said, 'A rod.' 3 And He said, 'Cast it on the ground.' So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Reach out your hand and take it by the tail' (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 'that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.' 6 Furthermore the LORD said to him, 'Now put your hand in your bosom.' And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And He said, 'Put your hand in your bosom again.' So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. 8 'Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. 9 And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. And the water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.' 10 Then Moses said to the LORD, 'O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' 11 So the LORD said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.' 13 But he said, 'O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.' 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: 'Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.' 18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, 'Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.' And Jethro said to Moses, 'Go in peace.' 19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, 'Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.' 20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, 'When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD: 'Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"' 24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet, and said, 'Surely you are a husband of blood to me!' 26 So He let him go. Then she said, 'You are a husband of blood!'--because of the circumcision. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, 'Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.' So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped."

Moses is a very reluctant preacher. So reluctant is he to do what the Lord God is sending him to do, that Moses makes the Lord angry. This anger comes after our Lord God gives Moses three signs that will prove that Moses talked to God, and the Moses was sent by God. In a sense these three signs are Moses' installation into the office of prophet. Moses is afterall the first prophet specifically sent by God to His people. Each of these signs imparts to Moses some divine power that will be useful to him in his calling as prophet. This especially makes sense when we consider that Moses has always been considered a type of Christ; he is a prefigurement of what the Messiah would be. Moses is both entrusted with the Word of God, that is, he is sent to proclaim it, like our Lord Jesus was. He is also given authority to work miracles, and in this sense he is like our Lord Jesus, who has all authority to work miracles so that by them He might lead His people out of the slavery of darkness and sin, just like Moses will use the miracles to lead the people of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt.

Each of these three signs that our Lord works through Moses in his calling, has some particular symbolism attached to it. Let us examine this. Look at the first sign, the turning of Moses shepherd staff into a serpent, and then back again. This staff is the emblem of Moses current vocation of shepherd, in putting down the staff on the ground, it symbolizes that he is putting off his old vocation. That the staff turned into a serpent represents the task that is before him, for the serpent represents the oppression put upon the people of Israel by Pharaoh. Even more than that it represents the serpent that deceived our first parents Adam and Eve. This serpant, represents the evil that exists in the world, and that is prevailing in Egypt. When Moses picks the serpent of the tail up, his former staff is now called, "the rod of God." This represents the power and authority that Moses receives from God to extinguish this serpent, that is, this evil, from ruling over the Israelite people. It also represents the fact that Moses is no longer a shepherd, at least in the sense of tending animals. He will now shepherd the people of God, by proclaiming to them what their Lord God says to them, and by protecting them from the evil oppression of Pharaoh, by doing many signs and wonders that will lead them out of Egypt, so that they can meet with God.

The second sign, is the leprous hand, which happens when Moses puts in hand in his bosom, and is cleansed again, when he puts his hand back into his bosom. In the same way that the staff represented Moses calling, the leprous hand represents that which rules and directs the calling. The bosom, is where the heart is, and it is what drives men to do what they do. It is also what drives our Lord to do what He does. He loves us, just as He loves His people Israel, and desires to rescue them. The fact that Moses puts his hand to his breast, symbolizes that he will now have the care of these people at heart. We will see this in later chapters, when our Lord God would desire to destroy the entire Jewish nation because of their disobedience, but Moses is always pleading on their behalf. The people of Israel, will become for Moses, like a baby suckling at his mother's breasts, or like a shepherd that gathers a lamb into his arms, or David bore the reproach of all the nations in his breast, or our Lord Jesus, who desired to gather Jerusalem into his arms as a mother hen her chicks.

That the hand became leprous represents the condition of the people of Israel currently. They have been tainted and made leprous in their beliefs because of their living in Egypt, and their contact with the Egyptian nation. They lost among themselves what it means to serve the One True God, and have been influenced in their beliefs by the Egyptians. It also represents their current servitude and oppression in the land of Egypt. That the hand when put back into Moses bosom came out clean and whole, symbolizes that God will purify the people of Israel, through the work of Moses, so that they learn to love Him as their God alone again. It also represents the fact that the Israelite nation will be freed from the slavery that they are enduring in Egypt currently.

The third sign is the changng of the water of the Nile into blood. This is reminiscent of our Lord Jesus' first miracle where He turned water into wine. This sign represents the authority given to Moses to destroy the gods of the Egyptians. For the Nile River was considered by the Egyptians to be the source of all life, since from it animals, land and humans were nourished by it, and were in essence given life. If Moses had power over the waters of the Nile, then he would have power over all the false gods of the Egyptians. And this would serve as a comfort to the people of Israel, for they would know that their Lord God would deliver them. These signs served as a testimony to this fact. And we shall see that from these plagues, these signs and wonders done by God through Moses, that the Israelite people would grow in faith and trust in God, and the Egyptians, especially Pharaoh, would grow in hatred toward God.

And this is why our Lord God gives us signs and wonders, so that we may have a testimony of His presence among us. This is why He doesn't just leave us with His Word, even though this in itself has power enough of itself, to free us from the bondage of sin and death. But our Lord Jesus, gives us signs and testimonies of water, bread and wine, so that we may see, taste, and feel that our Lord Jesus truly does forgive us of our sins. Through these means He graciously invites us to be His people. He calls us out of the bondage of slavery and oppression of sin and death, to be His people by these signs and wonders.

That Moses bawked at the signs and wonders, and reveals his unwillingness to do what the Lord God is calling him to do, draws the Lord God's anger. For Moses shows his unbelief. The Lord has the same anger at us, when we despise, neglect, or defile these holy signs which He has given to us by making them into something they are not. Such as, saying that they are a work of man, or that they only are symbols, and that they are not true works of God. Sadly, this happens more than it should, for people are always trying to make salvation their own thing, and not God's work. They would prefer to receive the gifts of Him on their own terms, and not on His.

Moses may have angered the Lord God, but He shows His grace, in that He allows Aaron, Moses' brother, to be the spokesman for him. Aaron would be the voice of Moses, and Moses would be the God of Aaron. This shows the relationship of the Lord God to the prophets, for the Lord God gives them the very words to say, just like Moses would tell Aaron what to say, and the prophets say what the Lord God says, just as Aaron would say what Moses told him to say. Today, the ministers of God, also say what the Lord God has given them to say, and they learned what to say from the Apostles, who learned what to say from our Lord Jesus, Who says what the Father has given Him to say. So, we see from this that our Lord speaks through the men of God, whom He sends. Those whom He has not sent, do not say what He says, instead they say what the itching ears of mankind want to hear: platitudes, a laundry list of good works to do, in order to be saved, political rhetoric, and the like, but none of it is what our Lord God wants his ministers to say.

Therefore, we must heed the signs that our Lord God has given us. We must listen to the men of God whom He has given us. So that through these signs, given out by these men, we might be led out of the bondage and oppression of slavery to sin and death, and might live in the freedom of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

So She Called His Name Moses: Exodus 2:1-25

Exodus 2:1-25: "1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, 'This is one of the Hebrews' children.' 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?' 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Go.' So the maiden went and called the child's mother. 9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.' So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, 'Because I drew him out of the water.' 11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, 'Why are you striking your companion?' 14 Then he said, 'Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?' So Moses feared and said, 'Surely this thing is known!' 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, 'How is it that you have come so soon today?' 19 And they said, 'An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.' 20 So he said to his daughters, 'And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.' 21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land.' 23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them."

Today we get introduced to Moses. Therefore we have the narrative of how Moses came to be born, and how he came to be named and raised among the Egyptians. This chapter is contrasted with the first chapter, where Pharaoh was consumed with the extermination of the Jewish nation. In this chapter we are shown how God plans to deliver them from extermination. It begins with a man, a levite, who we learn from other sections of holy Scripture (later in Exodus, Numbers) that his name was Amram, a Kohathite, meaning he was descended from Kohath. He also married a descendant of Levi, one of Israel's sons, her name we learn from other places in holy Scripture is Jochebed.

We are told here about the birth of Moses, because he will become the vessel of God's deliverance of the Jews, but it should be pointed out that Moses is not the firstborn. Aaron was born before him, and in this chapter we also hear of Moses sister Miriam, who was not a little girl as is depicted in some movies, but was a young woman, since she is referred to as a "maiden," which commonly means young woman. It also referred to someone who was not married, and therefore would be a virgin, but that is another post. Aaron and Miriam, however, were born before the Pharaoh's edict from chapter one to drown all Hebrew baby boys in the River.

It is this edict that causes Moses mother, Jochebed, to hide him away from the Egyptians for the first three months of his life. It is when she can no longer hide him, that he ends up in the River, but not to be drowned, but to be saved. For he is saved from the waters by floating in a small ark. Moses is the new Noah. The one who saves his people by being saved in an ark.

The fact that Moses is drawn out of the water, which is what his name means "drawn out of the waters," also likens him to Noah. And in a certain sense is a picture of Holy Baptism, where the infant is drawn out of the waters, having received the Triune God's Name, and being saved from his sin. There is even theological meaning in Moses' name, for the one who was drawn out, will become the drawer out of the people of Israel.

Also it should be pointed out, contrary to popular movies supposedly portraying these events, that the princess of Egypt knew that Moses was a Hebrew boy, and in spite of the Pharaoh's edict (her own father) and on account of her compassion for the crying baby boy, she saves him. Moses grew up his whole life knowing he was a Hebrew, it wasn't some surprising shock years later, when he discovers a silly blanket. No thank you, Hollywood! In fact, because the sister of Moses, Miriam, follows the ark until the princess finds it, and tells her that she knows someone who can feed the child, the princess tells her to bring the person, who just happens to be his real mother. Therefore, Moses lived with his family until he was weaned, probably about two years old, and then went to live with the princess. And we can assume that the princess paid regular visits to the family of Moses to keep in touch with the lad. Not only that, but Moses mother, Jochebed, was paid to take care of her own child. Pretty sweet deal!

We also learn from other places in holy Scripture, that Moses was fully trained in all the knowledge of Egypt. This is saying something, for at that time, Egypt was the cultural epicenter of the world. It was the place where knowledge was it's greatest. And so, we see from this that our Lord God, uses the wisdom of the world to train his future servant, so that he might use the wisdom of God to thwart the wisdom of the world. Our Almighty Lord's hand is seen in all of this, from Moses birth, to his rescue, to his upbringing.

However, Moses is not perfect. He is a murderer, a sinner. Again, our Lord chooses men who according to the world's eyes are not worthy. But God's ways our not our ways. He uses the frail, the weak, the unworthy, in order to call all the other unworthy ones, so that He might make them worthy through His holy Word. And for the Israelites this man would become Moses, for he would deliver the people of God from Pharaoh.

There are a few things missing from this narrative that cause one to ponder: First, usually there was a prophecy concerning the baby who would perform great things. However, there is no prophecy of Moses, not of his birth, nor of the rescue of the Israelites. Second, we are not told how Moses was accepted into Pharaoh's home, when he clearly wanted the Hebrew boys killed. We can assume that since he continued to be raised in Pharaoh's home, that perhaps he took a liking to the boy, after all, it is said of him that he was a beautiful child. Third, we are not told how Moses maintained his faith in the One True God, in the midst of learning all the knowledge of Egypt. We are only shown that this is true in his murder of the Egyptian task master (representive of the enemies of God) and in his trying to break up a fight between two of his fellow Jews. We are told from St. Stephen's retelling of the narrative, that Moses was forty years old when this happened, so he wasn't young and impetuous, but had lived a fairly decent amount of time.

We see in these actions of Moses, his belief that he could be used by God to deliver the Israelite nation. However, his brothers did not understand it. It wasn't his time, another forty years would pass before that happened. But in this we can see our own and the world's stiff-neckedness. For God desires to deliver us, and sends us ministers to deliver us through His holy Word and Sacraments, but we and the world "understand it not." We do not see that the Lord desires us to be saved us through such simple means. Perhaps it's because we would rather be saved from sin and death, by more extraordinary means, but this is not how our Lord desires to save us.

Therefore we see our Lord's providence in sending the people of Israel a deliver, that is, Moses. God plans to rescue His people who are trapped in the bondage of slavery, and are oppressed by the enemy, Egypt. Our Lord delivers us from the bondage of slavery to sin, and frees us from the oppression of the enemy the devil. Just as Moses was drawn out of waters and saved, so too are we drawn out of the waters of Holy Baptism, and are saved from our sins. And through His holy Word, he keeps us in this salvation, unto life everlasting.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Make You A Great Nation: Genesis 12:1-20

Genesis 12:1-20: "1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. 10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, "This is his wife"; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.' 14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17 But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, "She is my sister"? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.' 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had."

There are several similarities between the calling of Abram, and the Exodus account. Abram is caused by a famine to go to Egypt. So was Jacob and his sons. The Pharaoh of Abram's time is plagued by plagues. So is the Pharaoh of Moses time, who is the writer of this book. The Pharaoh of Abram's time commands him to leave his country. After the plagues during the time of Moses, Abram is Pharaoh demands Moses and all Israel, the descendants of Abram, to depart from the land.

Given the season of the year, this text hearkens us back to the flight into Egypt of our Lord and Savior Jesus, St. Mary, and St. Joseph. Although our Lord was forced from the land, not because of famine, but because of the rage of an evil king, one cannot help but consider that our Lord like Abram, and the Israelites before Him, had to seek shelter, solace, and succor in the land of Egypt. The question that has to come to mind is "Why Egypt?" After all, Egypt is not looked upon all to well by Scripture. There is an answer, and it is a spiritual one. This is really a picture of our own lives. Egypt represents this world. The world is at odds with the True God. It would rather have a god of its own choosing. The god the world chooses is an amalgamated god, one that embraces all religions as the same, and lumps them all together, as just different ways to the same end result of heavenly bliss. This is not the True God. The True God, is only the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the true Savior is only the Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died on account of our sins, for our salvation.

However, in this world we must live. In a sense we have been exiled to Egypt, we are forced to live a world, and in a land, that is not our true home and land. Our true home and land, is heaven. Our Lord sends plagues, that is, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, war, bloodshed, and the like. He sends these things not just as a punishment for our sinfulness and wicked lives, but He sends them so that all those in the world, might do as the Pharaoh in the time of Abram did, that is, repent. God desires that we turn from our sinful lives, and live according to His ways. But even more than that, He desires that we trust and rely on Him for everything that we need and desire in this life.

Here is truly the amazing thing about this pericope: God tells Abram to leave his home, his family, the place in which he grew up and in what he was familiar, and go someplace else. If the command was given to us, we would balk at it. Moving is a hassle. The packing boxes, the lifting of heavy objects, making sure that everything is marked so that one is able to find it again and easily once we have reaced our destination, doesn't sound like a very attractive task, even when it is desired and/or necessary. For some of us, even just rearranging the furniture can be a hastle that is best avoided. But the fact that Abram, not only packed up all that he and his wife Sarai owned, and all that he acquired, along with his nephew Lot's things, and did as God commanded him, is a sign of absolute faith.

Abram could not have known what was in store for him, nor did he know where he was going. But he faithfully did as God commanded. Such faith is hard to find these days. To find a person that truly trusts and relies on God is a great and precious thing. There are certainly people who belong to the One True Church who fit this example of faith, who by all appearances trust in God completely, just like Abram did. Such a person is truly blessed.

Abram's leaving of Haran is not unlike a small band of brothers, who either forced out or leaving of their own free will the Synod in which they were raised, left to go into a new Diocese, a land of Canaan, flowing with the milk and honey of the pure teaching of God's holy Word and a blessed fellowship of love and trust. To leave this Synod, and form and join this Diocese, took a leap of faith. A leap of faith not unlike the faith the Abram showed. Abram, as well as this Diocese, desired to do what was right, and desired to do the will of God, and he did it trusting in His Divine grace and mercy.

The desire of Abram to pass his wife off as his sister, in order to save his neck, must also be discussed. This is a weird move on the part of Abram. Afterall he has shown such faith up to this point. Why the doubt? Why the mistrust of God? Why all of a sudden is he trusting in his own abilities, or lack their of, instead of God's? The truth of the matter is that Abram displays that which is inside all of us.

There are always doubts that come to us. We see the world, and what it teaches, and how it behaves, and for some of us we desire to be like the world, and in fact, there are those in the Church, who try to fashion God into the type of god the world wants. This is seen in their preaching, which is nothing more than how to live a good life, or handle a certain situation, and not a true preaching about our Lord Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us. We can also see this attitude in these people's worship. It resembles a rock concert, more than a sacred meeting between God and His people, in order that He might give out His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. These people's worship is focused on themselves, and what they feel, and experience, instead of what God does for them. And they even turn that around, and make their feelings, and emotions, something that God has to effect in them.

For others of us, we are saddened by the abject faithlessness of the world, and wonder why God doesn't do something about it. We secretly desire that God would do something drastic, in order that people would repent, and turn back to Him. Sometimes, there are even people, who do illegal things, like blowing up an abortion clinic, thinking that it is God's will. Abortion is wrong, and it is clearly contrary to God's Commandment, but breaking one commandment to fulfill another doesn't do anybody any good.

Abram had these same doubts, and so he tells his wife to pretend to be his sister. God, however, used the plagues and Pharaoh to get Abram back on track. God sends us these trials and tribulations in this life, so that we might also get back to trusting and relying on Him alone.

There is a true joy that comes, when one trusts in God completely, and is free of doubt. That person hears God more clearly, he trusts in Him more completely, and chases after God wherever He is to be found, desiring and demanding those gifts from Him in all of their grace and purity. That person will also desire to do what is truly God's will, and desire that he receive pure teaching of the Gospel, that the he receive the Sacraments according to Christ's institution, and he will demand that the vehicle in which the Word and the Sacraments are administered be properly adorned like a beautiful Bride set for her wedding, and not a harlot trolling the street for tricks. The historic Liturgy is such a beautiful Bride, and the Liturgy done well, truly adorns the Word and Sacraments in a worthy vehicle.

May all who read this find that True Canaan, where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and the Sacraments are adminstered according to Christ's institution, and delivered in a worthy vehicle.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas