Day 46

V From the Exodus to the Crossing into Canaan - 1462-1422 B.C. ~ cont.

(1462 - 982 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1)

B. Time spent at Sinai (sometimes called Horeb) ~ cont.

21. Law about sacrifice - Day of Atonement - Leviticus 16:1-34

22. Necessity of blood sacrifice - Leviticus 17:1-16

23. Various offerings described - Sacrifice system and priest's duties - Leviticus 7:37-38

a. Burnt offering - Leviticus 1:1-17; 6:8-13

And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:  (Leviticus 1:16)

I know, this appears an odd verse.  :-D {laugh}  We raise chickens, meat and egg layers.  The comment about plucking out the crop triggered my inquisitiveness.

When we butcher, we remove the crop, but skin the chickens (much easier) than the process of scalding, plucking, etc. So what is a crop and what is it for?

crop - H4760 - Apparently feminine passive causative participle of H7200; something conspicuous, that is, the craw of a bird (from its prominence).

Only used once in scripture.  Hmmm...dictionary.com

Also called craw, Zoology

1. a pouch in the esophagus of many birds, in which food is held for later digestion or for regurgitation to nestlings.
2. a chamber or pouch in the forgut of arthropods and annelids for holding and partly crushing food.

I was pondering upon the function of the crop or craw and how applicable that function is for a Christian.  To take in the nourishment of the Word.  While we may not be able to digest it all at once, it should be there for future edification, either for ourselves or for others (ex: parents to children).  Daily.  Just as we feed our physical bodies day by day, so too, we must nourish our spiritual bodies.

Father exhorts us to study...which made me think of this verse::

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

study - G4704 - From G4710; to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest.

• From G4692; “speed”, that is, (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness.

The word study is used only 3x in Scripture and each time it is a different word.  G4704 is used 11x in the NT.  Some intriguing translations, forward, endeavor, labor, diligence.  Here are a few which were a blessing:

Let us labor to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  Hebrews 4:11

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:  (2 Peter 1:10)

The other example in the NT of study is:

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

G5389 - Middle voice from a compound of G5384 and G5092; to be fond of honor, that is, emulous (eager or earnest to do something.

Used only 3x - I liked this one:

Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build  upon another man's foundation:  (Romans15:20)

But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.  (Romans 15:21)

We can not give that which we have not partaken, be encouraged dearly beloved saints of the Most High God to avail yourselves of the opportunity to fill your 'crop' full of the Word of God.  Ruminate upon it, study it, ingest it continually throughout the day that you may be more and more sanctified by HIS word, but also, that you will be able to 'regurgitate' it to others who are in need of a pleasant word of comfort.

Day 31

IV From the Patriarchs to the Exodus - 1606 - 1462 B.C. ~ cont.

F. Moses, the deliverer ~ cont.

4. The ten plagues ~ cont.

i. Darkness - Exodus 10:21-23, 24-27
j. Pharoah cancels negotiations - Exodus 10:28-29
k. Killing of the firstborn
(1) Warning - Exodus 11:1-8
(2) Pharoah's heart hardened - Exodus 11:9-10
(3) Passover instructions - Exodus 12:3-12
(4) Importance of the blood - Exodus 12:13-27
(5) Obeyed by Israel - Exodus 12:28
(6) First born killed, Passover kept - Exodus 12:29
5. From Goshen to the Red Sea
a. Egyptians demand immediate departure - Exodus 12:30-36
b. Deliverance begins - Exodus 12:40-42; Numbers 33-1-4
c. From Ramses to Succoth - Exodus 12:37; Numbers 33:5
d. At Succoth - Exodus 12:38-51

...And he (Moses) went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.  (Exodus 11:8)

A great anger, I was pondering why Moses would be in such a state.  Prior to understanding the doctrine of election, I would be frustrated (not angry) and how people could not grasp the magnitude of the sacrifice made by Christ.  Father has graciously opened my understanding and made me realize, that unless HE opens the understanding of a person, they can not grasp HIM, His mercy, truth, favor, etc. etc.  Just as Pharaoh was hardened again and again.  He could see the natural, but not the spiritual.

great - H2750 - From H2734; a burning (that is, intense) anger.

• H2734 - A primitive root (compare H2787); to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy.

H2750 is used 6 times in 6 verses - Exodus 11:8; Deuteronomy 29:24; 1 Samuel 20:34; 2 Chronicles 25:10; Isaiah 7:4; Lamentations 2:3.

1 Samuel 20:34 - So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved  for David, because his father had done him shame.

Always translated fierce or great.

anger - H639 - From H599; properly the nose or nostril; hence the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire.

• H599 - A primitive root; to breathe hard, that is, be enraged.

H639 used 276 times in 269 verses.  Wow.  The first time in:

Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

This is the same word which Father uses to express Himself when Moses is arguing about being HIS mouthpiece.

Exodus 4:14 - And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses...

Numbers 11:1 - And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Browsing through the first verse of each chapter which had H639.  Quite a few of them are similar to the one stated above.  Frightening thought.  Israel seemed to be in a continual cycle of causing the Lord's anger to kindle against them.  Then I came across this one:

1 Samuel 1:5 - But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.

I found that intriguing that the word is translated worthy ~ was it due to the passion Elkanah had for her?

In 2 Samuel 6:7 the Lord's anger is kindled against Uzzah for touching the ark.  This is a poignant reminder that Father has a set of rules.  He has stated what HE wants, likes, desires, expects and we are required to avail ourselves of learning what is most pleasing to Him.

K&D commentary:

With this announcement Moses departed from Pharaoh in great wrath. Moses' wrath was occasioned by the king's threat (Exo_10:28), and pointed to the wrath of Jehovah, which Pharaoh would soon experience. As the more than human patience which Moses had displayed towards Pharaoh manifested to him the long-suffering and patience of his God, in whose name and by whose authority he acted, so the wrath of the departing servant of God was to show to the hardened king, that the time of grace was at an end, and the wrath of God was about to burst upon him.

Day 30

IV From the Patriarchs to the Exodus - 1606 - 1462 B.C. ~ cont.

F. Moses, the deliverer ~ cont.

4. The ten plagues ~ cont.

b. Frogs - Exodus 8:1-7; 8:8-11; 8:12-15

c.  Lice - Exodus 8:16-19
d. Flies - Exodus 8:20-23, 24-28, 29-32
e. Murrain - Exodus 9:1-5, 6, 7
f. Boils - Exodus 9:8-12
g. Hail - Exodus 9:13-19, 20-26, 27-35
h. Locusts - Exodus 10:1-6, 7-13; 12:1-2; 10:14-15, 16-20

Murrain?  What is that?

H1698 - From H1696 (in the sense of destroying); a pestilence.

• H1696 - A primitive root; perhaps properly to arrange; but used figuratively (of words) to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue.

H1698 is used 49 times in 48 verses.  Except for Exodus 9:3 where it is translated murrain and Hosea 13:14 where it is translated as plagues, all the other instances are pestilence.

That did not help...Gill's commentary:

a very grievous murrain: or "pestilence" (y), a very noisome one, and which would carry off great numbers; the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render it a "death", as the Jews commonly call a pestilence, whether on man or beast, because it generally sweeps away large numbers.

Not a lot of information available about murrain, other than it is a disease which kills cattle.  :-O

Browsing for information on the murrain and the 10 plagues and came across this site, which supposedly has a natural answer for the plagues.  Ultimately God is always in control and whether HE used natural means to bring about the plagues or just made them happen, I do not know.  I do know HE is in complete control.

Father separates the land of Goshen from the rest of Egypt with the fourth plague - flies.  Ick...flies, always remind me of sin and Baalzebub (king of the flies - 2 Kings 1:2).

Came across this site which discussed how the 10 plagues correspond to the top 10 gods or goddesses of Egypt.