Heartbreak. I think of the stubbornness of leaders, refusing to admit defeat and condemning others to death. It has happened for centuries, and it is no different here. Pharaoh will not acknowledge that God is a greater power than he is, and as a result, God brings devastation in a way that will be clear, similar to how Pharaoh had all the Israelite males thrown into the river to die. Pharaoh could have let the Israelites leave before this, but his heart was hardened by his pride, and as a result, all of Egypt will suffer loss.
We are often caught up in things larger than ourselves. I cannot explain why so many bad things happen in the world. We read headlines, but it's easy to forget that each headline impacts an individual life, be it a war on the other side of the world or job cuts here at home. They all impact people. One of the things that I love about Scripture, and particularly the Gospels, is that the interactions happen at individual levels. Jesus comes to heal this woman or that child, and their story is told. Individuals matter to God -- each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. I don't think God finds joy in the death of individuals, be here in Exodus or later on in Joshua or in plenty of other places throughout history. Violence tears apart. This is the impact of sin. Thanks be to God for Jesus who comes to mend the rift, to sew back up what violence tears apart. He is truly our only hope, greater than death, able to defeat the powers that bind us.
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