Day 15: Exodus 5-8

Summaries:
Upon Moses' request to let the Israelites go into the desert for 3 days to offer sacrifice to God, Pharaoh refused and demanded the Israelite slaves work even harder (5). Moses feels discouraged, and God tells him that he is the Lord who will free the Israelites, but the Israelites don't believe Moses (6). Moses and Aaron again go before Pharaoh, and their staff turns into a snake as a sign, but Pharaoh remains unimpressed. As the first plague against Pharaoh for refusing to listen, God (through Moses and Aaron) changes the sea into blood, but Pharaoh is obstinate (7). For the second, third, and fourth plagues, the city was swarmed with frogs, gnats, and flies (respectively), though not upon God's people, and though Pharaoh asked Moses to pray for the creatures' removal and even once promised to let them go into the desert to offer sacrifice, he wouldn't let them go (8).

Reflections:
There were a few things that came to my mind with these readings.

First, seeing how God says that despite his signs he will make Pharaoh obstinate, it makes me think about how God always has a plan. It is unfortunate that I just attended the March for Life upon the 37th anniversary of Roe v Wade (unfortunate because it's been 37 years), but maybe the time hasn't yet come. That doesn't mean we stop fighting, but we must press on and know that even if the ruling doesn't change today, it will, and it must. Continue in Faith, Hope, and Love.

Second, it seems that some people don't feel threatened by anything, even hell, and so they feel no reason to turn towards God and believe. Pharaoh was like "eh, the water turned to blood. oh well." But everyone has a breaking point, and eventually there is a way for God to break into someone's life.