Day 033 (Exodus 10-12) - Year 7

Summary

Summary of "Day 033 (Exodus 10-12) - Year 7" Podcast Episode from The Bible Recap

Host: Tara-Leigh Cobble
Release Date: February 2, 2025
Podcast: The Bible Recap

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Introduction

In the "Day 033 (Exodus 10-12) - Year 7" episode of The Bible Recap, host Tara-Leigh Cobble delves deep into the final plagues inflicted upon Egypt, culminating in the dramatic Exodus of the Israelites. Cobble provides a thorough exploration of Exodus chapters 10 through 12, unpacking theological themes, historical contexts, and enduring lessons for contemporary listeners.

1. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

Cobble begins by examining the complex theme of God hardening Pharaoh's heart:

“I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them that you may know that I am the Lord.” [00:02]

She discusses the nuanced portrayal of this passage, highlighting how God’s hardening of Pharaoh serves a dual purpose: demonstrating His power to the Egyptians and reinforcing the Israelites' faith in His sovereignty. Cobble emphasizes the importance of grappling with such challenging scriptures to appreciate the depth of God's plans.

2. Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Agency

Expanding on the interplay between divine will and human action, Cobble reflects:

“Pharaoh's hardening of his own heart is almost always followed with the statement, as the Lord had said.” [03:45]

She reassures listeners that recognizing God's supremacy does not diminish human responsibility. Instead, it underscores God's ability to use even human stubbornness to fulfill His greater purposes. Cobble encourages believers to trust in God's overarching plan, despite the apparent hardening of hearts.

3. Encouragement Against Fear

Addressing potential fears regarding God's control over human hearts, Cobble offers comfort:

“The enemy of your soul wants you to view God's power through a lens that pushes you away from him instead of drawing you in.” [05:20]

She urges listeners to see God's omnipotence as a source of security and hope. By highlighting God's ability to soften even the hardest hearts, Cobble inspires confidence in His unwavering commitment to humanity's redemption.

4. The Final Plagues and the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

Cobble transitions to the narrative of the final plagues, detailing Pharaoh’s diminishing resolve:

“Pharaoh starts to weaken his resolve. But instead of obeying, he asks for a compromise. God doesn't really go for that.” [06:10]

She explains how the intensifying plagues, including locusts and darkness, serve as divine judgments against Egypt's oppression of the Israelites. Cobble underscores that despite the severity of these plagues, true repentance from Pharaoh remains elusive.

5. Establishing Passover

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the institution of Passover:

“If you were to use a hyssop branch like they did to wipe blood in those three spots, the placement on the left and the right, and then the dripping from the top down to the ground would leave the shape of a cross.” [06:50]

Cobble elaborates on the meticulous instructions given to the Israelites, emphasizing the symbolic significance of the blood markings and the manner of the sacrifice. She draws parallels between these practices and later biblical themes, such as the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-18, highlighting the continuity of divine protection and salvation.

6. The Exodus and Its Significance

Cobble provides a vivid portrayal of the Exodus event:

“600,000 men and an estimated total of 2 to 3 million people left Egypt on foot.” [07:10]

She details the massive scale of the departure, including the voluntary inclusion of non-Israelites and some Egyptians. Cobble reflects on God's provision, as the Israelites depart with plunder collected from the Egyptians, fulfilling divine promises. She also addresses concerns regarding the duration of Israelite enslavement, offering plausible explanations to reassure listeners of God's faithfulness.

7. Foreshadowing and Theological Insights

Cobble connects the events of Exodus to broader biblical narratives and theological concepts:

“God was 30 years late. I thought it was only supposed to be 400 years.” [07:25]

She explores the potential reasons behind the 430-year period of enslavement, suggesting that it may encompass both the prosperous early years under Joseph and the subsequent hardships. Cobble also draws parallels between the Passover sacrifices and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, highlighting the foreshadowing present in the Exodus story.

8. The Trinity and Salvation

Concluding her theological reflections, Cobble articulates the foundational aspects of the Trinity in the context of salvation:

“We needed an initiator, God the Father, and we needed a mediator, God the Son. And we need someone to sustain and fulfill his work in us, God the Spirit.” [07:35]

She emphasizes that the plan of salvation initiated in the Exodus narrative is fully realized through the collective work of the Trinity, underscoring the unity and distinct roles within the Godhead.

Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Tara-Leigh Cobble masterfully intertwines historical recounting with deep theological insight, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of Exodus 10-12. She challenges them to wrestle with difficult passages, trust in God's sovereignty, and recognize the enduring relevance of the Passover in the broader narrative of redemption.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• On God's Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart:
  “I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them that you may know that I am the Lord.” [00:02]

• On Divine Sovereignty vs. Human Agency:
  “Pharaoh's hardening of his own heart is almost always followed with the statement, as the Lord had said.” [03:45]

• Encouragement Against Fear:
  “The enemy of your soul wants you to view God's power through a lens that pushes you away from him instead of drawing you in.” [05:20]

• On Pharaoh's Final Plea:
  “Pharaoh starts to weaken his resolve. But instead of obeying, he asks for a compromise. God doesn't really go for that.” [06:10]

• Establishing the Cross-Shaped Blood Markings:
  “If you were to use a hyssop branch like they did to wipe blood in those three spots, the placement on the left and the right, and then the dripping from the top down to the ground would leave the shape of a cross.” [06:50]

• On the Scale of the Exodus:
  “600,000 men and an estimated total of 2 to 3 million people left Egypt on foot.” [07:10]

• On the Duration of Enslavement:
  “God was 30 years late. I thought it was only supposed to be 400 years.” [07:25]

• On the Trinity in Salvation:
  “We needed an initiator, God the Father, and we needed a mediator, God the Son. And we need someone to sustain and fulfill his work in us, God the Spirit.” [07:35]

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and theological reflections presented by Tara-Leigh Cobble in the specified podcast episode, providing a valuable resource for those who have not yet listened.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Leigh Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. Yesterday we saw the first seven plagues God brought on the Egyptians because Pharaoh wouldn't listen to Moses and set the Israelite slaves free. Today we dropped in on the rest of the plagues. The first few sentences we read today said, I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them that you may know that I am the Lord. This whole paragraph was a weighty paragraph. It almost sounds like part of God's plan was to harden Pharaoh's heart against his plan. And the reason was that this process would help Israel really know and trust him as God. He uses the wicked as a tool to advance his plan and bless the children he's adopted into his family. We can't cut sentences like this out of the Bible. We have to wrestle with them and see what they mean and how they fit into the context of everything else in Scripture. I'm not going to tie it up with a pretty bow and make it look simple. It's hard, it's mysterious, and it's okay to not have answers about it yet, or maybe ever. In yesterday's reading, we encountered several places where God hardened Pharaoh's heart. A few where it just says his heart was hardened, and a few that attribute the hardening to Pharaoh himself. But interestingly, Pharaoh's hardening of his own heart is almost always followed with the statement, as the Lord had said, it can feel threatening to recognize that God is bigger than your own heart, that he can shape it for his own purposes. If that's you and you're feeling that way right now, I would encourage you to not let fear drive that thought. The enemy of your soul wants you to view God's power through a lens that pushes you away from him instead of drawing you in. So instead, try to stop and acknowledge how comforting it is that we serve a God who is that powerful. For instance, think about the people that you know and love, who are the furthest from God, people you've prayed for and cried for, people who have told you that they never want to hear you say another word about God again. God can soften their hearts and turn them on their heels, just like he did with the apostle Paul, who, by the way, wasn't just not seeking God. He was actively at war against God and his people, much like Pharaoh. For God to be sovereign over sins and hearts means no one is beyond his reach. And it's never too late for Anyone. And that is the greatest comfort I can imagine. Moving on. Today we see the frustration mounting with Pharaoh's servants. And Pharaoh starts to weaken his resolve. But instead of obeying, he asks for a compromise. God doesn't really go for that. So the locusts and the darkness come, but still no repentance. Then God sends what he knows will be the final plague. Moses has all the Israelites ask the Egyptians for their valuables and they hand them over. He also tells every Israelite house to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the left sides, right sides and tops of their doorways, marking their homes and their families by the blood of a sacrifice. Interestingly, if you were to use a hyssop branch like they did to wipe blood in those three spots, the placement on the left and the right, and then the dripping from the top down to the ground would leave the shape of a cross. God also tells them to eat their dinner, but finish it quickly. Don't even make bread that rises. And stay fully dressed with your car keys in hand, basically. By the way, the description he gives their attire is a little bit reminiscent of the armor of God described much later in Ephesians 6, 10, 18. Then he tells them about an annual dinner party he's planned for them to celebrate what he's about to do that night. I love that God is already telling them how to commemorate his deliverance before he fulfilled it. Jewish people around the world still celebrate this event today. The Hebrew calendar is built around it. You'll see this one day event referenced in scripture as Passover. And this is important to what we'll be learning in scripture, so make a mental note of it. It's called Passover because that's what the Lord did when he saw the blood on their doorways. He passed over that house and didn't kill the firstborn. So all the firstborn of Israel are spared, but not Egypt. By the way, in the references to the destroying angel in this passage, his identity is kind of blurred. But most signs point to this being a theophany, possibly a christophany. After the angel who is maybe God, the Son passes through the Egyptians, drive the Israelites out, just like God promised, with fistfuls of jewelry and fine clothing that they willingly handed over, just like God promised. The Israelites plundered the Egyptians in the middle of the night. 600,000 men and an estimated total of 2 to 3 million people left Egypt on foot. Some other non Israelites went with them. We find out later that even some Egyptians went too. And God tells the Israelites to treat them like family as long as they're circumcised. Also, you may be a little concerned about the 430 years that it says they spent in Egypt. Like God was 30 years late. I thought it was only supposed to be 400 years. There are two possible ways this could shake out. First, God could have just been giving a round number generality, not a down to the minute timeline. Or second, those first 30 years may have included the good times when Joseph had first moved his family there and all was still right with the old Pharaoh before they started enslaving them. So if you were worried that God got it wrong or broke his promise, hopefully that will help you breathe easy. What was your God shot today? What did you see about his character or his motives or his heart? I've kind of been paying attention to this theme he keeps touching on. Think Back to day 31. We read two things in Exodus 4 that kind of foreshadowed this final plague and helped us see a little bit of what's happening here with God's motives. Remember how God was angry and sought to kill someone? Maybe Gershom, Moses, firstborn son, because Moses had disobeyed God by not circumcising Gershom, which means he wasn't set apart as one of God's people. And remember how God said that if Egypt didn't relent and let his firstborn son Israel go free to be set apart, that he would kill their firstborn son? That was all a bit of foreshadowing for today. This even has echoes of Abraham and his firstborn son Isaac. And then today, just like with circumcision, God tells Israel to set themselves apart with a specific marking to mark the entryway of their homes with blood in the shape of a cross no less. That makes today's reading feel like foreshadowing for something yet to come. In scripture. God has been hinting all along at what he's initiating here. He's so protective of his people and his plan for their freedom and restoration, he goes to great lengths to secure it. And this is certainly not even the greatest length God goes to. God knows the pain the Egyptians felt because to secure your freedom and mine, he sacrificed his firstborn son so that the massive debt our sins accrued could be paid in full. We could never pay it even with his help. We don't need him to help us. We need his utter and complete rescue. And through the plan he initiated to sacrifice his son, he also initiated a relationship with us and saved us from ourselves. We needed an initiator, God the Father, and we needed a mediator, God the Son. And we need someone to sustain and fulfill his work in us, God the Spirit. The plan that God has initiated, sustained and fulfilled is the only way we can be united with him and thank God because He's where the joy is.

[B]

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