Category: Cover to Cover
Cover to Cover Reading: Exodus 18:1-21:36 Focus: Exodus 21:1-11 In a world where Patriarchy is viewed with disdain, where Feminism seeks equality, the argument often draws upon ancient Patriarchal systems where women were viewed with inequality and treated unfairly. However, as one explores the instalment of social systems within Israel, while it is still a Patriarchal system, it is not without its provision for women. Admittedly, while women and slaves were viewed as property, they are not without rights (though that would be argued by many). Women and slaves were still to be provided for with care and dignity (where…
Cover to Cover Reading: Exodus 15:1-17:16 Focus: Exodus 16:13-30 Why is it so hard to trust in God? When Jesus taught, “Do not worry” on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34) and that God would provide the needs of His people, Jesus meant that we could trust God to provide for our daily needs. Yet, we start thinking about the future and how we’ll ever be able to afford a house or raise a family, how we’ll ever live after retirement…the list goes on. Even when we’ve seen God provide amazingly in our times of need, we still forget…
Cover to Cover Reading: Exodus 12:1-14:31 Focus: Exodus 12:21-23 Let’s get straight to the point. Half the time when we read the Old Testament, it’s hard to understand how everything fits. The stories are nice, but sometimes they just seem like myths and legends of an ancient peoples. Then there’s the laws and we are grateful for the foundations that they have set for much of the Western world, until you find weird laws about what you can eat and what do when there’s mould in your house…? Then you get into the mystical prophecies and people have tried to…
Cover to Cover Reading: Exodus 8:20-11:10 Focus: Exodus 8:22-24; 9:5-7; 9:13-26 Reading through the Plague narrative, one cannot help but wonder at what it would have been like to go through each event and see a nation ravaged by the hand of God through the sheer power of nature. What would it have been like for the Egyptians subject to the hardened heart of Pharaoh and his officials? Even at the price of the plagues, so unwilling to release, holding onto their slave labour force. What a price to pay…
Cover to Cover Reading: Exodus 5:1-8:19 Focus: Exodus 8:8-11 There are times in our lives when we want change, we want to move forward, we want things to start fresh and new. With a new year, we make “New Year resolutions” that we never seem to keep. We look for special occasions to mark a new season in life, “On my birthday, I’m going to change, things are going to be different.” Or it might be the start of a new month or some other special occasion. It’s always tomorrow, but never today.
