Tuesday, September 2, 2008

September 7, 2008: Exodus 12:1-14: Passover

The scripture passage for last week was Exodus 3:1-15, the story of Moses and the burning bush. I had a blast. I love that story. I could have gone any number of ways with the sermon, but I focused on turning aside and paying attention to our "burning bush" experiences.

But this week -- I'm stuggling with this passage. The passage itself talks about the first passover, how each family is to take a lamb, slaughter it, eat it, and put some of the blood over their doorposts so that the Lord will pass over their house and not kill the firstborn in their house.

My struggle is with God killing all the firstborns. When Pharaoh wanted to kill the boy babies when Moses was born, and when Herod killed all the babies when Jesus was born, that was wrong. How can it be right for God to do that?

I've read some ideas that don't necessarily solve the problem, but help me to understand it a little better. I'll post those soon. But in the meantime, what do you think about this tenth plague?

2 comments:

  1. I also question many things in the Bible. This is a contradiction to the God of my faith. God who loves us all equally.

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  2. Deanna,

    I think the questioning is good. Kind of like Jacob wrestling with the angel.

    Part of my struggle is that the worldview of the people in Bible times, that saw God as the cause of many things, doesn't match my worldview.

    I'm glad to be part of a church that allows this questioning and struggle.

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