Exodus

Mar. 7, 2023 - This story is a turning point for Israel. They've been freed from Egypt - now we begin to see that they have been liberated for a special purpose. By James Amadon

Feb. 20, 2023 - After watching a long line of people wait all day for their turn before Moses, Jethro gives Moses a very straightforward assessment: “What you are doing is not good." - By James Amadon

Feb. 6, 2023 - This is the part of Exodus I have not been looking forward to writing about. We must acknowledge and wrestle with these "texts of terror," as I heard a biblical scholar once refer to them. And, in the tension, there is often wisdom to be gleaned. By James Amadon

Jan. 16, 2023 - The Israelites are headed toward a place where they can stop wandering and settle down. But for them to become the kind of people that can live as God's people in a particular place, the journey they are on is essential. By James Amadon

Jan. 3, 2022 - In this moment, they would prefer servitude with full stomachs rather than freedom with empty ones. Maybe Pharaoh wasn't so bad - at least he didn't lead them out into the desert to die! By James Amadon

November 29, 2022 - We've reached a decisive moment in the Exodus story. The Hebrews have left Egypt, but they are not yet free - one more confrontation awaits. By James Amadon

Nov. 1, 2022 - I believe we need a new exodus, one that does not take us to a new promised land but roots us more firmly and justly right where we are. This will require humility, courage, and sacrifice - three things Pharaoh could not bring himself to embrace. Can we? By James Amadon

Oct. 25, 2022 - Herein lies Pharaoh's weakness - he has built an empire on the backs of people who, if they did rise up, revolt, and leave, would bring the empire to its knees. He cannot let them go, even for a weekend worship festival. By James Amadon

Oct. 11, 2022 - As Chapter 3 begins, Moses is living his new life in Midian, married, caring for his father-in-law's flock of sheep, and safely out of the reach of Pharaoh. He is not, however, safely out of the reach of God. By James Amadon

Oct. 3, 2022 - One might think that Pharaoh's cruelty would work - what Hebrew would want to bring a baby into such a messed-up, violent world (something we often hear today)? Yet the pull towards life is strong... by James Amadon