Exodus

This was the first time that I've read Exodus from cover to cover, and after doing so it makes a lot more sense. When I've read this book per-verse (not perverse) it seemed pretty disjointed and God seemed incredibly grouchy. But after reading everything in context, God's actions against the Egyptians and occasionally the Hebrews seem very justified.

In regards to the Ten Plagues, I found this article to be very helpful in my understanding of why God brought these specific plagues against Egypt. http://hubpages.com/hub/Ten-Plagues-For-Ten-Gods Granted it's just theory and conjecture, for who can truly know what happened and who can truly know the heart and intentions of the Lord? But with some 3000 years to study these events, we're probably at a good position to offer explanations and analysis.
The thing that I've struggled with over the years about the Exodus story is (1) why would God punish the Egyptians so harshly and (2) why would God purposefully harden the heart of pharaoh as the book says many times? Some explanation might be found in chapter 3 verses 19-22, where it says that pharaoh will not bend unless under harsh pressure and to allow the Hebrews to plunder their slave master. To some people this seems to harsh to the Egyptians, but I invite these people to go under the slave master's whip sometime and say the same :) I also think some explanation might be found in 4:22-23 where God calls Israel his firstborn son, so he will take the firstborn son of the Egyptians. God also says throughout the Bible that he brought these plagues in order to punish the gods of Egypt and to spread his fame through His wonders. God refers to this story over and over again throughout the Bible because this is His story, His great battle where He saved His people. Read 9:15-16.

It was actually good for me to read all the commandments that God laid out for them on Sinai. From the limited knowledge I have of ancient culture's laws, these laws that God is laying out here in terms of social responsibility, sacrifice, rest and work, these ideas were revolutionary for their time. Never before had woman had such protection! Just one example. And yet we don't read this as particularly revolutionary because these laws are almost woven into the fabric of modern society (except the sacrificial animals bits).

I also love the narratives of Moses' relationship with God. They had a fitful start (ie. 4:1, 10, 13, 24-26), but their relationship grew as God tested Moses' character and refined him to care for his people (ie, chapter 32, specifically verses 9-14). In the end God came to view Moses as His friend (33:11, 17). I hope that someday, through testing and refining, that I may come to know God in this way and that I may be his friend because my actions and thoughts are so close to the Lord's.

After reading about all the wonders that God performed, I'm still surprised every time I read this that the people rebelled so much. Good riddens that He killed off 3000 or so.

By the way, I want and ephod and chestpiece. Easy way for the people to discern the will of God. Although we have the Spirit with us now and He is able to tell us the will of the Lord, sometimes it's still ambiguous and hard to discern. I can't imagine with the Urim and Thummim it was always easy, but it took out a lot of ambiguity.

24:9-11 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible. I want to do this someday.