23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord made his people very fruitful
and made them stronger than their foes.
25 He turned their hearts to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent Moses, his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they did not rebel against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33 He struck down their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
young locusts without number,
35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their strength.
37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quail,
and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
44 And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45 that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
Here is the great thing. God did not just do this once. God continues and is constantly pulling people out of slavery and darkness into his light. God did this with Abraham, offering him the holy promise. God brought his people even into the land of Egypt with Joy, as he united his family.
God sent a famine on the land of Canon in order to send Jacob and his sons to Egypt. God then sent plagues upon Egypt to deliver his people from there. God sent plagues upon his own people in the desert to help push them to the Jordan River. God sent further plagues upon his people as they turned their backs on him. God continues to bring his people out of slavery to sin and into Light.
God continues to even work through your life with signs and wonders. God works in you through your Baptism, which by water he has washed you in his blood. God works life and salvation in you as he offers you the true body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper. God works through the power of His Word to break your hard heart and offers you forgiveness of sins. God offers you a great sign in the death of his Son upon the Cross for the forgiveness of your sins.
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