Tuesday May 5 2026

Faith – war – LIGHT; seeing courage in conflict

It should not surprise us that faith leads to peace with God, and peace properly defines the ways of wisdom. Picture Moses, acquainted with both the oppressive reality of the Hebrews living in Egypt and the power and prestige of being an Egyptian prince. Conflict was the oven in which the faith of Moses found its wings.  Few people can claim to have lived in that intersection.

Hope – war – LIGHT; trusting endurance |

When hope appears the hopeless have been known to resist, as happened when Moses announced the mission Yahweh gave him. The oral tradition reminded the suffering Hebrews that Abraham’s God was as real as the cruel bondage in which they found themselves.

Love – war – LIGHT; embracing reconciliation |

I do not know if Yahweh’s warfare began with the death of all the firstborn of Egypt, but I do know that love forced every household, every animal grouping to take notice. I also know that when the Egyptian army began pursuing the fleeing Hebrews God’s love did not allow for any harm to come to the Hebrew people. Let us say that his friendship with Abraham got the better of him.

Death – war – LIGHT; becoming silence after struggle |

Death follows life.  If eternal life was involved in the Exodus experience we might say that Israel had to die – death in the desert was near total –  to experience the promised Land. In Christ’s death a major problem was resolved, and, contrary to popular opinion, his own victory was never up in the air.