Legacy

23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.  Exodus 2

I had a really hard time picking out something to write about.  This chapter has so much going on!  Go read the whole chapter on your own when you can.  I decided to go big picture rather than drill down into a particular part.

So, anyways, Egypt.  When I was a child, I loved all things relating to ancient Egypt.  I loved reading about it, seeing mummies on traveling exhibits, watching television shows about it, everything!  I soaked it up.  I didn't want to go out and become an archaeologist or anything along those lines, I was just fascinated with the concept that a civilization could leave such a lasting legacy with their structures and language, and yet have so many unanswered questions.  Over time, the meaning has become lost, while the structures remain.

Compare that to Moses.  What did Moses and the Israelites build?  They built the ark of the covenant, the temple, and the priestly garments.  Yes, there's the tablets of the Ten Commandments, but those weren't really built by the Israelites, but let's include them here too.  Basically, the Israelites had plenty of "stuff" that could be passed down for generations.  Yet, it's lost today.  However, the meaning still remains.  In fact, the meaning has been strengthened over the years with Jesus's birth, life, and death which paid for our sins and no longer requires us to sacrifice at the temple for atonement.  

On one hand, the Egyptians left physical objects behind, but the spiritual has been lost.  It's considered to be an extinct religion.  On the other hand, the Israelites left spiritual meaning behind, but the objects are lost.  The continuation of their religion is thriving!  

A legacy is what you leave behind after you're gone.  What will your legacy be?