Make up post: Bondage, Exodus and Passover

I am fascinated with the Children of Israel. I think I am fascinated with them because they always seems to miss the obvious. But that's not really being fair to them because I can read about their experiences and predicament in one day, whereas they had to live through every moment. Another reason they are a fascinating people is they are whiners like we are. Yup, we are whiners.

• The Egyptians hold the Israelites in bondage. We are held in bondage (whether by our own actions or the actions of others).
• The Israelites accept their bondage, get comfortable, but still look forward to being released from bondage as per prophecy. We sometimes get comfortable with our bondage/lot in life, but have a great hope that someday we will be free or that there will be a change.
• They are told that they will be freed so they stop fulfilling their responsibilities. We assume things will happen that fast too and do not continue with our responsibilities.
• They are punished with more and harder work. So are we, which may make us want to give up even more.
• They are obedient to what Moses tells them to do in order to escape. Their hearts are in it at the time, but not for the long haul. Ditto for us at times.
• They are given the Passover, the great symbol of the Savior's sacrifice and help for the obedient, which will happen in the future, are asked to believe and act. We are given the doctrine of the Savior's sacrifice which happened in the past and are asked to believe and act.
• They are told to teach their children about the Passover - in word and deed. We are told to teach our children about the Savior - in word and deed.
• Israelites are the recipient of many miracles and are made aware of the author of such miracles. We too are the recipient of many miracles, and are made aware through some channels, if we listen, but since many of our miracles are more individualized (at least that we know of, in comparison) we have a great responsibility to acknowledge where the miracles come from. I suppose they did too.
• The Israelites had these momentous experiences to teach them and give them hope and inspire them. We have these experiences too. But like the Israelites, sometimes we live in that momentous moment but we do not let them change us. We deny the very purpose of that experience by marking it in our journals, telling other people about it, but then go back to our habits and comforts of knowing where we were yesterday. We whine that we either have to change (requiring work) or that we must do something (work) or that it's not what we want, it's not how we pictured life to be.

Well, quit whining and change! Here's my favorite quote from Elder Holland about whining: "No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." Ensign, May 2007