Pharaoh spent his last night engulfed by an impenetrable darkness, the latest in a series of extraordinary events aimed specifically at him.

Plagues, the death of his first-born, and now a path through the sea. Unconvinced by even the miraculous, the king refused to believe in this Hebrew god. At first light, Pharaoh spurred forward to destruction.

In Pharaoh’s universe, no GOD existed, only gods. The gods existed for him to manipulate and bend to his will. Besides, wasn’t he a god himself? Pharaoh knew how to handle the gods.

Pharaoh never understood. There exists only one GOD, and it’s not Pharaoh or me or you or any other being under the sun. Occasionally our Lord reminds us of this.

And I need these reminders, whether through stories like this one or personal experience, as I’m often tempted to believe the gods work for me.

Exodus 15 in week five of reading the Bible cover to cover.