This week's reading is Exodus 16. Tom will be preaching this Sunday, as I will be on vacation.
The story of the manna (and the quail) is one of the better-known episodes of Exodus. It is also found in Numbers 11:4-35. And, as we find in the Gospel accounts of Jesus, there are interesting differences between the two versions of the story. In Exodus, the Lord seems to give the manna and the quail at the same time, while in Numbers the manna is given first, but the Israelites want meat as well, so the Lord sends the quail. In Numbers, the Lord also sends a plague upon those who "craved other food." In Exodus, on the other hand, the special instructions are given about gathering and storage of the manna, especially pertaining to the Sabbath.
What are we to make of these differences? While we believe that the Bible relates events that really happened, it is not a work of history in the modern sense. The goal of the authors was not to create a historical record; instead, they wanted to make a theological point, and they told stories with this in mind. Details that did not fit with the point they were trying to make were left out, even things that we would consider essential to a true historical account of the situation.
The stories in Exodus and Numbers use the manna episode to make different points. Exodus seems concerned with the people following the law, especially the Sabbath. Numbers tells a story of the people not being satisfied with what the Lord gave them--and the consequences of this dissatisfaction. It is easy to imagine how the actual event could have combined elements from both of these stories.
16:3 - Once again the Hebrew people are grumbling, and once again they long to return to Egypt. Their remembrance of what Egypt was like seems much rosier than the reality of their slavery. They remember not that they were beaten and forced to work at hard labor day after day but that they "sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted." We long to return to Egypt when we desire earthly pleasures rather than the things of God. It is easy to forget what life apart from God is like.
16:4 - Just as we saw last week, this is a test.
16:7-8 -When the people of Israel grumble against Moses and Aaron, they say, "Who are we, that you should grumble against us...You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord." In other words, "Don't blame us, blame God!" Whenever things go well, the Israelites worshiped God. However, when things went poorly, they tended to blame Moses rather than God. Why is this? Perhaps they lost faith in God during difficult times. Or perhaps they realized the folly of accusing God of wrongdoing, so they shifted their blame to easier targets. Who do we blame when things go wrong, and why?
16:15 - The Old Testament is full of puns, which are lost in translation to English. When the people see the manna, they ask "What is it?", a question that sounds like the word manna.
One last note: Exodus 15:22-17:7 seem to be one large story with three related episodes. Note the similarities between them. The story of manna is sandwiched between two stories of God providing water. In each case, the people complain. In each story, there is testing. In the first two stories, God tests the Israelites. In the last story, however, the people test God--a dangerous proposition. What might we discover by reading this whole section as one long narrative, rather than three unrelated events?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thoughts on the Bitter Water
The reading for this week is Exodus 15:19-27.
15:20-21 Miriam, the brother of Aaron (and also of Moses), is described as a prophetess. Most of the important religious roles in ancient Israels were assigned exclusively to men. All of the priests were men, and only men could enter into the inner areas of the tabernacle and temple. However, prophesying was an exception. There are several cases in the Old Testament of women being called prophetesses. Besides Miriam, Deborah and Huldah are notable examples.
Prophets had the important role of conveying God's message to his people. God spoke to them, often through dreams or visions, and they proclaimed what they saw to the people. Despite the fact that men held most positions of power, these prophetesses were granted great authority due to the way that God spoke through them. Deborah was a judge. Huldah was sought out and obeyed by king Josiah.
The way God used prophetesses to bring His word to the people might be seen as a foretaste of what would happen in the church, when women were proclaimed to be full participants in the Kingdom of God.
15:22-24 Once again, the people complain as soon as they face difficulty. This is already the third time they are recorded as complaining, and it is the first of three stories in a row in which they grumble. Of course, going three days without water is no small thing. However, one might expect them to remember the parting of the sea three days before, or God's power displayed in the plagues just a short time before that, and conclude that God would provide for them now. But instead, they grumbled. We, of course, are nothing like them. We never grumble about anything.
15:25 When Moses threw a piece of wood into the bitter water, it was made sweet. Here is an early Christian interpretation of this event, from Gregory of Nyssa, whom I referenced earlier:
In this verse, it also states that "there the Lord tested them". What exactly was the test? What do you think the purpose of the test was?
15:26 God promises that if His people obey Him, He will not inflict any plagues on them. This might be a seemingly positive statement that strikes us in a negative way: it may not have occurred to us that God's own people could be subject to plagues. However, merely being born an Israelite does not guarantee freedom from God's judgment. God will judge all sin equally, whether committed by His chosen people or by others. One must live a righteous life in order to receive God's blessings. This theme is intensified in the New Testament. Christ revealed that "those who believe are children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7), regardless of there ancestry according to the flesh.
Incidentally, how do you think this will turn out in Exodus? Will the Israelites be faithful, or will they disobey God and be subject to plagues?
15:20-21 Miriam, the brother of Aaron (and also of Moses), is described as a prophetess. Most of the important religious roles in ancient Israels were assigned exclusively to men. All of the priests were men, and only men could enter into the inner areas of the tabernacle and temple. However, prophesying was an exception. There are several cases in the Old Testament of women being called prophetesses. Besides Miriam, Deborah and Huldah are notable examples.
Prophets had the important role of conveying God's message to his people. God spoke to them, often through dreams or visions, and they proclaimed what they saw to the people. Despite the fact that men held most positions of power, these prophetesses were granted great authority due to the way that God spoke through them. Deborah was a judge. Huldah was sought out and obeyed by king Josiah.
The way God used prophetesses to bring His word to the people might be seen as a foretaste of what would happen in the church, when women were proclaimed to be full participants in the Kingdom of God.
15:22-24 Once again, the people complain as soon as they face difficulty. This is already the third time they are recorded as complaining, and it is the first of three stories in a row in which they grumble. Of course, going three days without water is no small thing. However, one might expect them to remember the parting of the sea three days before, or God's power displayed in the plagues just a short time before that, and conclude that God would provide for them now. But instead, they grumbled. We, of course, are nothing like them. We never grumble about anything.
15:25 When Moses threw a piece of wood into the bitter water, it was made sweet. Here is an early Christian interpretation of this event, from Gregory of Nyssa, whom I referenced earlier:
After they had crossed the sea, a three days' march ensued, during which they made camp at a place where they found water so bitter that they could not at first drink it. But wood placed in the water made the drink agreeable to those who were thirsty.
The history agrees with what now happens: for to the one who has left behind the Egyptian pleasures which he served before crossing the sea, life removed from those pleasures seems at first difficult and disagreeable. But if the wood be thrown into the water, that is, if one receives the mystery of the resurrection which had its beginning in the wood (you of course understand the "cross" when you hear "wood"), then the virtuous life, being sweetened by the hope of things to come, becomes sweeter and more pleasant than all the sweetness that tickles the senses with pleasure.In short, it is the power of the cross that changes our lives from bitter to sweet.
In this verse, it also states that "there the Lord tested them". What exactly was the test? What do you think the purpose of the test was?
15:26 God promises that if His people obey Him, He will not inflict any plagues on them. This might be a seemingly positive statement that strikes us in a negative way: it may not have occurred to us that God's own people could be subject to plagues. However, merely being born an Israelite does not guarantee freedom from God's judgment. God will judge all sin equally, whether committed by His chosen people or by others. One must live a righteous life in order to receive God's blessings. This theme is intensified in the New Testament. Christ revealed that "those who believe are children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7), regardless of there ancestry according to the flesh.
Incidentally, how do you think this will turn out in Exodus? Will the Israelites be faithful, or will they disobey God and be subject to plagues?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thoughts on the Crossing of the Sea
This week's topic is a familiar one: the Israelites crossing the sea on dry ground. The specific passage to read is Exodus 14:1-15:21.
I found some pictures of the area to help visualize the story:
The Land of Goshen (where the Israelites lived in Egypt)
Ancient Ruins which many archaeologists believe to be Pithom
(one of the cities the enslaved Israelites built according to Exodus 1:11)
Desert East of the Red Sea
Possible site of Elim, springs visited after crossing the sea (15:27)
(The Red Sea is in the background)
The Wilderness where the Israelites wandered.
14:1-2 The beginning of this chapter finds the Israelites encamped "near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea". This sea is traditionally identified with the Red Sea. Indeed the New International Version, in deference to tradition, translates it "Red Sea" (for example, in 13:18 and 15:4). However, the actual Hebrew text says "Sea of Reeds" rather than "Red Sea." ("Red Sea" is found in an ancient translation from Hebrew into Greek called the Septuagint). Most scholars believe the crossing took place at some other body of water in the area. There is no way to know for sure. Does this matter? The claim of the Bible is that God has shown His love for humanity by intervening in history. Thus, it is worthwhile to study the history of the Biblical events. In this case, it doesn't matter too much, though. Wherever it happened, Exodus presents a miraculous story of Israel passing through the waters.
14:3-4 Once again, the rebellion of Pharaoh is part of God's plan. In this case, God deliberately leads the Hebrews on a path that will provoke Pharaoh to attack them.
14:11-12 On Sunday, I discussed the importance of remembering what God has done in the past in order to have hope in the present. Here, it seems that the Israelites did not remember. When Pharaoh attacks, they accuse Moses of bringing them to the desert to die. After the way the Lord showed His power in setting them free, how could they not have faith that He would save them now? Let this be a warning to us of how easy it is to forget what God has done in our lives.
14:19-20 In a detail of the story that is not usually noticed, the angel of the Lord stands between Pharaoh's army and the Israelites, preventing Pharaoh from harming them. What a wonderful image of the way God protects us from those who would harm us.
14:21-30 In the familiar heart of the story, the Israelites pass through the sea, while the Egyptian army drowns.
14:31 Now the people put their trust in God--at least until they face the next hardship.
15:1-19 Now the entire story is retold in the form of a song. This is an example of ancient Hebrew poetry, similar to the Book of Psalms. When read in Hebrew, this poetry doesn't exactly rhyme, but it has a certain rhythm to it. Also, puns based on similar-sounding words are frequently used. These features are lost in the translation. One feature of Hebrew poetry that does come through in English is parallelism: two lines that repeat the same meaning in a slightly different way. For example:
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Or, here is another one:
Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
If you pay attention, you will find this kind of repetition all through the Psalms. When we use Psalms for calls to worship, often the Liturgist reads the first line and the people respond with the second.
It is interesting to compare the account of Exodus 14 to the poetic retelling in Exodus 15. What are some differences?
I found some pictures of the area to help visualize the story:
The Land of Goshen (where the Israelites lived in Egypt)
Ancient Ruins which many archaeologists believe to be Pithom
(one of the cities the enslaved Israelites built according to Exodus 1:11)
Desert East of the Red Sea
Possible site of Elim, springs visited after crossing the sea (15:27)
(The Red Sea is in the background)
The Wilderness where the Israelites wandered.
14:1-2 The beginning of this chapter finds the Israelites encamped "near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea". This sea is traditionally identified with the Red Sea. Indeed the New International Version, in deference to tradition, translates it "Red Sea" (for example, in 13:18 and 15:4). However, the actual Hebrew text says "Sea of Reeds" rather than "Red Sea." ("Red Sea" is found in an ancient translation from Hebrew into Greek called the Septuagint). Most scholars believe the crossing took place at some other body of water in the area. There is no way to know for sure. Does this matter? The claim of the Bible is that God has shown His love for humanity by intervening in history. Thus, it is worthwhile to study the history of the Biblical events. In this case, it doesn't matter too much, though. Wherever it happened, Exodus presents a miraculous story of Israel passing through the waters.
14:3-4 Once again, the rebellion of Pharaoh is part of God's plan. In this case, God deliberately leads the Hebrews on a path that will provoke Pharaoh to attack them.
14:11-12 On Sunday, I discussed the importance of remembering what God has done in the past in order to have hope in the present. Here, it seems that the Israelites did not remember. When Pharaoh attacks, they accuse Moses of bringing them to the desert to die. After the way the Lord showed His power in setting them free, how could they not have faith that He would save them now? Let this be a warning to us of how easy it is to forget what God has done in our lives.
14:19-20 In a detail of the story that is not usually noticed, the angel of the Lord stands between Pharaoh's army and the Israelites, preventing Pharaoh from harming them. What a wonderful image of the way God protects us from those who would harm us.
14:21-30 In the familiar heart of the story, the Israelites pass through the sea, while the Egyptian army drowns.
14:31 Now the people put their trust in God--at least until they face the next hardship.
15:1-19 Now the entire story is retold in the form of a song. This is an example of ancient Hebrew poetry, similar to the Book of Psalms. When read in Hebrew, this poetry doesn't exactly rhyme, but it has a certain rhythm to it. Also, puns based on similar-sounding words are frequently used. These features are lost in the translation. One feature of Hebrew poetry that does come through in English is parallelism: two lines that repeat the same meaning in a slightly different way. For example:
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Or, here is another one:
Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
If you pay attention, you will find this kind of repetition all through the Psalms. When we use Psalms for calls to worship, often the Liturgist reads the first line and the people respond with the second.
It is interesting to compare the account of Exodus 14 to the poetic retelling in Exodus 15. What are some differences?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Thoughts on Exodus 12:33-13:22
12:33-36: At the end of the confrontation with Pharaoh, we see that things have been turned completely upside-down. Initially, it had seemed like Pharaoh held all the power; he was able to laugh off Moses' request by saying "Who is the Lord?". But by the end of the plagues, the Lord of the Hebrews is revealed to be the true ruler of Egypt, while Pharaoh is powerless. Pharaoh even asked Moses to bless him, a remarkable reversal of roles (12:31); and as the Hebrews leave, all of Egypt is theirs. They can take whatever they want with them.
12:43-51 More rules are given for the celebration of the Passover. This act of worship is carefully designed to remind the Hebrew people of what the Lord did for them. Remembering is always a big part of our worship. We are naturally forgetful. We get consumed by the problems and concerns of the present. But in worship, we are reminded of the big picture. We repeat the story of what God has done for us in the past, thereby giving us hope for the present and future. We remember the story not only by telling it with words and thinking about it in our minds; we also perform actions that tell the story. Communion and Baptism are chief among these for us.
13:1-16 God saved all of the firstborn of the Hebrew people, and in return He asks that they dedicate all firstborn male offspring to Him. In practice, this meant offering a sacrifice on the son's behalf. Luke 2:21-24 records Joseph and Mary keeping this commandment when Jesus was born. This ritual reminds us of the nature of true freedom. We often think of freedom as having no master or being one's own master. In the Bible, however, freedom is release from the dominion of evil so that one can serve God. We were created to have God as our master, and only in this state can we truly live as we were meant to live. When we serve ourselves, we may imagine that we are free from any constraint, but this is actually an illusion. In such a state, our rebellion against God is actually enslaving us. True freedom involves recognizing our proper limits. It also involves living in gratitude for God's salvation: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Paul talks about our freedom from sin, but he also calls us "slaves of Christ". Authentic freedom involves submitting to God's will in everything. This is never something that God forces us to do; we do it freely and joyfully.
13:17-18 God led the Israelites on a strange route. Instead of taking them through the Philistine country (the road that went directly to Israel), he took them far into the desert, where there was no food and no water. This probably didn't seem like a good plan to the Israelites; in fact, it probably seemed like a disaster. Indeed, in no time they will complaining about the trip and reminiscing about their good life in Egypt. God often leads us on strange paths as well. Will we lose hope, or will we trust that God knows what He is doing?
13:19 At the end of Genesis, the dying Joseph asked his descendants to bring his bones back to Israel. This was a sign that, though Joseph enjoyed great blessing in Egypt, he recognized that Egypt was not his true home. It was only a step on the way to the land that God had promised. 400 years later, Joseph's request was still remembered, so the Israelites brought his bones with them. Like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Hebrews wandering in the desert, we know that we have not yet reached our home. Whatever blessings we enjoy in this world, it is only a stop on the way to the city that God has prepared for us. Let us, then, journey on, not getting too attached to the things of this world, not sitting down to rest for too long, but pressing on to the heavenly city.
12:43-51 More rules are given for the celebration of the Passover. This act of worship is carefully designed to remind the Hebrew people of what the Lord did for them. Remembering is always a big part of our worship. We are naturally forgetful. We get consumed by the problems and concerns of the present. But in worship, we are reminded of the big picture. We repeat the story of what God has done for us in the past, thereby giving us hope for the present and future. We remember the story not only by telling it with words and thinking about it in our minds; we also perform actions that tell the story. Communion and Baptism are chief among these for us.
13:1-16 God saved all of the firstborn of the Hebrew people, and in return He asks that they dedicate all firstborn male offspring to Him. In practice, this meant offering a sacrifice on the son's behalf. Luke 2:21-24 records Joseph and Mary keeping this commandment when Jesus was born. This ritual reminds us of the nature of true freedom. We often think of freedom as having no master or being one's own master. In the Bible, however, freedom is release from the dominion of evil so that one can serve God. We were created to have God as our master, and only in this state can we truly live as we were meant to live. When we serve ourselves, we may imagine that we are free from any constraint, but this is actually an illusion. In such a state, our rebellion against God is actually enslaving us. True freedom involves recognizing our proper limits. It also involves living in gratitude for God's salvation: "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Paul talks about our freedom from sin, but he also calls us "slaves of Christ". Authentic freedom involves submitting to God's will in everything. This is never something that God forces us to do; we do it freely and joyfully.
13:17-18 God led the Israelites on a strange route. Instead of taking them through the Philistine country (the road that went directly to Israel), he took them far into the desert, where there was no food and no water. This probably didn't seem like a good plan to the Israelites; in fact, it probably seemed like a disaster. Indeed, in no time they will complaining about the trip and reminiscing about their good life in Egypt. God often leads us on strange paths as well. Will we lose hope, or will we trust that God knows what He is doing?
13:19 At the end of Genesis, the dying Joseph asked his descendants to bring his bones back to Israel. This was a sign that, though Joseph enjoyed great blessing in Egypt, he recognized that Egypt was not his true home. It was only a step on the way to the land that God had promised. 400 years later, Joseph's request was still remembered, so the Israelites brought his bones with them. Like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Hebrews wandering in the desert, we know that we have not yet reached our home. Whatever blessings we enjoy in this world, it is only a stop on the way to the city that God has prepared for us. Let us, then, journey on, not getting too attached to the things of this world, not sitting down to rest for too long, but pressing on to the heavenly city.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
This Week's Reading
The reading for this week is Exodus 12:33-13:22. Finally the Hebrews are leaving Egypt. A few things to think about:
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
The blessing of other nations through Israel is seen sporadically in the Old Testament, such as in God's saving of Egypt from famine and Elijah's healing of the leper Naaman. This principle finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
Thoughts on this week's reading will be posted by Wednesday.
- How is Exodus 13:1-16 related to the Passover? Given that we believe the Passover is fulfilled by Christ, how might this passage apply to us?
- What is the significance of Exodus 13:19? (You may want to read Genesis 50:22-26).
A final thought on the plagues: we may think it is not fair that God chose Israel to receive blessings, while He punished Egypt with the plagues. It seems that God only gave the Hebrews a chance to know Him, while everyone else was doomed from the start. However, if we remember the bigger picture, that is not the case. In Genesis 37-50, God brought Joseph to Egypt and used him to save all of Egypt from famine. At this point in the story, Egypt as well as Israel was greatly blessed by God. The later conflict of the plagues arose only because of "a new king, who did not know about Joseph" (Ex. 1:8) who persecuted the Hebrews.
Looking at the bigger picture, God's choice of the nation of Israel was never simply for themselves. God's purpose was that Israel would be an instrument of blessing for the entire world. We can see this in God's initial call of Abraham:
I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
The blessing of other nations through Israel is seen sporadically in the Old Testament, such as in God's saving of Egypt from famine and Elijah's healing of the leper Naaman. This principle finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
Thoughts on this week's reading will be posted by Wednesday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
