This week we are reading Exodus 19. We begin to look at Moses' encounter with God on Mount Sinai, the spiritual, literary, and geographical high point of Exodus. Where is Mount Sinai? The short answer is: everywhere. No one knows for sure, and as a result, dozens of mountains have been proposed as the possible site. Most of these are located in the Sinai Peninsula, part of modern-day Egypt, but locations in Saudia Arabia and just south of Israel have also been suggested.
One of the earliest traditional locations is Mount Sinai in the southern Sinai Peninsula. A Christian Monastery has been located at this site for over 1500 years. A bush in the monastery is supposedly the original burning bush that Moses saw. All who enter the chapel on this site are required to remove their shoes, just as Moses did.
19:3-6 As Moses first met God on the mountain, God once again reiterated His covenant with the people. If they obeyed Him, then they would be his "treasured possession." The basis for their obedience was that they had seen for themselves what God did for them.
19:9 God came to the people "in a dense cloud." This is symbolic of the fact that God is so far beyond us as to be unapproachable and unknowable. Furthermore, in biblical tradition anyone who sees God's face will immediately die. The cloud protected the people from this.
19:10-15 The extensive preparations that the people must make, as well as the precautions they must observe, highlight God's holiness and the seriousness of approaching Him. We have been made holy by Jesus Christ, and therefore we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence" (Hebrews 4:16). Nevertheless, this doesn't at all take away from the seriousness of entering into God's presence. Do we take this seriously enough? Do we adequately prepare ourselves? Or, do we take it far too lightly and casually?
19:16-25 The presence of God was a scary thing. The imagery of the scene, with its thunder, lightning, earthquakes, fire, and trumpets, highlights this. The people needed to be warned against the dangers of seeing God; even the priests need to adequately prepare, lest the Lord "break out against them." Do we truly understand the meaning and consequences of God's holiness?
Hebrews 12:18-29 references this chapter of Exodus extensively. The author contrasts the Old Covenant of the law with the New Covenant founded upon Christ. What are some differences between the two? What continuity is there?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thoughts on Jethro
The reading for this week is Exodus 18. We are approaching the climactic events on Mount Sinai. This chapter is almost like an interlude, a lull in the action before we get there. It is concerned with some details about Moses' family and Israel's administration.
18:1-5 Way back in the beginning of the book, when Moses fled Egypt, he escaped to the land of Midian. There he was taken into the household of Jethro, a priest of Midian. Moses married one of Jethro's daughters and settled down to have a family. His peaceful life in exile was interrupted, however, when he encountered the Lord in a burning bush on top of a mountain. God ordered Moses to go lead His people out of Egypt. The Lord promised to Moses, "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
In other words, the mountain of the burning bush is the same as Mount Sinai. Returning to our present story in chapter 18, the Israelites were now approaching Mount Sinai. It is no surprise, then that Moses' father-in-law and family appeared at this point, because the Israelites were right in their neighborhood.
18:8-12 As a priest of Midian, Jethro did not serve the Lord. He probably worshiped many gods, including local gods and perhaps Egyptian ones. However, when Moses told him of all the things that God did, Jethro proclaimed, "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods." He apparently was converted, offering sacrifices to God. The Lord showed his power not only for the Hebrews, but also so that all people and nations would acknowledge Him. This was seen in the Egyptians' begrudging recognition that the Hebrews' God was in control. It is seen again in Jethro's conversion.
18:13-27 This part is just about Moses' delegation of leadership among the people. It is pretty boring--OR IS IT??? Come Sunday to find out.
18:1-5 Way back in the beginning of the book, when Moses fled Egypt, he escaped to the land of Midian. There he was taken into the household of Jethro, a priest of Midian. Moses married one of Jethro's daughters and settled down to have a family. His peaceful life in exile was interrupted, however, when he encountered the Lord in a burning bush on top of a mountain. God ordered Moses to go lead His people out of Egypt. The Lord promised to Moses, "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
In other words, the mountain of the burning bush is the same as Mount Sinai. Returning to our present story in chapter 18, the Israelites were now approaching Mount Sinai. It is no surprise, then that Moses' father-in-law and family appeared at this point, because the Israelites were right in their neighborhood.
18:8-12 As a priest of Midian, Jethro did not serve the Lord. He probably worshiped many gods, including local gods and perhaps Egyptian ones. However, when Moses told him of all the things that God did, Jethro proclaimed, "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods." He apparently was converted, offering sacrifices to God. The Lord showed his power not only for the Hebrews, but also so that all people and nations would acknowledge Him. This was seen in the Egyptians' begrudging recognition that the Hebrews' God was in control. It is seen again in Jethro's conversion.
18:13-27 This part is just about Moses' delegation of leadership among the people. It is pretty boring--OR IS IT??? Come Sunday to find out.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thoughts on Battling with the Amalekites
In this week's reading (Exodus 17:8-16), we find the Israelites attacked by the Amalekites. This is the only time in Exodus that the Israelites do battle. However, in later books there are many battles as God's people journey to the Promised Land and conquer it.
17:8 This story is also the first time that Moses' assistant Joshua is mentioned. Joshua led the Israelites into the fight. Later on, Joshua would succeed Moses as leader of the people. It was under his leadership that God's people entered into the land of Israel. Interestingly, Joshua and Jesus both had the same name: Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh saves."
17:11 As we might expect, given the character of Exodus so far, this battle has a supernatural element. Whenever Moses held his hands up, the Israelites began to win the fight; whenever he lowered his hands, the Israelites started to lose. This leads to the powerful image of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arms when he became tired.
What was the significance of this miracle? We can be sure that it was the Lord who caused them to prevail, but why did this happen only when Moses' hands were raised? Was it simply to show what a powerful guy Moses was?
17:16 Here we get a clue of the meaning. Moses himself interpreted his action as "hands...lifted up to the throne of the Lord." This suggests that Moses raised his hands as an act of prayer, asking God for victory. Whenever Moses prayed, God honored his prayer by causing the Israelites to prevail. As the leader of the people, Moses had the special role of interceding for them. This foreshadowed the way in which Jesus would intercede on our behalf.
17:8 This story is also the first time that Moses' assistant Joshua is mentioned. Joshua led the Israelites into the fight. Later on, Joshua would succeed Moses as leader of the people. It was under his leadership that God's people entered into the land of Israel. Interestingly, Joshua and Jesus both had the same name: Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh saves."
17:11 As we might expect, given the character of Exodus so far, this battle has a supernatural element. Whenever Moses held his hands up, the Israelites began to win the fight; whenever he lowered his hands, the Israelites started to lose. This leads to the powerful image of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arms when he became tired.
What was the significance of this miracle? We can be sure that it was the Lord who caused them to prevail, but why did this happen only when Moses' hands were raised? Was it simply to show what a powerful guy Moses was?
17:16 Here we get a clue of the meaning. Moses himself interpreted his action as "hands...lifted up to the throne of the Lord." This suggests that Moses raised his hands as an act of prayer, asking God for victory. Whenever Moses prayed, God honored his prayer by causing the Israelites to prevail. As the leader of the people, Moses had the special role of interceding for them. This foreshadowed the way in which Jesus would intercede on our behalf.
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