EXODUS

Moses writes Exodus as the second of his five books (called Pentateuch) probably during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. In the Pentateuch, which is a description of both historical events as well as the Law of God, Moses is repeatedly mentioned to be ‘writing everything down’. The later Biblical writings of both Old and New Testament and Jesus himself refer to the Pentateuch as ‘the books of Moses’, thus establishing him as the author.

The importance of Exodus cannot be overstated in giving Israel its contemporary history, its great deliverance story from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus God reveals himself as the Almighty, sovereign over the most powerful empire of the time, a God who is no match for the gods of Egypt. God is the one who cares for his oppressed people, he is the God who hears and sees, who acts on behalf of the disenfranchised. God reveals himself not only to Israel, but equally to Egypt, its normal people, its officials and Pharaoh, and even to the surrounding nations (Ex 15:14-16, Jos 2:9-11).

Pharaoh’s sin is that he is not willing to let the Israelites stay in peace as citizens of his country, but at the same time he is also not willing to let them go (Ex 1:6-8). Either one would not have been sin, but the two together is. Moses requests freedom for Israel. Pharaoh denies it and rather increases the workload for the slaves (Ex 5:6-9).

God starts smiting Egypt with plagues. Moses announces each plague, which creates the opportunity to repent beforehand. He also announces the plague’s specific timing to show that these things are not happening by chance. The plagues increase in severity, God starts with annoyance plagues, but then moves to increasingly devastating plagues. Every plague targets Egyptian gods, proving them utterly unable to protect themselves of the people. Over time the specificity of the plagues increases, first it hits everybody, then it hits only Egypt (but not Israel), then it hits only those Egyptians who didn’t take the word of God seriously (Ex 9:19-21) and in the end it hits anybody who didn’t obey (Ex 12:23). Pharaoh repeatedly hardens his heart. In the face of overwhelming evidence he refuses to acknowledge God time and again, till he finally reaches a point of no return. For the final few plagues it is God himself who hardens his heart, pushing him further down the road he has chosen.

After the devastating tenth plague, the killing of the firstborn, which is parallel to Pharaoh’s initial command to kill Israel’s boys (Ex 1:22), Pharaoh commands Israel leave. Shortly after he changes his mind and pursues Israel with his elite chariot army. In the most breathtaking miracle of all, God parts the Red Sea to deliver his people and destroy the Egyptian army.

Moses, guided by God’s presence in the form of a cloud or fire pillar, leads Israel to Mount Sinai to meet their God. God offers to Israel to be his own covenant nation, an attractive, exemplary, priestly nation that reveals God to the surrounding nations (Ex 19:4-6). Israel agrees to the covenant, though they shrink back from God’s visible presence (Ex 20:18-19). They agree to keep the law they are given (the ten commandments, as well as other civil law, Ex 20-24) and Moses writes them down for the current and for future generations.

It doesn’t take long, though, for Israel to break the covenant. When Moses is absent for forty days, Israel, in spite of having manna in their stomachs and a visible cloud before their very eyes, makes a golden calf and declare it their god. God want to destroy Israel but allows Moses to intercede for them, heeding his plea. Moses faces Israel, destroys the calf, has the main perpetrators killed, leads Israel in repentance and keeps interceding with God. God re-accepts Israel as his covenant nation.

Moses goes up repeatedly to Mount Sinai to be in fellowship with God, where he also receives the instructions for Israel to build a tent of meeting, that will become Israel’s spiritual center. The tabernacle is a powerful picture that God wants to live among his people. But God is also holy, and so the access to the tabernacle must be highly regulated. God is near yet God is holy. God wants fellowship but men is sinful. Attraction to God yet holy fear of God. Israel builds the tabernacle with all its furnishings according to the instructions. God demonstrates his visible approval of the tabernacle and re-acceptance of Israel by having the cloud of his presence fill the tabernacle.

Authorship and Pass down

Moses writes Exodus as the second of his five books (called Pentateuch) probably during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. In the Pentateuch, which is a description of both historical events as well as the Law of God, Moses is repeatedly mentioned to be writing (Ex 17:14, 24:4, 34:27, Nu 33:2, De 31:9). At the very end of his life Moses is described as ‘writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end’ (De 31:24). This book of the law is carefully stored beside the ark of the covenant (De 31:25) and Moses ensures the continued pass-down of this document by instructing regular public reading of it to all of Israel, great and small (De 31:10-33).

The later Biblical writings the Old Testament continually refer to the Pentateuch, including Genesis as ‘the Law of Moses’ or the ‘Books of Moses’, thus confirming Moses as the author (Jo 1:7-8, 1 Ki 2:3, 2 Ki 14:6, De 9:11-13, Ez 6:18, Ne 13:1, Ma 4:4). In the same way the New Testament authors and also Jesus himself refer to the Law or quote from the Law identifying Moses as the author (Mt 8:4, 22:24, Mk 1:44, 12:26, Lu 16:29-31, Jn 1:17, 7:19, Ac 3:22, 26:22, Ro 10:19, 1 Co 9:9, 2 Co 3:15).

The importance of Exodus and Readers

The importance of Exodus cannot be overstated in giving Israel its contemporary history, its great deliverance story from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus God reveals himself as the Almighty, sovereign over the most powerful empire of the time, a God who is no match for the gods of Egypt. God is the one who cares for his oppressed people, he is the God who hears and sees, who acts on behalf of the disenfranchised. God reveals himself not only to Israel, but equally to Egypt, its normal people, its officials and Pharaoh, and even to the surrounding nations (Ex 15:14-16, Jos 2:9-11). God is the powerful Deliverer.

But deliverance unto what? God takes Israel aside into the wilderness, ‘to bring them to himself’ (Ex 19:4). God offers Israel to become his covenant nation, his own, attractive, exemplary nation that will represent God to other nations, blessed to bless others. This is the continuation of Abraham’s call as an individual (Ge 12:1-2), now God is calling the nation that has come from Abraham.

As God’s representatives Israel must to be God-like, a lawful and just nation. In Exodus therefore God gives Israel the Law, first the ten commandments, then further civil law. Exodus is Israel’s calling as a nation, its covenant with God and its constitution.

Exodus also describes the building of Israel’s spiritual center: the ‘tent of meeting’. The tabernacle is a powerful picture that God wants to live among his people. But God is also holy, and so the access to the tabernacle must be highly regulated. God is near yet God is holy. God wants fellowship but men is sinful. Attraction to God yet holy fear of God. Israel builds the tabernacle with all its furnishings according and God demonstrates his visible approval by having the cloud of his presence fill it.

In Exodus, written in 1446-1406 BC during the wilderness years, Moses thus writes down the ‘current history of deliverance’ as well as Israel’s formation as a nation (covenant, law and tabernacle). He writes this for the Israelites who have seen all this with their own eyes, but even more so for that second generation who are born during the wilderness years. They have only heard about these things, or are too young to fully remember them. Moses makes sure they get the essential understanding of Israel’s history, calling and covenant, so that they can respond in faith to this God. Moses also writes for all later generations for the exact same reason.

Slavery in Egypt

Genesis ends by describing how Israel came as honored guests into Egypt at the time of Joseph, around 1876 BC. Exodus starts with Israel multiplying greatly in Egypt, becoming numerous and filling the land (Ex 1:7), in a clear parallel to Ge 1:28 or Ge 9:1, God’s general command to be fruitful and fill the earth. It also echoes God’ promise to Abraham (Ge 12:1-3), his offspring has become a great nation indeed, the promise is starting to fulfill, though they do not possess Canaan yet.

Israel’s increase makes the new Pharaoh fearful, the new 18^th dynasty that has taken power. He is not willing to let the Israelites stay in peace as citizens of his country, but at the same time he is also not willing to let them go (Ex 1:6-8). Either one would not have been sin, but the two together is. He is concerned at having a strong minority in Goshen in the Nile Delta, which is one of the two portal of entry into Egypt for foreign conquering armies. This could be a risk in case of war (Israel siding with the enemies) or it could be a blessing (having a powerful ally or buffer there). But to oppress peaceful citizens and thus push them into opposition is definitely not wise, especially if they are that many. Fear is not a good counselor. Pharaoh chooses the path of oppression: by enslaving, by economic sanctions, by commanding midwives to stealthily kill male children upon birth and finally by an outright command to kill male children. Female children will make good slaves, male children might turn into rebels.

Moses’ Birth and Life

Moses is born to an Israelite couple of the tribe of Levi, right at the time of the killing of male children. Moses’ family tries to hide the newborn in the reeds at the shores of the Nile, but he is found by Pharaoh’s daughter, who understands that this is Hebrew child. She allows Moses to be nursed by the real mother, but after weaning adopts him and raises him in the palace. The story leaves many questions unanswered: Why exactly does the Pharaoh’s daughter adopt him? How can she get away with this in a hostile palace? Did Moses know he was adopted? Was he accepted or despised in the court?

Moses probably grew up with Egyptian education, military training, among Egyptian idolatry and living a luxurious lifestyle (He 11:24-26). When and how did he find out he was Hebrew? It is not stated. Eventually (latest at forty years of age) Moses starts to identify with the oppressed Israelites. Did he feel responsible? Did he see himself in the role of a deliverer? One day his anger at the oppression boils over and he calculatedly kills an Egyptian taskmaster (Ex 2:11-12). The Israelites whom he tried to help are quarreling among themselves, they reject him, they let him know the murder is known and he now is seen as a danger by Pharaoh (Ex 2:13-15). He flees to Midian, where upon arrival he again tries to help some harassed girls, this time with more success. He is accepted into that family, the family of the High priest of Midian, marries one of the daughters (Zipporah) and starts a more simple and hidden life. He has two sons with Zipporah and works a shepherd for the next forty years (Ex 2:15-22). It seems that Moses eventually (wistfully or gladly) lays down all responsibility and concern he may have felt for Israel and finds a degree of peace thinking that things are out of his hands.

Moses’ call

But God has other plans. When Moses is eighty and probably thinking about retirement, God meets him is a burning bush and calls him to become the one to deliver Israel from Egypt (Ex 3:1-12). God identifies himself as the God of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex 3:6), but also reveals himself in a totally new way: He is the God who is, the God who is present, active, real, uncreated, self-existent, unchanging, faithful, sufficient and so much more (Ex 3:14). Moses is (appropriately) fearful, he feels himself the wrong man for the job, stutterer that he is, and plainly refuses. God persists and equips him with miraculous signs to show and his older brother Aaron as his mouth piece (Ex 4:10-16).

Conflict with Pharaoh

According to God’s word Moses returns to Egypt to requests freedom for Israel. Pharaoh denies it and rather increases the workload for the Israelite slaves (Ex 5:6-9), effectively bringing about division among them. Israel complains against Moses, Moses complains against God and things are completely stuck (Ex 5:21-22). The God starts to act: ‘Now you shall see what I will do…’ (Ex 6:1). At this point God doesn’t require faith of anybody. It is only the beginning of God revealing himself. Later, after showing his power in many, many ways God will start requiring faith. But for now, it’s just him acting, when all humans wisdom is at an end.

The ten Plagues

God starts smiting Egypt with plagues. There is a clear pattern: Moses first announces each plague, which creates the opportunity to repent beforehand. He also announces the specific timing of the plague’s beginning and sometimes its lifting to show that these things are not happening by chance (Ex 8:9-13). The plagues increase in severity, God starts with plagues that are annoying but not really doing lasting damage (Nile water to blood, frogs, gnats, flies). But as time goes on and as Pharaoh keeps refusing God moves on to increasingly devastating plagues. The first real damage is done in plague number five, disease on the livestock. The first plague where humans are affected themselves is plague number six, painful boils. The seventh plague, hail, is the first to damage major crops (barley and flax). The eighth plague, locusts, is an all-round damage to agriculture, even for years to come (locust even eating the bark of trees, the larvae eating roots). The nineth plague, darkness, has more the nature of a psychological attack (complete darkness, even artificial lights bring no respite and nobody knows how long it will last). The tenth plague is reversible destruction of human life, the first born, a plague that parallels Pharaoh’s original command to kill male Israelite children.

The plagues also targets Egyptian gods. Each plague proves one or two Egyptian gods to be utterly powerful to protect Egypt, even to protect themselves. The Nile gods (Khnum and Apis) can’t prevent being turned to blood, the goddess of disease Hekhmet can’t prevent the boils, the god of light and sun Ra can’t prevent the darkness, and the firstborn of Pharaoh, worshiped as a son of the god Ra, is helplessly killed. Some plagues also make fun of the typical depiction of the gods; for example the goddess of childbirth Heqet has a frog’s head (second plague), the creator and Nile god Knum has a ram’s head or the fertility god Apis has a bull’s head (fifth plague). When the plagues were happening, the Egyptians would have cried out to these gods, without any success. God reveals himself as more powerful than any god of Egypt. This message would not have been lost on the Egyptians.

This progression is also visible in the magicians: They can mimic the first two plagues, water to blood and frogs, – though it would surely be more helpful if they could undo the plague, rather than adding to it! But by plague number three they are outwitted, and freely admit so to Pharaoh ‘This is the finger of God!’ (Ex 8:19). By plague number five they are affected by the boils just as much as any Egyptian.

Another progression visible in the ten plagues is that of increasing specificity. The first few plagues are general and seem to hit everybody. Then the plagues start distinguishing: they hit the Egyptians, but not the Israelites (from the fourth plague onwards). By the seventh plague, the first totally damaging one, Moses instructs the Egyptian officials to bring their livestock inside so as to suffer less destruction from the hail. Those who take God’s word seriously, even if they are Egyptians, are spared the devastation (Ex 9:19-21). This would signal to the attentive Egyptians that God is willing to save them, too, if they acknowledge him.

By the tenth plague even Israel can no longer ‘sit and watch’, unless they sacrifice the required lamb at Passover and smear its blood on the door posts, they also will lose their firstborn (Ex 12:23). It is probable that even some Egyptians saved their firstborn in this way. How can we tell? It is significant that in the middle of the Passover instructions there comes the provision that any alien can join the Passover if he accepts prior circumcision. Why would this have been mentioned here if not because there were ‘aliens’, non-Israelites, who were trying to join, obeying the conditions to escape the last plague (as it had been possible with the seventh)? Also Ex 12:38 mentions that when Israel finally leaves Egypt, they have people of other ethnicity with them (possibly other slaves, but probably also some Egyptians who believed). It is interesting to notice that by the later plagues whole Egypt hangs on Moses lips (Ex 11:3). What Pharaoh, on the other hand, is no news, they already know, Pharaoh will sell them for his pride. But also God actively ensures that Israelites and Egyptians mingle before the devastating tenth plague: through the ninth plague (Egyptians being drawn to the light of the Israelites), and ultimately by the command to borrow clothes and jewelery. Surely the Egyptians, those being open to give in the first place, would at that moment have asked what was coming next.

Though many understood, sadly Pharaoh repeatedly and actively hardens his heart. In the face of overwhelming evidence and proof he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge God – time and again -, till he finally reaches a point of no return. For the final few plagues it is God himself who hardens Pharaoh’s heart, pushing him further down the road he has chosen with such determination.

The exodus and the Red Sea parting

After the devastating tenth plague, which is parallel to Pharaoh’s initial command to kill Israel’s boys (Ex 1:22), Pharaoh commands Israel leave. Shortly after he changes his mind and pursues Israel with his elite chariot army. In the most breathtaking miracle of all, God parts the Red Sea to deliver his people and destroy the Egyptian army. This event will shape Israel and become an often recalled cornerstone of their understanding of God. Many, many times in the Old and New Testament this miraculous deliverance will be remembered and celebrated.

Into the wilderness

Moses, guided by God’s presence in the form of a cloud or fire pillar, leads Israel into the wilderness. To walk into a wilderness with over 2 million people in toe (Ex 12:37) would have taken immense faith. Very quickly complaints are springing up: predominantly about water, but also about food in general, and meat. There is nothing illegitimate about these needs, and God is happy and to meet them. Again God doesn’t require much faith yet, but as his repeated provision is seen, the willful complaints, faithless demands and unrealistic comparisons with the state in Egypt will become problematic. God provides manna for food on a daily basis. He adds meat occasionally, here by a flock of exhausted migratory birds landing. Manna will be a daily provision for as long as they are in the wilderness, but it will stop the day Israel sets foot into Canaan (Jo 5:12). Manna is a relief for people who cannot possibly feed themselves otherwise. But the moment there are othe options, relief must stop, otherwise it breeds laziness and irresponsibility. It is interesting to think about Manna’s qualities: it was un-storable, therefore un-hoardable and unsellable. How wise of God to attach these qualities to relief, for it completely prevents corruption. Manna is also a lesson in obedience: it has to be handled exactly according to God’s instruction. God proves his power to provide, but also trains Israel to listen to his word carefully.

Battle with Amalek

The Amalekites, a people living in the dry areas South of Canaan attack Israel. Why do they attack? Israel is not marching towards them and actually they are related with Israel. The Amalekites are a Edomite tribe, Amalek is the grandson of Esau. Why are they not afraid to attack after even powerful Egypt has been overcome? It could be that they (quite reasonably) expected Israel to be a bunch of half-dead bodies that could be conveniently plundered. They knew that the terrain could not sustain this amount of people over any period of time, so they might have swooped on Israel in the hope of quick lucrative raid. According to De 25:17-19 Amalek stealthily attacked those Israelites lagging behind, maybe those sick, injured, lame, old, pregnant and the like. God condemns Amalek for this specific behavior and puts them on the list of nations to be destroyed.

Jethro’s advice

Jethro, though not an Israelite, rejoices on hearing the news of deliverance. He recognizes God’s superiority over other gods and sacrifices to God. When he sees Moses sitting as a judge from morning to evening to arbitrate between Israelites he suggests the appointment of government leaders. He is humble about his advice to his son-in-law and submits it to God (Ex 18:23). Moses does so and Israel chooses its first government, wise, skilled and reputed individuals from each tribe (Ex 18:19-23, De 1:9-18).

God’s covenant with Israel

Israel arrives at Sinai (second name: Horeb) and camps in front of the mountain. God has delivered them and brought them to himself (Ex 19:4). Rather than taking Israel by the fastest route to Canaan he has taken them into the wilderness to establish Israel as a nation, giving them a time of identity formation and foundation laying, making a real nation out of the horde of slaves they are now.

God offers to make a covenant with Israel. If they will obey his Law they will become God’s own nation, an attractive exemplary, priestly nation that will reveal God to the surrounding nations (Ex 19:5-6). The metaphor ‘priestly nation’ is important. Priests were mediators between God and men, representing the people to God in intercession and offering of sacrifices and representing God to men in being a model, in teaching and prophesying. But now whole of Israel is called ‘priestly’, so priests between whom and whom? Between God and – the other nations. They are called as a nation to be a model people, an attractive country, so under God, so just, so healthy, so wise, so well-off, so at peace that other nations will be drawn to their God. A priestly calling in never self-focused, it is always for others. The chosenness of Israel is not for themselves, it is for the other nations, blessed to be a blessing as Abraham was told (Ge 12:3).

The giving of the Law

Israel agrees to the covenant and God has them prepare for a special encounter on the third day. God explicitly tells them that at the trumpet’s last blast, they all are allowed to come up the mountain to meet God first hand (Ex 19:13). Yet on the third day, when God’s presence powerfully and visibly descends on Mount Sinai, they back off and push Moses forward to be their middlemen, so they do not have to deal with God directly (Ex 20:18-19). This reaction is the great anti-climax of Exodus: they do not really understand or desire God, so they are fearful and withdraw. Moses on the other hand has the true fear of God, he is in awe of God’s holiness, but desires his presence and draws near to God.

God gives Moses the ten commandments, the foundation of the Law. He also gives them some civil law. Enshrined in the law are the basic principles of monotheism, the sanctity of human live, marriage and family and the value of people’s work, time and property. God lays the foundation of a lawful, just, free and self-responsible society.

The golden calf and Moses’ intercession

When Moses is on Mount Sinai for forty days receiving instruction, Israel feels leaderless and without identity. They break the covenant by making a golden calf and declaring it their god, who brought them out of Egypt. Why this radical departure from the covenant just made, even though they have manna in their stomachs and the cloud hanging visibly on Sinai? Israel has grown up with the overpowering Egyptian worship of many gods, among them the Egyptian fertility god Apis, depicted as a bull. Maybe the calf or bull was a syncretistic worshiping of the invisible God as enthroned on the bull.

In response God wants to destroy Israel for this sore breech of covenant and start afresh with Moses. Yet God’s lets Moses intercede for Israel and heeds his plea. Moses rebukes Israel, destroys the calf, has the main perpetrators killed, leads Israel into repentance and keeps interceding for them with God. God re-accepts Israel as his covenant nation.

The Tent of Meeting

Moses goes up repeatedly to Mount Sinai to be in fellowship with God, where he also receives detailed instructions to build a tent of meeting, which will become Israel’s spiritual center. The tabernacle is a powerful picture of God’s desire to live among his people. It is ‘God with us’, a title which the New Testament uses for Jesus. The tabernacle itself, as well as its furnishings, are all pictures towards Jesus.

The tabernacle also shows the tension that is only solved in Jesus: God wants to live with his people, but he is holy, and his people are sinful. The tabernacle thus has a double message: God desires relationship, but access to him is no light matter. God is near, yet God is holy. God wants fellowship but access to him must be strictly on his terms. Israel should desire God, but approach him with holy fear.

Israel builds the tabernacle with all its furnishings according to the instructions Moses was given. God demonstrates his visible approval of the tabernacle and his re-acceptance of Israel by having the cloud of his presence fill the tabernacle, the powerful conclusion of the book of Exodus (Ex 40:34-35).

Color Coding Suggestions

• Who persons, Pharaoh, officials, magicians, elders, peoples … God, descriptions of God
• When
• Where
• Predictions, promises, warnings
• Commands
• Contrasts, Connectives, Comparisons, Conditional statements

Repeated Themes

• suffering, injustice, oppression
• deliverance, saving, freedom
• judgment, strike, death, destruction
• plagues
• miracles
• obedience <=> disobedience, unbelief, complaining, refusing, rebellion
• tabernacle, altar, furnishings, priesthood related things
• war, battle, weapons, victory, defeat

BASIC REQUIRED INFORMATION

Who wrote the book? – as Genesis

• Not stated directly in the text. Jewish and Christians tradition consider Moses the writer of the Pentateuch.
• Genesis and Exodus are linked (Gen 46:8 – Ex0 1:1) thematically … The book Exodus starts with an ‘And …’ in Hebrew.
• Moses was well schooled, able to communicate and write. Would have had a good education from Pharaoh.

Evidence from the Pentateuch itself

• Exo 17:14 “Then the LORD said to Moses, Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
• Ex0 24:4 “And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD.”
• Exo 34:27 “The LORD said to Moses: Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
• Nun 33:2 “Moses wrote down their starting points, stage by stage, by command of the LORD.”
• Deu 31:9 “Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave it to the priests…and to all the elders of Israel.”
• Deu 31:24 “When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end …”

Evidence from the OT

• 1 Kin 2:3, 2 Kin 14:6, Dan 9:11-13 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Law of Moses’
• Eze 6:18, Neh 13:1 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Books of Moses’
• Mal 4:4 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Teaching of Moses’

Evidence from the NT

• 1 Cor 9:9 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Law of Moses’
• Mrk 12:26 Referring to the Pentateuch as the ‘Book of Moses’
• Luk 16:29-31, Acts 26;22, 2 Cor 3:15 Referring to the Pentateuch by the metonymy ‘Moses’
• Jhn 1:17, Jhn 7:19 says ‘Moses gave the law’
• Mth 8:4, 22:24, Mrk 1:44, Rom 10:19 says ‘Moses spoke the words of the Lord’

To whom is the book written? – as Genesis

• Israel, first generation (who experienced the Exodus), the 2nd generation in the wilderness and future generations.

When was it written? – as Genesis

• Exodus (and the entire Pentateuch) is written around 1446 BC, Moses’s death is 1406 BC, so within that range, probably towards the beginning. These dates are based on 1 Kin 6:1. 966 BC (=4th year of Solomon’s reign) minus 480 years > 1446 BC.

From where was it written? – as Genesis

• In the wilderness, somewhere between Sinai Peninsula and the southern regions of Canaan, Edom, Moab.

Historical Background

• Politically: Egypt is the most powerful and highly developed empire of the time
• Spiritually: Egyptian Gods > details later.
• Pharaoh is not only unquestioned King (political leader) but he is also an incarnation of the god Ra (spiritual leader). No separation of GOV and CHU domain.

Significance of Exodus for Israel

• Exodus is Israel’s great deliverance epic, their ‘war of independence’, what 71 is for Bangladesh.
• Exodus is Israel’s great deliverance, effected by their powerful, sovereign, faithful God. It is their constitution, their law and the creation of their spiritual center … building a nation from scratch spiritually, politically
• God proves himself faithful and able, which is essential guarantee that God is able to do the other big promise: lead them into the promised land.
• This significance of Exodus is reflected in the many quotes, references, allusions all throughout the B

Important Figures in Exodus

• Moses: moving from luxury life to awareness, from own, self-appointed role (Exo 2:11-15) to insecurity (Exo 4:13) to a questioning instrument of God (Exo 5:22-23) to one who talks to God face to face (Exo 33:11) and knows him intimately (Exo 33-34).
• Aaron: Moses’ older brother by 3 years, Moses’ mouthpiece before Pharaoh, partaking in the golden calf (somewhat unwillingly) but later joining God’s side (Exo 32:26), made high-priest by God (and his family priests / high-priests)
• Joshua: introduced as young man, trusted by Moses, appointed to lead the battle against Amalek (Exo 17:9), not departing from God’s presence (Exo 33:11)
• Pharaoh: no respect for God, even under mounting evidence, but rather, pride, rebellion, stubborn refusal to humble himself and lose face even if it means suffering and devastation for his own people and country. Eventually given over by God to the choices he continually makes to harden his heart.
  Jethro priest of Midian, in contrast to Pharaoh he recognizes God’ sovereignty, rejoices with God’s salvation for Israel, gives wise counsel but submits it to God’s word (Exo 18:23 … ‘if God so commands you’).

Surrounding Nations

• Egypt oppressor of Israel out of fear, in combination with selfishness, later pride, superiority. Judged severely by God. Turns from being an influencing nation to an influenced nation. Egyptian people respect and fear Moses (Exo 11:3), understand something of God, are generous (though they know, presumably) when Israel is leaving.
• Philistia, Edom, Moab, Canaan are shown to be trembling before Israel, that is: before God (Exo 15:14-16).

Spiritual Life of Israel

• Alternating between faith, worship and hopelessness, anger (bricks without straw) … alternating between faith and murmuring (wilderness)
• Willing to make the covenant but easily dislodged by daily challenges (water, meat), unbelief (Moses disappeared), alternative worship (golden calf), lack of real desire (backing off the mountain) …
• Partially repentant also (ash water)

Literary Kind

• Mostly prose > literal interpretation
• Some poetry like ch 15 > praise song

Structure

• Historical narrative with Law texts

Composition

• Climax first one Exo 15, second one even more important Exo 40
• Laws Exo 20-23
• Covenant Exo 24:3-8, 34:10-24

Main Topic and Ideas

• Revelation of God & his character … his power, his sovereignty, his holiness, his mercy, his wrath, his justice, his jealousy, his presence among them
• God is a Savior and he wants relationship … Covenant-initiating and covenant-keeping God, dwelling among them
• Israel’s deliverance epic
• Israel’s Constitution & law (moral, civil, religious)
• Construction of the tabernacle, the spiritual center, and what it reveals about God

Main Reasons and Goals

• Recording, reminding, retelling the awesome story of God’s intervention, power, deliverance and intent … revealing to 1st & 2nd generation who their God is and what he seeks
• To build faith,  obedience, patience, faithfulness in 2nd generation Israel during their long years of wandering
• To show God’s perspective of the events, not murmuring 1st generation Israel’s perspective
• To draw Israel to seek to know their God, like Moses, like Joshua
• To back up Joshua’s authority (as the next leader) by showing his character, his seeking of God, his skill

MAIN THEMES OF EXODUS – GOING THROUGH THE TEXT

Exodus Chapter 1 – Prologue, Bridge of Genesis from Exodus

Connection with Genesis

• Exo 1:1-7 Connects seamlessly with Genesis, Jacob’s family in Egypt multiplying, moving from ‘earlier history’ to ‘current events.
• Exo 1:7 Multiplication of a minority … a problem well known also today, Western nations are nervous about this.
• Deliberate link back to Gen 1:28, Gen 9:1, this is what God wanted. The very call or command of God gets them into trouble, similar to Joseph before … this often happens, still today if we are obedient.
• Exo 1:8 New dynasty not knowing Joseph (the strong 18th dynasty). Leadership or dynasties change > see time line
• Geography of Egypt: Due to big deserts and associated lack of water, Egypt can only be attacked by larger armies either from the South (continual wars between upper & lower Nile) or via the Northeast over Goshen … a strong minority in a weak spot
• Exo 1:9-10 ‘Israelite people more numerous and powerful than we’. Very likely not strictly true: Israelites were herder with no tradition in warfare. Also if they were truly that, than to aggravate them and to try to force them into submission would be suicidal. The fact that the Pharaoh manages to suppress them shows that this is not really true. Fear gives ‘skewed perspective’.
• Pharaoh’s response > doesn’t want them (fear) … yet he doesn’t want to let go of them (cheap labor) … that’s his sin.
• Gen 26:16 the same happens earlier with Isaac and King Abimelech of Gerar, but Abimelech requests him to leave, later sends envoys to ensure a peace treaty (Gen 26:28).
• Equally Pharaoh could have either befriended them, integrated them, made them his strong pillar and guard of his weak Northeastern border … Or he could have requested them to leave slowly … either one would have been okay, what he does is not: He won’t let them go but he won’t let them stay properly.
• Pharaoh actually co-creates the problem … while treating them badly the Egyptian’s fear increases Exo 1:12 … now that injustice has been done and enmity sown, there now really is a reason for fear, reason for unrest.
• Still today: out of fear we oppress > we create the monster we fear.
• Exo 1:10-12 Step one: economic oppression: Pharaoh hopes that that will weaken Israel, it doesn’t.
• Exo 1:15-21 Step two: midwives: They are commanded to stealthily commit infanticide … a much more proactive population-control measure. To kill only males is also a clear language: we want weak slaves, but not potential rebels.
• The midwives commit civil disobedience against the government’s command … when is civil disobedience justified? They also lie … is that justified? Is it really a lie? When is a lie justified?
• Exo 1:22 Step three: direct command to kill male children. Purpose is population control, rebel control. The assumption is that women can be more easily forced into submission and used as slaves
  Government overstepping God-given boundaries in 2 ways:
• Government has no right to interfere with children-decision … it belongs to the domain of Family. Example: China
• Government has no right to command murder or commit murder … limits of government power?
• Shedding of innocent blood brings a curse on the land … one step further on the downhill slide … one reason more God will judge.
• The final plague will be an ‘answer in kind’: Pharaoh has killed Israel’s children > God will kill Egypt’s children. Satan hates children and what they may become … there are two big scale killings of children in biblical history: here (> Moses), in Mth 2 (> Jesus, disciples), … one could say: today through abortion.

Exodus Chapter 2 – Moses’ Life – First 80 Years

• Exo 6:14-27 Genealogy: Levi > Gershon, Kohath, Merari. Gershon > Libni, Shimei. Kohath > Amram, Izhar, Bebron, Uzziel. Merari > Mahli, Mushi. Amram marries Jochebed, his father Kohath’s sister, daughter of Levi.
• This is a reason for either the ‘shorter time in Egypt’ or an example of skipping in a genealogy (also Mth 1:8-9). Ages don’t match. Levi lives 137 y, Kohath lives 133y, … together that can’t cover for the gap from 1876 BC (family to Egypt) to 1526 BC (Moses’ birth year) unless extreme late births are assumed.
• Also more frequent generations are needed to increase the population up to approximately 2 Million (Exo 12:37 extrapolated).
• Exo 2:1-4 Moses is born under persecution into a disliked minority (like the Bihari in Bangladesh). Many boys of his generation are murdered. His family innovates and through God’s intervention he escapes … note the combination: their effort and God’s.
• Exo 2:5-9 Daughter of Pharaoh finds him in the basket and protects him, well knowing that he is a Hebrew child. She engages Jochebed, well knowing that when Miriam ‘pops up’, this is a connection to the child’s real family.
• He is nursed by his own mother Jochebed and so raised by his own family and they get paid for it (irony!).
• Nursing took up to 5 years, so Amran and Jochebed might be laying the foundations of faith and truth and integrity into this young child’s life. Maybe they hoped that God would do something special with him, a comfort in the pain of having to let him go … maybe they have high hopes? Maybe they feel guilty?
• Exo 2:10 He is raised by the ‘daughter of Pharaoh’ … what does that mean? We don’t know. No details are given.
• She may have been a daughter of an xth concubine of Pharaoh, with little importance at the court, Or she may have been very close to the center of power, the sister or wife to a future Pharaoh, possibly the reigning Hatshepsut herself.
• She knows well that he is Hebrew, she is not stupid and aware of what’s going on in the country. She may have hid Moses’ identity to her own family (would not have been easy) or maybe not. Why would she ever take in this child? Childlessness? Widow? Bored? A spiritual hunch? Simple pity (but there are many more to pity)? Superstition?
• Did she tell him about his birth, youth, people? Or did she raise him fully Egyptian with no knowledge where he came from? We don’t know.
• Yet still: Moses grows up as an Egyptian upper class person, gets Egyptian education, Egyptian gods & goddesses worship, Egyptian warfare. He was most likely politically trained. He is most likely military trained. He might have driven the very chariots of Egypt’s elite army, that attack them at the Red Sea. He may well have been married, he may have had children, though none of this is mentioned.
• How does he ever find out he is Hebrew? We don’t know. He may have known from childhood. He may have been told later by Pharaoh’s daughter. He may have found out by accident (Ten Commandments / Prince of Egypt show different versions).
• Exo 2:11 We know that somewhere along the line he starts identifying, he starts to co-suffer, partially willingly, maybe partially unwillingly … Heb 11:24-27 … By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasured of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, as though he saw him who is invisible …
• Moses does well in that he identifies with the suffering Israelites, he desires to bring deliverance and do something against injustice, he is willing to let go of ‘the good life’ for that … Moses is the Bangladeshi who is in America, lives a good life, identifies with the sufferings of his people, comes back to his country to help share their burdens.
• Exo 2:12-15 He is trying to bring a solution to suffering, a spur of the moment solution, maybe just a personal satisfaction, a cold anger accumulation act … yet intentional conscious murder (looking left and right before killing the Egyptian) …
• Human solutions to suffering are usually revolutions which create new tyrants which create new suffering. Often if we ‘help’ out of revenge or anger, we become people committing injustice ourselves.
• Why did he do that? It clearly wouldn’t change much overall, as he meant it to remain hidden … He doesn’t value life, he thinks he can get away with it, maybe a high-power arbitrary Egyptian ruler’s action?
• Why does he run just because some Hebrews might have known he murdered somebody? A ruling class could easily afford a murder of a low-class, yet he is afraid? Were there underlying tensions and fears with this ‘adopted prince’? Is he going for dangerous loyalties? Has Pharaoh been watching him? Is Pharaoh worried he didn’t turn out as Egyptian as was hoped? Pharaoh wants him killed indeed. Moses knows and flees.
• Exo 2:15b-22 In Midian he does another ‘fix injustice’ thing, this time more successfully with the shepherds and the daughters of Jethro.
• An interesting detail: Jethro notices that the daughters are home early. This shows that this was a daily conflict and humiliation, the shepherds daily abused the girls in this way. Probably there was insult to a man who has ‘only 7 daughter’.
• Moses finds a new life in exile, a new peace, it seems, far from the luxury, but also far from the cries of the Hebrews. He finds a family that adopts him, he becomes a shepherd, marries their daughter Zipporah, becomes father of two sons …
• Somebody’s summary: 40 years thinking he is somebody … 40 years learning that he is nobody … 40 years seeing what God does with a nobody

Exodus Chapter 3 – The Calling of Moses

Calling, Restating and the Death list

• By now Moses is not aspiring to anything more than what he has: no self-appointed savior anymore … maybe still identifying with Israel (hearing rumors of travelers, surely), but in a disillusioned and it seems detached way (can’t do anything about it).
• Exo 3:1 Geography … seasonal wandering far with the flocks, ends up near Mount Sinai. Location of Mount Sinai? Traditionally: Jebel-Musa, Southern tip of Sinai peninsula. More likely: Jebel-al-Alaz in Midian.
• Exo 3:2-6 God now calls, breaking right into his normal peaceful (?) shepherd life. Moses is inquisitive about the bush, responsive. It seems that only when he ‘turns aside to check it out’ God speaks. What if he hadn’t?
• Moses is afraid to look at ‘God’ and hides his face.
• Exo 3:7 God identifies with Israel … the God who hears, sees, the God who is now (finally!) going to do something about it, very deliberately and repeatedly stated.
• Exo 3:8 God re-instates the promise of receiving Canaan as promised to Abraham (first explicit mention is Gen 12:7, 15:19-21) … a land flowing with milk and honey.
  This metaphor is not just meaning a good land, that also, it also denotes the agricultural difference to Egypt (which was a field-irrigation-wheat agriculture, like Bangladesh). Canaan is more hilly, grassy, more animal orientated (> milk) and more forested (> honey).
• God re-states the removal of peoples in order for Israel to have the land:

• Why this change? … maybe peoples joined, mingled? maybe they are now called differently? Maybe they disappeared under other circumstances? Were judged earlier? Repenteda nd improved since? > not easily answered.
• It does show that God is not just ‘angry at this one’, he has objective criteria that makes somebody come on or off the list.
• Actually we will later in Ex 16 see a people that is not on the death list but by its behavior sets itself on the list: the Amalekites. They attack Israel at the point of utter weakness.
• In Lev 18 we will hear some more about the criteria that makes somebody come on this infamous list.
• Dropped nations: Following up on those who dropped off the list: Kadmonites and Kenizzites are mentioned nowhere else in the Bible.
  Rephaim is mentioned only in Gen 14:5 as one group the alliance of 4 kings subdues. But the word Rephaim also denotes a place (‘valley of Rephaim’) and simply means ‘giant’, and as such appears 21x in the OT.
• The most interesting are the Kenites. Kenites are linked to Moses’ father-in-law Hobab (Jdg 1:16, 4:11). A group of Kenites live near Kedesh (Jdg 4:11) and help Israel to kill oppressing Sisera. In 1 Sam 15:6 Saul tells the Kenites to move away from the Amalekites against which he will war. Some Kenites live in the Negev in David’s time (1 Sam 27:10), they are mentioned in context with a genealogy of the tribe of Judah (1 Chr 2:55). It seems they co-existed peacefully with Israel in one way or another for centuries and do not make the death list again.

Sending Moses – Objections’ Progression

• Exo 3:10 the bomb …up to now it sounded pretty good, now it gets scary: ‘I will send YOU to Pharaoh’ …
• Exo 3:11 Moses immediate first objection: … ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ God’s answer is accordingly: ‘I will be with you’
• Exo 3:12 God gives a sign, that he will bring out Israel to this very mountain to worship … small comfort, once they are this far, the big deliverance will already be done. Yet it draws the eyes forward: one day this will be reality!
• Exo 3:13 ‘What shall I say, who sent me?’ … Another justified question. This is answered by a self-revelation of God
• Exo 4:1 ‘But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, The LORD did not appear to you?’ … Another realistic objection. This is answered by equipping Moses with miracle-working power (snake > staff, leprosy > hand, water > blood) as signs.
• Exo 4:10 ‘O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now … I am slow of speech and slow of tongue’ … this is answered: ‘Who gives speech to mortals? Is it not I, the LORD?’
• Exo 4:12 ‘o my Lord, please send someone else’ … this is answered by anger & by providing Aaron as mouth piece
• I think Moses’ objections are very reasonable and very understandable. Actually the people will doubt his chosenness, calling and authority repeatedly. We would have said the same. God patiently and in a very real way answers the objections.
• Note that Moses’ earlier self-confidence and self-appointment is completely gone … he doesn’t believe himself to be up for the task any more … and he is right so far. What is he not right about them?
• I think it is revealed in the question he first asks in Exo 3:12: Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Who am I? … Well truly so. Who am I?
• But that is not the real question. The real question is: Who is this God that calls me to this task? … The answer indeed does not lie in Moses. He indeed is not up for the task. The answer lies in this God that calls. In his nature. In his character. In his power.
• Application: any promise or calling you can say: Who am I? and you are right. But instead ask: Who is this God? … for HE gives the calling, the guidance, the strength, the power, the ability, … HE is the guarantee, not us. We truly can’t carry it.
• Respond in faith … believing that God exists and that he is good … and that he will do what he says he will do. That’s all God is looking for. Back then, still now.

Exodus Chapter 4 – God’s Self-Revelation

• Moses needs a greater revelation of who this God is. And God does grant it … like never before in Genesis > Exo 3:14
  Meaning of “I am who I am”
  • I am who I am … Emphasis on God’s obscurity.
  • I am the One who is … Emphasis on God’s self-existence (ontological nature of God), presence, reality, life
  • I am what I am … Emphasis on God’s immutability, God cannot change for the better for He is already perfect and being perfect, He cannot change for the worse [A.W. Pink], faithful, covenant-keeping
  • I am present is what I am … Emphasis on God’s living, active presence. Pledge of God’s presence with His people.
  • I am [or will be] who I have been or I will be who I will be … Emphasis on God’s faithfulness.
  • Whatever you need, that’s what I am! … He is God, the Sufficient One, whatever you need, the God who protects, feeds, leads, gives water, fertility, rain, life, healing … you don’t need many gods, you don’t need any other gods. This is what Moses needs: utter trust in God. This is what we need as well. Jesus promises to be with us as well, Mth 27:18-20. Whatever you need, that’s what I am! … Heb 11:6 … must believe that he is.
• Technically:
  • God called himself “I am”, 1st person form of the verb ‘hayah’ (to be) … the same verb in 3rd person is “Yahweh” (he is)
  • OT Jehovah, wrong combination of the consonants of the tetragrammaton YHWH and the vowels of Adonai. However the Hebrew consonants are YHVH, not YHWH! The last consonants come from a comparison with Arabic.
  • This name of God was new … new to Moses … new to the people … see Exo 6:2-3 where God says this is new
  • Pharaoh does not know this God … Exo 5:2 … and therefore will not heed him.
• God will prove who he is to Moses, to Israel, to Egypt and to Pharaoh … repeated phrase “so that you may know that I am the LORD” … Exo 6:7, 7:5, 7:17, 8:10, 8:22, 9:14, 9:29, 10:2, 14:4, 14:18
• Psalm 23
  • 1. YHWH Raah                     My Shepherd                Psa 23:1
  • 2. YHWH Yireh                     My Provider                  Psa 23:1
  • 3. YHWH Shalom                My Peace                       Psa 23:2
  • 4. YHWH Tsidkenu              My Righteousness       Psa 23:3
  • 5. YHWH Shammah            YHWH with me             Psa 23:4
  • 6. YHWH Nissi                     My Banner                     Psa 23:5, Exo 17:15 ‘The Lord is my Banner’
  • 7. YHWH Maccaddeshem My Sanctifier                 Psa 23:5, Exo 15:26 ‘The Lord who heals you’
• NT ‘I Am’ sayings in John’s gospel:
  • 1. Jhn 6:48                             I am the bread of life
  • 2. Jhn 8:12                             I am the light of the world
  • 3. Jhn 10:7                             I am the gate
  • 4. Jhn 10:11                           I am the good shepherd
  • 5. Jhn 11:25                           I am the resurrection and the life
  • 6. Jhn 14:6                            I am the way, the truth and the life
  • 7. Jhn 15:1                             I am the true vine
• Further Revelation
  • Exo 3:15 God also called himself the LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God (God Almighty, El Shaddai) of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob … this is my name forever, and this is my title for all generations … also in Exo 3:16, 4:5.
• God who reveals himself new, fresh, deeper … but also links to what we already know.

Accurate prediction of what is to come

• God as preparation for Moses predicts what is to come … Pharaoh’s refusal (Exo 3:19) … Plagues or Great signs (Ex0 3:20) … they will leave with riches (Exo 3:21) … words to speak to Pharaoh: Let my son go that he may worship me > 3d into the wilderness (Exo 3:18, 4:23) … showdown about the firstborn (Exo 4:22-23)/
• What is this 3 days business? … I think well-understood diplomatic language … and accurate insofar as God will claim their worship in the wilderness … Pharaoh knows very well what this means.
• Why the 3 signs that don’t turn out to be that convincing? God knew this upfront, so why? … those who want to see, can see … those who don’t want to, don’t have to. Like Jesus in the NT, the God of free will
• Difficult passage Exo 4:24-26 … why? … higher standard of holiness (disobeying in not circumcising his son)? … higher importance on the firstborn (as this now becomes contentious)? God predicted he will take the Egyptians’ firstborn, Moses can’t be casual about his? … telling Zippora to step up? … revelation of fearful & awesome holiness?
• Where does Zippora know from what she is to do? Midian is descending from Abraham & Keturah, so most likely also a circumcision practicing culture, then why is Gershom not circumcised if it’s the culture of both Moses and Zippora? Moses was circumcised, did he not care? Was casual about it? … had this been a point of contention between Moses and Zippora before?

Exodus Chapter 5 – Long Suffering or the God who sees

• Ex0 x:23-25, Ex0 4:31. Between the initial persecution and the great deliverance are solid 80 years of ongoing suffering … God is in no hurry, it seems. He also brings the family of Joseph and Jacob to Egypt foreknowing the future oppression.
• Why? Different answers: Life sentence for the genocide of Shechem. To teach them the other side: being poor, unjustly treated, enslaved. To introduce the theme of ‘being an alien, a sojourner, true citizenship in heaven’ to Israel, forrshadowing salvation in the NT.
• Unless the suffering wasn’t the suffering, the deliverance would not be the deliverance. The exodus will be the key event of Israel’s history for centuries to come. It will go into the psyche of Israel. Time and again the psalmists look back to exactly this event. It becomes the foundation of their history > handout.
• God will reveal himself, not least will reveal his power … and for decades and centuries the surrounding nations will remember Israel by this event … and will fear the God of Israel by this event (Jod 2:9-11).
  God does not want oppression. He is the God who sees, who hears: Exo 3:7-8 … “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up” … read also Exo 2:23-24
• God uses even man’s very sin, and suffering (consequence of my and others’ sin) to write glorious history. Rom 8:28 … he will use anything for our best … and his glory. His very name is Redeemer. But timing needs to be left to God!

Exodus Chapter 6 – Egyptians History: The 18th Dynasty (1570-1318 BC)

• This was one of the strongest times in Egyptian history, a time of empire building.
• Ahmose I: Ahmose I began by capturing the capital from the Hyksos (Avaris) and drove the foreign Hyksos far North into Palestine.
• Amenhotep I
• Thutmose I: The next Pharaoh is Thutmose I, believed to be a son of Amenhotep I, though no sure evidence. He campaigned as far south as the Third Cataract of the Nile and as far north along the Mediterranean coast as the Euphrates River. It would be true to say that the Egyptian army would have been the strongest in the world, with good crops at home and advantageous trade relations with neighbours near and far. Egypt reached its zenith.
  It was during this period that Moses was born. If the Exodus was in 1446 BC, and Moses was 80 years old, he was born in 1525 BC, during the reign of Thutmose I. This Pharaoh continued the policy of hardship of Israel continued and increased. The male babies were to be killed and sometime later the order, given to all Egyptians, was that all male babies were to be thrown into the Nile. With the armies of Egypt away on the empire expansion trips and the remembrance of the hated Hyksos, (from Asia) the Egyptians would have been wary of this large group of foreigners. This is the Pharaoh of the oppression.
• Thutmose II: Thutmose I is succeded by his son Thutmose II by a non-royal wife named Mutnofret. He married his half sister Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I and the royal Ahmose. Hashepsut was thus fully royal. Some say Thutmose married her to secure the throne. He died young.
• Hatshepsut: When her half-brother and husband Thutmose II died young, Hatshepsut assumed the throne as Thutmose III (the son of a lesser wife) was only 10 years old. She controlled the throne for 22 years. Some say Thutmose III was her main military general. It is thought by some that this is the Pharaoh’s daughter that found Moses. It is true that the Pharaoh would have had many wives so we cannot be sure. Pharoh’s daughter?
• Thutmose III: Before Hashepsut’s death Thutmose III regains the throne. Moses then might have fled from Thutmose III, and could have been seen as a rival if Hatshepsut had her eye on him for the throne. Thutmose III came to the throne in his own right and had an impressive reign. He was an accomplished horseman, archer, and all round athlete. He is especially known for being a military strategist. He put down a major revolt in northern Palestine and Syria, he extended his border once more beyond the Euphrates and far south down the Nile. This is the Pharaoh of the murder.
• Amenhotep II: 1427-1401 BC When Moses returned to Egypt the reigning Pharaoh was Amenhotep II. He like his father was a ruler of valour and strength. He conducted at least three military campaigns in north Syria, and held the southern boundary. It seems that it was this Pharaoh who watched his best chariot army drown. He died twenty-two years after this and his mummy has been found in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings. This is the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
• Other dates and Pharaoh identifications are possible.
• 1500 BC Some think Ahmose I is the Pharoh of the Exodus, because there is a stele that describes plagues due to a god (singular!) and because the expulsion of the Asiatic Hyksos towards Palestine really sounds like the Israelite Exodus in other language.
• 1280 BC Some think the entire Exodus was later.

Exodus Chapter 7 – Israel’s Initial Response to God

• Exo 4:31 Israel saw the sign, believed, bowed down and worshiped
• Exo 5:21 Israelite taskmasters come upon Moses: The LORD look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his officials, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.
• Exo 6:9 Moses assures them of God’s promise and care … they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit, and their cruel slavery
• Exo 6:12 Moses doubting also … “The Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?” … and again in Ex0 6:30 … God at this point doesn’t really require much faith from anyone (except Moses), as he hasn’t revealed himself to anyone. Everybody is shaking, not even Moses can muster faith but turns in complaints on God. But now God starts acting on his own.
  Later, after much powerful revelation, God will require faith, but not yet. Faith doesn’t need to be done ‘blind’. It bases on something.

Exodus Chapter 8 – Pharaoh’s Character

• Pharaoh of the oppression (Thutmose I?) or already Ahmose I beginning with just some meanness or smartness in Exo 1:10 … “Come, let us deal shrewdly with them” … escalating to commands of murdering children.
• Pharaoh of the Exodus (Amenhotep?) … meanness (bricks without straw in Exo 5:7, ‘you are lazy, lazy, that’s why you want to go worship’ in Exo 5:17), consciously sowing seeds of discord among Israelites
• Exo 7:13 sees magicians’ snakes swallowed up … Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened
• Exo 7:23 magicians make water into blood … Pharaoh turned …and he did not take even this to heart.
• Exo 8:15 when he sees there is respite, further hardens his heart … also Ex0 9:34
• Later promises to let them go … then overturned … Exo 9:28 > Exo 9:33
• All the way till fully escalated unmoving fronts, him rather have Egypt destroyed than to repent … Exo 10:7 … “do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?”
• Character of Pharaoh: Oppressive, willful, power-driven, divisive, mean, deceptive, proud, deceived … willing to sacrifice all Egypt just to save face, to not to have to humble himself … he will send his nation into ruin, even his own child into death, rather than bow to God.

Exodus Chapter 9 – Hardening of Heart

Meaning of the Hebrew words used

• ‘qasah’ to be hard, obstinate, intractable, perverse.
• ‘kabed’ to be heavy. As applied to the heart, it seems to point to an insensibility, insensitivity and want of conviction. The word is applied to the ear when it is not duly impress with sound or to the eye when it becomes dim.
• ‘chazad’ to brace or to tighten up in opposition to a state of relaxation. As applied to the heart, it suggests a strengthening against all fear and alarm; a stunt resistance to the warnings and action being urged as well as to the consequences of God’s judgements, in the case of Pharaoh’s heart (most frequently used)

God foretold what would happen before the actual events

• Exo 4:21 “The Lord said to Moses “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles which I have put in your power: but I will harden (chazaq) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will not let people go”.
• Exo 7:2-3 “You shall speak all that I command you … but I will harden (qasah) Pharaoh’s heart and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you …”

What happened during the course of events

• Pharaoh hardened his heart when confronted by God’s word (audible) and signs (visual). In these instances kabed and chazad are used interchangeably.
• Exo 5:1-9 Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge God … “Who is the LORD that I should heed him and let Israel go?” … further refusal after explanations: bricks without straw
• Exo 7:13 Staff > snake … magicians doing the same … still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to them
• Exo 7:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hardened … (How was it evidenced?) “He refused to let people go” (He refused God’s word and sign in verses 8-13).
• Exo 7:22 “But some magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them (Moses and Aaron); as the Lord had said.”
• Exo 8:15 “But when Pharaoh saw that there was e respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as the Lord had said.”
• Exo 8:19 “The magicians said to Pharaoh “This is the finger of God”. (They at least acknowledged Him. One senses an awe, a reverence in their words), but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to them (neither to Moses and Aaron nor the magicians); as the Lord had said.
• Exo 8:32 “But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.”
• Exo 9:7 “But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.”
• It is after this sixth sign that God is said to harden Pharaoh’s heart and the word that is used almost exclusively is chazad (Strengthened against all fear and alarm).
• Exo 9:12 “But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moses”
• Exo 9:27 “Pharaoh sent, and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them “I have sinned this time; the Lord is right, and I and my people are wrong … (v 28) Entreat the Lord … I will let you go.” … Was this hardening by God a wake-up call from God? Showing him that he is almost out of control? That he needs to humble himself urgently?
• Moses said (v 30) “But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not fear the Lord God“. (There was no sign of that godly sorrow that bring repentance, with the result)
• Exo 9:34 “When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart” (Kabed – to be heavy, insensibility, insensitivity, want of conviction = what Pharaoh did).
• Exo 9:35 “So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened (Chazaq = what God did), and he did not let the people of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken through Moses.”
• Pharaoh has reached the point of no return. His wilful hardness of heart now becomes a chronic heart condition, he no longer hears the voice of conviction > no repentance and in consequence no forgiveness.
• Exo 10:1 “The Lord said to Moses “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs among them …”
• Exo 10:27 “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.”
• Exo 11:10 “Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.”
• And after their deliverance from Egypt, when the people were faced with the Red Sea crossing, God said:
• Exo 14:4 “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will pursue them (Israel) and I will get the glory over Pharaoh and all his host”. God will use the hardness to His glory.
• Exo 14:5 “When … the people of Israel had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people (Israel) …”
• Exo 14:8 “And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel.”
• The people of Israel will go through the divided sea. They will experience God’s salvation. His power and glory will finally be displayed.
• Exo 14:17 “And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get the glory over Pharaoh and his host …”
• Pharaoh refused to acknowledge God; to obey His word and accept his 6 signs. In other words he hardened his heart.
• After the 6th sign, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (chazaq). God now gives him over to the consistent choices of his heart.
• Romans 9:14-18
  • We are not to understand that God arbitrarily and directly forced upon Pharaoh a hard, stubborn, obstinate heart. That would be wrong, inconsistent of what we know of God and a violation of the way in which He has created man. Wrong of this nature cannot be laid at God’s door.
  • God neither solicits a man to do evil nor does He cause a man to sin (Jam 1:13). When a man does wrong, the wrong is always a reflection of his heart’s estrangement from God, the product of his fallen nature.
  • So that when Pharaoh hardened his heart and acted in stubborn rebellion against God and His word and signs, against all evidence, with a rebellion came from within his own heart and as a result of his alienation from God.
  • When God is said to harden Pharaoh’s heart, it is that He by confronting him with His word and signs faced him (time and again) with a choice which he did not want to make; with an issue which he stubbornly and obstinately and consistently refused to accept and obey
    God has so ordered man’s heart that each time he refuses to do God’s will (word and sign), he renders himself less responsive to God than he was before. His conscience become less sensitive and his heart becomes more hardened until he reaches the place where he will not (and, although he does not know it, he cannot) respond to God in faith and obedience … Such a condition when finally reached, is spoken of as the work of God, because the divine ordering of events produced it.

Exodus Chapter 10 – Magicians and Egyptians Gods

• Ex0 7:11-13 They are quite skilled, they can ‘make snakes’ Handout: Egyptian Gods
• Ex0 7:22 They can do the blood trick
• Exo 8:7 They can even do the frog trick. Though they would be more helpful and more convincing if they could undo God’s plagues, rather than add to it!!
• Why is God giving Moses ‘tricks’ which he foreknows will be successfully imitated?
• Why does Pharaoh let the magicians come? Is he more atheist (using the magicians as tools to impress opponents) or is he more animist (deriving strength from their secret powers)?
• They cannot do gnats, though in Exo 8:19 … They know (unlike Pharaoh) when they are beaten: “this is the finger of God!”… and by Exo 9:11 … boils on the magicians themselves.
• But God through Moses does not only prove himself superior to the magicians and onlookers, God is defying their very gods and goddesses. In trouble, people would automatically call on their gods to protect them. Please, save us from the frogs. Please heal us of the boils. Please protect us from this plague.

List of Egyptian gods and goddesses

• What is God’s message? … Nile god … can’t prevent being turned into blood. Sun god … can’t make light. Frog headed god … would you like more frogs? I can get you frogs! Any amount of frogs you want! Like your frogs?
• God simply makes a fool of the magicians (boils on them!) … and he makes a fool of each god (you have no power, you cannot do as I do, you cannot prevent what I do) … God revealed as Almighty Sovereign Creator God.
• God reveals himself to whom? We need to think about this more as we take a closer look at the plagues: Who does God reveal himself to? … Moses … Pharaoh (forced) … Officials … Israelites … Egyptians.
  This is not just an inside show for Israel. God is clearly communicating to all who have eyes and ears. And they all get the message, everybody hangs on Moses’ lips. The nations will hear and fear. All understand, except Pharaoh.

Exodus Chapter 11 – Progression of the Plagues – God’s Revelation to all

• Normal progression: announcement … actual plague … request for withdrawal … withdrawal
• Why the announcements? Why the information about timing? Even letting Pharaoh set the time of the lifting of the plague (Exo 8:8-10).
  • The timing shows intentionality, it’s not bad accidents that do happen, it’s full blown intentional, orchestrated action to prove what? … to prove this to whom?
  • God is infinitely above all Egyptian gods
  • God is in control. God is Almighty.
  • God does what he says. God is consistent. God & God’s word is trustworthy, and irresistible
  • Don’t mess with this God! Bow to this God! Obey this God!
  • Announcement also means repentance option … God is ‘fair’, he informs prior, he gives options, but he can’t be fooled around with.
• Calendar around the year … the plagues were probably spread over several months … at least several crops coming up are mentioned … Exo 9:31-32. It’s very typical for us humans to think that once the immediate suffering is over, that the problem is solved. Nothing is solved. And God will see to it.
• Progression: the plagues are increasingly serious, increasingly dangerous, increasingly disastrous … 1st plague (drinking water) would be very disastrous but is very short … then 2-4 and 6 are not so dangerous … but 5, and especially 7, 8, 10 are very disastrous.
• Progression: more and more: specificity … not in Goshen. It’s not just any old disaster which some madman interprets in his favor.

Progression: more and more revelatory: God is showing his Almightiness, word faithfulness, trustworthiness, covenant faithfulness …Revelation to

• • to Moses: I AM! I am keeping what I said. I will show my wonders. I will judge & I will save!
  • to Israel: this is YOUR God!! This is what he’ll do to save & vindicate you! This is how important he made you!
  • to Pharaoh: acknowledge me! Bow before me, THE God! Don’t fool with me! I will humble your proud heart!
  • to the officials: Don’t be in love with your supposed power! What are your counseling? Don’t be a sycophant!
  • to Egypt: Your gods are a disillusion, so is your Pharaoh-god who sacrifices you! God is trustworthy. He is just. He will judge. He keeps his word. He keeps open repentance options for you. He is the God of all the earth. You are welcome also.
  • This is reflected in Exo 11:3 … “The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians … Moses a man of great importance” … the Egyptians are not trying to get the news of what Pharaoh said (they already know that he is willing to ruin them for his pride) but they are hanging on Moses’ lips. Moses = BBC. His word is decisive and all know it.
• Progression: more and more: interactive … if the Egyptians hear and believe and obey … they can save their livestock and workers. Pharaoh looses his (Exo 9:20-21).
  • The 9th plague is interesting: it is fearful, psychological, mental (they don’t know how long it’ll last … how quickly darkness becomes maddening!) … since the Israelites have light, this plague would have ensured a mixing of the peoples, Egyptians seeking out Israelite houses … talk, communication, relationship, news … ensures interaction. The plague is also interesting in it’s message: God is light, if you refuse him, you refuse light. Remember John?
  • The 10th plague is more interesting still: it is very fearful, it’s news would have spread like wildfire. Actually God again ensures interaction of Israelites & Egyptians (the ‘borrowing’ of clothes, ornaments, valuables) … the Egyptians would inquire & hear all the Passover instructions … Exo 11:1-2 10th plague and Passover instructions are right together.
  • The Passover instructions are important. The Israelites don’t have to do anything but watch … till the last plague. There they have to act. Any door on which there is no blood (even if Israelite), the angel of death will slay the firstborn. For the first time now Israel will have to believe and obey in order to be spared & saved. No more automatics.
  • I also believe that there would have been Egyptians believing and obeying the 10th plague and Passover instructions … and I believe God did spare those Egyptian houses, which had blood on their doorposts and faith in their hearts.
  • Exo 12:37-38 … “a mixed crowd went up with them and much livestock” … Many other nation slaves were also freed at this time. Evidence in Greece (fresco) of people migrating their from Avaris.
  • Exo 12:47-49 … provision for aliens to join … why this insert here if not because there were aliens who wanted to join, Egyptian and other minorities? Remember: God revealed himself to everybody in the whole land of Egypt … and to the surrounding nations as well.
  • If this is so, then we find here a theme which we well know from the NT: it starts out as a people-people show down, Israel versus Egypt, but the longer the story goes, the less it’s a ethnicity issue, in the end the requirement is faith & obedience. The NT foreshadowed.

Exodus Chapter 12 – Significance of the Passover

• Now required Personal obedience, unless you did it, your firstborn died.
• Passover One of the highest feasts of the Jews is family based, home based … not big congregation.
• Exo 12:3 and Exo 12:6 … family setting, on the 10th a lamb per family, a cute little lamb … what do you think your children are doing with this lamb that joined the household?
• 14th slaughter … after 3 days of bonding > impact on children also.
• Blood has to flow, otherwise an encounter with God will be deadly.
• Symbol of the devastation that sin brings. Symbol of the justice of God in judging it and hating it. Symbol of our need for forgiveness.
• No accident Jesus chose the Passover feast to die on the cross.
• Passover … pass over, God for now overlooking sin … looking forward to that one and only sacrifice to come, which he will give himself, which alone ever really atone for sin. Heb 10:3-4 “The blood of bulls and goats never did it.”

Exodus Chapter 13 – Red Sea Deliverance

The choice of route and the pillar of cloud and fire

• Exo 13:17 ‘if the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” … > roundabout way > Sinai.
• Why this? they will face both Egypt and Amalek in war anyway … Direct way is too fast, they’ll arrive in the promised land in maybe 3 weeks, but with no preparation, no building up, no further revelation of God, no constitution
• They’ll either drop out of the war … or even if they won it, they’ll settle and get absorbed into the Canaanite life somehow. Neither is God’s will.
• God requires time to build them first > Sinai. Deliverance in one thing. Building up is another.
• Cloud and fire God is very visibly present with them in a pillar of cloud by day (presumably giving them shade) and a pillar of fire by night (giving light, orientation) … God present with them. God leading & guiding them. God taking care of everything … what a wonderful picture.

Red sea deliverance

• God also first leads them into a predictable dead-end!!
• Where did the “parting of the sea” happen? Options: one of the Red sea / bitter lakes / Sirbonis … or head of Gulf of Aqaba / Nuweba Peninsula
• It is a “God set up” geographically and generally, consciously, dramatically. God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Exo 14:4) …
• Exo 14:11-12 it’s hard to want freedom hard enough … if there were graves, then why not die here, what’s the difference? Freedom costs. Self-responsibility is a lot more uncomfortable than blaming it on your leader. God gives true freedom, and with it comes true responsibility.
• Moses speaking big words Exo 14:13-14 … then shaking in his boots Exo 14:15
• Significance: Salvation … 1 Cor 10:1-2 equates it with baptism … This is the great deliverance that will be celebrated & remembered for centuries, this is the final judgment on Egypt: specifically on the upper-class military and political elite.
• History: Egypt’s presence, dominion and influence in Canaan significantly weakened following the loss of their fast and wide-reaching elite army.
• Delivered, saved, freed … unto what? Saved from what? … unto what? … “It is one job to take people out of the slum. It is a greater job to take the slum out of people.”

Exodus Chapter 14 – Geography of the Exodus

• Land Type The whole of the Sinai can be classified as desert. Rocky limestone and chalk with some sand dunes in Northeast. Terrain and thorny vegetation is suitable for camels only.
• Rainfall The majority of the Sinai receives less than 4 inches of rain per year. If the rain falls, it comes in winter.
• Vegetation is very sparse and thorny, not able to support human life.
• Temperature Daytime temperatures are often over 38 C (100 to 120F). Nightly lows are approx 7C (45F), a drastic change in a 24 hour period.
• The Sinai Peninsula is an uninhabitable wasteland of harshness and drastic contrasts… God’s chosen place to prove himself truly faithful to His people.
• Stations on the Journey:
  • Rameses                   Exo 12:37 The beginning of the Israelite sojourn, Num 33:3 > located above Goshen, also known as Avaris, capital of Hyskos
  • Succoth                      Exo 12:37, first camp ground of Israel, Exo 13:20 Refers to ancient city of Tjeku, Num 33:3 > 23 miles SE of Rameses, located along Wadi Tumilat
  • Etham                        Exo 13:20, 2nd encampment, Num 33:5 > on the edge of wilderness, derived from Egyptian word ‘Hetem’ (= fortress), many fortresses are located on Egypt’s eastern frontier
  • Migdol                       Exo 14:2, derived from the word meaning fort, Num 33:7 > watchtower
  • Pihahiroth                 Exo 14:2 Between Migdol and the sea, Num 33:7 Semitic “to dig”, Egyptian “house of Hathor”, maybe related to ancient canal system … Movie ‘Exodus revealed’ “mouth of the gorges” Nuweiba Peninsula
  • Red Sea                     Exo 14:21-15:21 Several possibilities:
    • Red Sea            Num 33:8
    • Large bitter lake
    • Section of lower Mediterranean
    • Nuweiba Peninsula on the Gulf of Aqaba
  • Wilderness                Exo 15:22, 3d with no water
  • Marah                        Exo 15:23-26 Means “bitter water”, water turned sweet through a tree. Lord made statute and ordinance, tested Israel. There are many brackish/bitter oases throughout Sinai.
  • Elim                            Exo 15:27 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees, Num 33:11 Hebrew meaning “oak”, possibly Wadi Feiran in SW Sinai (oasis)
  • Wilderness of Sin     Exo 16:1 people complained, manna and quails, refers to region between Elim and Sinai
  • Rephidim                    Exo 17:1 Massah and Meribah, complained for water, Exo 18:27 Moses stuck rock, Horeb, Amalek fought with Israel, Moses hands held up praying, Jethro joins Moses
  • Mt Sinai                       Exo 16:1, 12 months stay, law given, tabernacle built, Horeb, Byzantine tradition: Jebel Musa (Moses) Num 33:9-10 several other possibilities: Jebel Karkom, Jebel Sin Bisher

Exodus Chapter 15 – Murmurings

• Experiencing the miracle of a life time, a miracle of history … and be in complete unbelief and murmuring three days hence … exactly like us today. Seeing God provide every day of our lives … and be in nervous doubt: “Could he really do it tomorrow?”
• Children sometimes whining: “give me food!” … well she gave you food every day of your life, so why do you need to whine and doubt and agitate? … Human nature.
• Exo 15:22-26 Marah, bitter water … “And the people complained against Moses “What shall we drink?” … Is their need legitimate? Yes. God is not so spiritual that he is unreal. Neither do we need to be.
  What then should their attitude or response have been? … “God, you have delivered us, you have shown your power over and over again, you have cared enough about us to do the whole Egypt-showdown. We don’t know where drinking water should come from. We are looking to you to act on our behalf now for drinking water!”
• Ex0 15:25 put them to the test
• Ex0 15:26 pre-covenant … if you obey > none of the diseases I brought on Egypt … were they sick because of the water? … I am “Jehovah Rapha”, the Lord your healer.
• Ex0 16:1-3 Elim > wilderness of Sin (2nd month, 15th day … 6 weeks into journeying) … “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
• What is the problem with this statement?
  • blaming Moses (as if he could conjure up the plagues!) … refusal of self-responsibility (I proudly marched out of Egypt!)
  • in discontentment memory is always skewed … forgetting the groaning & crying under bitter slavery
  • supposed death wish: Well, if you wanted to have died there, what’s the problem with dying here, now? This is super-emotional talk that only obscures true understanding … Example: Bengali woman’s sister about husband beating her.
  • When the going gets tough … > disillusionment, > second thoughts, > was it really so desirable?

Exodus Chapter 16 – Manna, a Lesson in Obedience – Exo 16:4-36

• God’s immediate response: Provision … God is graciously overlooking the attitude … God proves and reveals himself
• Manna is a lesson in obedience … Exo 16:20 going foul … Exo 16:27 none on the Sabbath.
• The bread from heaven: God’s relief distribution. God will distribute aid if no other way of feeding oneself are possible. The moment they have access to Canaan’s provision it stops (Jo 5:10-12).
• Relief Distribution Thoughts
  • Manna is daily provided.
  • Manna is sufficient nutrition, 100 % daily recommended intake of every nutrient except water.
  • Manna is sufficient in amount.
  • Manna is collectable.
  • Manna is accessible.
  • Manna requires gathering, work.
  • Manna is the same amount, however much you gather.
  • Manna is perishable … it is never left over … it is not storable … it is therefore not ‘accumulatable’.
  • Manna is therefore not tradable … it is trade-inert … it cannot fall under demand-raised price, for enough is there, and all have access … it cannot produce money.
• What does Manna show about God? … Provider, knows what we need, dependable, immediate, involved, seeks obedience, seeks faith, seeks dependency, …
• They walk under a supernatural cloud and pillar of fire … they have manna in their bellies. If miracles made faith, that would be the most faith-filled generation the world has yet seen! … See also Jesus: miracles do not equal faith!
• This is our ‘blame God’ thinking: If only God did some miracles, we would all be happily believing and not struggling

Exodus Chapter 17 – Battle with Amalek – Ex 17:1-16

Murmuring again

• Ex0 17:1-3 Rephidim: Israel complaining about lack of water … “Give us water to drink!” … fair enough, but addressed wrongly, ask God, with faith!
• Ex0 17:4-7 Moses crying out to God … see, he is learning alright, but they aren’t … they are almost ready to stone me (that didn’t take long) … Moses and elders: strike rock with staff > water …
• 1 Cor 10:14 Jesus was that rock … and followed them! 1 Cor 10 gives the appropriate warning or interpretation of this: all under the cloud, all passed through sea yet died for unbelief. Read 1 Cor 10:1-5.
• Ex0 17:7 Massah and Meribah, Test and Quarrel … Israel asked: “Is the LORD among us or not?” … under the cloud, with manna in their stomach!! …
• Application Need to put 2 and 2 together … you cannot forever refuse to do the math! … thankfulness (remembering God’s character and deeds in the past) > faith-fullness to help us have the right attitude in current circumstances > helps us deal with the daily challenges … how God is honored by faith!

Battle with Amalek

• Who is Amalek? … 7th son of Esau, son of Isaac, son of Abraham … a cousin-people. Not on the death list in Gen 15:19-21 nor Exo 3:9
  Why does Amalek attack? … fear of Israel coming up to conquer them? > but they turned another way … in allegiance with Egypt or in submission to Egypt? Then the Red Sea Deliverance should have taught them something … or are they just people set to loot of a people dehydrated and starved, ready to be picked off?
• Deu 25:17-19 verse 18 says “attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and struck down all who lagged behind you; he did not fear God.”
• 1 Sam 15:3 not killing them off becomes a snare to Saul later.
• Israel is ill-organized and ill-equipped to fight … also they got women, children, old, young, livestock all with them. Joshua appointed by Moses to do the warfare …
• Moses, Aaron, Hur on top of hill (visible!) … Moses praying with raised hands > supported by Aaron and Hur … God fights the battle for them! … though in this case not ‘obviously miraculously’
• Application? Importance of prayer … importance of support … spiritual aspects to visible realities … every one according to calling at a given time … co-work
• Deu 17:14-16 Amalek has added itself onto the death list by its attack! … Death list is action-dependent, here: attack of feeble, at time of weakness, attack of civilian population

Exodus Chapter 18 – Jethro’s Advice

• Ex0 18:1-12 Jethro hears news, brings wife & family, rejoices at what God has done for Israel, gets revelation … 11 “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians” … brings burnt offerings … fellowship with Aaron & elders … God revealing himself to surrounding nations, Israel being a light
• Ex0 18:13-27 appointing of fellow-judges besides Moses … very important, will be looked at when studying the domain of government
• Ex0 18:23 Humility of submitting his advice to God’s word … “if you do this and God so commands you”

Exodus Chapter 19 – Saved unto what?

• Exo 19:4-6 Key verse of Exodus, could even be the key verse of the OT … one of the most foundational Scriptures
• God states his grand hope, plan, covenant: All is rooted in who God is and what he did for Israel (deliverer). God has revealed himself, the revelation is the basis of Israel’s hoped for response.
  Eagles’ wings … a generous metaphor for a 3 week journey in the wilderness 🙂 … God’s view.
• Brought you to myself … God’s call is first and foremost a call not to a ministry or task, but to relationship with him. And we need to be kept reminded of it time and again.
  If you obey my voice and keep my covenant … if statement, this is not automatic, but conditional.
• You shall be my treasured possession out of all he peoples, indeed the whole world is mine … Israel is chosen, for a time, for a role, for a task, but all nations are his and are his focus.
• “but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom / a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” … priests are mediators … Israel as priest-nation – mediating between whom and whom? > God and the nations. The call is one of a function to the other nations. Equally as believers: our salvation, our call, our blessing is meant to be shared.
• Exo 19:7-9 people are willing to enter the covenant

Exodus Chapter 20 – Climax & Anticlimax – They’d rather not meet their God

Get ready to meet your God

• Exo 19:10 consecrate themselves, wash, prepare for the 3rd d when the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people … God will now show himself even further to entire Israel (not just Moses or elders, but everyone) … God seeks relationship, he will reveal himself, he wants to be known
• Ex0 19:12 set limits for the people all around … “be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death … whether animal or human” … God is holy, fearful, awesome, untouchable … again the balance of ‘intimacy vs holiness’
• Ex0 19:13 “when the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain” … God will speak to all Israel, accompanied by trumpet blasts, at the last blast they may come up > God wants every single Israelite to be both in reverence and holy fear but to step out in faith and seek God by going up on the mountain.
• Ex0 19:14-15 … they do preparations as instructed. … “do not go near a woman” … not because woman defile you, but sex makes both unclean for a day (later laws) … not a time to be distracted otherwise

Meet your God – they back out

• Exo 19:16-19 “thunder, lightning, thick cloud, blast of trumpet, wrapped in smoke, whole mountain shook violently … the LORD had descended on the mountain.”
• Ex0 19:17 “people trembled at trumpet blast, Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain”
• Exo 19:19 “trumpet louder and louder … Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.”
• Exo 20:18 same description picked up again … > it seems the words God spoke or really thundered off Sinai were the 10 commandments (insert Exo 20:1-17)
• Exo 20:18-21 The people are not willing to meet God, pushing forward Moses, who then goes up … The great anti-climax of Exodus!
• Exo 19:20-25 Lord summons Moses to the top of the mountain … God then forbidding them to come up, even the priests
  here we have another hint that this is a summary of later instructions, Aaron and his family are not yet installed as priests, though Aaron is asked to come up here.
• Challenging the 2nd generation to not do the same … they fear God too much, they fear God too little. Moses has far more fear of God, but he is not ‘afraid’ here to draw near … we will see this time and again: Moses understands both God’s holiness and his desire for us.
• Application: Why do we humans prefer ‘mediums’ or ‘representatives’ when we could go straight to God ourselves?
• You will find this tendency all over the church and denominations, from the Catholic Mary who intercedes for us, to charismatic ‘if Benny Hinn prays, then God will answer’.
• Check this in your heart: when we get a revelation of the holiness & jealousy of God, we back off. But God so desires this one thing: that we would draw near, even if it means risk … “I will die of splendor”
• We get busy with God’s work … we seek God because we need answers, instructions, encouragement … we need to seek him for HIS sake. We need to know that to have relationship with him is our first and foremost calling.
• We will see Moses acting as their representative, but I really believe that was not God’s highest dream, it seems originally he had something else in mind.
• We will also see Joshua, waiting 40 days up on the mountain side, outside the cloud, just because he wants to. We will see him ‘not departing from the tent of meeting’ … Joshua is not Moses, but he is the desiring, self-motivated, seeking, deeply respectful but not fearful of God self-appointed fellow-seeker.
• Joshua is what all Israel was meant to be. Joshua is also the example still, leading Israel forward now. Learn from him!

Exodus Chapter 21 – The Ten Commandments (The Decalogue)

• Law = revelation of the will of God = revelation of the character of God
• The principles of the law are eternal and unchanging, because God’s character is eternal and unchanging
• Decalogue … the ’10 words’ in Hebrew … 1-4 are directed towards God, 5-10 towards men
• Addressed as ‘you’ … which is a feminine singular, addressing Israel corporately like a woman like often in the OT … > Israel as God’s wife … in the NT > church as the bride of Christ
• Negative commands except 4, 5 … why? What do negative commands do?
• Positive commands would require an endless list of options and variations, they would put focus on specific out workings rather than the basic attitude, that out workings come from
• Negative commands is the ‘least command’ option … forbid the one thing that is forbidden, allow the 1000 things that could / should be done to the person’s heart

Ten Commandments Meditation on the Character of God

• 1 Israel, your God is the one God, Maker of heaven and earth, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the just one, the gracious one, he is worthy and deserving of all worship and all obedience … you shall have no other Gods before him
• 2 He is true, he is truth, his truth matches with reality, he is who he is an any other belief must be lying and will fail you, he is jealous for truth, he is jealous for you … you shall not make yourself an idol
• 3 He is holy, he is good, his being is the foundation of the universe, his character and name is the foundation of all moral law, his character is the only possible set of values that is not self-contradictory, and the only set that produces life … you shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God
• 4 He is the God of glory, the God of dignifying work, and of rest, the God of celebration, of right priorities, desirous of you and your time … remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy
• 5 He is the God of origins, of fatherly love, of motherly nurture, of family, of good roots, of deep anchoring, of a sense of belonging and of safety … honor your father and your mother
• 6 He is the God of creation, the Creator of all existence, the only Source of life, all existence is through him, in him immense value is bestowed on human life, all life, strong and weak, perfect and imperfect … you shall not murder.
• 7 He is the God of relationship, the God of selflessness, the God of faithfulness, the All-powerful who obeys his own word, the committing God, the vulnerable God, the covenant-keeping God … you shall not commit adultery.
• 8 He is the glad Creator of a material universe, the God of bounty, the generous God, the lavish God, the caring, the Giver of growth, the sustaining God, the Provider-God, the Lord of plenty … you shall not steal
• 9 He is the trustworthy God, the reliable God, the law-abiding God, the God whose word stands in all eternity, the true God, the truth speaking God, committed to justice and reality … you shall not bear false witness
• 10 He is the thankful God, the giving God, the glad Giver, the big-minded, the sacrificial, the releasing God, rejoicing with others’ joy … you shall not covet.

Command I – No other gods

• Most fundamental commandment … We need to acknowledge, worship, call on, trust, devote ourselves, obey God
• Is God being selfish demanding exclusive worship? Why is this command given?
• Foundation if I don’t respect him, I won’t respect anything he says or commands. I will reject his perspective, his view, his explanation of the world around me and myself, nothing else will matter
• Truth He IS the only God, he is truth and he won’t tell us anything but truth. He will tell us truth and will tell us to stay with truth, and that is to worship him. He cannot for some ‘false humility’s sake let all world go into lie and deception.
• Health it is the only way we will stay with truth, with reality, and therefore also remain healthy. Lies always destroy because they ultimately don’t work. If I work against real reality, if I deny truth, I will run into walls, be disappointed, incur damage, hurt myself and others … and ultimately self-destruct.
• Manual this is the Creator explaining us the creation. He tells us what we are looking at, what is what, what we need to do, how this machine called ‘man’ runs … I can start pouring sugar into my car engine or start watering my computer, but I will not get better results. It is simple wisdom to listen to the instructions of the Maker.
• We become like what who worship … 2 Kin 17:25 “they went after false idols and became false” … Jer 2:5 “they went after worthless things and became worthless themselves” … Ps 115:3-8 NT … if we love, obey, worship Jesus we become like him.
• Canaanite or Egyptian cults were very evil, requiring massive gifts, sacrifices, sometimes prostitution or even child sacrifice
• Satanism people ruled by absolute terror, fear, nausea, hopelessness
• Grace: It is a grace to worship the true God, who – thank God! – happens to be a good God
• You shall have no other gods … there are no other gods … you need no other gods
• Order is significant. He is life (love, truth, …). He is reality. (not just because it’s good for them, but because it’s true). Back up to first cause. Security … God is not saying’ honey, let me make you secure’, security is not his goal, why is it the source of security? Because he is the only reality, they only have to deal with him.
• He is truth (he is the anchor, the refuge … But the reason that is so is because he is the only one. Being an anchor is a side product. There is only one reality, and I’m it. Gracious revelation. He want’s to tell us.
• What happens if that is not number one? Everything else would just be behavior modification. He would not be the reality, but an addendum. He sticks with reality, because he can’t deny himself. He is the truth, the reality …
• Opposite is true also: everything else is fake, not because he is judgmental? No, but because it is fake. Jesus is the only way, not because the Christians are exclusive, but because Jesus’ father is the ultimate reality. If we discuss on ‘what does this do to me’, but God is just stating reality. Exclusivity is if we chose it, God’s choosing is not exclusive, it is reality. We want to be God, we don’t want God, we don’t want the truth, revealing where we are wrong, and messes with our identity statement. Ignorance and control. Ignorance is relatively easy to deal with for God, but the control thing is hard to deal with it. They will create God for both ignorance and control reasons. We will have other gods, unless he is the reality. And wherever he is not God, we will put an idol in its place, individually and corporately, whatever its name. This is not a ‘look at other religions’. Still in the milk issues, we run into idols all the time, whenever we don not agree with God.

Command II No graven (metal) images

• Also Ex0 26:1 You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them; for I am the LORD your God.
• The first command told us to worship God, this one tells us what not to worship … and more subtly: how not to worship
• Do not worship any physical thing, any spirit, any made thing, anything part of creation … worship only the creature
  Do not worship any representation, picture, statue, pillar, symbol … this is more subtle: not even representations of God can be worshiped. Why? … the symbol always tends to replace the reality … clutching the Bible when in fear, thinking the cross I wear protects me, thinking the copy the real thing … we cannot escape it > forbidden
• Muslims are much stricter with this … maybe rightfully so. Pictures over the centuries of a sweet Jesus / of souls judged by God have not really helped, or done indirect harm, that nobody notices.
• God is a jealous God, he will not share us with other owners … OT / NT picture of marital love … > idolatry = adultery
• What are graven images a problem? Couldn’t a picture of God help us in our worship?
• God is spirit, he is invisible, un-picturable … whatever picture is such an abysmal representation of the real thing that it is unacceptable, it’s too small, too ludicrous, too weak, too limited, too cheap, too … everything
• Deu 4:12 …” Then the LORD spoke out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice” … God is primarily manifested in his word, not visions … God forces us to go from the lower visual level, to the higher audio, thought, concept level … he forces us to think who this God is … he forces inward thoughts, attitude (worship, thankfulness) rather than outward action (burning incense)

Command III No taking of God’s name in vain

• In the OT: The Law has death penalty for false teaching, false prophecy (Deu 13:1‑10), cursing or  blaspheming God (Lev 24:15-16) because that is exactly misrepresenting God
• Oath Mth 5:34 with Exo 22:10-13 determine truth by oath. Not naming other gods Exo 23:13 do not invoke other gods, their name not on your lips. Deu 6:13, 10:20 swear by God’s name alone What is the meaning of ‘Name of God’? … = description of God = character of God = identity of God How can we use the name of God falsely? > telling lies about him > misrepresenting him
  > putting his name on something that … isn’t really like him, doesn’t glorify him / he didn’t command
• What does ‘wrongful use’ mean? … In English 2 meanings
  • using the name of God negatively > cuss, curse)
  • to strengthen bad language > expressing to anger, frustration, disdain, hate)
  • to make an oath, promise > to assure

Bad language swearing

What is the problem with that?

• using words to hurt … but often your anger is appropriate (injustice) > maybe you are opposing evil (be a voice) … but you put down / devalue / state superiority / close doors
  by calling him ‘hopeless’
• Therefore you are not representing God, who always gives value / has hope / desires and accepts repentance
• Do not speak negative prophecies (‘he’ll never learn’) … do not speak to hurt (take away value / give bad labels) …
• do not shut doors / think somebody hopeles

Words without meaning swearing

What is the problem with that?

• to use the name of God casually, without being aware, ‘automatism’, ‘mere words’
• But God’s word is never casual, never without meaning or importance, never just for the heck of it
• God’s word and God’s will and God’s actions never differ … God is always true … He is always consistent
  • our words MUST be like his!
  • do not say things you don’t mean
  • if you have nothing to say, say nothing
  • try to ‘unlearn’ automatisms, mere words
  • make sure you do what you say … do not let appearance and reality differ
  • work hard to be reliable, trustworthy
• Other meanings of ‘to use God’s name in vain’ … Am I using his name
  • to justify something? … ‘but it does work …’
  • to legitimize something? … ‘it’s for a good purpose…’
  • to empower to something? … ‘o, God said …’
  • to get something? … reputation, trust, privilege
  • We believer are guilty of this … yet we are God’s representatives to others … what am I really re-presenting? What must others conclude from my life?

Misrepresenting God

• to misuse the name of God also means = to misrepresent God. Any area my life that does not reflect God = I am misrepresenting God.
• Ask yourself – personally: how do I spend my time? what do I do when no-one looks? how do I treat others? what do I spend my money on? where are my thoughts?
• Ask yourself – concerning church or ministry: do I lead hierarchically? do I behave differently at church? do I look down on other believers 0r groups?
• Ask yourself – concerning work or NGO: how diligent am I? what are funds spent on? how accurate is my reporting? am I doing ‘politics’?

‘Lying for God’

• If I misrepresent God, I misrepresent him who is all Truth … everything will be twisted and confused.
• Do not ‘lie for God’! > do not over-report, spice up stories, deny negatives and disappointments, ‘beautify’
• The God of reality is only glorified by reality

Towards real words – what can we learn?

• God calls good ‘good’, and evil ‘evil’
• give people their proper name > give feelings their proper name
• value what truly has value > stop running after what really has no value
• do not be impressed with appearance > be impressed with real inner life
• be very honest > do not agree with lies about another person
• do not accept lies about yourself
• let go of poisonous words that were spoken but that aren’t true
• beware of prejudice > carefully practice ‘mind-hygiene’
• see as God sees > think like God thinks > value what God values

Reality and vision

• Often we Christians are the most unreal … we need to love reality and embrace truth
• God only works in truth > confess, repent, be forgiven, move on
• If we do not know what is > we cannot change what is
• Visionary thinking requires: > knowing present reality (what is) … and having God’s hope (what could be)

Command IV Keep the sabbath – Deu 5:12-15

• Sabbath is a covenant sign … Exo 31:12‑17, Psa 92 is a psalm for Sabbath … Isa 58:13, 14
• Exo 23:10-22 Sabbath of the land … Lev 25:20, 25:8‑13 year of Jubilee
• Other passages ‑ Deu 5‑12ff; Lev 19:3, 30; 23:3, 26:12; Exo 23:12, 31:12, 13‑17, 34:21; Heb 3, 4
• Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy … 6d you shall labor, but the 7th day is a sabbath to the LORD … neither your son, daughter, slave, ox, donkey, livestock, alien … so that they may rest as well as you Work
• Why are we commanded to work? What is the purpose of work? When did work first start?
  • Gen 2:15 … “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden to till it and keep it” … so before sin ever happened
  • Therefore work is not a punishment for sin … it is good … work was part of the perfect creation … we will work in heaven
• What is the purpose of work?
  • to earn enough to feed ourselves & our families
  • to produce necessary things (food, clothes, houses, …)
  • to produce useful things (plow, bucket, light bulb, …)
  • to produce beautiful things
  • to serve others, and to glorify God
  • to enjoy satisfaction, significance, dignity, self-respect
• Worldviews concerning Work
• The Eastern view:
  • work = burden
  • I work only because this miserable body still binds me to the physical world
  • when my meets are met > I immediately drop work
• Western view of work
  • work is valuable for producing the goods I want or the money to buy the pleasure I want
• The Biblical view of work
  • work is good, commanded by God in order to produce needed things, t0 serve others, glorify God, to give us significance and satisfaction
• NT thoughts on work
  • Does Jesus work?
    • Luk 2:49 … Jesus is “about his Father’s business” at 12y of age
    • Mth 13:55 … carpenter till 30, main provider for family … father dies, mother, 4 brothers, 2 sister
    • Mrk 3:10 … pressed by crowds, healing all. Jesus is no hermit, and also no big boss
    • How about God the Father? God himself works! … Jesus says: “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” Jhn 5:17
  • We will work in heaven! but without the bad effects of sin … Gen 3:18-19 “by the sweat of your face eat bread” undone
  • Prv 10:4 “a slack hand produces poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.“ God demands diligence and hard work.
  • Hebrew has only one word for work … priest’s duty = farmer’s work … > all work is equally important
• When did Sabbath rest start?
  • Where did sabbath start? Gen 2:1-3 … “on the 7th day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the 7th day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the 7th day “
  • God himself keeps the sabbath! Is God tired? Why then does he rest? … God stops to enjoy the work of his hands
  • He himself follows the 7 day rhythm, the whole world follows it … He writes No. 7 it into moon orbit, the female body etc.
• What is the purpose of sabbath rest?
  • re-creation, rest physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
  • maintenance and restoration
  • time to connect with God, pray, reflect, evaluate, re-direct
  • to enjoy God, nature, the work of our hands, relationships
• Trust God with your unfinished work!
• Sabbath rest … nobody should work, “neither your son, daughter, slave, ox, donkey, livestock, alien” … no double standard, all work 6 d, all need rest 1 d
• Worker’s rights and Animal’s rights anchored int the Ten Commandments. “remember you were slaves in Egypt”
• Sabbath in the NT: Does Jesus break the Sabbath? … Sabbath had become a burden, weighed down by hundreds of laws
• Mrk 2:27-28 “Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
• Today’s controversy? Focus on the purpose of the sabbath

Illustration: Truth as road with two fences

• Do work hard 6 days! Do rest 1 day!
• Challenge to the lazy and irresponsible:
  • If you want to be lazy, I suggest you change religion
  • To be lazy means you not have understood anything about the way God works
  • Proverb: “Most people reach what they aim for, which: nothing.
• Challenge to the workaholics and over-responsible:
  • Can things be ‘good enough’ or do you always feel you should have done more?
  • Loren Cunningham’s quote: “To rest is to trust God with your unfinished work”

Work attitude in the New Testament

• 1 The 4:10-12 ‘We urge you … to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.”
• 2 The 3:7-12  ‘We were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you … Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. … we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”
• work diligently, do not depend on others when you could earn yourself!
• Be responsible, working, self-providing, no burden, able to give
• No indulging the lazy at the cost of the faithful… no welfare mentality
• Eph 6:5 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.”
• Col 3:22-24 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will received the inheritance .. you serve the Lord Christ.”
• work respectfully, wholeheartedly, self-motivated … not by pressure
• do not be motivated by pleasing others, promotion, advantage
• work as unto the Lord, not men, he is the true & fair evaluator
• A Proverb: “A work worth doing is worth doing well.”
• 1 Ti 6:1-2 “Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.”
• A good work attitude is a powerful witness to masters, bosses, co-workers
• During the first 3 centuries, the gospel spread to the Roman upper class mostly through Christian slaves
• Christians should be the best workers a company has
• In our ability to work we are God-like!
• We cannot make our calling a reality without hard, consistent, faithful work.

Command V Honor Father and Mother De 5:16

• capital offense to defy or curse Exo 21:17, Deu 21:18‑21, Prv 30:11, 17
• 4 laws in 10 commandments deal with family
• honour = glory to them, obedience to them, take care … Deu 22:6, 7 Bird
• other verses: Deu 5:16; Lev 19:3, 32; Exo 21:15, 17
• What does it mean to honor? > to love > to appreciate > to value > to be in relationship > to listen to > to obey … always? In everything?
• “… so that your days may be long & that it may go well with you” … 1st command with a promise longevity & wellbeing

Why honor father and mother?

• they sacrificed much for me, try to do the best for me
• they are the origin, the source, the reason, where I come from
• to not honor them is to deny my origin, my roots, myself
• to honor them is to honor myself
• if I can’t honor them, I can’t have peace with myself / self-confidence

Obedience of children to parents

• Eph 6:1 … “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”
• Col 3:20 … “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord.”
• God gives authority over children to parents .. not to the church,  not to society in general, not to government
• “in the Lord” means not outside of him. So if parents give ungodly counsel, it needs to be disobeyed (Calvin)
• Why this command to obey?
  • you need a wisdom greater than your own
  • there are things hard to explain, yet true
  • obedience and openness are essential to learning
  • if you know ‘everything already’ > always remain at the level of knowledge you have now > no further learning
  • to reject authority = to reject your own development
• Luk 7:2-10 Centurion: “But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes” … Jesus … was amazed at him”
  • he recognizes Jesus’ power
  • he recognizes Jesus’ being under authority himself
  • only those who accept authority have authority
  • to reject authority = to reject your own authority
  • Rebels don’t become good leaders, they won’t have patience with rebels
  • Warning: unaccountable “christian” one-man empires

Affirmation of parents’ authority

• Jesus: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children …” Luke 11:13
• God trusts parents to be the best guardians of the child
• What if you have a drunken, abusive, violent, absent, neglecting, unbelieving parent?

Limits of parental authority

• true Giver of life is God … true Owner of a child is God … no right to destructive behavior
• parents are caretakers under God … must give account in everything … your child is your brother in Christ
• Mth 10:37 …“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me …“
  • Limits of parental authority > God must be loved/obeyed more than parents
  • Limits of parental love > God must be loved more than children
  • Only rarely is choice is truly between God & parents … there are cases, but be careful!

Command VI No murder

• Death penalty for murder Exo 21, Num 35:31, Gen 9:6 … difference between murder and manslaughter Num 35:22
• Goal: value & protection of life, especially the weak (widows, poor, orphans, defenseless, strangers, slaves, aged)
• “We must hold the person of man sacred‑ Imago Dei.” Institutes p. 347
• Other verses: Deu 5:17, Lev 19:17, 18
• 1 Jhn 3:15 … to hate brother is to be a murderer

Why is murder forbidden?

• God has declared life valuable, sacred … especially of the humans as created in the image of God
• murder destroys life … yet God is the Giver and Taker of life … God is the true Source and Owner of all life
• murder is irreversible … yet we cannot make life > we have no right to destroy it
• destructive
  • for the victim > loss of life
  • for family > loss of life, leadership, provision, investment, commitment
  • for God & society > loss of life, gifting, calling
• murder creates poverty, fear, despair … leading to paralysis, limits for the others, cuts short potential, opportunity

Manslaughter = unintentional killing / Cities of refuge

• Deu 19:2-7 … “You shall set apart three cities in the land … you shall calculate the distance and divide into 3 regions … so that a homicide can flee to one of them. A homicide is someone who has killed another person unintentionally when the two had not been at enmity before … the killer may flee to one of the cities and live. If the distance it too great, the avenger of blood in hot anger might pursue and overtake and put the killer to death, although a death sentence was not deserved …”
• God looks at an action and the motivation … difference of murder & manslaughter
• What are the cities of refuge for? > refuge for people who killed unintentionally
  • to ensure proper investigation
  • to bring justice and to prevent ‘self-justice’ without investigation / trial
  • to prevent escalation of violence > endless family feuds
  • to prevent further killing
• Killings must be properly investigated and judged
• Self-justice is forbidden > for it is not just (no investigation, wrong measure) … leads to more innocent killed

Murder = intentional killing

• Deu 19:11-13 … “But if someone at enmity with another lies in wait and attacks and takes the life of that person, and flees into one of these cities, then the elders shall send to have the culprit taken from there and handed over to the avenger of blood to be put to death … Show no pity; you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel so that it may go well with you.”
• Cities of refuge must hand over the one guilty of murder
• Murder must be investigated, tried and punished … so that the curse of innocent blood flow is purged
• Why is God commanding this? What does punishment achieve
  • injustice to victim / injustice to the victim’s family … ensure justice
  • crime not discouraged / further murders encouraged … brings stability / security
  • innocent blood flow brings a curse on the land … maintains sanctity & value of life

Proper Investigation

• Deu 19:15 … “A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing …. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained”.
• Why is God commanding this? > ensuring good investigation > true facts > just judgement
• Truth can be known … in a real world actions leave evidence … evidence can be found

False witnesses

• Deu 19:16-19 … “If a malicious witness comes forward to accuse … the judges shall make a thorough inquiry, if the witness is … false … then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other.”
• Punishment for false witness = crime they implicated the other person in
• God knows both sides of every conflict

Purpose of punishment

• Deu 19:19-20 … “So you shall purge the evil from your midst. The rest shall hear and be afraid and a crime such as this shall never again be committed among you”.
• Why is proper judgment essential? … to discourage crime … to ensures security for normal people
• the fruit of justice is peace
• Deu 19:21 … “Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
• There must be punishment … but no escalation in punishment (like paying back 7 times)
• Why does the God of compassion here command to have no pity? Does not Jesus teach something different?
  • Difference between inward attitude and civil justice God tells the government > to ensure justice
  • God tells the church > to show mercy
  • Both are expressions of God
  • Example of a rape

Unknown Murder Procedure

• Deu 21:1-9 … What if a murder happens and no guilty one can be found?
• Murder cannot be taken lightly … murder is your responsibility as a leader … Murder cannot be left unaddressed

Command VII Adultery

• Deu 22:22‑24, 25‑27 … fornication Exo 22:16, 17; Deu 22:28‑29 … rape Deu 22:25
• Death penalty for adultery ended in Israel around 30 A.D.
• Exo 20:14, Deu 5:18, Lev 20:10 Prohibition & definition of adultery
• What is adultery?
  • > sexual relations with anybody other than own legal spouse
  • For married persons: adultery is the breaking or the marriage vows by having sexual relations with another person (married or unmarried)
  • For unmarried persons: sexual relations with a married person. Sexual relations with an unmarried person without the commitment of marriage is also sin (the sin of fornication), but is treated slightly differently.
• All laws concerning adultery are equally addressed to men and women
• There is no different standard for men and women for sexual behavior
• Society: higher demands on women, more ‘freedom’ to men
• Highest punishment (death penalty) on all that destroys life, marriage and family

Adultery – Breaking of marriage

• Why is God commanding this? What results if I commit adultery?
• To understand the damage adultery does > understand what marriage is:
• What is a marriage? The highest of covenants between humans
• What is promised? Much in more areas than any other covenant
  • > commitment to this person, this person only (unless polygamy)
  • > life-long commitment, permanent state till death, in whatever circumstances
  • > commitment in all areas … personal, emotional, physical, societal, economic
  • > complete entrusting, surrender, dependence, faith, vulnerability
• Who can hurt you most? > Whom you trust most, who committed to you most
• To the degree it can be wonderful, to that degree is can be hurtful, if broken
• The wonder of a love responded to = the disaster of deepest trust broken
• Every love song in any culture: love commits itself to be lasting … ‘for ever’

Adultery – Effect on cheated spouse?

• breech of trust, betrayal of faith, breaking of broken covenant, promise, word
• deep rejection, deep insecurity, deep inferiority … most people never fully recover
• broken trust, hard to rebuild, even if forgiven … mental turmoil
• Broken trust > fear of repetition > constant worry (where is he?), attempt to control (accounting of every minute), jealousy, comparison, manipulation, competition
• Risk of introduction of disease
• Usually higher damage on the wife, who gave up more (career, job, reputation)

Adultery – effect on adulterer?

• What happened in a person in order for an adultery to happen?
  • > must have ignored God and conscience continually to reach this point
  • > must have acted against better knowledge
  • > must have closed off, concealed things, lied, despised spouse in one’s heart
  • > must have deceived, thought about, planned … things don’t happen so easil
  • > maybe in the end loss of control but before: many steps one chooses
• Effect on the adulterer … even if nobody knows? Even if repentant?
  • > shame, guilt, loss of self-respect, loss of self-confidence, loss of reputation
  • > still dulled conscience, lowered barriers
  • > memories, mental picture, inner conflict, can’t help but compare
  • > bad habit to fight against, once lines are overstepped > easier to overstep again
  • > destroyed primary relation with spouse, having to rebuild from ‘minus 200’
  • > unpeace, quarrel, mistrust, fear, jealousy, control > leading to further breakdown
  • > even if both want to go on after a betrayal it takes years of faithfulness to mend
  • > loss of moral authority as a father or mother (see King David)
• Effect on adulterer … if unrepentant?
  • > seared conscience shutting off God’s voice > unable to truly relate
  • > emotional closing off, or self-smartness, ‘experience’, less deeply relating
  • > you cannot respect whom you can manipulate, you can’t love whom you can use
  • > destruction of marriage relationship and adverse effect on all later relationships
• If ‘double-life’ > great stress on offender > great deception on all
• If breakdown > conflict, divorce, loss of family, of reputation. economic damage

Adultery – Effect on children?

• For parent to commit adultery is to question the very identity of children > rejection
• their identity and security is threatened > deep fear, inferiority, hopelessness
• their ‘nest’ is ripped apart > existential questions about the future
• children think of parents as perfect > take blame themselves > “I must have done something wrong” …”I must be the reason for the problem”
• children taking on roles they should never have to take on: having to lead, to listen to heart ache, to protect a parent or sibling, having to ‘ensure things don’t fall apart’
• often used in the war between the parents … “you love me more than dad, right?”
• deep rejection, often irreversible > drop off in school, mental & health problems
• deep loss of faith in marriage, in family, in conflict resolution, in life
• long-lasting negative impact on children from broken families > problems in school, as young adults, in own relationships, in professional development, in risk taking. Many end up with a divorce themselves
• Economic impact: In Western societies poor people are often broken family members > reduction in options, frequent moves, less than ideal circumstances

Adultery – Effect on other couples?

• With more and more marriages breaking, a discouraging influence falls on all couples, increasing fear, mistrust, control, manipulation, jealousy even ‘for no reason’
• loss of confidence in marital faithfulness and in doable conflict resolution
• West: high divorce rate > loss of faith that marriages can be made to work
• East: lower divorce rate …why? > economic pressure, higher price paid by women

Adultery – Effect on society?

• state of family = state of the country … broken families = broken people
• Broken families > educational problems, economic problems, health problems
  • … most poverty in the West is in broken families > 1 salary for 2 households
  • … exploding welfare costs > national debt
• breaking of one covenant > breaking of all covenants

Command VIII                       Do not steal

• also see “ECO 01 – Do not steal” on the same website
• Effect on owner? > frustration, anger, discouragement … economic damage … intention / plan / use thwarted
• Effect on the thief? > temporary economic advantage … temptation to repeated stealing … danger of wrong habits. Stealing is a criminal act … danger of increase of criminality … danger of abuse / manipulation by others
• Effect on owners? > need for security arrangements (grills / walls / locks / guards / …) … need money / time / skill
• > neither owner nor thief has an advantage “economic nonsense”
• Example: Bangladeshi farmers sleeping in fields before harvest
• Example: Story of the mendi tree
  • > unless there is a chance for fruit / reward / profit, why should I plant / work / invest / produce?
  • > stealing discourages planting / investing / production > reduced production > lack > poverty

What does God want

• He wants for us to receive the fruit of labor > encourage labor > increased production > abundance
  • Example of papaya trees in a slum
  • Example of Swiss farmers selling fruit
• God is not “pro-rich” and “anti-poor” … God is “pro” whatever produces life: Thou shalt not steal = right to private property
• God-given right of all human beings … God wants and protects ownership
• Why? Ownership will teach us good care / good maintenance / faithfulness / care-taking / responsibility
• Owning things is like the first level of training in care-takership / leadership … will teach us to value a thing
• Is this not selfish? … God commands generosity … but you cannot give unless you truly own
  … first: right to own > resulting: ability to give

Genesis mandate

• Gen 1:28, 2:15 … “Fill the earth and take charge of it, have dominion over the fish … birds … every living thing…The Lord took the man and put him in the garden to till it and keep it”
• Original vocation: we are stewards / care-takers / stewards under God, true Owner … accountable to him
• Authority is given (right & responsibility to work / use / innovate / develop / enjoy) … authority is limited (Owner is God)
• Levels of ownership? … my poem / my blouse / my land / my goat / my son / my wife / my country / my God.
• Example: Land ownership … How many owners? > God, past owners, me, future owners … responsible to them
• Lev 23:25 … “The land shall not be sold permanently for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants”
• I have authority to use / plant / work land, but not to destroy its fertility permanently … authority given, authority limited.
• Prv 27:23-27: … “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds … the lambs will provide your clothing, … goat’s milk for your food … and nourishment for your servant girls.”

Responsibility

• Ownership teaches responsibility
• We all own money / things / time / words / health / strength … how do you spend it? How do you use it?
• If you can’t take care of simple things, how can God give you more? People into your care?
• Mth 25:14 … “Parable of the talents” … faithfulness in little > faithfulness over much … God requires accounting
• Luk 12:48 … “For everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required” … don’t cry for too much!
• Leadership = authority = hard work = responsibility = accountability

Boundaries

• Authority given, authority limited … I need to know what is and isn’t under my care > need for boundaries.
• Example: African farmers
• Bible is very strong on boundaries (political, geographical, land, relational)
• You are not equally responsible for everything, but you are responsible for some things.

Right to Private Property

• Importance of private property: worldwide true.
• Counterexample: Communism
• Counterexample: Socialism
• Counterexample: Extended families
• Worldwide: wherever right to private property is granted > development, high production

Special ways of stealing

• Personal debt = stealing from your own future, from your own children
• National debt = stealing from future generations
• Inflation = government stealing by printing more money > value of money falling
• Unequal trade agreements

Command IX No False Witness

• also see “COM 01 – False Witness” on the same website.
• context is law court Deu 19:15‑21 minimum of 2 witnesses
• malicious report Exo 23:1‑3
• don’t injure neighbour’s name ‑ Col 3:9

Deu 5:20           “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”

• What is God commanding?
  • Our word has highest weight as a witness in court.
  • Therefore especially: no false testimony in court.
• Why? > false testimony leads investigation astray and perverts fair judgement
• How does the Law discourage ‘false witness’ in court?
• Deu 19:15 “A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime of wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained.”
• Only two to three confirming witness accounts will establish something as evidence
• By cross-examination pre-agreed fabricated tales are effectively weeded out

Deu 19:15-20 “If a malicious witness comes forward to accuse someone of tness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 The rest shall hear and be afraid and a crime such as this shall never again be committed among you.”

• The method of discouraging false witnesses is by threatening to bring on them the punishment they tried to bring an innocent person.
• The higher the crime the more risky it is to be a false witness.
• Consistent implementation of this method will scare off potential false witnesses.
• Why the three parts?
  • the truth > everything you say must be a true statement
  • the whole truth > no omission, no withholding of pertinent information, even if not asked
  • nothing but the truth > no commission, no additions, no false implications
• Again: to ensure truth, reality, reliability and fairness of verdict

Normal life situations

• Though of most weight in court, this law has important application in normal speech:
• > no false witness, no lying, no denying, no half truths, no false implication, no over statements, no gossip, no slander (intentionally derogatory words)

Different types of lying

To say what isn’t true sin of commission

• What if it is meant well? Trying to please? Trying to encourage? False compliments? White lies? Do you like it? Very much … How did I do? Oh, great.
• What about cultural usages? Will you come? Yes, of course.
• What about polite language? Sir, sir, … most honorable
• What about exaggerations? I called you a hundred times! … I’m starving.
• What about emotional language? You are everything to me … You never call.
• What about entertaining story telling? Everybody and their neighbor ran together.
• But what if I offend? What if I am misunderstood? What if people mind?

To not say what is true and should be said

• Withholding information & knowledge though understanding its need & importance
• To allow untruth to remain, though I know better
• Speaking up against injustice or false treatment
• Affirmations of concern and friendship to close people
• Black truths. Truths that create wrong impression and imply falsely
• But should one always say everything? every criticism & bad feeling to people’s face?

How did Jesus speak?

• Did Jesus make compliments to please people? Don’t know of one
• Did Jesus say half-truths to encourage people? He encouraged, but by truth
• Did Jesus never offend anybody with his speech? He continually offended people
• Was Jesus never misunderstood? He was continually misunderstood
• Did Jesus sometimes say nothing? Yes
• Did Jesus defend his right to speak? Yes
• Did he forbid others to speak? Never humans, only demons
• Jesus is the ultimate example & measure of how our speech needs to be
• From wisdom literature: Three tests whether to say something: Is it true? Is it needed? Is it helpful?

God’s every word is Truth & trustworthy

• As God is eternal, unchanging and utterly reliable, so is his Word
• Mth 5:18 “heaven and earth shall pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished”
• Jam 1:17 “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change / no shadow of turning”
• Heb 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
• God has spoken, he will fulfill it. God is the covenant keeping, promise fulfilling God.
• He has spoken, how can it not happen?
• He has declared reality, how can it not be so?
• Our view is flawed, we need to change
• We don’t take our words that serious! We don’t take anybody’s word that serious!
• What if God does?
• God and Biblical culture here is radically different from our very verbal culture
  • > we need to change our thinking and behavior, we need to put Bible above culture
  • > if God’s every word stands, so should ours!

Practical steps

• How can I make my speech more true? How can I become more word-faithful? How can I learn to be responsible for my every word?
  • > It’s okay to speak less, to not answer. It’s okay to not join every opinion spoken
  • > It’s okay to not promise, but if you do: keep it!
  • > say: I’m not sure… I can’t say now … I will answer once I know … I’m not sure this is all the truth … I don’t agree … I can’t promise … I don’t want to say something if I am not sure I can keep it
• Words are powerful. I own the words of my mouth.
• How do I spend them? … in prayer? Encouragement? Appreciation? Praise? Thankfulness? Wisdom? Teaching?
• Often in child raising as parents we give a child many many commands, none of which we implement or follow up on. The child learns rightly that the parent’s words mean nothing (unless he or she shouts or is angry).
• If you threaten something, you’d better be sure whether you will actually do it.
  • Often we even lie to our children, not realizing we undercut the authority of our words

Effect on us if we lie?

• We lose credibility, reputation, trust, influence and power with others
• We shame ourselves, we bring self-doubt, discouragement, loss confidence, self-trust, self-respect on ourselves. If I know I can’t trust myself why would you trust me?
• We lose credibility even if we now do speak the truth
• If we are not trustworthy, we will not think others trustworthy. We will easily mistrust and doubt others, which hurts relationships and prevents depth of friendship
• Truthful rebukes may cause offense, but there is a chance for conviction, confession, restoration, change, understanding, giving value to the other.
• Untruthful compliments, even if well meant, cause an inflation of my words, my words gradually mean less and less. Even if I want to I do not ultimately communicate value to that person … Oh, she always says that!
• Inflation of words: my word ends up meaning nothing and changing nothing.
• God wants to save the value of my word. He wants to ensure my word or testimony means something. My word should have weight, importance, trust, influence.
• “Lord, help us to speak like you: every word counts, has meaning, is reliable, uplifts”

Command X No Coveting                      Exo 20:17, Deu 5:21 … quoted Rom 7:7, 13:9

• see also “ECO 03 – Do not Covet” on the same website.
• definiton of “Coveting”: to set one’s heart on … precondition to sin … think on how to do good to neighbor

Deu 5:21   “Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, house, field, slave, ox, donkey, thing”

• Examples from an agricultural society … ox = plowing, donkey = transport
• Modern day examples: mobile, gadgets, laptop … nari, gari, bari, sari

Coveting versus Desiring

• What does ‘coveting’ mean? Is there no positive side to desiring?
• Yes, if we see an exemplary person, we should be encouraged to imitate them.
• To not covet is a command to creativity, effort and initiative. Desire is good, if I am willing to spend effort, work, time to obtain it. “If he was able to learn this…”
• But typically coveting is when I am just envying, I’m not learning from that person nor am I wiling to do as he did.

Mental sin

• Why is this among the 10 commandments? What is so harmful about coveting?
• Coveting doesn’t harm anybody… it’s just in my mind …who will ever know, right?
• Wrong. God calls this sin. It is possible to sin in my mind. Even if nobody knows.
• And it will not stay there. It will lead to sinful action as well.

How is coveting is destructive?

• Coveting is destructive as first step towards other sins, it opens the door to
  • > > > misuse of funds, wrong means of getting money, bribes, stealing
  • > > > conflict in relationships / jealousy / adultery
• How does coveting function? Where are my eyes? What do I focus on?
• Endless mind-circles: “if only I were then I would / could”
• And an unspoken second circle: “but I don’t … therefore I can’t.”
• Coveting focuses my eyes on
  • > who I am not
  • > what I don’t have
  • > what I therefore can’t do
• It fills my mind with un-realities and impossibilities
  • > Discontent, complaining, comparison, envy, jealousy
  • > stops intercession … I already think they got too much
  • > Resentment, bitterness, feeling victimized, stinginess, selfishness
  • > Laziness, irresponsibility, hopelessness, powerlessness, paralysis
  • > Coveting will close down my mind
    Thankfulness as antidote
• Thankfulness is the opposite of coveting and commanded by God
• What does thankfulness do to my mind? Where are my eyes? My focus?
• Thankfulness focuses my eyes on
  • > what I am
  • > what I do have, I have received
  • > what is therefore possible
• Thankfulness makes me aware of realities, of my possibilities, of my power
  • > It opens doors and options for me, it makes me realize my potential
• Thankfulness says: “I may not have much, but I do have …with it I can …”
• Faithfulness says: “I will work with what I do have”
• Often we think God is selfish when he commands us to thanks him. And he surely enjoys heartfelt thankfulness and thankfulness is definitely appropriate.
• But thankfulness is also a discipline that keeps our mental health
• Thankfulness & faithfulness in NT language: Mt 25 … Parable of the talents
• Don’t worry about what you don’t have … be faithful with what you do have!
• Remember: Ownership = responsibility / accountability … don’t cry for two much
• Example: slum mothers, slum huts
• Who do you want to be around, a thankful person or a coveting person?

If coveting gets what it desires

• What happens if a coveting person gets what they are desiring? Now content?
• No, or not for long. > endless demands, nothing is ever good enough.
• German Proverb: “If a desire is fulfilled, it immediately has young”.
• Contentment is a choice, discontentment also … doesn’t depend on circumstance
• Demanding and blaming
• We say: “you poor Bangladeshi, you get floods and hurricanes (true!), the British exploited you (true!), there is much corruption (true!), climate change affects you most (true!)”
• How do you feel as Bangladeshi? … good, all pity me, hopefully they will give aid
• What is the problem? > taking responsibility from you … everybody is the the problem except you
• leads to a demanding or blaming mindset … “if they would …” “they are my problem”
• Who to blame? Situation, govt, father, Satan, God
• this leads to irresponsibility, passivity, dependency, anger, bitterness, aggression
• Demanding is a dangerous path, it’s not the way God works
• God always focuses back on: “but what will YOU do in these circumstances …”
• The moment I take responsibility for myself, development starts

Demanding human rights?

• We teach people to demand their rights, should we? Are human rights biblical?
• Yes and no. Yes: The whole concept of human rights arose from biblical thinking and Christian countries had rights first.
• No: There is no Bible verse: “I claim my right” and “you must grant my right”
• How then? I am commanded to grant your right. And you are commanded to grant my my right. … Not demanding “he should” but responsibility “I should”
• Triangle of pronouns: In Greek Conjugation (I, you, he) versus Hebrew (he, you, I) … “Love the Lord and your neighbor as yourself” … Priority: first God (he), then neighbor (you), then me

 Moses’ Mountain Times                       

up                     01.03.01    Exo 19:3-6       God suggests or offers the covenant
down                                    Exo 19:7          Moses tells the people about the covenant offer. People say ‘yes’.
up                                          Exo 19:9         Moses reports people’s ‘yes’. God’s instructions for 3rd day. Fence.
down                                    Exo 19:14        Moses tells people the instructions. Preparations for the third day.
=                      08.03.01     Exo 19:16-19  God speaks directly to the people
                                              Exo 20:1-17    God shouts the 10 commandments from the mountain.
                                              Exo 20:18-20 People back off in fear. Moses encourages them to draw near.
up                                         Exo 19:20        Moses goes up alone
                                              Exo 19:21-23  God warns people not to cross the fence.
                                              Exo 19:24       God tells Moses to bring Aaron.
down up                              Exo 19:25       Moses tells people not to cross the fence
                                              Exo 20:22-23:33 God gives laws
                                              Exo 24:1-3      Instruction to bring up Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, 70 elders half way
down            4th month?  Exo 24:3          Moses tells the people the laws. People agree to keep. Moses writes laws
                                             Exo 24:4-8      Altar built. Sacrifices made. Sprinkling with blood > covenant made
up                                        Exo 24:9          Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, 70 elders go up
                                             Exo 24:10-11  They ‘see God’. They eat and drink in God’s presence
                                              Exo 24:12       God calls Moses further up.
stay/down? (Aaron, elders) Exo 24:14-15
up (Moses, Joshua)           Exo 24:13, 15-18 Moses waits 7 days to enter the cloud. Is with God for 40 days
                                              Exo 24:18-31:17 Moses with God for 40 days. Detailed instructions for tabernacle.
                                             Exo 31:18          Moses is given the stone tablets with the ten commandments.
                                              Exo 32:7-14      God tells Moses that the golden calf is happening. Moses intercedes.
down             5th month   Exo 32:15-34     Moses goes down with Joshua. breaks the tablets. Levites kill perpetrators. Moses punishes Israel. God sens a plague.
Up                                        Exo 32:30/33:1 32:3-34 Moses goes up to intercede
                                              Exo 33:1-3      God tells Israel to go to Canaan without him.
down                                   Exo 33:4-6        Moses tells God’s ‘harsh words’. People repent.
=                                           Exo 33:7-11      Interaction at tent outside the camp.
                                              Exo 33:12-16  Moses: not without you, God, intercedes for God to re-adopt Israel.
                                              Exo 33:17      God grants the request.
                                              Exo 33:18-23 Moses asks to see God. Will be granted.
                                               Exo 34:1-3      Two stone tablets made ready. Nobody else
up                                          Exo 34:4 34:5-9 God shows and proclaims himself. Moses intercedes
                                               Exo 34:10-28 God renews the covenant. Re-gives the law. Tablets. 40 days
down             7th month    Exo 34:29-40:33 Shining face. Instructs Israel. Tabernacle built and set up.
=                                            Exo 40:34-35 40:34-35 God descends on the tabernacle.

Exodus Chapter 21-24 – First Laws

• How to build up or disciple a nation? Here God models it for us
• Moral law Exo 20:1-26 … Civil law Exo 21:1-24:11 … Ceremonial law Exo 24:12-31:18.
• Apodictic (categoric) law … absolute commands, no exceptions, like 1st, 2nd, 3rd commandment
• Casuistic (case) law … introducing an instance, following by ‘then …’, establishing precedents … if-then statements
• Ex 21:1-5          Hebrew slave … serve 6y … go out a free person, without debt. If come in single, leave single. If come in with family, let go with family. If master gave wife > leave family behind. Option to stay.
• Ex 21:7-11        female slave made wife … cannot be sold later. If given to son, must treat as daughter. If another wife, must maintain her marital rights. If not: let go without dept nor payment.
• Ex 21:12, 14     death penalty for intentional murder
• Ex 21:13          city of refuge for unintentional murder
• Ex 21:15          death penalty for striking father of mother
• Ex 21:16          death penalty for kidnapping, whether already sold off or not.
• Ex 21:17          death penalty for cursing father or mother
• Ex 21:18         fight > injured gets payment for loss of time & recovery, but not ongoing if he can walk again
• Ex 21:20        punishment for striking slaves with rod if he dies immediately. If dies 2-3 days later, no punishment
• Ex 21:22        quarrel > accidental hitting of pregnant woman > loss of child > pay as woman’s husband demands / judges determine
• Ex 21:23        quarrel > accidental hitting of pregnant woman > loss of child > life for life, eye for eye …
• Ex 21:26        slave injured by master’s beating > loss of eye / tooth > let slave go a free person
• Ex 21:28        ox goring a person to death > ox killed, flesh not eaten, owner not liable (first time)
• Ex 21:29        if repetition in spite of warning or no restraining > death penalty for owner or payment of ransom as imposed. If children, same. If slaves, owner shall pay thirty shekels of silver.
• Ex 21:33        open pit > animal falling into it killed > payment to owner, can keep dead animal
• Ex 21:35        ox gores ox > sell ox and split price, split dead ox (first time)
• Ex 21:36        if repeat and not restrained > payment to owner, can keep dead animal
• Ex 22:1          stealing ox / sheep > restitution of 5 oxen / 4 sheep if already sold, 2 oxen / 2 sheep if still in his hands, if can’t pay, sell him into slavery
• Ex 22:2         thief breaking in at night beaten to death > no blood guilt. If after sunrise > blood guilt
• Ex 22:5         if grazing over other person’s field / vineyard > restitution from best of owner
• Ex 22:6         if fire destroys things / crop, the one starting it > full restitution
• Ex 22:7         safekeeping > theft > thief shall pay double. If not caught > storer brought before God to see whether he is guilty
• Ex 22:9        claiming each other’s property > brought before God > thief pays double
• Ex 22:10      safekeeping > animal injured / carried off > oath of non-guilt > no restitution. If guilt > restitution. If mangled > no restitution
• Ex 22:14      borrowing animal > injured or dies > full restitution. If owner present > no restitution. If hired > only hiring fee due.
• Ex 22:16      seduction of un-betrothed virgin > pay bride price & marry her. If father refuses marriage > pay bride price
• Ex 22:18      you shall not permit a female sorcerer to live
• Ex 22:19      death penalty for sodomy
• Ex 22:20     idol worship > devoted to destruction
• Ex 22:21-24 oppression of alien, widow, orphan forbidden
• Ex 22:25-27 no exacting of interests on loans to poor … restore cloak before sunset … for I am compassionate
• Ex 22:28      no reviling of God or cursing of leader
• Ex 22:29-30 no delay to sacrifice from fullness of harvest … firstborn son to God … firstborn oxen / sheep on 8th day
• Ex 22:31      consecrated > do not eat mangled meat … throw it to the dogs
• Ex 23:1-3     no false report, no malicious witness, no following majority in wrongdoing, not be partial in law suit
• Ex 23:4-5     bring back, free from burden an enemies donkey
• Ex 23:6        no partiality against poor, no killing of innocent, no bribe
• Ex 23:9        no oppression of alien
• Ex 23:10-11 sabbatical year for land … lie fallow, so that poor may eat, wild animals may eat
• Ex 23:12       sabbath day
• Ex 23:13       be attentive, do not invoke names of other gods
• Ex 23:14-15 festival of unleavened bread
• Ex 23:15b    do not empty-handed before God
• Ex 23:16     festival of harvest / in-gathering
• Ex 23:17     all males appear before God 3x a year
• Ex 23:18     sacrifice nothing with leaven, burn up fat same day
• Ex 23:19      offer best of first fruits into house of God
• Ex 23:20-22 promise of angel to go before them
• Ex 23:23-33 do not worship the gods of Canaan … no covenant with the people, slow driving out, full promised land

Exodus Chapter 25-31, 33-40 – The Tabernacle

Purpose of the tabernacle

• Spiritual lessons in object form … continual visual reminder of basic spiritual truths:
  • God wants to dwell with them
  • God is holy & just & cannot accept evil … but you are sinful & unjust & in need of mercy
  • To reveal the one way of salvation, God’s, not man’s … completely unilateral and completely God-ordained, undiscussable, like salvation itself.

Tabernacle itself

• 13 chapters … Ex 25-31 (instructions) and Ex 33-40 (construction … so clearly important. Why?
• tabernacle will be Israel’s spiritual center … even more: it will be God Almighty living among them physically
• Ex 29:45-46 … “I will dwell among the Israelites, and I will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.”
• This will be further fulfilled in the NT … Jesus is Immanuel “God is with us” … “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” Jhn 1:14
• Rev 21:3 … See, the home of God is among mortals. He sill dwell with them, they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them … 4 he will wipe away every tear
• The tabernacle is a copy of a ‘tabernacle in heaven’ … Heb 8:5 “they offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See, that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” … the tabernacle is some heavenly reality (metaphorically or whatever)
• The tabernacle is a picture of God wanting fellowship with men … God camping in the midst of his people’s camp
• But the tabernacle is also a picture of God, who is holy and unapproachable for men … court, strict regulations
• The forever tension … God is holy, unapproachable, explosive … but God wants to be among you … yet you are sinful, unacceptable
• If God accepted sin “not so bad, no worries” – he would be unjust. God is both justice and mercy at the same time.
• Our sin has created this tension in Ge 3 and ever after … our unholiness has ripped the heart of God.
• So the tabernacle must show both, the holiness of God and God’s desire for fellowship with us … the tabernacle will be in the exact middle of the people, but there will be a court, and curtains, and nobody but the high priest can go in but once a year … come! Can’t come! Come! Can’t come!
• That is why the tabernacle / the sacrifices / the priesthood will be highly regulated, highly complex, yet right there in the middle … come, don’t come, come …

Outer court                             Exo 27:9-19

• Scriptures to consider: Exo 12:12-13, Psa 100:4, Mth 21:13, Is 56:7
• Illustration of the separation of God’s people from all others, God’s called out ones = separate ones = set apart ones = holy ones
• 1 Pe 2:9 … “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
• All Israelites were allowed inside (also women, the court of women is a later innovation!), though not into the tabernacle

Altar of burnt offering       Ex 27:1-8

• Scriptures to consider: Gen 22:8, Luk 23:33, Rom 12:1-2, Heb 13:10, Heb 9:25-26
• Signifies the (temporary version of ) atonement for sin
• Teaches that “without blood there is no remission of sin” Heb 9:22 … the wages of sin is death Rom 6:23, evil must be judged, blood must flow, redemption requires the sacrifices’ death
• Foreshadows Jesus atoning death on the cross > bringing forgiveness > making righteous > making fellowship possible
• Heb 9:22 … “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
• Heb 7:27 … “Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.”
• Bronze things have to do with sin / atonement
• Israelites would come here before the priests to sacrifice their animals
• First thing on entering,  wanting to go to God: addressing sin

Laver                                             Exodus 30:17-21

• Scriptures to consider: Exo 30:20-21, Jhn 4, Jhn 7:37-39,  Tit 3:5
• Signifies the washing or cleansing of forgiveness … we are cleansed by the blood
• Signifies washing or cleaning after forgiveness … we are renewed, changed, freed, cleansed slowly by the Spirit
• Foreshadows baptism … the beginning of new life
• Foreshadows washing of grace … continual renewal and sanctification > Tit 3:5
• Foreshadown Jesus, the living water … Jhn 7:37-38 “Let anyone who is thristy come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”

Lampstand or Menorah           Exodus 25:31-39

• Scriputre to consider: Jhn 14:6 “Jesus is the way, truth, life”
• Jhn 8:12 “Jesus is the light of the world … we are the light of the world.”
• Heb 1:1-4 Jesus is God’s final word, revelation, truth incarnate
• Jhn 1:1-9
• Made out of one solid piece of gold … gold signifying beauty, worth, purity, divinity
• Only source of light in the sanctuary … 7 (!) lamps, tended daily by priests, never to go out, burning fine oil
• Ultimate Jewish symbol … chiastic structures reflect this
• 1 Jhn 1:4 … “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”
• 1 Jhn 1:5 … “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.”

Table with show bread              Exodus 25:23-30, Le 24:5-9

• Scriptures to consider: Lev 24:5-9, Jhn 6:33-35, Mth 6:11, Luk 22:17, 1 Jhn 1:7
• Bread is main staple … Mth 6:11” give us today our daily bread” … God is the Provider, Jahweh Jireh
• Everything needed God will provide … you don’t need any other god besides me
• Eating means fellowship, friendship, relationship, brotherhood
• Jhn 6:33-35 … “Jesus is the bread of life” … Lord’s supper “this is my body, broken for you” … Jesus’ substitute death

Golden Incense Altar                  Exodus 30:1-10

• Scriptures to consider: Rev 8:3-4, Exo 25:8-9, Isa 56:7, Lev 4:7, 1 Jhn 2:1
• Incense burning, aroma, pleasing odor, well-being, prayer, worship
• Rev 8:3 … incense = the prayers of the saints
• Heb 7:25, 1 Jhn 2:1 … Jesus making intercession for us
• Pleasing odor wafted through the curtain into the Holy of Holies

Curtain                                             Exodus 26:31-37, 36:35-38

• Scriptures to consider: Mrk 15:37-38. Jhn 10:9, Jhn 14:6, Heb 6:19-20, Heb 10:20, Heb 9:8, 2 Cor 3:12-18, Rev 1:1
• Separation between Holy and Most Holy place
• Heb 10:20 … “by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)”
• Mth 15:37-38 … rips top to bottom at Jesus death
• Heb 4:16 … “let us approach the throne of grace with boldness”

Holy of Holies

• Only high priest only once a year on the day of atonement enters … his foot being tied with a rope, his bells jingling
• Bringing and sprinkling blood for the forgiveness of sins for himself & people
• Rev 21:22 “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”

Ark of the Covenant                    Exodus 25:10-22

• Scriptures to consider: 1 Sam 5 & 6, Psa 104:2, Exo 33:20, 25:21-22, Lev 16:14-15, Exo 40:9,18,34-35, Heb 4:14-16
• Small, gold covered acacia wood box with poles, covered with Mercy Seat (lid of pure gold with 2 Cherubin facing each other … on it blood sprinkled on atonement day
• In their middle dwells the ‘glory of God’ (Shekinah) … a light (presumably, with the cloud resting overhead
• In the ark are kept the (second set of) stone tablets with 10 commandments, a urn with manna inside, Aaron’s rod
• Signifies God’s covenant with Israel and with his people … foreshadowing the new covenant to come
• God sees us and our keeping or breaking of the law through the mercy seat (grace, Jesus’ blood)

The Ephod and The Robe             Exodus 28:4-14, 28:31-35, 39:2-7

• Scriptures to consider: Isa 61:10, Luk 15:22, Rev 1:13, 6:11, Exo 28:32, Lev 21:10, Mth 26:65, Jhn 19:23
• detailed, unilateral, given … again: no discussion, no variation, God says how it is … foreshadowing salvation
• contrast of priesthood and prophets

The Breastplate                                Exodus 28:15-30

• Scriptures to consider: Num 27:21, Deu 33:8, 1 Sa 28:6, Mic 2:5, Acts 1:26
• precious stones, representing the 12 tribes, welcoming diversity, unity also paralleled with descriptions in Revelation

Exodus Chapter 32 – The Golden Calf

• Exo 24:18 Moses on mountain (receiving stone tablets & tabernacle instructions ch 25-31) for 40 days
• Ex 32:1-2 delay > gather around Aaron: make gods for us who shall go before us, don’t know what became of Moses
• with Manna in their stomach, in the full presence of the devouring fire or cloud on top of Mount Sinai
• Ex 32:3-4 asks for gold, makes a cast image of a calf (bull? Apis) … “these are your gods, who brought you from Egypt
• Ex 32:5 Aaron builds altar …” tomorrow festival to the LORD … offered burnt offerings, sacrifices of well-being … eat, drink, rose up to revel”
• Why this very soon very complete turn around? Sounds almost impossible. We come form centuries of monotheism, they from centuries of watching idolatry. Also: it’s syncretism … “the festival is to the LORD”, whatever that means … they make one calf and call it ‘your gods’. Maybe Egyptian idea of the bull carrying the god. This will appear in another form later when Israel’s Rehoboam make syncretistic ‘calves’ at Bethel & Dan.

Exodus Chapter 32-34 – Moses’ Intercession

• Israel breaks the covenant. They choose another god. God doesn’t want them for his people anymore. He is free to walk away from the covenant after Israel has broken it
• The golden calf happens in full sight of the cloud
• Ex 32:7-10 … God to Moses: “go down … Israel has acted perversely … let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”
• Ex 32:11-13 Moses doesn’t say … ‘oh, they didn’t meant to! They are just weak! Poor them, they must have not understood the 10 commandments! Why are you so angry at them?
• This is making God the problem, not man. Man would be fine, if only God was a bit more gracious. If Moses would pray like that and if God would accept a prayer like that, we would only think that we were right!
• What do you want God to do? … if this happens 40 days after the covenant, 3 months after the Red Sea parting, how will this every go into a second generation??
• Instead Moses prays: … “Your glory and name would be affected! Egypt would laugh after all. Your anger is appropriate, the judgment is right, but for your name’s / honor’s sake, please forgive! … there is trespass > something to forgive! … remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, you are covenant-keeping, faithful, can’t break your own word”
• Ex 32:10 God offers a new beginning with only Moses, Moses will not agree to it … > identification, true intercession
• Ex 32:15-21 Moses goes down
• Ex 32:17 small detail: Joshua, who waited 40 d outside the cloud, now goes down with him … he can wait, trust, fast!
• Ex 32:15-21 Moses now he turns angry, though he is warned upfront what he will see, he smashes the 10 commandments in anger
• Aaron blames the people in Ex 32:22 ‘they are bent on evil’ … and provides the best excuse in the Bible Exo 32:24 ‘I threw the gold in the fire and out came this calf!’
• Ex 32:25 Moses: Who is on my side? … sons of Levi gather … kill your brother, friend, neighbor …
• Ex 32:29 Moses: ‘Today you have ordained yourselves fot he service of the LORD, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so you have brought a blessing on yourselves this day.”
• What does that mean? … It cannot mean random killing, it must mean them killing people who were leaders in the golden calf story, killing them even if it is my own son / own brother / own friend
• Ordained for service: This act of passionate identification with God, being zealous for God, courageous, outspoken, decisive … agreeing with God will be the basis of them being ordained for service to God: Levites. Will be taken by God as a replacement of the firstborn of Israel for service around the tabernacle.
• Ex 32:32 Moses calls sin sin, but he identifies himself with the guilty,  the people … ‘blot me out of the book’
• Ex 32:33 Moses did not sin in this, God won’t punish him … whoever sinned will be punished > justice. Yet Moses is also a sinner needing forgiveness, not in this matter but in 100 other matters
• Ex 32:34-35 God sends a plague.
• Ex 33:1-3 God promises victory & promised land anew … but won’t go up with them, will send his angel in front of them
• Ex 33:15-16 Moses will not accept or settle for the gift without the giver …”unless you go with us, we won’t go … we would be no different from other nations”
• Ex 33:4-6 Israel strips itself of ornaments in answer to God’s command to do so … mourning that they are ‘stiff-necked’
• Ex 33:7-11 general description insert
• Ex 33:12-13 In the middle of this intense & heavy interaction Moses wants to know God’s ways so that I may know you and find favor in your sight … Moses reveals desire, attraction, passion ot really know God, who he is, what he wants, how he works … he want’s to enter the heart & mind of God, he wants to obey the revelation and become acceptable and God-pleasing
• Ex 33:18 Moses requests further: “Show me your glory, I pray” … Moses wants to see God … deep heart’s desire for God himself, way beyond the ‘need of the moment / leader’ > God will not let this unanswered
• Ex 33:19-23 introductory explanations by God … can’t see my face, will pass by, cover your eyes
• Ex 34:5-9 God passing before him, revealing himself further:
• Ex 34:6-7 “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by not means clearing the guilty.”
• Ex 34:8-9 Moses response: bowing, worshiping … then asking for God to go with them
• Ex 34:10-28 Covenant Renewal … with some more laws …
• Ex 34:14 God is a jealous God … no covenant with Canaanites / don’t prostitute yourselves to their gods
• Ex 34:29 Moses’ shining face because he had been talking with God …
• Ex 33:7-11 tent of meeting outside the camp … to meet God … God’s cloud pillar hovering over it … precursor of the tabernacle? Or an earlier description of the tabernacle? But then why is it outside the camp? Or was that so in the beginning before they reorganize in Numbers?
• Ex 33:11 but his your assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, would not leave the tent … he is self-motivated, seeking, desiring, zealous, not so much in an official role, but by mere interest drawn, very God fearing, but not fearful, he also goes up and down this scary moutain … another one sort-of self-ordained by mere interest, heart’s desire

Exodus Chapter 40 – Climax – God dwells among his People

• Ex 40:34-35   all set up … “then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”
• Positive picture of the overwhelming presence of God. Negative picture that Israel’s sin has damaged the relationship with God and after setting up the tabernacle Moses, as their representative, can’t even get in.
• Ex 40:36-38 … future projection telling