30...LAYING DOWN THE LAWS
                                    Based on LEVITICUS (LV) CHs.1-27...Read more there.

Welcome to Leviticus, the third of the so-called 'Books of Moses' but most likely put into the form we know it in long after Moses' day. That in itself doesn't mean it doesn't bear the hallmark of Hebrew religious & community practices as they begin to take shape under Moses.(N1) With LV we're moving into new territory just as the Hebrews were physically beginning to move into new territory. Where GN is all story-telling, & EX mostly so, now we're in a legalist's paradise! All about worship practices, festivals & observances & sacrifices & community laws & the way they're to be carried out. Very specifically! The Hebrews are to have an absolute single mindedness towards YHWH & apply that  in everything they do. I was going to add, 'religious or not', but everything is to be 'religious' in the eyes of the Hebrews because everything is religious - i.e. a duty - in the eyes of YHWH God. Slap-dash worship or service of any kind, to God or to others has no place in Hebrew life. Having said that, unless we're either a very orthodox Jewish person, or someone particularly interested in the development of religion (Jewish in particular) we're not likely to find much to inspire us in all this nitty-gritty. 

Another thing that comes through strongly in LV is that it reflects, as will other writings to follow, a fear of Hebrew people being influenced by the religious beliefs & practices of neighbouring tribes & peoples. The Hebrews, though, are to be absolutely single-minded. We know they were in fact often tempted to dabble with other gods of other peoples, & did sometimes succumb. But keeping faith with YHWH means ensuring no-one & no-thing is to be allowed to compete with YHWH in any way! It might be helpful to note here for future reference that though much of LV as we know it takes its final shape later than Prophets like Amos & Jeremiah, they will take issue with some teachings on sacrifice & the like that they come to believe do not reflect YHWH's mind on such matters. (N2)

The bright jewel in the otherwise rather dull crown of LV occurs at 19: 18 where we read, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself '. Ask anyone, 'Who first said that?' & if they can answer at all they may well say, 'Jesus'. Jesus does indeed later say this, but He derives it from here in LV! (N3) Long before Jesus though, whoever taught this, Moses or someone else, is very much inspired by YHWH & in tune with what God requires as His people's standard of behaviour in every aspect of life. Next time...31..Numbers & Still More Numbers.       

(N1) A bit like the Gospels bear the mark of Jesus even though they all take the forms we know them in years after Jesus' time on earth. (N2) Martin Noth, Leviticus, S.C.M. Press, p.17. (N3)  JS verifies this principle as the Second Great Commandment [MK 12:31 & parallels in other Gospels].

Question: Can we truly serve God if we don't truly love our neighbour?

29...ALL HEAVEN BREAKS LOOSE
Based on EX Chs. 18-40...Read more there...(N1)

When the Hebrews reach Mt. Sinai Moses tells them to prepare themselves for a great revelation from YHWH God. There comes an awesome electrical storm, & to cap it off, what sounds very much like volcanic activity. All this sets a mystic scene for greater things to come! God then 'comes down' on the mountain top & is joined there by Moses (N2). Whatever is going on there is coming to a climax! The really big event is the giving & receiving of The Law, the Ten Commandments [Ch.20] (N3). The original just refers to the Commandments as 'words'. Here's an attempt to summarise & interpret what Moses is reported to have scratched on 'tablets of stone' at God's behest:

 {1} I'm your only God! Stick with Me!
{2} No substitute gods of any kind allowed!
{3} Don't mess with my name (YAHWEH); that means Me!
{4} Set aside regular time for sacred-space - for my sake & yours!
{5} Always respect your parents!
{6} Always respect life; don't murder anyone!
{7} Always respect your own marriage and other people's.
{8} Keep your hands off other people's belongings!
{9} Always tell the truth, about everyone & everything!
{10} Stay focused on what's yours, not anything that belongs to someone else!

However, after this uniquely inspired law-giving, human nature kicks in pretty quickly again. In much of the rest of EX God, Moses, & the Hebrews seem to get bogged down in pettifogging instructions for complying with these Ten Laws & equally complicated instructions for ritual worship. One significant feature is the creation of a portable 'Ark' [Ch.31] a decorative wooden chest the Hebrews will carry ahead of them on poles in their journeyings. The stone tablets on which the Commandments have been inscribed are housed inside the Ark. The Ark itself is housed inside a holy 'tent of meeting' set up by Moses [33:7] a kind of proto-type of the eventual permanent Temple to be built in Jerusalem much later. A lot of the detailed material here bears the hallmark of later times, but this is part & parcel of the very process of story telling. In the middle of all this, in Ch.32 we find a second account of Moses coming down from the mountain top with the Commandments scratched on two pieces of stone, this time to find the people have tired of waiting for him & been playing up. Worse, they've made an idol of a calf from gold (given by the Egyptians to get rid of them? See Ep.26.) Moses snaps & so do the stone tablets (earlier versions of our modern tablets, I-pads, etc?). The story then starts all over again combining multiple sources - with a lot of seams! In 34:10+ God makes a new covenant with the people, renewing the relationship He's promised Abraham & Sarah long before (Ep.14). Overall one might say the telling of such a life-giving story deteriorates into a mind-boggling complexity not in keeping with the spirit of the original Laws & today maybe only of interest to very Orthodox Jewish believers (N4). In a reversal of this trend Jesus will later reduce the Ten to Two Great Commandments [MT 22:34-40](N5)  Next time...30: Laying Down the Laws. 

(N1): Many scholars believe there is a coming together here, as elsewhere, of differing accounts combined into one at a later date. We will see that happen in the Gospels too. (N2): Such appearances of God are known as a 'theophany', Greek for 'revealing God'. (N3): A slightly different version of the Commandments appears in DT:5. (N4): Jewish tradition developed 613 Commandments as extensions of the original 10. (N5): Augustine, Bp. of Hippo in North Africa in the 5th C. went even further & reduced them to 'Love God & do as you like!' Ironically, most churches today have 'rule books' extending to hundreds of pages & more!

Question: Is it easier to try to compel people to do or not do something rather than encourage them to keep the spirit of the Commandments? 

28: GRIZZLINGS, GRIPINGS, & GOINGS-ON

Based on EX Ch.15 - 18...Read  more there (N1)

Moses sings about the great victory God has won for the Hebrews [15:1+] Or was it his sister Miriam [15:19+] who's the lead singer? (N2) Miriam seemingly springs from nowhere, as has brother Aaron a while back. Despite the victory, the Hebrews soon return to being misery-gutses! As they continue their round-about migration towards the Promised Land they complain about the taste of the local water [15:22+]. Inspired by YHWH God Moses sets about fixing that, probably using local knowledge & the local remedy. Then comes a shortage of food. This time YHWH provides quail & a mysterious 'bread' they have to go out & gather. This 'bread' comes to be known as 'manna' [16:31] which seems to mean, 'What is it?' No-one has ever satisfactorily explained the 'manna', but whatever it is is far lighter, even, than the stuff baked full of air by many of today's poorer bakers! (3).  Although the 'Sabbath' has not been formally legislated yet - that will happen in Ep.29 - we're told the people gather a double amount of 'manna' on the 6th day so they have no need to break the Sabbath. The principle is already being established of time set apart for God. When we're told the Hebrews eat this 'bread' for '40 years' we're simply being told it was for a very long time.

The next complaint [17:1+] is about the lack of water. Under God's guidance Moses deals with this too, this time by striking a rock with his now famous staff. This 'water of life' event become a symbolic moment for both Hebrew & Christian believers & is likely another 'combined view' of natural & supernatural ways of looking at things as maybe Moses' earlier years in this wilderness pay off once more through his knowledge of water sources. (4). Think of water diviners who've contributed to identifying water sources in Australia.  

In [17:8+] we have the first of what will be continuing & increasing skirmishes between the migrating Hebrews & tribes already occupying lands they're travelling through or will later occupy. This time it's the Amalekites, of no particular significance for our story, but raising deeper questions like some raised today, such as, 'Who or what gives people the right to travel through, or threaten other people's borders?' Or even, 'What are borders?'  If there's an ancient theological angle here, exploring it may help us broaden our understanding & responding to challenges to borders today by current new style migrations by those fleeing food & water shortages, persecution, civil & other wars, economic hardship &c, seeking a better life.

In a 'blast from the past' Moses' Midianite father-in-law Jethro (Ep.23) re-appears on the scene when the Hebrews near Mt. Sinai. Jethro has heard of Moses' & the Hebrews' exploits & comes to visit, bringing Moses' wife, Zipporah, whom he seems to have divorced (5), & their sons. None of these feature in future events. Jethro gives Moses good advice about setting up a leadership structure for the people, which Moses does [18:17+]. This will stand them in good stead as the emerging nation grows & takes new directions. 'Converting' to follow YHWH as the true God, Jethro then goes back to Midian. It is unclear if Zipporah & her children return to Midian with Jethro. What happens next is another story. 29: All Heaven Breaks Loose. 

(N1) As usual we are dealing with a compilation from several sources conflated into one account. (N2) Though this song isn't in the book of Psalms it's of the same genre. If you're up for it, try singing it. Psalms have always been for singing. (N3) Another description of 'manna' [NB 11:4-9]  describes it as looking like gum exuded from a tree. 'Bread of heaven' has also passed into Christian Eucharistic spirituality. (N4) A different description of the same event appears at [NB 20]. (N5) Zipporah being 'divorced' could be an attempt to explain her omission from Moses stories, or a later addition to 'cover' Moses in days when intermarrying with foreigners had become forbidden.

Question: If Moses can learn such an important lesson from his then 'pagan' father-in-law, Jethro, could we be open to learning from a wider field of people than we may currently do?

27...CUTTING TO THE CHASE

 Based on EX. Chs. 13 - 15...Read more there 

After the dramatic build up - see Ep. 26 if you need to refresh your memory - the Hebrews leave Egypt rather matter-of-factly. They don't take the more direct route towards Canaan & Palestine for strategic reasons, instead taking a more roundabout way to reach the edge of the Sea of Reeds on the eastern arm of the Red Sea without apparent incident. Truth is no-one knows the exact route they took though several have been suggested. The point is they left! But by now, the Pharaoh is having second thoughts at losing such a huge slave-labour force. Could it be, too, that Egyptians have been pressed into service to take the place of the Hebrew slaves on never ending building projects Pharaohs were noted for, and are pressuring him to bring the Hebrews back? Whatever the cause of his change of heart, by the time the Hebrews reach the Sea of Reeds the Pharaoh & his army are in full pursuit & catching up. The Hebrews can see the sand & dust storm their chariots & horses are throwing up, & many of them are afraid, despite the pillars of fire & cloud that assure them of God's presence & protection. Some complain to Moses, "Weren't there enough graves in Egypt that you had to bring us out here into this wilderness to die?" [14:11] & want to turn back. As the Egyptians close in on them panic sets in among the ranks of the Hebrews. Moses reassures them, though, & at God's instigation stretches out his staff (the one YHWH God has used in the earlier conjuring contest with the Egyptians, see Ep.24) & the swampy waters are parted. The Hebrews pass through safely, & then, before the Egyptians can cross too, the waters return, swamping & annihilating the whole Egyptian army. While the story of this climactic event is told to us as supernatural intervention, we could say the miracle is not simply that, but the result, too, of obedience. Willingly or grudgingly, the Hebrews obey the instructions YHWH has given through Moses. This means they're there in time to take advantage of tide & winds advantageous to their crossing what we now believe was merely a few hundred metres of shallow swampland. It is no less miraculous & significant for this being the case. The fact that the story gets bigger & better with countless re-tellings, & becomes a foundation for the Jewish people's belief is no great problem when we allow for the fact that it is storytelling of the first order! Within the story itself there is clear evidence of two ways of looking at things - the confluence of natural causes like being in exactly the right spot at the right time to take advantage of strong winds & extremely low tide. Maybe, too, the Egyptians fall victims to panic when they realize they haven't timed things too well & are destroyed by natural events even though those same events are seen through Hebrew eyes as a supernatural parting of the waters & the resulting 'walls of water'. Might the events of Dunkirk in 1940, seen by many as miraculous & by others as the result of superb planning & effort perhaps be a similar illustration of both sides of a story coming together as one? To return to the fleeing Hebrews, reaching the other side in safety with the Egyptians no longer a threat doesn't absolutely restore the people's faith in either YHWH or Moses! But that's another story...28: Grizzling, Griping, & Goings On. 

(1) Brevard Childs (Exodus, SCM Press, p.28) thinks the contrasting natural / supernatural aspects come together when later compilers gives natural aspects of the Exodus a theological 'twist' (my word). (2) If the story of Dunkirk isn't familiar to you, 'Google' it! 

Question: How far is too far when it comes to giving natural events a supernatural 'twist' - or vice-versa?

26..PASSING OUT PARADE

                                                         26...PASSING OUT PARADE
                                              Based on EX Chs. 11-13...Read more there.

The skirmishing between Moses & his brother Aaron & the Pharaoh is coming to an end. The first nine plagues, disastrous as they've been, have led only to a lot of shilly-shallying on the Pharaoh's part. His hardening of his heart tries YHWH's patience too far. Now the most disastrous of the 10 plagues, that of the death of the first-born will strike Egypt, but as with the preceding plagues, leaving the Hebrews untouched. Now the die is cast. By now the Egyptians are so glad to see the Hebrews leave their country that they shower them with gifts, perhaps to placate them, perhaps to placate the Hebrews' God, YHWH who is bringing all this grief on them! This occurs during the count-down to the momentous happening which comes to be known as Passover because the 'plague' of death passes over the homes of the Hebrews. During the countdown the Hebrews are to eat unleavened bread. This may be symbolic of having to be ready to leave in a hurry when the word is given, before their bread dough has time to rise. Unleavened bread certainly becomes part of the Passover tradition kept ever since. But the central feature of their leaving Egypt celebration is the killing & eating of a young male lamb or goat, the marking of their doorways with its blood - so the angel of death will know not to visit this house - & the eating of the animal roasted, either in their own household, or, in some circumstances, sharing an animal with a neighbour. It seems to be a kind of in-house sacrifice as distinct from a sacrifice in some temple. (There are temples to the various Egyptian gods, but the Hebrews are not going to reach the stage of having a temple to YHWH God for a long time yet.) The Passover meal is to be eaten 'with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, your staff in your hand, & eaten in a hurry' [12:11]. Ready to move out at a moment's notice. As the American 'minute-man' patriots had to be ready to move against the English in one minute if need be during their war of independence. The actual departure of the Hebrews from Egypt is dealt with quite summarily [13:17-22]. We're told [12:37] that 600,000 men, not counting their families, leave Egypt, though this is an improbably large figure. But it sounds impressive! They journey, taking Joseph's long embalmed body with them, from Goshen where they had lived up in the north east of the country, round the top of the Red Sea, & down on the other side, still part of Egypt but remote & across on the Sinai Peninsula. Their story tells us that YHWH God leads them by day as a pillar of cloud, & by night as a pillar of fire. The imagery of God as cloud & fire enters into both Hebrew &, later, Christian, mystical understandings & experiences of God. Note that on this stretch of the journey the Hebrews go round the Red Sea, but soon they will have to cross the other arm of the Red Sea via what is now commonly known as the Sea of Reeds. And that's another story... 27: Cutting To The Chase! 

(1) There are many confusions in the actual Biblical text due to the interweaving of differing traditions passed down by word of mouth long before the text we have was finalised centuries later. For example Ch.11 begins with Moses telling the Hebrews what's going to happen then switches to him angrily walking out on the Pharaoh! [11:8]. (2) None of this detracts from the Passover being  a momentous happening for the Hebrews & a pivotal one for Jewish faith & culture. Ever since, YHWH has above all been the God who 'brought His people out of Egypt'! What a story!

Question: Are we in a state of constant readiness to go into action for God whatever it is He needs of us?

25...A Plague On All Your Houses

Based on EX Chs. 4 - 10...Read more there

In an effort to postpone the evil day of having to front the Pharaoh, Moses tries telling God he's too halting a speaker to be able to do that. Perhaps surprisingly, God suggests that Moses' brother Aaron become the spokesman to actually present God's commands [4:10+]. YHWH God, though, warns that He will 'harden the Pharaoh's heart' so he'll learn the hard way that YHWH is not to be trifled with! How we're to understand this after all these years is far from clear, but at least it gives the story-tellers of old scope to build on what will perhaps become the most important story in their repertoire! At Moses' & Aaron's first approach, the Pharaoh is dismissive & orders that the Hebrews work even harder by withdrawing the straw previously supplied to them for their brick-making, thus forcing them to gather their own straw, but without diminishing their work output! No wonder the Hebrews aren't impressed at Moses' & Aaron's role in having them still further oppressed. Nor are they keen to take notice of Moses' claims he's been chosen by YHWH to lead them to freedom! The 'plagues of Egypt' which are to follow are introduced by a preliminary skirmishing in the form of a puzzling conjuring competition (reminiscent of 4:1+) in which Aaron & Moses & the Egyptian magicians trade tricks! But what will follow will have nothing to do with entertainment & everything do with carrying out YHWH God's will! A battle royal between the Pharaoh & God is brewing, & the Pharaoh will disobey God at his & his people's peril! As the Pharaoh's stubbornness of heart continues, plague after plague inflicts the Egyptians. 'Blood' in the Nile, frogs, mosquitoes, flies, animal diseases, boils, hail, locusts, darkness over the land, & then, lastly, the death of the Egyptians' firstborn will step by step reveal God's determination that the Hebrews shall be freed. The plagues all specifically target the Egyptians & avoid the Hebrews. A bit like the way in today's warfare drones home in on targets with, supposedly, pin point accuracy in current war zones? After more than 3000 years no one can readily understand all that's going on in Egypt here. It's clear, though, that an epic, dramatic, & symbolic, to say the least, battle is being waged between God & Evil represented by the Pharaoh, as what he's doing to the Hebrews is clearly evil. Jumping far ahead we might reflect on the battle between good & evil, light & dark in S.John's Gospel. Perhaps we can best come to terms with all this by having faith to enjoy it all as story, make what we can of it, & imagine what God is bringing to birth, & setting in motion in what we're told is happening. What happens next is another story...26: Passing Out Parade.

(1) The title is a play on Shakespeare's, 'A plague on both your houses', from 'Romeo & Juliet'. (2) We're often dealing with accounts 'cobbled' together from different sources & points of view not always matching seamlessly! Do consider this when reading Biblical text & BTLTL.

Question: Are we aware of any epic battles being waged between God & Evil today - on our little patch inside God's big one?

24..Conjuring Up A Storm
Based on EX: CHs.4 & 5...Read more there.

Out by Mt. Horeb (Sinai) Moses continues to argue with YHWH about his going back to Egypt. To go to the Pharaoh on God's behalf & the Hebrews' to demand he 'let my people go' as the African-American slavery song later puts it is a big ask! The story as it's been passed down is that to convince Moses, YHWH performs a couple of conjuring tricks!  Although we can’t pretend to understand this, we can use our imagination, & even enjoy it as a good story! Maybe it’s just a simple demonstration to convince Moses that if God can do anything, then in God's Name, so can Moses? Reportedly the Egyptians had been noted for such magic, & it will crop up again a little further down the track. But whether what's going on here has anything to do with the Egyptians’ interest in magic we simply don't know! But surely God is doing more than merely teaching Moses how to be a conjurer! First God tells Moses to throw his staff down on the ground. There it turns into a snake; and then back again into a staff. Next God tells Moses to place his hand inside his coat. When Moses takes it out it looks as if his skin has become diseased, but when he puts his hand back inside his coat & brings it out again his hand has returned to normal. However we understand (or don’t!) these 'tricks' maybe we’re meant to imagine them as God foreshadowing more serious acts than magic, & on a much larger scale. A divine threat to the Pharaoh & his people that if they continue to ill treat the Hebrews & refuse to free them there will be dire consequences! No sleight of hand this time! It would help to keep in mind that the events to follow will also demonstrate YHWH's power is greater than that of the Egyptians' gods! Despite raising objection after objection, Moses knows when he is beaten, & prepares to return to Egypt after being reassured by God that those seeking his life are dead now. But that's another story...25: A Plague on All Your Houses!

{1} Brevard Childs [Exodus, SCM Press, p.77] neatly summarises what all this is foreshadowing as: ‘The people will believe (Moses & God); the king will be hardened; the Egyptians will be plagued; deliverance will occur; & the Egyptians will be despoiled’. {2} For an overview of the Moses story from an early Christian point of view see Stephen's defence in AC 7.

Question: If we’re ever faced with what appears to be, or someone claims to be some ‘sign’ or ‘wonder’, how do we set about interpreting that?

23...BURNING WITH GOD 

Based on Exodus Chs 2-3...Read more there

A man by now, Moses goes one day to visit his fellow Hebrews slaving for the Pharaoh, only to find one of them being struck by an Egyptian. Making sure no-one else is in sight, Moses strikes the Egyptian, killing him, & buries him in the sand. Next day he revisits the scene & this time finds two Hebrews fighting. When he remonstrates with them, one of them challenges him about killing the Egyptian the day before! Realizing his crime has not gone unnoticed after all, & that the Pharaoh has been informed & is hunting for him, Moses flees to the other side of the Red Sea. He flees still further, across the swampy Reed Sea to Midian, an area said to be populated by descendants of Midian, a son of Abraham & his wife Keturah. Moses takes refuge there. After coming to the rescue of a group of shepherdesses, daughters of a local priest, who are struggling to water their sheep against stronger male shepherds jumping the queue at a well, Moses accepts their father's grateful hospitality & eventually marries one of the daughters, Zipporah. He fathers a son, Gershom, with her.

One day when Moses is out looking after his father-in-law's sheep, he leads the flock through the deserts as far as Horeb (Sinai) 'the mountain of God'. There he experiences one of the great mystical appearances of God recorded in the Scriptures. Moses' attention is attracted to a burning bush. Watching the bush, Moses is astonished to find that though it is on fire, it is not being burned up! An angel of YHWH God appears to Moses in the flames of the bush, & from there God calls to Moses telling him not to come any closer. More, he is to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. God then reveals Himself to Moses, but he is afraid to look at God & covers his face, as no-one can see God & live! YHWH tells Moses He is aware of the sufferings of the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt & appoints him to go to the Pharaoh, & tell him he's to free the Hebrew slaves. Moreover, Moses is then to lead them out from Egypt & back to their old homelands via this holy spot where they are to hold an act of worship for YHWH. Moses protests that if he simply goes back to Egypt & tells the Hebrews God has sent him to lead them out from Egypt, they are sure to demand 'Who is this God?' The Hebrews are at least familiar with the pantheon of gods worshipped by the Egyptians, & might not unnaturally wonder which god Moses is on about! God then reveals He is YAHWEH (abbreviated to YHWH), a name meaning, 'I Am who I Am', or maybe, 'I Am Being', & orders Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me”! YHWH thus sets in motion the momentous chain of events that is to follow. But that's another story... 24... Conjuring Up A Storm

Notes: (1) There is a differing account of Moses' call in EX 6:2-13 & 6:28-7:7. (2) For an early Christian 'take' on all this see Stephen's defence in AC7: 17+. Early Christians see Moses & his leading of the Hebrews to freedom as a forerunner of Jesus leading His people from death to life. (3) Knowing Midian & its geography, as Moses does from the time he spends there, will stand him & the Hebrews in good stead when he eventually leads the people from Egypt.

Question: Does God ever seem to be asking us to act in some way too outrageous or impossible for us to contemplate?

22 IN A BASKET ON A RIVER

Based on Exodus CHs 1-2...Read more there.

A whole new chapter in the history of the Hebrew people begins now. The first verses of Exodus (Going Out) take us a little beyond where Genesis (Beginnings) leaves off. As we continue, we're faced again with material from different sources not always combined seamlessly as the story extends beyond a family to tribes, to the forming of a nation among other nations, & the personal & wider issues this involves. For instance, though Joseph is one of the sons of Israel, he has married an Egyptian wife, & their sons, Ephraim & Manasseh, are therefore 'children of two worlds'. We're reminded of Joseph's death in EX 1:6, but now a new Pharaoh comes to the throne. He doesn't know, or doesn't want to know, about Joseph & how he has saved Egypt in its hour of need & others, including his own Hebrew extended family in the process! Joseph will have to wait a long time indeed for he burial he longs for back in Palestine!

As the Hebrews grow in number they come to be seen as a threat to indigenous Egyptians, by now anxious that an earlier threat posed by previous migrants known as the Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings (maybe from Asia?) should not be repeated. The Hyksos had taken over part of Upper Egypt & even set up a rival Pharaoh there! The Hebrews are therefore set to work as slave labourers on the Pharaoh's great building projects. However, they continue to thrive, & a foretaste of Herod's massacre of the innocents [MT 2] & maybe even of the Holocaust comes into play as the killing of Hebrew male babies is enforced. However, God thwarts the Pharaoh's plans in two ways. Firstly, by Hebrew mid-wives not obeying their orders, & as a direct result of this, Moses, the second 'Giant' of Hebrew history (after Abraham) comes not striding onto the scene but hidden by his mother in a basket floating hidden among reeds on the Nile. Unpromising circumstances it would seem!

Instead, Moses is found - it looks rather like a put-up job! - by Pharaoh's daughter who arranges for his raising in the palace as her own child. Thus Moses, the one who is to be the human agent in freeing the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt is being raised under Pharaoh's own nose! Who says God doesn't have a sense of humour?! But that's another story...Next...23 : Burning With God

(1) The Patriarchs & Matriarchs: Abraham & Sarah; Isaac & Rebekah; Jacob (Israel), Leah, & Rachel; Joseph & Asenath lived from about 1850 B.C. in the 'Middle Bronze' age. (2) Those Hebrew tribes who moved to Egypt probably did so round about 1700 B.C.

Question: Can we see God’s hand in any long-term trends & patterns in our own families & their movements in time & from place to place?

21...REUNIONS…(BUT NOT WITH A VENGEANCE!)

Based on GN Chs. 42-50...Read more there.

The famine God has inspired Joseph to foretell bites hard back in Canaan in Palestine as well as in Egypt. Israel (Jacob) decides to send his remaining sons except Benjamin, his & Rachel's youngest, down to Egypt to buy grain they've heard the Egyptians have been storing away. When they reach Egypt the person they have to deal with is of course - Joseph! They don't recognize him, though he knows them! Joseph doesn't reveal himself to them, & instead, stringing them along, pretends they are spies! Still, he sells them corn on the condition they return home & then come back to Egypt bringing Benjamin, his much loved full brother back with them. His asking them to prove they are who they say they are, & not spies, is simply a ploy by Joseph to see Benjamin again. Joseph is playing a long game! In the meantime, he keeps Simeon as hostage for their return! On the way home the brothers are taken aback at finding their money has been put back in their bags of grain! The plot thickens! Israel will not hear of them returning to Egypt with Benjamin. However the famine grows worse, until against his better judgment Israel is forced to let his other sons take Benjamin with them & return to Egypt to buy more food. They are careful to take the money mysteriously returned to their sacks on their first visit, & immediately report this to Joseph's C.E.O. Joseph is very moved to see Benjamin again. When his family is about to return to Palestine, Joseph, still game-playing, not only has their money returned to their sacks again but also has his own silver cup hidden in Benjamin's sack! When his brothers set out on their return trip to Canaan Joseph has them chased & searched, & of course as well as their returned money, Joseph’s missing cup is found - in Benjamin’s sack! What a plot for an opera! When the brothers are all taken back & hauled before Joseph he reveals his true identity to them: “I am Joseph!” They are dismayed, fearing vengeance for what they did to him long before, but Joseph tells them what has happened was all part of YHWH's plan to provide for His people, both Egyptian & others, including their own during the long-lasting famine. Eventually Joseph sends them back to Canaan to bring their father & their families to resettle in a fertile part of Egypt at the Pharaoh's own invitation. This migration is how the Israelites come to be in Egypt. Genesis ends with Israel dying, being embalmed according to the Egyptian custom, & then carried back to Palestine to be buried at Mamre with his parents (Isaac & Rebekah), his grandparents (AB & Sarah), & his first wife, Leah. (His beloved Rachel had died long before & lay buried at Bethlehem.) Once back in Egypt, these tribes descended from Israel prosper till Joseph dies. His body, too, is embalmed, but his wish to be taken back to Palestine for burial will have to wait a long, long time to be fulfilled. A Pharaoh who doesn’t know Joseph or the debt the country owes him comes to the throne. Fearing the growing numbers of the Hebrews as a threat to national security (though they didn’t come by boat!) he enslaves the Hebrews for long years of hard labour till later they are freed in another migration, the Exodus that largely defines Israelite history from that point onwards. But that’s another story…22: In a Basket on the Nile.  

(1)  There are other references to Joseph & his story, the eventual Exodus, & an overall view of the history of all these goings on ‘from God’s point of view’ notably in PS 105

Question: Is a reunion with anyone in our family on our agenda?

20...DREAMER & PROVIDORE EXTRAORDINAIRE

Based on GN Chs. 40- 41...Read more there

Languishing in the Pharaoh's prison, Joseph earns himself quite a reputation as a God-gifted interpreter of dreams. As it happens, the Pharaoh's chief butler & chief baker are both imprisoned with Joseph for incurring their master's ire. They both have dreams. The butler dreams of picking grapes from three branches of a vine, squeezing them into the Pharaoh's cup, & serving it to him. Joseph tells him this means that in three days he will be restored to his former position, & asks the butler to put in a good word for him with the Pharaoh when that happens - which it does! But he doesn’t! The baker tells Joseph a dream he has of carrying three trays of cakes for the Pharaoh on his head, but birds eat the cakes from the trays. Joseph tells the baker this means that in three days time the Pharaoh will have him hanged! This, too, happens as Joseph has said.

Despite the accuracy of Joseph's predictions, the butler doesn't put in that good word for him that he's asked for. However, a couple of years later the Pharaoh himself has a dream. Two dreams in fact. The first is of seven cows in very good condition emerging from the Nile followed by seven cows in very bad condition. The seven poor cows then eat the seven fat cows! The Pharaoh’s next dream is of seven ears of full, ripe corn growing on one stalk, but these seven fat & full ears are eaten by seven poor, scraggy ears. The Pharaoh can't find anyone to tell him what his dreams mean until the butler comes good on Joseph's behalf & tells him how Joseph has interpreted his & the baker's dreams for them & the accurate outcomes. Joseph is quickly brought before the Pharaoh, & interprets both his dreams, about the cattle & the ears of corn, as meaning that God is showing him that Egypt will experience seven years of bounty only for these to be followed by seven years of scarcity & famine.

After consulting his advisers, the Pharaoh appoints Joseph as Supremo to lead the nation's response to both the bounty & the famine. This he does by ordering the collecting of all the surplus during the seven good years & storing it in warehouses all over the land. This will have far-reaching consequences not only for the Egyptians, but also for others, including Joseph's family back in Palestine when the famine strikes! But that's another story! Next time: 21… Family Reunions

(1) For a sneak peep at God’s overall plan through Hebrew eyes see PS 105.

Question: Do we have a gift we offer, or could offer, to our community or nation? 

19...DING DONG BELL, JOSEPH'S IN THE WELL

Based on GN 37 & 39-48...Read more there

Who put him in? No, not little Johnny Flynn. Nor did little Tommy Stout pull him out! Jacob's second youngest son, Joseph, is introduced to us as a teenager who tells tales about his half-brothers (1). This does not endear him to them! Later, the tales he tells stem from his dreams and his interpreting them. In a display of favouritism towards Joseph - who is, after all, the son of his beloved Rachel - Israel gives him a rather special coat with long sleeves (not a ‘coat of many colours’) & his brothers, probably the half-brothers, not un-naturally become jealous of him. Strike three occurs when Joseph boasts to them of a dream he has in which sheaves of wheat representing his brothers bow down to a sheaf representing him! The brothers are not impressed! Neither is Israel when Joseph also tells of dreaming of the sun & moon, representing his parents, & 11 stars standing for his brothers, all bowing down to him. All this adds to his brothers' anger against him, but though cross with Joseph, Israel thinks more deeply about this. Pondering deeply about someone or something can bring about spiritual depth, bear spiritual fruit, even if it takes time!

So unimpressed by all this putting down are the half-brothers that they come to hate Joseph. So, when opportunity presents one day when Israel sends him to check up on them while they're shepherding a long way from home, they plot against him. In another case of different strands being woven together, not always seamlessly, to make one story, at first they plan to kill Joseph. Instead they strip him of the special coat given him by Israel & throw him down into a dry well. There is another change of plans at this point, the brothers pull Joseph up from the well & sell him to traders travelling on their way to Egypt. Compounding their crime the brothers then soak Joseph's coat with goat's blood & send it back to their father telling him they've found it. This, as the brothers no doubt plan, leads Israel to believe Joseph has been devoured by a wild animal! When the trading caravan reaches Egypt Joseph is sold to Potiphar, captain of the Pharaoh's guard. In 39:2 we're told, 'YHWH was with Joseph, & everything went well with him...' Later in this same chapter, though, we find Potiphar's wife trying to entrap Joseph into a sexual relationship, & as a result of her attempted but failed entrapment, he is imprisoned. But that's another story...Next time, 20: Dreamer & Providore Extra-ordinaire. 

(1) As usual, with the exception of one daughter, Dinah, who is the victim of violence in Ch.34, only Israel's, Leah’s, & Rachel’s sons feature in the stories.

Question: Had any significant dreams lately - or ever?

18...NEW MAN, NEW NAME

Based on GN Chs.32-35...Read more there

The story becomes even more complicated & a little confused for awhile as strands are spun together from more than one source to weave a single account. It may help to re-visit episodes 16 & 17 if you feel you’re losing the thread at all. Another useful thing to do might be to get hold of a copy of ‘Bible Stories Retold by David Kossoff’ a very readable user-friendly resource in this field.  

Jacob continues on his way towards his rendezvous with Esau. When they near the chosen place he prudently divides his family & livestock into two parties in order to preserve one party should Esau attack the other.

During this period of playing cat & mouse Jacob camps at Bethel once more & experiences another of YHWH’s momentous appearances. This time Jacob undergoes a mysterious, mystical, & holy experience described as 'wrestling' during the night with someone who eventually reveals Himself to be YHWH Himself! Jacob doesn't appear to be overly surprised, & the outcome appears to be a draw! One way of understanding this is that Jacob is struggling in his spirit. In his dreaming his conflicted thoughts & fears & emotions are to the fore, not to mention the way his behaviour has compromised him in God's eyes & his family's. More, his coming confrontation with Esau is potentially very dangerous. How does all this fit together; his past record, & the new future God has promised him as a new & significant person. The kind of person God wants him, needs him, & is calling him to be. This is such an intense spiritual wrestling that YHWH renames Jacob ‘Israel’, most likely meaning 'God shows His strength' or words to that effect.

Jacob eventually meets Esau & the two make their peace. Not long after, Rachel dies giving birth to their last child, Benjamin, & is buried at Bethlehem. Jacob has had six sons by Leah, two by Rachel, and two by each of two slave girls. As usual the girls are air-brushed from the story as insignificant! As the story unfolds further, Jacob & Rachel's elder son, Joseph, will figure largest in the family's adventures. Their younger son, Benjamin, will play a lesser role involving Joseph, whom God will use in a seemingly roundabout way to provide food for many people during a severe & widespread famine that will later strike the whole area. But that's another story... Next time, 19: Ding Dong Bell

Question: Does our name - given or surname - have significance for us?  

17...JACOB'S LADDER

Based on GN Chs. 28-31...Read more there.

Jacob has so far made an inauspicious start to being a great figure in the story of the Hebrews. Remember the bowl of stew incident, & later, his stealing their father Isaac's blessing by dressing up as Esau & pretending to be him? Now things begin to take a turn for the better. He experiences two visionary appearances of YHWH. The first occurs when on his way to Haran, fleeing from Esau, he camps for the night at a place where he has an awesome, mystical experience of God as his grandfather & grandmother AB & Sarah have had long before [GN18]. Jacob dreams of a ladder or more likely a ramp from earth to heaven, with angels going up & down. YHWH is standing over him, introducing Himself, making similar promises of lands & descendants as He has earlier made to Jacob's grandfather AB. Jacob pledges that if YHWH keeps His promises then He will be Jacob's God! Jacob re-names the place where this happens, 'Bethel', the 'House of God'.

Jacob travels on to Haran where he falls in love with his uncle, Laban’s, daughter Rachel. But after making Jacob work for him for seven years to ‘earn’ Rachel, Laban tricks him into first marrying her older sister Leah. This is a shifty family! Laban then allows Jacob to marry Rachel, but he has to work another seven years for her! After manipulating Laban’s flocks so his share of them becomes better bred & bigger, Jacob takes his wives & children & flees from Laban & his family to escape conflict with his uncle & his brothers-in-law who are jealous of his success. Laban pursues Jacob & catches up with him. The two end up making a treaty with each other. Though Jacob & Laban now have a treaty that defines their relationship & property boundaries, bear in mind Jacob’s still on the run from his brother, Esau! 

It's all getting a bit complicated, isn’t it? At this point Jacob takes the initiative & invites Esau to a meeting to sort things out between them. On the way to this rendezvous with Esau, Jacob experiences another momentous ‘meeting’ with God. He undergoes a further mysterious, mystical experience in a vision or dream in which he has to wrestle with an unknown challenger he eventually realises is YHWH Himself! One could say Jacob is wrestling with the schemer who is one side of himself, & his admitting he is completely dependent upon God, especially as he goes to meet Esau! Put another way, it is a struggle between the kind of person Jacob has been & now, the kind of person God needs him to be! YHWH acknowledges the strength, the persuasiveness, of Jacob’s spiritual wrestling, which appears to end in a draw, by renaming Jacob ‘Israel’, which means, 'God prevails', 'Let God rule', or similar.

What happens next is another story…18: New Man, New Name.

Question: Have we ever experienced a 'Jacob's Ladder' of any kind? 

16...An Inheritance for a Bowl of Stew 

 Based on GN CHs. 24-37...Read more there.

It’s been said of AB’s son Isaac whom we met last episode that he is an ‘ordinary’ person. He’s also been described as a 'marking time’ person. This isn’t to put Isaac down, simply to note that others become more the focus of the continuing story of the Hebrews. Isaac is in a way the ‘bread’ sandwiching a 'giant' - his father, AB,  & his own younger son, Jacob. Jacob starts out, as we’ll hear, rather unpromisingly. A slippery customer. But YHWH singles him out & helps him redeem himself, re-naming him ‘Israel’, the father-to-be of the Twelve Tribes to come. AB sends the manager of his household back to the family's old homelands in Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac. Having entered into a covenant with YHWH, the One True God, AB doesn't want Isaac marrying into the surrounding Canaanite families with their idols & other goings on! After journeying back into the old family territory the manager is led by God to a young woman named Rebekah, who turns out to be family! When the match is approved by her family & Rebekah herself, the manager leads her & her servants back to Isaac & she becomes his wife. Before AB dies at a great age [GN 25:5-11] he makes provision for all his children, but it is Isaac who is the main beneficiary. Despite their history, Isaac & Ishmael join forces to bury AB in the same grave as his wife Sarah, near Mamre where God had in a mystical way  appeared to AB & Sarah long before. [GN 18..See 14: Starry Starry Night.]

The story of Isaac & Rebekah continues from this point but soon focuses on the twin sons born to them. Before their birth Rebekah tells God they are 'struggling in the womb'. YHWH tells her she has two struggling nations in her womb, [GN 25:23] an omen of the bitterness that will develop between the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, & Esau's descendants, the Edomites. (See 13: Babel). In due course, Esau is the first-born twin, but it is his younger twin, Jacob, who comes to the fore & usurps him. Jacob turns out to be Rebekah's favourite, & appears to become YHWH's too! Which raises questions like, 'Why does God seemingly choose A but not B, C but not D, etc., over & over again?'. When they are older, one day Esau returns hungry from hunting & begs Jacob for some of the stew he's been making. Jacob deviously demands Esau give up his birth-right of eventually inheriting a greater share of their father's property as first born before agreeing to give him the stew he asks for.

Years later, when Isaac is old, blind, & dying [GN 27] he summons Esau & asks him to go out & catch some game & make stew for him to eat. But while Esau is away hunting, Rebekah puts Jacob up to bringing her two kids from their flock. She prepares a savoury stew from them for Jacob to take to his old father before Esau can return with game. The plot thickens, like the stew, with Rebekah insisting on Jacob putting on Esau's best clothes, so he will smell like Esau, & wrapping his arms with the kids' skins, so he will feel like him! Esau is a hairy man, Jacob a smooth one - in more ways than one! The point of all this is to trick the dying Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing intended for his elder brother. Despite obvious suspicion on Isaac's part, Jacob successfully usurps the blessing due to Esau - & his right as elder son to inherit the greater share of the family property. When Esau arrives later with his stew, Isaac realizes he's been tricked, but can't undo what he's been tricked into doing. All he can do is give Esau a lesser blessing. There & then Esau pledges to kill Jacob as soon as their father dies! Rebekah doesn't seem to have thought of this possibility, & sends Jacob fleeing to her brother Laban in Haran till Esau calms down! At this point, a new story-teller interjects to tell us Isaac actually blesses Jacob on his way, even giving him instructions to find a wife from among Laban's family as he himself has done years before! And that’s another story…Jacob’s Ladder

Question: What's the most important thing you've inherited?

15…HOLD THAT KNIFE, HOLD YOUR FIRE

Based on GN Chs.21-23…Read more there.

The child born to Hagar is a son, Ishmael. Later, Isaac is born to AB (for short, now on) & Sarah. Sarah is jealous & insists AB sends Hagar & Ishmael away [GN 21].  With help from an angel of God they survive the desert & its ordeals, but then fade from the story as the Hebrews focus on Isaac, his wife Rebekah, & their descendants,  in particular their son Jacob, later to be renamed ‘Israel’ by God. [GN 32:28]. In time, Ishmael comes to be seen as an ancestor of Arabic peoples, & Islam a religion of his  descendants, while Judaism becomes a religion of the children of Israel (Jacob) & his wife Rachel.

But now, is AB out of his mind? Has all that sun & sand & wind got to him, that he would prepare to offer his promised & precious son Isaac as a sacrifice? [GN 22]  Maybe he gets the idea from his travels among other peoples where child sacrifice is not unknown. But if AB sacrifices Isaac, there goes any chance of him & Sarah becoming the parents of a great people as God has promised! Maybe AB just trusts God so absolutely he knows all will be well in some way he doesn’t yet understand! [GN 15:6 tells us AB’s faith in God is so strong, God counts him as righteous. Later Paul echoes this in RO 4:3 & GAL 3:6] So AB & Isaac set out together with servants, a donkey, & wood for the sacrificial fire. AB chooses the spot, & then he & Isaac go on alone. Isaac carries wood, & AB a knife & a torch of fire. When Isaac asks his father, "Where's the lamb for the sacrifice?" instead of telling him, "It's you, my son!" AB tells him "God will provide the lamb!" So AB builds an altar of stones, arranges the wood on it, binds Isaac, places him on top of the pyre, & readies the knife.

 But YHWH is never going to let this happen! As AB prepares to kill Isaac, an angel tells him he doesn't have to prove his faith like this. God knows how strong it is! When AB looks around he sees a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. This is the lamb God has provided! Like many of us AB may show great faith, but has still to grow in  his understanding of God! The story of AB & Isaac highlights how important it is for us reading them at such a distance from the events themselves to understand the Scriptures as a whole if we’re to find & live out mature answers to questions such as, ‘What is God really like?’, ‘What does God require of us?’, ‘Does God ever ‘put us to the test’?’, ‘How far?’ We find understandings of God mature later in the O.T. prophets & then, from a Christian perspective, in the Person of Jesus. We also need to read the O.T. in the light of the N.T.   Next time: An Inheritance for a Bowl of Stew

Question: Are we conscious of sacrifices other people have made for us?