Week 3 Study Page - Genesis 48-50, Exodus 1-19
Week #3 Study Page
Genesis 48-50, Exodus 1-19
Sunday: Genesis 48-50
Monday: Exodus 1-4
Tuesday: Exodus 5-7
Wednesday: Exodus 8-10
Thursday: Exodus 11-13
Friday: Exodus 14-16
Saturday: Exodus 17-19
Degree of difficulty 3 out of 10 (Explanation:) This week we're again reading 95% story. there is almost no break in the action. this story will probably conjure up images of Charlton Heston if you're my age, or possibly the animated movie "The Prince of Egypt" if you're younger than me. it is fun to compare the depictions of these movies, and our memories of them, to the account of the Bible itself.
About the Book
Exodus
Date of Authorship: 15th-13th century BC (depending on how you date the Exodus - more on that later)
Occasion: Exodus and the other books of the Pentateuch were likely written by Moses during the 40-year period of wandering in the desert in between their exodus from Egypt and their crossing of the Jordan river into the promised land in the book of Joshua.
Purpose: The words of Exodus were given to the Israelite people so that they would remember the incredible way that God delivered them from slavery and oppression in Egypt. Exodus is not only an account of their escape, but also their grumbling. On a number of occasions the people grumble against Moses and God for their conditions outside of Egypt. these accounts will prove be instructive examples for Israel later in their history as a people - sadly - they did not learn the lessons of their grumbling in Exodus. the second half of Exodus is a large chunk of the Mosaic Law - the instructions, from God, for how the Israelite people are to live.
Dating the Exodus
Many Old Testament experts disagree on when the story of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt occurs. it is difficult for 2 main reasons. First, assigning a date to nearly any event that occurs in the 2nd millennium BC is challenging because of the difficulty of parsing the archaeological record and the absence of multiple, overlapping and reliable written accounts. Secondly, the author of Exodus (Moses) does not seem interested in telling us some important historical data that would have been really easy for him to provide, like the name of the Pharaoh and the year of his reign in which the events occurred. This historical data that we would like to know from Moses was information that the Israelite people already knew, having lived through it themselves, so he doesn't bother to tell them.
The "early exodus" theory places the date of the Israelite departure from Egypt in the middle of the 15th century BC (1440). The primary rationale for this theory is the words of 1st Kings 6:1:
"In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD"
we know that Solomon's reign began in 961 BC so this theory counts backwards from that date to arrive at 1440. additional evidence for this theory has risen with the archaeological discoveries of evidence of destruction in the Canaanite cities of Jericho, Hazor, and Ai dating from around this time which would be consistent with the Israelite conquest described in Joshua after the exodus.
The "late exodus" theory places the date of the Israelite departure from Egypt in the early 13th century BC (1290) This theory is primarily based on when the description of various events in the Exodus narrative fit best into the archaeological/historical record. For instance, Exodus 1:11 says that "and [the Israelites] built Pithom and Rameses" and the first Pharaoh to go by the name Ramses ruled late in the 14th century or early in the 12th century. Additionally, proponents of this theory point to their own Canaanite cities (Lachish, Debir, and Bethel) which show evidence of destruction consistent with a late conquest of Canaan.
I (Joel) lean towards an early exodus date. If you'd like to learn more about dating the exodus I'd recommend watching the video above and/or reading this article from the "The Voice" http://www.crivoice.org/exodusdate.html
As you read Notes
Genesis 49: The Tribes of Israel
Genesis 49 records a 'patriarchal pronouncement' of Jacob(Israel) regarding his sons. These sons will become the tribes of Israel and the words describing them in this passage will reflect their character and behavior in the (then) future history of Israel. I'd like to focus on two pronouncements in this chapter:
Simeon and Levi are cursed by their father because "their swords are weapons of violence" This pronouncement about them will seem like it is coming from out of nowhere unless you recall the events that you read last week, in chapter 34. In Genesis 34 Dinah (Jacobs daughter) was violated by Hamor the Hivite who asked to marry her. Jacob's sons met with the Shechemites (where Hamor is from) and deceitfully told them that if they would all get circumcised, that their families could intermarry. However, days after the males of Shechem has performed this 'operation' Simeon and Levi attacked the city and slaughtered all the males. Here, in Jacob's pronouncement 15 chapters later, they are disparaged for their behavior
Judah is not a particularly important part of the story of the Patriarchs. He is the 4th son of Leah, not even from Jacob's favorite wife Rachel, but Jacob seems to know the important part that the tribe of Judah will play in the story of God's people. Of Judah, Jacob says:
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
From Judah will come King David, and from the line of David comes Jesus. Jacob's words "the obedience of the nations shall be his" were partially realized under the vast and expansive kingdom of Solomon. However, the ultimate fulfillment of these words will come through Jesus who will one day return in power and, before him, every knee shall bow.
Exodus 3: Mount Horeb
When Moses sees a burning bush, it is located on "Mt Horeb." this place is described as the "Mountain of God." Moses ascends to the burning bush and is told by God in 3:12 that when the Israelites leave Egypt they will "worship God on this mountain." Why then, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, did they go worship God on Mt. Sinai instead? Because they are the same place. Horeb and Sinai are two names for the same mountain. Horeb/Sinai is traditionally identified with the pictured mountain now called Jebel Musa located in the Sinai peninsula of Egypt.
Exodus 7-11: The Ten Plagues
The 10 plagues are one of the most frequently re-told stories of the Bible. This is no accident, reading through Exodus it becomes apparent that God wanted to do something incredible and mighty that would strike fear into Israel's future enemies and display His power to the Israelites. I'd like to make two remarks about the plagues
First, it is bewildering to me that Pharaoh's magicians are able to replicate plagues 1 and 2. In our post-enlightenment, western civilization we treat the miraculous and magic art with a severe ( and, I believe, deserved) level of skepticism. However, it is apparent that Pharaoh's magicians were able to break the laws of nature as well. They could not keep up with God; when He sent the third plague (gnats) we are told "when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not" in Exodus 8:18.
Second, reading the account of the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, is hard. This account is heartbreaking; imagine an affliction like that coming to our community. To the extent that we can consider or ask whether or not God is acting justly, as a reader, we find ourselves questioning this massacre. it is important to observe that, throughout scripture, God frequently judges nations and people groups together with mortal effect. even if each individual member of that nation or people has not transgressed, they are held accountable for the sins of their larger society. We also need to remember what the Egyptians subjected the Israelites to. Pharaoh mandated that each male Israelite be killed at birth (recall from the account of Moses' birth). I believe that it is fair to say that a society which issues that edict deserves the mortal wrath of God.
Exodus 12: The Passover Meal
At the center of the Passover meal is the Lamb. This lamb's blood is brushed onto the top and sides of each home's door frame, and that blood causes God's wrath to pass over that home. Jesus is our Passover lamb (see 1st Corinthians 5:7) sacrificed once for all.
in Exodus 12:46 the Israelites are commanded by God to not break any of the bones of the Passover lamb which they slaughter. Knowing this instruction/passage adds a little drama to the account of Jesus' crucifixion. when the day was coming to a close, John 19:32 says "The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus and then those of the other." the informed Jewish reader would be on the edge of his seat at this point; terrified that the bones of our Passover lamb- the perfect sacrifice for our sins- were about to be broken in violation of the law. However Jesus' legs were spared; continuing on in John,
"But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, on of the soldiers pierced Jesus side with a spear"
Questions for reflection
In Genesis 50, Joseph tells his brothers "you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done? has anything good happened in your life as a result and evil done to you or a pain that you have experienced? Did God want Joseph's brothers to do evil to Joseph and sell him into slavery?
In Exodus 1, the Israelite midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, disoby the orders of Pharaoh, their legitimate government official. was it okay for them to do that? why? can you immagine a modern scenario where you might have to make the same decision that Shiphrah and Puah made?
In the account of the Plagues it is sometimes said that God hardens Pharaoh's heart and sometimes that Pharaoh hardens his own heart. putting aside, for now, who's fault it was, what does it mean to have a hard heart? what were the consequences for Pharaoh?
In Exodus 8:27, Moses repeats something he has told Pharaoh a number of times "we must take a three-day journey into the wilderness" but NOBODY believes that. nobody believes that the Israelites are going to leave for 3 days and come back. even crazier to me is the idea that God told Moses to say it (Ex. 3:18) Why don't God and Moses just say "we're out of here" ? why are they lying?
In Exodus 12, God tells Moses and Aaron how the Israelites are to observe the Passover and paint the blood of the lamb on their door frames so that* God does not strike their home with the death of the firstborn. for other plagues (like darkness and livestock death) God exempted the Israelites without any effort on their part. Why does God make them do this thing with the Passover lamb's blood? What does this tell you about God? Is there anything we do today like this ritual?
In Exodus 14: 11-12, The Israelites grumble against Moses only days after escaping Egypt. Why are they upset with Moses and God? what kind of things do we grumble against God for today?
In Exodus 18 Moses met with his father-in-law, Jethro. what was the value of this meeting for Moses. what does this story teach us?