Exodus and Covenant

1. Exodus and Covenant The relationship between God and Israel

2. The family of Jacob (Israel) goes to Egypt to escape famine at the end of Genesis Exodus opens (1:1-7) with the passing of generations and the multiplication of the Israelites The Egyptians fear their rising power (1:8-9) and so increase their workload (1:11), but it does not work (1:12-13) They then try genocide Hebrew midwives – Shiprah and Puah – do not cooperate (1:18-19) Killing of the male babies takes its toll (1:22) Moses survives (2:1-10) and is called by God to lead the people (3:1-4:23) Brief Review of Exodus 1-3

3. The Task of Moses • 3:12 “….and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” • The place is Sinai (also called Horeb)

4. Some Mapping

5. Exod 5:1-2 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord , and I will not let Israel go.” Pharaoh does not recognize the power of this God Israel not thrilled either – already not crazy about Moses and then their workload is increased (5:21) Moses then complains to God (5:22) The Conflict

6. God must prove God’s-self worthy to Pharaoh (Exod 6:1): Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.” God must also prove God’s-self worthy to the Israelites (Exod 6:6-8): …I am the Lord, and I will free you from the burden of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people , and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord. God’s Task

7. Exod 7:1 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them. Aaron’s rod can turn into a snake – and that is supposed to be a “wonder” that will impress the Egyptians; but the sorcerers of Pharaoh can do it, too. And even though Aaron’s snake swallows all others, Pharaoh does not budge. (8:8-13) Must turn now to 10 “plagues” or proofs of God’s presence Proofs of God’s Presence

8. Erastus Salisbury Field He Turned Their Waters into Blood Asks to let people go three days into wilderness to worship (7:16) Gives a sign…..”By this you shall know that I am the Lord” (7:17) Magicians could replicate the act (7:22) Pharaoh’s heart stayed hardened (7: 22) 1: Water to Blood

9. Requests again for a worship time (8:1) Plague of frogs comes over all the land (8:6) Magicians replicate (8:7) Pharaoh says take frogs away and I will let the people worship (8:8), but reneges (8:15) 2: Frogs

10. No request, just a sign; dust to gnats (8:16) Magicians cannot replicate it (8:18) Magicians say: “This is the finger of God!” (8:19) 3: Gnats

11. Request for release (8:20) to worship God God sets apart Goshen (territory of Israelites) (8:22-23) Thus I will make a distinction between my people and your people Pharaoh seems to relent (8:28), but does not once the flies are gone (8:32) 4: Flies

12. J.M.W. Turner Request again (9:1) All livestock of the Egyptians struck dead, but none of the Israelites (9:6) Pharaoh refuses to act (9:7) 5: Diseased Livestock

13. No request, just a command (9:8) – soot to dust to boils Festering boils on everything – human, animals, magicians (9:10-11) THE LORD hardens Pharaoh’s heart (9:12) 6: Boils

14. Same request (9:13) Rationale: vv 15-16 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But this is why I let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth. Pharaoh still refuses to let them go once the storm has stopped 7: Thunder and Hail

15. Opens with hardening of Pharaoh’s heart by God (10:1); “that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell your children and your grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them – so that you may know that I am the Lord.” It is really all about the Israelites and not the Egyptians or the Pharaoh The officials plead with Pharaoh to let them go (10:7 – “How long shall this fellow be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God; do you not yet understand Egypt is ruined?”) Pharaoh says he will let them go (v. 8), but will not let the children go (vv 10-11) The Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart again (v.20) 8: Locusts

16. No warning again – just a three day darkness (9:21-23) Pharaoh says they can all go, but flocks stay (v 24). Moses says they need flocks to make sacrifices (vv 25-26) The Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart again (v 27) and Pharaoh dismisses Moses with a warning (v 28 and the panel next to this one) 9: Darkness

17. Warning comes of it with description in chapter 11 Passover is instituted in chapter 12 Plague strikes in 12:29-31 The Exodus occurs in 12:33-42 More Passover regulations in the end of chapter 12 and in chapter 13 10: Death of the Firstborn

18. Exodus 12:4-8 • Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: About midnight, I will go out through the land of Egypt. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all of the firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as had never been or ever will be again. But not a dog shall growl at any of the Israelites – not at people, not at animals – so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Then all of these officials of yours shall come down to me, and bow low to me, saying: ‘Leave us, you and all the people who follow you.’ After that I will leave.” And in hot anger, he left Pharaoh.

19. Death of Pharaoh’s Firstborn SonSir Lawrence Alma Tadema

20. Slaughter a lamb Dip a brush in the blood and touch the lintel of your door and the doorposts with it When the Lord moves through, blood will be seen and the home will be “passed over” Unleavened bread and roasted lamb are foods for people on the move It is done to remember deliverance Passover

21. Crossing the Red Sea: 14:11-12 “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” V 13-14 Moses said to the people. “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to keep still.” Other Challenges

22. Some Images

23. Food, chapter 16 Water, chapter 17 Enemies, chapter 17 And more challenges

24. Finally at Sinai • 19:3-6 Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites.

25. Hebrew word is tyrb (berit) which means ‘bond’ or ‘fetter.’ Modeled on suzerainty-vassal treaty forms from the ANE Prologue Stipulations Blessings and Curses It is a matter of choice whether or not you enter into such an agreement; you are not compelled Covenant

26. Moses gets the Law

27. Ten Words is the form – not commandment. The expansions came in later Prologue: I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt After they heard them, the people were afraid. Told Moses: ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ Ten Words(Compare Deuteronomy 5)

28. No other gods before me No idols No wrongful use of God’s name Remember the sabbath Honor your father and mother Do not murder Do not commit adultery Do not steal Do not bear false witness against your neighbor Do not covert your neighbor’s house, wife, slaves, other belongings The Stipulations

29. 10 Commandments Schematic

30. While Moses is still on the mountain, the people want to break the 1st two commandments and get Aaron to help (32:1) God gets mad first, but Moses joins in quickly (vv 7-14 and then 15-20) Trouble

31. Deuteronomy – second law Older material combined with newer and edited probably first during Jeremiah’s time and then again in the post-exilic period Shema – umv hear, listen (with the idea of ‘obey’ built in Central text of Israelite and now Jewish confession Reiteration of the Law

32. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 • Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house.

33. Some Thoughts • The initial focus is on God – who God is to the people who confess and pray. The focus is on the ultimate power of that God • Contemplating the nature of God is required when speaking here • Jewish law requires a greater measure of concentration on the first verse of the Shema than on the rest of the prayer. People commonly close their eyes or cover them with the palm of their hand while reciting it to eliminate every distraction and help them concentrate on the meaning of the words. The final word, echad, should be prolonged and emphasized. Often, the last letter of the first and last words of the Shema verse are written in larger print in the siddur. This is because these letters form the word "ed," witness, and remind Jews of their duty to serve as witnesses to God's sovereignty by leading exemplary lives. -- Shira Schoenberg

34. Heart – seat of the will and the conscience. It is not about emotion here, it is about intellect, what one determines to do. Soul – not the spiritual self, because remember the body and the soul are one in Hebrew. It is the self, the person, one’s being. Strength – with all of one’s resources; physical, mental, emotional. You love with everything you have. Heart, Soul, Strength

35. In one’s heart. Not external to the self Deut 10:16 Circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer Deut 30:6 Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendents, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live Obligation is to your children You must instruct your children in the obligations – no outside authority does it for you You must do it constantly. Home is the center, but your obligation does not cease when you are away. And it is an enterprise done night and day. Keeping the Law

36. Bind them as a sign on your hand • Tefillin shel yad • Small boxes (battim) with portions of the Torah -- handwritten and in a special script -- are affixed to the arm and then tied to the hand. It is done for morning prayer and then removed. Boxes and straps are leather.

37. Fix them as an emblem on your forehead • Tefillin shel rosh • Also leather box containing part of the torah handwritten and then strapped on

38. Tefillin

39. Box contains portion of the torah handwritten You put it on the doorpost of the home Kiss your fingers and touch it when you go in Typical to have a v on the front Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

40. Mezzuzah (Mezuzah)

41. There is no split between secular and sacred The obligations of the law (there are 613 mitzvot or commandments) are constant Every aspect of your life is lived in response to God Deut 30:11-14 (v 14: No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe) Message

42. Why Israel is obligated • Deut 26:5-9 A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, and land flowing with milk and honey.