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Chapter 3 Exodus & the Covenant of Sinai

Chapter 3 Exodus & the Covenant of Sinai. Historical basis for Hebrew slavery in Egypt Hebrew alphabet was different from Egyptian symbols Original Hebrew word for God was “ El ” “ El ” has been found in a mine dating to about 1,500 BCE in a mine in Egypt

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Chapter 3 Exodus & the Covenant of Sinai

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  1. Chapter 3Exodus & the Covenant of Sinai Historical basis for Hebrew slavery in Egypt Hebrew alphabet was different from Egyptian symbols Original Hebrew word for God was “El” “El” has been found in a mine dating to about 1,500 BCE in a mine in Egypt The words were in Hebrew script in a prayer format “El, save me” indicating slavery conditions Historians believe the slaves lived, worked and died in that mine

  2. Where did the Jews live? • Not all Jews worked in mines • Archaeologists have found a major Hebrew slave city near a major Egyptian city development site at the right timeframe for Exodus • Hebrew slaves were used to cut and move massive stones • The Egyptian city was Pi Ramses was located on a branch of the Nile where water does not flow today • Remains of Pi Ramses can still be seen today

  3. What triggered Exodus? • Conditions for Hebrews in Egypt had changed in the 450 years from the death of Joseph • Israelites had gone from citizens to slaves • Then a Pharaoh issued an order that all Israelite males babies must be killed at birth Moses – Egyptian or Hebrew • Biblical story of Moses, the reed basket and the Pharaoh's daughter to explain how he avoided Pharaoh’s order to kill all newborn Hebrew males

  4. Moses continued • Brought up in his own Hebrew house until an adult • Then introduced to the Egyptian court as a Royal Price – how? • Moses is aware of his Hebrew lineage • He sees an Egyptian overseer hurt a Hebrew slave and kills the Egyptian • Aware that his crime is know and that even his Royal status will not protect him flees to the Eastern desert, home of the nomadic Midians • Meets a priest, marries his daughter and settles down to be a shepherd

  5. Meanwhile back in Egypt • Nothing improves for the Hebrew salves • They forget about their God by and large but continue to cry out to El for help • But their God has neither forgotten nor abandoned them • God appears to Moses in a burning bush not consumed by the flames and orders Moses to return to Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free • Moses asks by what name he should refer to God and God reveals His sacred name Yahweh meaning “I am who am”

  6. “I am who I am” • Might be expressed as “I am the One who is always present” • Hebrews out of respect would not utter the name of Yahweh out loud • Instead they substituted the title “Adonai,” meaning “The Lord,” the term they use even until this day • Christian bibles have adopted the term “Lord” meaning “divine sovereignty” • Moses and Aaron deliver God’s message to the Hebrews who realize God had heard them

  7. “Let My People Go” • When Pharaoh received that message we have to remember that he saw himself as a god and was unmoved • Pharaoh doubles the Hebrews work load and the Hebrews want no more to do with this Lord • God at that point promises to take action • The Hebrews need miracles to be convinced of their God’s promises after 250-400 years as slaves • They no longer know their God, but He knows them

  8. Plagues • That here may be a scientific explanation for the natural cause of each plague does not change the miraculous start, series and continuation of these plagues • Water turns to blood • Frogs overrun the land • Gnats or Lice • Flies torment the Egyptians • Livestock deceased (cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen and sheep) • Boils plague the people • Thunder and hail destroys the crops • Locusts eat what is left of the crop • Darkness covers the land for 3 days, and finally • Death for the first born of the people and animals of Egypt (for which there is no scientific explanation known)

  9. Let’s turn to our Bibles and read • in re The Plagues: • 6:28-30 • 7:1-25 • 8:1-11 • 11:1-10 --------------------------------------------------------- • in re Pharaoh’s hard heart: • 7:22-23 • 8:4-15 • 9:27-28 • 9:33-35 • 10:8-11 • 10:16

  10. What was in Pharaoh’s Heart? • 10 times the Bible says both that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and that he was naturally stubborn • Can both be true at the same time? • The human heart can be hardened by people flinging itself against something more powerful than themselves • And the Pharaoh seeing himself as a god probably did not want to give in to mere slaves • The Hebrews prepare for Passover so the angel of death will pass over their homes on the last plague

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