(Chapters 25-40)
Sorry this is a day late. It's just been super busy around here. Yesterday was spent writing scholarship essays and visiting our friends' house to watch the Superbowl (actually, it was just to hang out - neither of our families are big football fans. The dads try to fake it sometimes, though).
Anyway, give it another week, and things will be back to normal round here.
So, about Exodus -
Doesn't it seem like the Israelites are a pretty whiney bunch? First, they whine that Moses has led them to their deaths at the Red Sea. God helps Moses part the water and drown the Egyptians. Then, they whine that they have no food. God sends manna and quail. Finally, they whine about how it's taking Moses a long time up on Mount Sinai to talk to God, and so build a golden calf.
Don't you think they'd get it by now? Can't they see that God finds ways to help them through their troubles? Did they really think that God was going to put them all on a magic carpet and swoosh them over to the Promised Land? Seriously.
Even God is getting annoyed at them:
"But [said God] I myself will not go up in your company, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise I might exterminate you on the way." (Ex 33:3)Okay, that's it for today. I might do the Top Ten Tuesday tomorrow - but then again, I might not. Depends on if I can find a bit of time to write.
~Sophia
Share in the comments what you think of the Exodus story!
Dear Sophia,
ReplyDeletePerhaps after some 400 years of slavery, the Hebrew slaves were looking for instant gratification. One presumes they were for the most part an illiterate, uneducated group who were not happy to have many laws regulating their lives being foisted upon them [even though this was a great improvement over slavery]. And perhaps the miracles were not so impressive to them. For example, Moses may not have parted the Red Sea at all. He simply had his people walk through the "Reed" Sea [the correct translation] in which the Egyptian chariots became stranded in this Marsh-like area. If memory serves me correctly, the uniqueness of the Exodus story is that it tells that the origin of the Jewish people as being slaves, that their "Golden Age" is to be in the future [e.g. when the Messiah comes].
Well, that's all for now folks!
Take care Sophia!
Sincerely, Howard
My edition of the bible DID have a note on the "Reed" Sea translations, so that is an interesting point to bring up. I think a lot of the Old Testament has these sort of "double meanings" because it is an oral history... which makes for some very interesting analyses!
DeleteThanks for reading!
~Sophia
You're welcome Sophia! Perhaps you should do "The Top Ten Laws you wouldn't want to Obey" for your blog on Leviticus? Just a thought!
DeleteSincerely, Howard
Ha ha that is a VERY good idea. I'll definitely consider it!
Delete