Exodus“to leave, to depart”

authors: JEPTHESE ARE THE NAMES

מצרים יציאת

Did it all happen?

• It is impossible to discern what historical events lie behind the book of Exodus

• Purpose: Establishment of Israel as a people freed from human tyranny

Ideas to think about

• God makes the Israelites his own treasured possession

• Establishes a community bond– Customs

– Passover– Circumcision

• Guidelines on ethical behavior towards others

The Call

G-d: “Moses, Moses……. “

Moses: “Here I am”

The Covenant

• G-d to Abraham– “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless

you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:2-3)

GenealogyG-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

• 4oo years have passed• Connects to Genesis

story– Joseph’s Bones

• Same people• Same G-d

Burning Bush“I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt… to the land flowing with milk and honey.” (Ex 3:17)

The Reluctant Hero

• 3:11-12, 13; 4:1,10• Who am I?

– Wants a physical sign

• What is your name?– Given three versions

• They won’t believe me– 3 signs

• I won’t speak well– Aaron will help

» Who wrote in Aaron?

The Mantle of Leadership

• Responsibilities

• Consequences• Numbers 20:9ff

Rituals and Signs of the Covenant

* Passover

* Circumcision

Passover

Hebrew = pesah/pesachEtymology disputed

» to limp» To hobble» To jump

(maybe 10th plague jumped over the houses with blood)

Egyptian1) Pa sha = Souvenier2) A blow = YHWH struck

down the first born

Passover Ritual• What?

– 1 lamb per household– Year-old male– Without blemish (sheep or goat)

• When?– Slaughter at twilight– Eat it same day– Cooked whole

• With herbs and unleavened bread

– Roasted over fire– No leftovers – Burn it!

• How?– Loins girded– Sandals on feet– Staff in hand– Fast Food!– Must be circumcised (Ex12:48)

Circumcision

• WHY is it a symbol of the covenant?

Exodus 7:1-13

• If G-d is the G-d of the Hebrews does that mean that G-d is not the G-d of the Egyptians?

– What implications does your answer have for the present day mission of the Church in a pluralistic world?

WildernessBefore Promised Land

• Necessary hardships• Complaints – no food or water

The Golden Calf

Exegeting the text

• 2Cor3- 4:6. What are some implications of how Paul uses the image of the veil for the Christian audience?

(2 Corinthians 3) Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses' face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, 8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! 10 Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; 11 for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! 12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, 13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. 14 But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. 15 Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.(2 Corinthians 4) Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Who Delivers?

• The Women

• Moses

• G-d

Exodus Motif of Liberation

• Oppressed people• Slavery to Salvation• Bondage to Freedom• Deliverance

• How can the Exodus story be used to address issues that face communities or individuals in the 21st century? Think about the themes of wilderness, bondage, covenant, exile, liberation and oppression.