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I did not know that the ten commandments were originally short. I thought the King James Version was the original. I find it funny that the Tabernacle could be moved, so technically it could sit in any part of the ground, so at some point all of the earth would have been holy at one time. Some might have been standing on holy ground and not have known it. Are the Urim and Thummim for real? What kind of things would they decide upon with these stones? Was God really in control of the stones, so much so that they could have cause someone to die?
Leaving the names of the Pharaohs out, whether intentional or not, I find to be very creative. The people were able to take the stories later in life and apply the stories, the feelings of the people, to their own lives.
Oxford
pg. 81-83: Multiple names should not be a valid reason to doubt the authorship of Exodus. God changes people's names quite frequently. There is not an e-mail sent out that their name was changed, so many people probably continued to call whomever it is by their original name. Same goes with geography. The place where Jacob wrestled with God was named before that event; therefore, those who did not know of the change would refer to the place by its original name. It supports the claim of different authors.
There is lots of evidence towards the idea that the "exodus" from Egypt did not actually happen. I continue to believe it is true. Just because there is no evidence does not mean something did not happen or does not exist. Archaeologists and researchers have yet to find the exact "evidence they're looking for, but maybe God does not want them to find it, for example Noah's Arc. His promise still continues even though evidence has not been found. I do believe that some stories were written in hindsight and that some details might have been added later to explain the happenings.
Chapters 1-4:
Joseph had 70 children! How do they come up with all the names? Footontes tell me that the 70 is suppose to symbolize all of Israel the nation. I like how they are separated by their mothers though. Gives the women a since of pride among their children. Why did the Egyptians think oppression will stop the Israelites from growing? I find it funny that their idea back lashed and the Israelites became closer as a nation.
1:17 shows the power of godly women. I find it encouraging to know that God took care of these faithful servants. They did not let earthly authority influence what they believed. We talked about in class that the basket Moses' mother used could be seen as a miniature arc. I find that really cool that it connects to the idea of killing people off and the arc was protection.
What happened to Moses' family when he tried to run away? Did Pharaoh find out that his daughter saved this man and he now killed an Egyptian? In the movie, his biological mother is very sad.
First, love always happens at the well, it seems to be like a bar in today's world. Second, I can picture the women looking at Moses, talking, giggling among themselves about him and deliberately telling their father how wonderful he was so that their father might bring him home.
Why did God wait for Moses to see and pursue the bush before speaking to him? It makes me wonder what in my life is a burning bush but I did not choose to pursue it. Would God have called out to Moses if he had not taken notice?
All the questions Moses proposes makes sense to me. I would have stood there, thinking about the possibilities of things going wrong or these people not following me. However, I do find it interesting that Moses does not refuse, he tries to ask God questions that will stump Him, get God to change His mind, but he never directly refuses to God like Jonah did. The happenings that the Lord sets out that He is going to do are quite clever. I feel as though He is having fun, playing with the Egyptians' minds. He will not force their hearts, but manipulate them into wanting to do His will, a task that take skill. The "tricks" that God will show the Israelites I feel have symbolic meaning to them. More than a snake and leprosy and blood, they represent what the people fear most.
God replies to Moses' excuses by an abrupt "now go." He is tired of waiting. Moses finally says send someone else! God has pity on him, seeing his fear and gives Aaron as a solution. On their way, Moses is saved by his wife from God's wrath. This is the second time Moses is spared by a woman. I don't know what this could symbolize, but I find it interesting.
12: I feel that God makes His demands so specific in order to weed out His true followers from posers. If the instructions are so specific, only the faithful will be conscious and follow them to the letter. However, God adds the festival as a sort of appreciation for their devotion. I wonder how hard it was for the people not to eat leavened bread. Was it a daily thing or just in bread? So, is this Passover the same as the one Jesus did before he was crucified, all the same regulations? How did the Israelites know if a man from outside the tribe had been circumcised or not? Were only the Israelites like that so any foreigner would automatically not be? vs.35 the Egyptians give freely gifts to the Israelites. In class we learned that this was a sign of a won battle, giving of gifts. It is interesting to think of the escape from Egypt as a battle because they are fighting not only the thoughts and actions of the Egyptians but their gods as well.
14: God's focus here is glory for himself in the eyes of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians. Can only God change a person's heart? We talked about hindsight in class, and how the writer put that God hardened Pharaoh's heart because his actions would not have matched his normal disposition, so only God could have caused his behavior. If it is true that God is in control over everyone's heart, why are we to go out and minister to others? God could deliberately be turning their hearts away. Will He do this many times to build up distress and then when He comes to "save the day" there is no question who is behind the actions?
The speech that Moses gives is a powerful one and one that I don't know if I would believe him if I were in the wilderness, the desert in particular. To sit still, while an army is advancing, is extremely nerve wracking. But his words deserve to be seen one more time...
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” -NIV
Different translations order the sentences differently. The NIV includes "stand firm," whereas NKJ only has "be still," but the end of the NKJ is better I think because of the word peace. Peace is much different from being still. Having peace is having no worries, and truly believing that God will deliver you from the evil that is approaching. My father once told me that being a Christian is more simple than most people make it out to be, that having peace is the most important thing. Having peace dissolves a lot of problems.
I wonder how far away Pharaoh was. The Israelites could see them, but then there had to be time to get everyone across the river and not have the Egyptians capture them. The timing is difficult to grasp. I can just imagine the ground rumbling as all of the Egyptian's chariots approach. Oh...God fixes that problem in the next verse with the pillars of fire and cloud. The Egyptians and the Israelites were in the sea together, one part closed the other separated. It must have been a big deal back then that the ground was dry because the writer mentions it about five times within the chapter. Was this a miracle just as big as parting the sea? I think so.
Throughout this story I see God as a demanding God, urging the people forward. However, I think He does this to prove His love for His people. I enjoy seeing the women have a role in saving the lives of His people, it should give those that have "ordinary" jobs a better outlook on what they can do in the work place. The burning bush is a lesson that we must pursue God's calling so that He will call out to us, and having peace that God will deliver us out of the trials.
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