1 / 26

EXODUS 15—17; 19—20

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. AND. TOPICS TO DISCUSS:. EXODUS 15—17; 19—20. THE SONGS OF MOSES & MIRIAM. GRUMBLING IN THE DESERT. THE SONGS OF MOSES & MIRIAM. Exodus 15: 1-21 is one of the oldest passages in the Bible. Here is what scholars suggest:.

omar
Download Presentation

EXODUS 15—17; 19—20

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND TOPICS TO DISCUSS: EXODUS 15—17; 19—20 • THE SONGS OF MOSES & MIRIAM • GRUMBLING IN THE DESERT

  2. THE SONGS OF MOSES & MIRIAM Exodus 15: 1-21 is one of the oldest passages in the Bible. Here is what scholars suggest: • The indication that Miriam was regarded as a prophet in verse 20 is striking. In the Bible, Prophets are leaders who speak to the people on behalf of God. With this one exception, all prophets described in the Bible are men. • Over 3000 years old. • Important because it marks the first expression of praise by the entire people of Israel for Yahweh. • A recently published fragment of the Book of Exodus show at least seven lines of the Song of Miriam—far more than the single line in the Canonical Hebrew Bible. • Traditionally, the first 19 verses were attributed to Moses. • Only two brief verses were attributed to Miriam. • All other references in the Bible to the use of a victory song with tambourine and drum, women are the performers. • However, modern Biblical scholarship suggests that most —if not all—of Exodus 15: 1-21 was spoken by Miriam.

  3. THE SONGS OF MOSES & MIRIAM Scholars suggest that the final editors of the Exodus story felt the need to put the first great expression of faith and praise for Yahweh in the mouth of Moses. Scholars agree that in actuality, the first great expression of faith and praise for Yahweh spoken on behalf of the nation of Israel was spoken by…. HOWEVER A WOMAN!!!

  4. GRUMBLING IN THE DESERT Immediately after the Israelite’s victory at the Sea of Reeds and the Song of Victory, the Israelites begin complaining random things. The Wilderness period was a time when the people were “tested” to see if they lived in complete and daily dependence upon Yahweh’s providing mercy. But it was also a time when the people put Yahweh to the test, demanding proof that their God was actually present. • Complaints about bitter water at Marah (Ex. 15: 22-26). In, fact, despite all that Yahweh does for the Israelites, they continue to show a lack of faith. They complain to Moses on nine separate occasions: 2. Longing for the fleshpots of Egypt (Ex. 16: 2-3). 3. Water complaints at Massah & Meribah (Ex. 17: 2-7). 4. Complaint about Manna (Num. 11: 4-6). Even Moses was judged for his wavering faith and was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. 5. Criticism of Moses for marrying a Cushite (Num. 12: 1-2). 6. Complaint against the leadership of Moses & Aaron (Num. 14: 2-3). 7. Accusations made by Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16: 12-14). 8. Complaint about wilderness life (Num. 20: 2-13). 9. Impatience during march through Transjordan (Num. 21: 4-5).

  5. GRUMBLING IN THE DESERT One of the most famous examples of this is found in Exodus 16: Having set out from Elim, the whole Israelite community came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. Here in the desert the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "Would that we had died at the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!" Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days." So Moses and Aaron told all the Israelites, "At evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, as he heeds your grumbling against him. But what are we that you should grumble against us? When the LORD gives you flesh to eat in the evening," continued Moses, "and in the morning your fill of bread, as he heeds the grumbling you utter against him, what then are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD."

  6. In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.“, Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole Israelite community: Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling." When Aaron announced this to the whole Israelite community, they turned toward the desert, and lo, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!

  7. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.

  8. On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, "What is this?" for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. "Now, this is what the LORD has commanded. So gather it that everyone has enough to eat, an omer for each person, as many of you as there are, each man providing for those of his own tent." The Israelites did so. Some gathered a large and some a small amount. But when they measured it out by the omer, he who had gathered a large amount did not have too much, and he who had gathered a small amount did not have too little. They so gathered that everyone had enough to eat. Moses also told them, "Let no one keep any of it over until tomorrow morning." But they would not listen to him. When some kept a part of it over until the following morning, it became wormy and rotten. Therefore Moses was displeased with them. Morning after morning they gathered it, till each had enough to eat; but when the sun grew hot, the manna melted away. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers for each person. When all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses, he told them, "That is what the LORD prescribed. Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, the Sabbath, sacred to the LORD. You may either bake or boil the manna, as you please; but whatever is left put away and keep for the morrow." When they put it away for the morrow, as Moses commanded, it did not become rotten or wormy. Moses then said, "Eat it today, for today is the Sabbath of the LORD. On this day you will not find any of it on the ground. On the other six days you can gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, none of it will be there." Still, on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it, although they did not find any. Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and laws? Take note! The LORD has given you the Sabbath. That is why on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. On the seventh day everyone is to stay home and no one is to go out." After that the people rested on the seventh day. The Israelites called this food manna. It was like coriander seed, but white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded. Keep an omerful of manna for your descendants, that they may see what food I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt." Moses then told Aaron, "Take an urn and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD in safekeeping for your descendants." So Aaron placed it in front of the commandments for safekeeping, as the LORD had commanded Moses. The Israelites ate this manna for forty years, until they came to settled land; they ate manna until they reached the borders of Canaan. (An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)

  9. Manna SO… Manna comes from the Hebrew phrase: Man hu (“What is it?”) Scholars believe that the “manna” the Israelites ate was either a sweet, sticky substance produced by insects that suck the tender twigs of tamarisk bushes in the desert region a or a gum residue created by the combination of a fungus and the sap of certain trees. What is it?

  10. Quail A phenomenon common on the Sinai Peninsula:Large flocks migrate over the region in the spring. The exhausted birds are easily caught. Some modern readers might regard such lifesaving phenomena as a sign of good fortune or luck. To the Israelites, however, they were signs of Yahweh’s daily providence.

  11. What is a Theophany? A Theophany is an appearance of a god to a human; a divine manifestation. Perhaps the best known example of Theophany in the Torah is where God appears to Moses and on, and at the foot of, a mountain variously called Sinai or Horeb, and reveals God’s his name and the text of the Ten Commandments.

  12. 1. No other Gods called to believe in God, love and hope in called to worship (public and private) idolatry, superstition, disrespectful speaking of God—violations Can be “making of a god” 2. God’s name For bid's irrelevant sacrilege About respect owed to God includes holy figures, false promises Mt. Sinai/Mt. Horeb

  13. 3. Sabbath Israel—about belonging to God not humans Sunday chosen later For Catholics = Mass For rest from work To cultivate social and family relationships 4. Parents Originally law to addressed adults to protect aging parents Now: support of family life Children respect parents Parents provide for children Authority is to be respected

  14. 5. Murder Revenge was common—a tribe could be wiped out Purpose was to lesson violence arriving from hatred, malice, and taking law into own hands Now: All life is sacred (womb to tomb) Scandal Needs to promote health 6. Adultery Purpose was protection of marriage (marriage gave stability and survival of community Adultery led to feuds and vengeance punished by death Then = wrongful sexual relation Now: Chastity pornography

  15. 7. Stealing Today includes: sharing with others who are without world resources (resources are not meant for a few—for all to share) No slavery—includes unjust labor practices Stewardship of the earth 8. False witness Israel was penalized with death now plus untruths Called to share about Jesus Words cannot harm reputations

  16. 9/10 Coveting • About covertness and greed • A sin of the mind (entertaining the thoughts leads to action) • 9—against lust, modesty, discretion • 10—about greed with possessions

  17. Other laws • About the fairness at that time NOT ours • Slaves were owned but could strike them because they were property • Israel perceived laws not as a burden but about peace and freedom • Commandments were a sacred pact with God and others

  18. Sealing of the covenant • Altar with 12 pillars—represented the 12 tribes • Young bulls were offered—blood was sprinkled ½ on the altar ½ on the people • Blood was the sign of life—prohibited consumption because what gives life (blood rituals were common for the time)

  19. Sinai covenant • High point of Israel history • Surpasses all other covenants in minds of Biblical editors • Sinai proclaimed people of Israel were God chosen people • People are called to witness

  20. Infidelity • Moses goes up the mountain (Ex 32) • 40 days –40 nights • People think he left them, they get bored • Ask Aaron to make them an idol • Gold is gathered • Make a golden calf and proclaim it to be lord • God wants to destroy the people • Moses intercedes • Moses in anger breaks the tablets, confronts Aaron and orders the calf destroyed

  21. The House of Yahweh Inscription

  22. Up the mountain again • Moses begs God to show his Glory • God replies cannot see God and live • God passes by and Moses shields his face from the back • Tablets are re-written

More Related