Continue reading ‘Exodus 18’ »]]> Exodus 18

Summary

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, comes to visit after hearing all the big things going on. He brings Moses’ wife and sons with him.

Jethro watched Moses as judge for the people who stand and wait all day long. He suggests the idea that Moses appoint judges to handle the easy cases and send the tough ones to him. Moses agreed and Jethro goes home.

Commentary

I assume Jethro was already an Israelite, since he’s name as a priest of Midian. I can imagine Moses married a non-Israelite. So there were those who were not in slavery in the land nearby, which isn’t mentioned at all. It’s assumed that the entirety of the Israelite people are following Moses in the wilderness.

Jethro’s suggestion is an excellent one, but I wonder why neither Moses nor the LORD thought of it until now.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 17’ »]]> Exodus 17

Summary

The Israelites are complaining again, this time about not enough water. So Moses complains to God who tells him to strike a rock and water will flow from it.

Then the Amalekites come to attack the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses tells Joshua to fight while he goes to the top of a hill. Aaron and Hur go with Moses. As long as Moses keeps his hands and staff raised the Israelites win the battle. Aaron and Hur helped him hold his hands up until Joshua defeated the Amalekites and God declares that he will commit genocide against them.

Commentary

Again with the complaining. Doesn’t God know that people need water? And have the Israelites not figured out who is taking care of them?

As for the fighting, I imagine any fighting would kill at least some of God’s people. He saved everyone one of them from the Pharaoh only to let some die in a dessert battle with another tribe or clan or something? Wasn’t God supposed to be following as a pillar of fire? Did the Amalekites think they could defeat the multitudes of people who had a pillar of fire guarding them?

Continue reading ‘Exodus 16’ »]]> Exodus 16

Summary

After a couple of months the Israelites started complaining again. This time they didn’t have enough food. So God has Moses and Aaron that he will provide bread for them, and test them, of course. He appears as a cloud as Aaron tells the people the instructions that they are to gather just enough manna in the morning to feed them, not to keep any over night, except on the 6th day so they don’t have to gather on the day of rest.

People do this, but some people, of course, ignore the instructions and find the extra food rotten by morning.

They were also to keep some to show their descendants.

The Israelites ate this for 40 years until they came to Canaan.

Commentary

It seem ridiculous how much these people complain, but what if they hadn’t? What if they had been faithful? Would they simple have accepted that they should starve and die since God hadn’t provided for them?

Did no one think to simple go up to Moses and tell him that food was running low. Did Moses not know this? Seems a stretch, so then why didn’t he take the initiative and intercede on his people’s behalf?

Of course, he does rightly rebuke the ones who ignore the instructions. Again, by this time these people should be fully aware that they are protected by a super powerful being that can: control minds, control oceans, magic food into existence, kill children in the night, take the form of fire, and create spontaneous diseases, to name a few.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 15’ »]]> Exodus 15

Summary

The Israelites begin to sing a song about God’s victory over the Pharaoh and his chariots. They praise him and glorify his power, describing how he used the waters of the Red Sea to drown them. Miriam, a prophet and sister to Aaron, also sang a similar song.

Moses then led his people into the desert, who then promptly started to complain about not having water to drink. God and Moses solved this with some wood in some bitter water making it drinkable.

God then commands them all to follow his instructions and he will not led them become diseased like the Egyptians.

Commentary

I suppose a little gloating is to be expected, but these people aren’t cool. They complain at the drop of a hat then start dancing and singing when their God saves their asses again.

I’m confused why Miriam is labeled as Aaron’s sister. Aaron is Moses’ brother, so wouldn’t she be his sister as well? And if this is a different Aaron, the text doesn’t indicate that and we are left to assume who it is.

Also, the lovely song that the people are singing mentions to other lands of peoples: Edom and Moab. Weren’t these they names of Moses ancestors from Genesis ( Gen 19 , Gen 36 ) just a few generation ago? Are these people already willing to kill their cousins for land?

Continue reading ‘Exodus 14’ »]]> Exodus 14

Summary

As the Israelites are fleeing Egypt, God has Moses sent to a specific place to camp to provide trap the Egyptians. Beyond that even hardens the Pharaoh’s heart again. The Pharaoh, under control, takes hundreds of chariots into the desert to pursue the Israelites that appear to be trapped at the shoreline.

Again, the people start to freak out blaming Moses for bringing them to ruin. Yet the angel of God and the pillar of cloud both stood between the marching army and the Israelites. God tells Moses that his will use the destruction of the Egyptians to being himselfs more glory. Moses raises his staff and the waters are driven back, providing dry land for the people to cross on.

As they cross, the Egyptian army, harden by God, follow them. God releases the waters and drowns all of them. This showed the Israelites that they could trust God and Moses.

Commentary

The massacre of hundreds (if not thousands) of Egyptians who were under the control of an all powerful being. Ok.

The Israelites, STILL get scared and complain and bemoan their state despite seeing both and angel and a supernatural pillar or cloud accompanying them, and having just seem thousands , if not millions, of Egyptian deaths before they fled. How is this even credible? If this one aspect can be believed did God purposefully choose the one people on the planet who had the attention span of a goldfish?

Your God is killing whole countries for you and you still think Moses is screwing around?

Well, according to the end of this chapter, NOW they trust God and his servant, Moses.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 13’ »]]> Exodus 13

Summary

More instructions regarding the Passover commemoration: unleavened breads, redeem firstborns with a sacrifice, remember that I brought you out of slavery.

As the Israelites left Egypt God led them a longer way, fearing that they would run from a challenge through Philistine country. Moses took the bones of Joseph, since he wanted to be buried in Canaan: Gen 49:29-32 . As they traveled, God led them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Commentary

God continues to remind them that he owns the firstborns. This seems like a big deal, either to God or the Israelites. I supposed it’s due to the firstborn being so highly prized.

What I find odd is that God thinks his own people, who have seen his direct actions first hand to kill and destroy an enemy, would run back to Egypt if faced with a fight in the next country they encounter. I would think that a people who had concrete proof that an all might god is guiding them would be confident that they could go anywhere and do anything without fear. Apparently not. Just odd.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 12’ »]]> Exodus 12

Summary

The Lord sets out various things that the Israelites are required to do from now on in connection with what is now known as Passover. This is the event, to be commemorated annually, in which God killed the first born male of man and animal in Egypt. To escape the same fate, Moses told the people to slaughter a lamb and spread its blood over their doorway. This way the Lord’s destroyer (or God himself?) would skip that house. Lots of stuff to do with bitter herbs, who can eat the slaughtered lamb and unleavened bread, which is either unleavened because God says so, or because they had to leave in a hurry, which is odd because they all knew what was coming.

So, God sets about to kill children, men and animals, including the Pharaoh’s own son. At this, Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron to go. All the Egyptians finally want to rush the Israelites away. By coincidence they left 430 years, to the day, after they began living in Egypt. All 600,000 men (women and children apparently aren’t counted).

Commentary

This is an odd chapter. It’s a very momentous event, the killing of potentially thousands of people in the night. Yet, much of the chapter discusses who can eat the lamb and how anyone eating yeast during this time should be cut off from Israel.

One thing I note is that in Exo 12:44, it mentions that purchased slaves must be circumcised to eat the Passover lamb. Does this mean that slavery is not being done away with? After all that they are going through the Israelites will still have slaves. That’s a little disconcerting.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 11’ »]]> Exodus 11

Summary

The Lord promises one more plague. After He manipulated the Egyptians into giving up their gold and silver, Moses tells Pharaoh that God will kill all the firstborn sons of man and animal (what animals?). God, once again, forces Pharaoh to refuse to let the Israelites go.

Commentary

I don’t know about you, but I expect Israel to completely abolish the practice of slavery after going to these lengths to punish the Egyptians.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 10’ »]]> Exodus 10

Summary

Now, God comes right out and says that he’s manipulating Pharaoh and the officials to show off his power. He wants the Israelites to know how He dealt with the Egyptians.

Even after his own officials begs him to relent Pharaoh refused to let Moses and his people go. God sends a swarm of locusts to cover the land and eat everything that was left. Once again, Pharaoh gives in and calls to Moses, who has God remove the plague of locusts, only to have Him harden the Pharaoh’s heart.

Now God sends a darkness over Egypt (except in Goshen) and it lasts for 3 days. Pharaoh wants to know who and what Moses will take with him to worship. When Moses tells him every person and animal Pharaoh once again says no and threatens to kill Moses if he ever sees him again.

Commentary

Isn’t this overkill by now? I can see that God is trying to make a point. The point seems to be entirely for the benefit of the Israelis: this is what happens when you displease me. But it’s just so overblown that it strains credulity.

Continue reading ‘Exodus 9’ »]]> Exodus 9

Summary

The Lord sends Moses to announce more plagues against Egypt if the Pharaoh doesn’t let the Israelites go. Pharoah continues to refuse, so God kills all the livestock (expecting the ones owned by the Israelites, of course). Pharaoh doesn’t budge. Next god sends boils to all the people and animals (I thought they were all dead). Here, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart again.

Finally, the Lord sends Moses with a message of a hail storm like never seen before. Even Pharaoh officials were afraid and brought in their livestock (still dead?). When the hail came it destroyed crops, killed people and animals, except in Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Finally Pharaoh came to his sense and agree to let Moses and his people go, only to change his mind again after it all stopped. His heart hardened again.

Commentary

I imagine this whole story is several versions of a legend being added up. With the animals being killed more than a few times and the Pharaoh’s heart being hardened after so much death and destruction. I would imagine the entire people of Egypt just kicking Moses and his people out about now.

So, at this point, the story just seems to be about God showing everyone who’s boss. And he’s coming off as a bit of a prick.