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Home , Book of Exodus, Book of Leviticus, Hur (Bible), Moses (1968), Moses (miniseries), Special (Lost)

The : Part Five The Book of

The second book of the is called Exodus, from the Chapter 1: In the opening chapter, we are told that the Greek word for departure. It continues the history of the descendants of become so numerous that they are from the point where the seen as a threat to a new king who knows nothing about leaves off. It recounts the oppression by the Egyptians of . The new king sets in motion a plan to oppress and the ever-increasing descendants of Jacob and their enslave the . miraculous deliverance by through , who leads Chapter 2: Birth of Moses and his flight into . them across the to where they enter Moses—which means “to draw out of”—is, at birth, drawn into a special with the Lord. out of the dangerous waters of the River . Later he will The is regarded by all scholars as the most draw his own people through the waters of the Red Sea. important book of the Old Testament because it tells us Commenting on this stage in Moses’ life, The Catholic about the two most important events in ’s history: Bible, Personal Study Edition (p.64) states: “The story of how God frees the Israelites from in and how Moses present some striking contrasts and fascinating he enters into a solemn covenant with them at Mount Sinai. ironies: he is an Israelite, but his name and upbringing In this book, Israel becomes a nation, and a people special are Egyptian; the orders the killing of all male to God. Israelite babies, but by doing so he sets in motion the very

Religious epic. As a piece of literature, the Book of circumstances that bring Moses into the royal family; his Exodus is often regarded as a religious epic filled with mother abandons Moses in order to save him, but later is intense suspense and drama, especially in the chapters that hired to be his wet-nurse; Moses kills an Egyptian to describe Moses’ encounters with Pharaoh, the crossing of protect one of his own people but soon is forced to flee the Red Sea, and Moses’ encounter with God on Mount because he fears betrayal by one of his own; the one who Sinai. story symbolically represents the threatens to betray him angrily asks, ‘Who made you ruler perennial underdog who defeats an evil foe against and judge over us?’ and 40 years later, that’s exactly what incredible odds. The story has inspired all who have fought Moses becomes; after fleeing, Moses takes refuge among to overcome all forms of oppression. foreigners and there, rather than with his own people, he encounters the God of Israel.” A warrior God who saves. While Moses plays a major role in this book, the narrator’s primary purpose is to glorify the Chapter 3: Call and commissioning of Moses. Now we God who saves Israel from oppression and forms them into come to one of the great stories of : Moses a special people. encountering God in a burning bush. Fire is one of the many images of God in the Bible. No one can touch or Structure. Scholars divide the 40 chapters into various grasp fire without getting burned—yet it gives light and groupings. The grouping below is based on the three purifies. God identifies himself as the God of , geographical regions in which Israel encounters God. Isaac and Jacob, his ancestors. He tells Moses that he has · Land of Egypt. God works wonders to free his enslaved heard the cry of his people and has come to rescue them people from an oppressive ruler (Chapters 1-12). and lead them, and Moses will be his instrument in this · Wilderness. God guides his people through the Red Sea great work of liberation. Immediately, Moses objects but and provides for them in the desert (Chapters 13-18). God tells him that he will be with him. When Moses asks · Mount Sinai. God enters into a covenant relationship God what his name is, God replies: “I AM”—which some with Israel (Chapters 19-40). scholars interpret as “I am (the One) who brings (things)

Date. Most scholars believe that the Exodus event took into being.” In John’s , frequently refers to place around 1250 B.C. in an area northeast of present-day himself as “I AM,” a way of stating that he is God.

Cairo. Chapter 4: God hardens the Pharaoh’s heart—or does he? This chapter has two difficult verses. In 4:21, God PART ONE – LIBERATION FROM OPPRESSION says to Moses: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.” What are (CHS 1-12) we to make of this? In those days, people did not Commentary. There is much to comment on in the distinguish between primary and secondary causes. They chapters of this book. You can find a much more complete saw God as the cause of all things. Today, we would say commentary on our parish website: God permitted Pharaoh to harden his heart. We would not www.ascensioncatholic.net (on homepage, click on say that God caused Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened, no Commentaries on Books of the Old Testament and see more than we would say God caused Hitler’s heart to be Articles 7, 8, and 9). evil. Later in the book, it will say that Pharaoh allowed his own heart to become obstinate (8:15, 9:34).

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Then we read a very strange verse: “On the journey, at a liturgical feasts and regulations. The following outline place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon might help as we move through the next five chapters.

Moses and sought to put him to ” (4:24). It beats me 11:1-10 (narrative): Warning of the final plague and probably you, too, as to why God would want to kill 12:1-28 (liturgical): How to celebrate the Moses for failing to circumcise his son. We must learn to 12:29-42 (narrative): Death of the live with the fact that some verses and events in the Bible 12:43-51 (liturgical): Directions for the Passover are very challenging and not easy to explain. Scholars are 12:1-16 (liturgical): Regulations for two other feasts not sure what this verse means. The footnote in the New 13:17-14:31 (narrative): at the Red Sea American Bible (p.62) suggests that God was angry at 15:1-21 (liturgical): Songs of Moses and Moses for having failed to keep the command about circumcision, given to Abraham by God (Gen 17:10). Chapter 12: Israel’s Passover Moses’ life is spared when his wife circumcises their son. “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your

Chapter 5: Moses gets mad with God. In this chapter, we generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as see how things get worse before they get better for the a perpetual institution.” (v.14) Israelites. When the Israelite foreman blames Moses for The Passover ritual described in 12:1-28 has become so their worsening situation, Moses gives God a piece of his important in Israel’s history and memory that they are mind: “Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your inserted into the middle of the actual event that it is intended to commemorate and make present. name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them” (5:22-23). When it comes to 12:21-28. Moses gathers together the elders of Israel and our relationship with God, honesty about how we really passes on to them God’s instructions on how this new feel is very important. When our relationship with God Passover feast is to be celebrated. He stresses the goes flat or gets boring, frequently the reason is that we are importance of celebrating this ritual ever year. upset with God about something. But, unlike Moses, we are not relating our true feelings to God. Blood on doorposts. In 12:7, the Israelites are ordered to sprinkle some blood of the Passover Lamb on the Chapters 7:14-11:10: plagues. Commenting on doorposts of their home. This blood which saved the first- the plagues, Fr. John Power writes: “The plagues were a born sons of Israel from immediate death, was seen by the series of calamities that made the Israelites’ departure early church as a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ, our from Egypt possible. Whether these calamities were new Passover Lamb, whose blood saves us from eternal natural or entirely miraculous, their ultimate cause was death. God. And to the Israelite mind they demonstrated that God 12:31-36. God’s victory over the oppressor is underlined was present and active in their midst. And was not this the by two facts: (1) Pharaoh not only allows the Israelites to very name he gave himself?” leave but orders them to leave, and (2) the Egyptian people The plagues are intended not so much to punish Pharaoh are so glad to see the Israelites go that they willingly give for his stubbornness, but rather to demonstrate God’s them gifts of silver and and clothing on their way out. extraordinary power, unequal to any of the of Egypt. PART TWO: JOURNEY IN THE WILDERNESS (CHS “When God opposes Pharaoh, it is not because God hates 12:37-18:27) the Egyptians and favors the Israelites, but rather because Pharaoh represents the forces of death. In Exodus, we see Chapters 14-15: . In these two that the Israelites were the victims of Pharaoh’s violent chapters, we have two accounts of the crossing of the Red and oppressive policies. Egyptians die in the story, not Sea: chapter 14 expressed in prose and chapter 15 in because God wills their destruction but rather because poetry. The chapters are filled with religious drama. One they persist in perpetuating deadly injustice. In essence would think that the experience of the tenth plague would those who lived by the sword died by the sword.” (Clinton have convinced Pharaoh that he should not mess with the McCann) God of Moses and . But when Pharaoh realizes that he has his best workers, he decides to send his army 11:1-10. The tenth plague which brings about the death of after them. every firstborn Egyptian child, including Pharaoh’s firstborn, finally compels the king to let the Israelites go. A dramatic battle is prepared for us. On the one side, we We might add that if Pharaoh had not been so stubborn, he have Pharaoh’s best soldiers, and on the other side, we and his people would have been spared such a cruel blow. have unarmed men, women and children. To the frightened Even in our times, the subjects of powerful dictators suffer Israelites, Moses says: “Fear not! Stand your ground, and greatly because of the godless actions of their leaders, e.g., you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today. The Hitler. Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep Chapters 11-15 can be confusing to read because the still” (14:13-14). narrative is interrupted several times with inserts about 2

Our childhood images of this event are of Moses waiving 19:1-8—God’s amazing proposal and Israel’s response. his staff and dividing the sea in two. But 14:21 gives us a After the people arrive at Sinai and up camp, their more natural account of what may have happened. “The leader Moses goes up the mountain to meet God who Lord swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the makes an astounding offer to the ragtag, disgruntled bunch night and so it turned it into dry land.” This windswept of ex-slaves. God says to the people through Moses: “If dry land allowed the Israelites to cross over. you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you Israel

After the Egyptians enter the divided sea, the waters rise shall be my special possession, dearer to me than to all up to their normal level, destroying all the pursuers. The other people on earth” (v.5). God is offering to enter into is clearly in the timing of the events. For the a very special intimate relationship with Israel. Using Israelites, there is no doubt that God is behind this amazing marital imagery, which the often did, God is asking for Israel’s hand in marriage. event. God, their mighty Warrior, is the one who enabled them to cross over on dry land and the one who destroyed When Moses comes down from the mountain and tells the their enemies. elders and the people of God’s marriage proposal or

Chapters 15:22-18:27: Israel grumbles in the desert. On covenant offer, they jump at it: “Everything the Lord has the best of days, journeying through a desert is not fun. said, we will do” (v.8). This may surprise us given the fact When thousands of men, women and children spend years that a little while ago, they were asking Moses to take them wondering in the desert with very little resources and are back to the fleshpots of Egypt. As we will learn, the attacked by desert tribes, the experience becomes almost Israelites, like most of us, are fickle and moody when it comes to their relationship with God. unbearable. In the desert, the Israelites are called to trust that God will provide for them—a pretty tough challenge Like most couples on their wedding day, the Israelites have even for people who have experienced God’s mighty little or no idea of what they are getting themselves into. deeds. So in these chapters, we frequently hear the word As a people, they will be required to be holy as their God ‘grumble.’ In their desperation, they ask: “Is the Lord with is holy (v.6). The requirements of their relationship with us or not?” God shows that he is with them by providing God will be spelled out in detail in chapters 20-23. food and water for them and helping them to overcome the tribes who attack them. The or heavenly bread and 19:9-15. God orders Moses to prepare themselves for his the water coming from the rocks prefigure the Sacraments coming, which occurs in 19:16-19. of Baptism and . Chapter 20: The . If you read this

God is inviting the Israelites to a whole new way of life— chapter, you will see that the Bible’s version of the Ten to trust in him one day at a time. This is a lesson in Commandments is much longer than the Catechism spirituality very familiar to men and women involved in version. The first three commandments have to do with our the Twelve Step Program. It is in the desert experiences of relationship with God while the other seven touch on our life that we learn to trust in God one day at a time. relationship with others. The heart of the Ten Commandments is reverence and for God, and love 17:8-16—Power of intercessory prayer. Moses, with his and respect for neighbor. The Old Law given to Moses on hands lifted on high, is seen by many people as a wonderful Mount Sinai is a preparation for the New Law to be given image of intercessory prayer. Aaron and are by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). wonderful examples of two people offering spiritual support to their leader in a time of crisis. Moral theologian Fr. Timothy O’Connell writes that “the genius of the Ten Commandments…is the tight, clear way Chapter 18: Moses’ father-in-law gives him wise they sketch hard-won wisdom of life. We are not forced to counsel. In this chapter, Moses has an emotional get- spend a lifetime finding this wisdom; it is given to us on a together with his wife, sons and father-in-law, . As platter. Woven together, the Ten Commandments are a Jethro observes Moses’ leadership style, he is worried. He great, inspired poem, drawing lines around a way of living says: “You will surely wear yourself out” (18:17-18). that can make us whole and keep us holy, a way of living Jethro then advises Moses to look for some God-fearing that in is the only way we can be happy.” men to help him (v.2). Moses follows the wise counsel of his father-in-law. Sports fields are marked with precise boundaries designating inbound and out-of-bound areas to guide the PART THREE: THE SINAI COVENANT (CHS 19- players. They, however, do not tell athletes how to excel at 40) their sports.

Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrive at The Ten Commandments serve a similar purpose. They Mount Sinai where they set up camp and where they will name expectations or, to use a stronger word, the demands spend almost two years. In fact, Mount Sinai is the of a relationship. They clearly state what is out-of-bounds location for the events described in the rest of Exodus, the in our relationship with God and neighbor. But, like other entire , and chapters 1-10.

3 boundaries in life, they do not necessarily tell us how to the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC when it is probably excel or be virtuous in these relationships. destroyed. The Bible does not mention it again. The Ark is constructed with great care and adorned with the most 20:22-23:30. The Book of the Covenant is an precious wood, metals and craftsmanship possible. amplification of the Ten Commandments which state in a simple, succinct way the basic demands of a healthy It is worth noting that in the construction of the new relationship with God and neighbor. However, they are sanctuary, Moses, on a command from God, conducts what silent on what the consequences might be for those who we would call today a Capital Campaign. In 25:2, God disobey. The Book of the Covenant is a code of practical instructs Moses: “Tell the Israelites to take up a collection laws governing the way of life of the people of Israel in the for me. From every man you shall accept the contribution . The Book begins and ends with the that his heart prompts him to give me.” God’s appeal declaration that Israel shall have no other gods in their through Moses is so successful that Moses has to “email” lives. his people to not bring in any more contributions. “Let neither man nor woman make any more contributions for As we read the laws of the Old Testament, we must keep the sanctuary” (36:6). Perhaps this was the first and last in mind that God reveals himself only in a partial way in time a church leader instructed a congregation to stop the Old Testament. The fullness of God’s only giving money to a capital campaign! comes with Jesus. In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus says several times: “You have heard it said to your ancestors...but I say Members of Moses’ congregation are also asked to give of to you….” In this section of Matthew’s Sermon on the their time and talent to the construction of the new Mount, Jesus brings to fulfillment the partial revelation of sanctuary. In 36:10, Moses says: “Let every expert among the Mosaic Law. you come and make all that the Lord commanded.” It seems one man, , can do anything. God has “filled Chapter 24: Ratification of the Sinai Covenant. Israel’s him with a divine spirit of skill and understanding and new relationship with God is ratified or sealed with a blood knowledge in every craft” (31:3-4). ritual and a sacrificial meal, foreshadowing the which Jesus will establish on Holy Thursday In his first letter, Peter states: “As each one has received when he says: “This is the blood of the new covenant.” a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1Pt 4:10). Moses could have written Chapters 25-31; 35-40: Construction of the Ark of the that line. He certainly knew how to motivate his people to Covenant practice responsible . (Note: If you are following the overall narrative of Exodus, 35:26. We have one of the first references to tithing in the you may want to omit chapters 25-31 and 35-40, or go to Old Testament: “The first choice fruits of the soil you shall Numbers 10:10 after reading Exodus 32-34.) bring to the house of the Lord, your God.” “Then the Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites…that they shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in Chapters 32-34: story and renewal of the their midst. This Dwelling and all its furnishings you shall covenant. Wondering if Moses will ever return from his make exactly according to the pattern that I will now show forty-day visit with God on the mountain, the people to you.’” (vv 1, 8) become impatient for something to worship. So they create a golden calf—a clear violation of the first commandment. Twelve of the remaining fifteen chapters of Exodus are focused on the construction of a sacred space for the Ten When God sees what the people have done, he becomes Commandments and some details concerning the worship very upset (32:7-10). Moses, the great mediator between life of Israel. Inserted in the middle of the twelve chapters God and his people, then makes a powerful plea to God to are three chapters (32-34) that deal with Israel’s not destroy his people for their of apostasy (vv 11-14). (Golden Calf incident) and the renewal of her Covenant When Moses descends from the mountain and sees what with God. has happened, he smashes the two as a symbolic way of showing that the people have broken their The newly constructed sacred container for the Decalogue covenant with God. is called by various names: , Meeting Place, Meeting Tent, Dwelling, and . This 32:25-29—Another very violent event. Moses orders the sacred space becomes the primary symbol of God’s , the tribe in charge of proper worship, to go and presence with Israel and the place of her worship of God. slay thousands of their own people. This seems to be During Israel’s journey through the desert, this new Moses’ way of telling his people that breaking the first worship space is Israel’s mobile church. It can be taken commandment is a very serious matter. While God is down, packed up and moved to the next location. The indeed kind and merciful (34:6-7), he does not turn a blind transition from tabernacle to temple does not take place eye to sin. By virtue of their violent action, Moses and the until the time of King Solomon. The Ark will remain in Levites are another example of people who have not yet Solomon’s temple until the destruction of the Temple at 4 received the fullness of God’s revelation which will only come with Jesus, the Jesus who orders Peter to put his sword back in his scabbard when he is arrested by the soldiers (Matt 26:52).

Chapters 33-34. In 33:7-23, we get to witness close up a very intimate conversation between God and Moses. As you can see, Moses does not want to move on from Sinai without God promising to go with him.

In chapter 34, there is a renewal of the covenant between God and Israel. After spending another forty days on the mountain with the Lord, the people notice how radiant Moses’ face has become (34:19). He seems to have received a spiritual facial.

40:34-38—God’s presence in the Dwelling. The Book of Exodus ends with words that speak beautifully of God’s special presence in the newly constructed Tabernacle Tent: “Then the cloud covered the meeting tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the Dwelling” (40:34). This sacred space is so filled with God’s presence that not even Moses can enter while the cloud rests on it. This cloud of God’s presence becomes the Israelites’ guide when they leave Mount Sinai and continue on their journey. “Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the Israelites would set out on their journey. But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward” (40:36-37). One of the big challenges in spiritual life is learning to move with God.

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