Exodus!! Lesson*#4* Moses*Confronts*Pharaoh * (Exodus(5:(1( (7:(7)((

Transcription

1 Exodus Lesson*#4* Moses*Confronts*Pharaoh * Exodus5:1 7:7)

2 Review AsweenteredLesson#3Moseswas80yearsold,amanattheendofhis life.adoptedbypharaoh sdaughter,moseshadgrownupinthepalaceof Pharaohasa PrinceofEgypt, educatedin allthewisdomofthe EgypNans Acts7:22),ayoungmangroomedforgreatnessasastatesman, polincianorgeneral. APermurderingaslavemasterinEgypt,Moseswentontherun,seQling offthegrid inthelandofmidianwherehespentthenextfortyyearsasa shepherd,tendinghisfathersinslaw sflocks.toanyobjecnvereader, Moses greatpromiseasayoungmanhadcometonothing. Andthen,inthemidstofthebarrendesert,GodappearedtoMosesina burningbushandcommandedhimtoreturntoegypt,confrontpharaoh andsaytohim: Letmypeoplego Butitwastoolate.Moseshadn tacluewhothisgodwas,andbesides Moseswasanoldman,wellbeyondhisprime.APerGodbrowbeatsMoses intosubmission,mosesreluctantlyheadsforegypt,accompaniedbyhis brother,aaron.

3 Preview InLesson#4MosesandAaronarriveinEgyptandconfrontPharaoh: Thus*says*the*Lord,*the*God*of*Israel:**Let*my*people*go*.*.*. 5:1). ThemeeNngdoesn tgowell. Pharaohrepliestotheirdemands: Who*is*the*Lord*that*I*should* obey*him*and*let*israel*go?**i*do*not*know*the*lord,*and*i*will*not*let* Israel*go 5:2).Understandably,PharaohseesMosesandAaronas twosenilelunancs,andhehasthemunceremoniouslyejectedfrom thecourt.pharaohthenincreasestheisraelite sworkload, reasoningthattheisraeliteshavetoomuchnmeontheirhands: theyarelazy. TheIsraelitesrespondtoMosesandAaron seffortsnotwith grantude,butwithangerandcontempt: You*have*made*us*[a* stench*in*the*nostrils*of*pharaoh*and*his*servants],*pumng*a*sword* into*their*hands*to*kill*us 5:21).

4 MasteroftheDintevilleAllegory.Moses*and*Aaron*before*Pharaoh*oilonwood), 1537.MetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork. This*extraordinary*allegorical*portrait*depicts*the*Dinteville*brothers,*at*a*criPcal*Pme*in*their* relaponship*with*the*french*king,*francis*i,*acpng*out*a*scene*from*the*exodus.***

5 ARerwards,*Moses*and*Aaron*went*to*Pharaoh*and*said,* Thus*says*the*Lord,*the*God*of*Israel:** Let*my*people* go,*that*they*may*hold*a*feast*for*me*in*the*wilderness. * Exodus5:1) OnceMosesandAarongainaccesstoPharaoh,theleaderofthe greatestcivilizanonontheplanet,thereisnoneofthedeferennal bowingandscrapingsoconvennonalinsuchascene.they immediatelyannounce: Thus*says*the*Lord,*the*God*of*Israel:** Let* my*people*go*.*.*.. Theannouncementbeginswithastrong imperanveverb,absenttheexpectedhebrewarncleofentreaty, na. Thiscommandisbrutallyblunt,andinPharaoh seyes,astoundingly presumptuous.

6 Pharaoh*answered,* Who*is*the*Lord,*that*I*should*obey* him*and*let*israel*go?***i*do*not*know*the*lord,*and*i*will* not*let*israel*go. * * * * * * * * * * *Exodus5:2) Pharaohistakenabackattheimpudenceofthesetwooldmen.He responds, Who*is*the*Lord... Pharaohhasneverheardofthis SemiNcYHWH thelord ),andevenifhehas,thereisnoreason thathe,inapolytheisncsocietyandhavingdivinestatushimself, shouldrecognizetheauthorityofsomeminordesertgod. Thisverseisbestreadwithascathing,sarcasNctone: Who*is*this* the*lord *that*i*should*obey*him*and*let*israel*go?**i*do*not*know* this* the*lord, *and*i*will*not*let*israel*go. *

7 They*replied,* The*God*of*the*Hebrews*has*come*to*meet* us.**let*us*go,*[please],*a*three*day s*journey*in*the* wilderness,*that*we*may*offer*sacrifice*to*the*lord,*our* God,*so*that*he*does*not*strike*us*with*the*plague*or*the* sword. * * * * * * * * * * *Exodus5:3) MosesandAaron sininaldemandwasanuncondinonalimperanve, spokeninthevoiceofgod Thus*says*the*Lord ).NowMosesand AaronchangetacNcs.Theyspeakintheirownvoice,notGod s,and theyusethejussiveverbform let*us*go )withtheparncleof entreaty please or pray presentinthehebrew,butnot presentinournabtranslanon);theysetanmeframe a*three* day s*journey );andtheyofferanexplananon so*that*he*[god] does*not*strike*us*with*the*plague*or*the*sword ).

8 You*shall*no*longer*supply*the*people*with*straw*for* their*brick*making*as*before.**let*them*go*and*gather* their*own*straw*yet*you*shall*levy*upon*them*the*same* quota*of*bricks*as*they*made*previously.**do*not*reduce* it.**they*are*lazy*.*.*..* * * * * * * * * * *Exodus5:7S8) APerunceremoniouslytossingMosesandAaronout,Pharaoh orderstheegypnantaskmastersandtheirhebrewforemento withholdstrawforthemakingofsunsbakedbricks,acrincal componentthatcreatescohesionanddurability.instead,the Hebrewsaretoscrabbleforstubbleandstrawontheirown,yet maintainthesamedailyquotaofbricks.

9 ThepyramidofAmenemhetIIIatHawara,Egypt. Made*of*mud*bricks*during*the*Middle*Kingdom*period,*12 th *dynasty,*c.*1750*b.c.* Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas

10 Dr.CreasyholdingasunSbakedmud&strawbrick. PyramidofAmenemhet,Hawara,Egypt.* Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas

11 The*confrontaPon*with*Pharaoh*begins,* Thus*says*the*Lord *5:*1)*and*it*ends* with* Thus*says*Pharaoh *5:*10).**This*deliberate*framing*in*the*story*posiPons* God*and*Pharaoh*as*opponents,*each*with*divine*imperaPve*and*iron*will.*** AmunhotepII LouvreMuseum,Paris. God Michaelangelo,SisNneChapel,VaNcanCity. Get*ready*to*rumble*

12 AswebeginExodus6,Godreiterateshisvowtobring IsraeloutofEgyptand intothelandwhichisworeto givetoabraham,isaac,andjacob 6:8),andhedoesso onthestrengthofhisproclamanonthat IamtheLord. AsGod steppedoutoftheshadows intheburningbushepisode2: 23S25)where God Elohim)isrepeated5Nmes,sothephrase Iamthe Lord YHWH)isrepeated5NmesinGod sreiteratedvowtobringthe IsraelitesoutofEgyptandintothePromisedLandin6:1S13,framingthe vowinverses2and8,andrepeanng Lord YHWH)3Nmesinbetween. InthefirstepisodeGod heard, wasmindful, saw and knew, and thushereentersthestorythatbeganingenesis.hereinthesecond episode,godvowsacpon*tocorrectwhathe heard, wasmindful of, saw and knew. God sinvolvementisintensifiedfromthefirstepisode tothesecond,asishispresence,reflectedinthemovementfrom God Elohim)inthefirstepisodeto Lord YHWH)inthesecond.

13 Moses responsetogod sintensifiedpresenceandtohis vowisnot*to*believe*him Moses*protested*to*the*Lord,* If* the*israelites*did*not*listen*to*me,* how*is*it*possible*that*pharaoh* will*listen*to*me,*poor*speaker* that*i*am? *[literally,* a*man*of* uncircumcised*lips ].

14 Ruben Simeon Levi Ourstoryisthenabruptlyinterruptedbya genealogyofmosesandaaron sfamily: Gershon,KohathandMerari TheHouseofJacob Firstthreesons) Amram,Izhar,Hebron,Uzziel Aaron,Moses,Miriam Nadab,*Abihu,Eleazar,Ithamar Phinehas

15 APerthegenealogicalinterrupNon,weconNnueour story,employinganotherexampleof resumpnve repennon repeanngthesentenceorphrasewherethe interrupnonbegan,aswesawinexodus1:1s7) MosesprotestedtotheLord, IftheIsraelitesdidnotlistentome, howisitpossiblethatpharaohwilllistentome,poorspeakerthati am? 6:12). *****[GenealogicalinterrupNon] ButMosesprotestedtotheLord, SinceIamapoorspeaker,howis itpossiblethatpharaohwilllistentome? 6:30).

16 HowisitpossiblethatPharaohwilllistentoMoses? I*will*make*Pharaoh*so*headstrong*that,*despite*the*many* signs*and*wonders*that*i*work*in*the*land*of*egypt,*pharaoh* will*not*listen*to*you.**therefore*i*will*lay*my*hand*on*egypt* and*with*mighty*acts*of*judgment*i*will*bring*my*armies,*my* people*the*israelites*out*of*the*land*of*egypt.**all*egyppans* will*know*that*i*am*the*lord,*when*i*stretch*out*my*hand* against*egypt*and*bring*the*israelites*out*of*their*midst.* Exodus7:3S5)

17 I*will*make*Pharaoh*so*headstrong*that,*despite*the*many* signs*and*wonders*that*i*work*in*the*land*of*egypt,*pharaoh* * will*not*listen*to*you *7:*3).* * ThetradiNonaltranslaNonhereis, I*will*harden*Pharaoh s*heart*.*.*.. ThreedifferentHebrewverbsareusedinourstoryfor hardening Pharaoh sheart :1)hiqshah, toharden ;2)hizeq, totoughen ;and3) kaved, tobeheavy, not heavy intheenglishsenseof sorrowful, but inthesenseof unfeeling and inflexible. WhenGod hardens Pharaoh sheartheisnotpuungsomethinginto Pharaoh sheartthatisnotthere;rather,heisapplyingpressuretobring outofpharaoh sheartwhatisalreadyinit:anger,contemptand arrogance. HardeningPharaoh sheartallowsgodtounleashhispowerandto demonstratevividlypharaoh simpotenceandtheimpotenceofthe EgypNangods. *

18 The*Lord*is*a*warrior;* * * * * *YHWH*is*his*name* Exodus15:3) Andwiththat,Goddeclares waronpharaohandthegods ofegypt,launchinghisfirst assault:turningthenileriver intoblood,bringingmassive deathanddestrucnonfrom theverylifessourceofegypt.

19 QuesNonsfordiscussionandthought ** 1. IfyouwerePharaoh,howwouldyourespondto MosesandAaronattheirfirstmeeNng? 2. IfyouwereanIsraeliteslavemakingbricks,how wouldyourespondtomosesandaaron? 3. HowdoestheGodportrayedinExodusdiffer fromthegodportrayedingenesis? 4. NowhereinGenesisorExodusdoesGodclaimto betheonly*god.whynot? 5. Whyisagenealogyinsertedbetween6:13and6: 28?

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