Exodus!! Lesson*#18* Excursus:* The*Pillar*of*Cloud*and*Fire *

Transcription

1 Exodus Lesson*#18* Excursus:* The*Pillar*of*Cloud*and*Fire *

2 Review InLesson#17,wewitnessedthefashioningoftheTabernacle, exquisiteinitslapidarybeautyanddazzlingcolorsofviolet,purple andscarlet;gold,silverandbronze.whenmoseserectsthe Tabernacle,thepillarofcloudandfireseFlesuponit,fillingthe TabernaclewiththeGloryofGod: Then*the*cloud*covered*the*tent*of*mee?ng,*and*the*glory*of*the*Lord*filled* the*tabernacle.**moses*could*not*enter*the*tent*of*mee?ng*because*the*cloud* segled*down*upon*it*and*the*glory*of*the*lord*filled*the*tabernacle.** Whenever*the*cloud*rose*from*the*tabernacle,*the*Israelites*would*set*out*on* their*journey.**but*if*the*cloud*did*not*lin,*they*would*not*go*forward;*only* when*it*lined*did*they*go*forward.**the*cloud*of*the*lord*was*over*the* tabernacle*by*day,*and*fire*in*the*cloud*at*night,*in*the*sight*of*the*whole* house*of*israel*in*all*the*stages*of*their*journey. * (Exodus40:34N38)

3 Preview Withthepillarofcloudandfire thegloryofthelord fillingthe Tabernacle,wecompletedourstudyofExodus.Beforewemoveon, however,lesson#18willtakeacloserlookatthispillarofcloudandfire. What,exactly,isit? WefirstencounteredthepillarofcloudandfireinExodus13:21whenit leadstheisraelitesoutofsuccothtotheredsea.therethepillarofcloud andfiremovedbehindtheisraelites,protecyngthemfromtheadvancing EgypYanarmyastheIsraelitescrossedthepartedRedSea.Withthe drowningoftheegypyanarmy,thepillarofcloudandfireledtheisraelites tomt.sinai,wheregodreaffirmshiscovenantwiththeisraelitesandgives themthelawandthetabernacle.indeed,thepillarofcloudandfirewill staywiththeisraelitesfromtheexodusin1446b.c.unyl592b.c.whenit leavesthetempleinjerusalem,ascendsthemountofolivesanddisappears downtheeasternslopetowardjericho,nevertobeseenagain.

4 Theophany Inancientliteraturethegodsfrequentlyappear tohumanityinavarietyofforms.suchan appearanceiscalleda theophany, derivedfrom thegreekword theophaneia, meaning appearanceofgod.

5 PeterPaulRubens.Death*of*Semele*(oiloncanvas),c.1640.RoyalMuseumsofFineArts,Belgium. [Zeus,*in*the*appearance*of*a*mortal,*loved*Semele.**Jealous*Hera,*Zeus *wife,*convinced*her*rival*to*trick*zeus*into* revealing*himself*in*all*his*divine*splendor.**when*he*does,*semele*is*burned*to*ash*in*the*flash*of*his*divine*light.** Recall*God*saying*to*Moses*in*Exodus*33:*20:** No*one*can*see*me*and*live. ]*

6 OneoftwelvetabletsoftheEpic*of*Gilgamesh, discoveredintheroyallibraryofashurbanipal(c. 668N627B.C.)inNinevehbytheAssyrian archaeologisthormuzdrassamin1853. BriYshMuseum,London. Perhapstheearliestexampleofa theophanyoccursintheepic*of* Gilgamesh,anepicpoemofancient Mesopotamia,itsearliestversion dayngfromthe18 th centuryb.c. Inthepoem,thegoddessIshtarmakes sexualadvancesongilgamesh,who rejectsher.inrevenge,ishtar convincesherfather,thegodanu,to sentgugalanna,thefiercebullof heaven,tokillgilgamesh.intrueepic fashion,gilgameshandhiscompanion Enkiduslaythebullandofferitsheart tothegods.ishtarshrieks,andenkidu hurlsoneofthehindquartersofthe bullather

7 Athena*(marble),1 st centuryb.c./a.d.amer thegreek4 th centuryb.c.original. LouvreMuseum,Paris. BothHomer siliad*andtheodyssey* containseveraltheophanies. IntheOdyssey*thegoddessAthena famouslydisguisesherselfasodysseus agedfriendmentesandappearsto Telemachustohelphimfindhisfather, Odysseus,whohasspentagoodpartof thelastdecadesincethefalloftroyasa (ratherwilling)sexslavetothenymph Calypsoonherisland. ThegoddessAthenaalsohasavery inymaterelayonshipwithodysseus, protecynghimthroughouthis adventuresbyappearinginavarietyof forms.

8 InScriptureGodappearsto: Adam&EveintheGardenofEden(Genesis2&3) Cain(Genesis4:9N15) Noah(Genesis6:9N13ff) Abraham(Genesis19)

9 Arent*de*Gelder.** God*and*the*Angels*Visit*Abraham *(oil*on*canvas),*c.*1680.** Museum*Boijmans*Van*Beuningen,*RoGerdam,*Netherlands.*

10 * JacobWrestleswiththeAngel * PaulGauguin.The*Vision*aNer*the*Sermon*(Jacob*Wrestling*with*the* Angel),1888,oiloncanvas.ScooshNaYonalGallery,Edinburgh.

11 * * Joseph sdreams SusanGovatus.Joseph s*dreams*(acryliconcanvas), hfp://susangovatos.com/works/195035/josephsndreams

12 AswemovethroughGenesisGodseemstorecede.FromtheinYmacyofthe GardenofEdenwithAdam&EvetoappearingindreamswithJoseph,God becomesmoreandmoreremote,lessandlesstangible.byexodus at*least*as* far*as*our*narra?ve*is*concerned Godhasdroppedofftheradar,fallensilent for400years,theenyreymetheisraeliteshavebeeninegypt.bythestartof Exodus,theIsraelitesnolongerevenknowwhoheis. WhenGoddoesappearinExodus,speakingfromtheburningbush,hesets boundariesthatmosescannotcross: God*called*out*to*[Moses]*from*the* bush:**moses**moses**he*answered,* Here*I*am. **God*said:** Do*not*come*near** Remove*your*sandals*from*your*feet,*for*the*place*where*you*stand*is*holy* ground (Exodus3:4N5). AndatMt.Sinaiamerthe goldencalfrebellion, God sdistancefromhumanity isabsolute: Letnooneevenbeseenonanypartofthemountain;eventhe sheepandthecaflearenottograzeinfrontofthismountain (Exodus34:3). OnlyMoses,God s inymatefriend, (Exodus33:12)communeswithhim face toface (Exodus33:11).

13 FromExodus13onward,God s primarytheophanyisthepillar ofcloudandfire.

14 PillarofCloud&Fire Exodus13:17N22 Exodus14:10N22 Exodus16:9N12 Exodus19:4N9 Exodus24:12N18 Exodus33:7N11 Exodus40:34N38

15 Caravaggio.**David*with*the*Head*of*Goliath (oilonwood),c.1607.kunsthistorisches Museum,Vienna. Thenextmajorappearanceofthe pillarofcloudandfireoccursinthe storyofkingdavid. AmerbecominganaYonalherowhen hekillsthephilisynewarriorgoliath, Israel sfirstking,saul(1050n1010 B.C.),feelsthreatenedbyDavid s fameandprodigiousmaryalskills, resulyngindavidgoing ontherun asawantedfelonforthenextdecade, workingasamercenaryforisrael s archenemyachish,kingofgath,one ofthefivemajorphilisyneciyes. WiththedeathofSaulandhissonsat thebafleatmt.gilboa,thedoor opensfordavidtobecomeking.but howcanheestablishhislegiymacy?

16 JamesTissot.Solomon*Dedicates*the*Temple*at* Jerusalem(Gouacheonboard),c.1896N1902. TheJewishMuseum,NewYork. TowardtheendofDavid slife hewantedtoreyrethe Tabernacleandbuilda magnificenttempleforgod,a permanentplaceofworshipin Jerusalem,the CityofDavid. Davidisneverabletobuild thetemple,buthisson Solomondoes.Andwhen Solomondedicatesthetemple in959b.c.thepillarofcloud andfiremovesin

17 Solomon s*temple*(model),959n586b.c. Solomon sdeathtriggersacivilwarin 930B.C.betweenthetennorthern andtwosoutherntribes.thenorthern tribesbecomethekingdomofisrael withitscapitalatsamariaandthe southerntribesbecomethekingdom ofjudah,withitscapitalatjerusalem. Asbothkingdomsdeteriorate,the AssyriansaFackin722B.C.conquering Israel,andtheBabyloniansaFackin 605,597and588B.C.,conquering Judah.JerusalemfallsonAugust14 th 586B.C.:theTempleisdestroyedand thesurvivorsaretakencapyveto Babylon.Thekings,priestsandpeoplehadbecomesocorruptduringthatYmethat thepillarofcloudandfireatthetempleleavesinseptember592,nevertoreturn. TheprophetEzekielreportsthedepartureofthepillarofcloudandfire.

18 God sfinal*theophany InthebeginningwastheWord, andthewordwaswithgod andthewordwasgod... andthewordbecameflesh andmadehisdwellingamongus. (John1:1,14)

19 AsScriptureconcludesournarraYve comesfullcircleinrevelayon Then*I*saw*a*new*heaven*and*a*new*earth.**The*former*heaven*and* the*former*earth*had*passed*away,*and*the*sea*was*no*more.**i*also* saw*the*holy*city,*a*new*jerusalem,*coming*down*out*of*heaven* from*god,*prepared*as*a*bride*adorned*for*her*husband.**i*heard*a* loud*voice*from*the*throne*saying,* Behold,*God s*dwelling*is*with* the*human*race.**he*will*dwell*with*them*and*they*will*be*his*people* and*god*himself*will*always*be*with*them*[as*their*god].**he*will* wipe*every*tear*from*their*eyes,*and*there*shall*be*no*more*death*or* mourning,*wailing*or*pain,*[for]*the*old*order*has*passed*away. * (RevelaYon21:1N4)

20 QuesYonsfordiscussionandthought ** 1. Whenthegodsappeartohumanity,whatisthatappearance called? 2. Thegodsappearinmanyworksofancientliterature.Whatare someexamples? 3. TheGodofScriptureappearsonseveraloccasionsinGenesis. Inwhatstoriesdoeshedoso?Whydoeshedoso? 4. AswemovethroughGenesis,Godappearstodrawbackfrom humanity,appearingtojosephonlyindreams.whenweenter Exodus,Godovertlyreentersourstory.Whatishisprimary theophanyatthatpoint? 5. ThepillarofcloudandfireleavesournarraYveinEzekiel.God doesmakeafinalappearanceinscripture,however.whatis it?

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