Exodus


[PDF]Exodus - Rackcdn.comc8db749e636509544338-7e1d3e0c3b4b0250c538ec322cc2fd31.r29.cf2.rackcdn.co...

0 downloads 177 Views 863KB Size

Exodus Redeeming God’s People

Approaching Exodus •

Who wrote Exodus?



What kind of literature is Exodus?



What historical issues do we find with Exodus?



What is the content of Exodus?



What are the theological themes in Exodus?

Approaching Exodus •

Who wrote Exodus? •

Traditionally both the Jewish and Christian traditions ascribed the authorship of Exodus to Moses. •

There are explicit references to Moses writing down materials (Exo 24:4, 34:28) or demands for Moses to write (Exo 17:14).



Jesus, referring to Exodus, calls it “the book of Moses” (Mark 12:26; cf. Mark 7:10).



While the book is anonymous and there appears to be a reference to an event after Moses’ time (Exo 16:35-36), there are no compelling reasons to deny the essential Mosaic authorship of the book.

Approaching Exodus •

What kind of literature is Exodus? •

Mainly historical prose narrative, but also…



Legal codes and case laws (Exodus 20-23; cf. Code of Hammurabi, c. 1750 BC)



Songs (Exodus 15)



Building instructions and execution (Exodus 25-31, 35-40)

Approaching Exodus •

What historical issues do we find with Exodus? •

Historicity of Exodus •

A range of issues have caused liberal scholars to reject the authenticity of the Exodus account: •

lack of archeological remains;



the logistical issues;



no mention in extra biblical texts.

Approaching Exodus •

What historical issues do we find with Exodus? •

Historicity of Exodus defended •

Most unlikely that a nation would invent an origins story that emphasized their slavery in a neighboring country.



The history of Egypt fits the story of Israel’s origins in Exodus 1: lots of foreigners participating in brick-built projects.



Identification of the city of Rameses

Approaching Exodus •

What historical issues do we find with Exodus? •

Historicity of Exodus •

Organization of covenant texts in Exodus fits the pattern of 2nd millennium treaties.



The tent tabernacle has many parallels in Egypt and Canaan in this period.



The lack of archeological remains not surprising: nomadic people living in mud huts in Goshen, in tents in Sinai.

Dating the Exodus Evidence

Fifteenth-century BC

Thirteenth-century BC

1 Kings 6:1: 480 years from exodus to temple of Solomon

Numbers are taken seriously and are literal

480 years are ideal numbers and figurative

Exodus 1:11: Israelites build the city of Ramesses, named for Pharaoh Ramesses of the 13th century

The name “Ramesses” was also used prior to the 13th century

Since Ramesses came to power in 1279 BC, the exodus could not have occurred prior to that time.

Judges 11:26: Jephthah refers to 300 years between his day (c. 1100 BC) and the conquest of the promised land.

Jephthah was approximately correct, place the Transjordanian conquest around 1400 BC

Jephthah had no historical records, and was making a broad generalization

Since the Pharaoh mentioned Other groups in the inscription are them by name, the Israelites must designated as territorial cityMerneptah’s Stela: the 13th have been there for an extended states. Only Israel is referred to as century Pharaoh mentioned “the period of time. 13th century a people—hence, they must have people of Israel” as inhabitants of approach cannot account for been newcomers to area. 15th Palestine length of time necessary for such century date leaves too much recognition. time.

Approaching Exodus •

What historical issues do we find with Exodus? •

Route of the exodus •

While Rameses and Succoth (Exo 12:37) can be identified with confidence, none of the other place names can.



“The Red Sea” (Exo 13:18; 15:4)? •

The Hebrew could be rendered “Sea of Reeds”; but it could also be rendered “Sea of the End” (the sea at the end of the land of Egypt). •

If former, there were several freshwater lakes where reeds were found: Menzaleh, Ballah, Timsah, and the Bitter Lakes.



If latter, then the crossing was at the northern tip of the Red Sea/Gulf of Suez.

Approaching Exodus •

What historical issues do we find with Exodus? •

Route of the exodus •

Three different routes: •

Northern—this was “the way of the Sea”; the Bible expressly tells us that the Israelites did not take that route (Exodus 13:18)



Central—this hypothesis locates Mt Sinai somewhere in NW Saudi Arabia; the scenes of Exodus 19 related to volcanic activity



Southern—the traditional route: general identification of Mt Sinai with Jebel Musa, a mountain near the southern tip of Sinai Peninsula.

Exodus: Content •

God hears and remembers his covenant (1-2)



We have to remember that the central actor/redeemer in Exodus is not Moses, but God himself: •

God had told Abraham that the situation would be thus (1:13-14; cf. Genesis 15:13)



God had told Jacob to go down to Egypt where he would make him a great nation (1:1-7; cf. Genesis 46:1-4)



God provided for himself a mediator through a miraculous birth and preservation (2; cf. Matthew 1-2)



God hears and knows Israel’s groaning and crying; he remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and acts (2:23-25)

Exodus: Content •

God comes down and delivers his people (3-4) •

God explicitly says that he has “come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land” (3:7-8)



But God delivers through a mediator: Moses.

Exodus: Content •

God comes down and delivers his people (3-4) •



He answers Moses’ objections… •

With his presence (3:11-12)



With his name (3:13-18)



With signs of his power (4:1-9)

God also knows that Pharaoh won’t let them go—it was part of God’s sovereign purpose to gain glory over Egypt and to plunder them (as he had promised Abraham: Genesis 15:14).

Exodus: Content •

God redeems his people (4:1-15:21) •

Notice that this is a battle over firstborn sons (4:21-23)



Reminder about who is truly the redeemer (6:2-8)



Plagues (7-10): •

three triads with the final climax



pattern: the Lord speaks; the plague described; the plague happens; interaction with Pharaoh; commentary on Pharaoh’s heart

Exodus: Content •

God redeems his people (4:1-15:21) •



Passover (11-13): •

election, covenant, sign



firstborn lambs in place of firstborn sons (12:1-28, 13:1-2, 13)

Power (13-15)

Exodus: Content •

God leads his people (15-18) •



A new set of trials/tests: water (Marah); food (wilderness of Sin); water (Rephidim)

God instructs his people (19-40) •

The rest of the book takes place at Mt. Sinai



Grace, then law (Exo 19:4-6; 20:1-17)