*In this book, we find no information about Satan, demons, heaven, hell, or an afterlife. People still lived an unusual length of time, into their 130's. Rewards and punishments are earthly. Death and excommunication are common forms of punishment.
* Angels rarely appear. Sometimes they are called Angels of the lord and speak to Moses. One was around the burning bush. One is called the destroyer, and kills the Egyptian first born. The one that will go ahead of the Israelites and pester the people in the promised land is called God's terror and the hornet. Angels no longer appear in human like bodies.
*There is no concrete extra- biblical evidence for any of the events or main characters. The Pharoahs of Exodus are not named and it is impossible to know who they might have been. The archaeology of the relevant time periods give no indication of any event similar to the exodus. There is no evidence of a series of plagues or the sudden departure of over a million people. There is no evidence that Moses ever existed. There is no physical evidence that over a million people and their flocks, wandered around in the desert at that time. If nothing else, there should be numerous piles of quail bones.
*The events surrounding the Exodus would have caused a major economic collapse for the Egyptians. There is no evidence of such a collapse. Over a million people (The population of Austin, Texas.) living, camping, and traveling together in the desert is a practical impossibility.
*The book speaks of Moses and the events in Exodus in third person, and displays knowledge of events beyond the lifetime of Moses. It can not have been written by Moses. If it was, it would not have been written in Hebrew. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Israelites originated in Canaan and did not spend any significant time in Egypt. Also, the book does not claim to be the word of God.
*The Israelites are said to be hungry and are given manna from heaven, yet they have animals enough for a significant number of sacrifices. They also have flour for unleavened bread.
*The tabernacle and religious paraphernalia is very similar to those things used by other ancient religions. The verses claimed to be the Ten Commandments do not appear to be anything like the traditional commandments we have come to know. Three yearly feasts and the observance of the Sabbath have been instituted and an elite priesthood has been established.
Note: I thank you if you have been reading along. Please feel free to share this site with others you think might be interested. Next up- Leviticus. That promises to be interesting. As with Genesis and Exodus, I will try to read it as though I am encountering it with fresh eyes. We will keep looking at how it measures up to reality.
Edited to add an interesting video that I've watched recently: Matt Dilihunty in Atheist Debates- Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.
Showing posts with label Pharoah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pharoah. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
The God of Exodus
Now that we are finished with Exodus, let's look at how God was portrayed in that book.
*God (Yahweh) speaks only to Moses, most of the time, but everyone else is expected to believe him. The Egyptians and the Israelites do not appear to have heard of Yahweh before. It is explained that he is the same God Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshipped, but they called him God almighty. It seems that Yahweh had not appeared to anyone else for over 400 years. He considers the Israelites his " first born."
* God says his name is "I am" but the Hebrew Scriptures, including Exodus, call him Yahweh, which supposedly means " he is."
*God talks from a burning bush that is not burnt up, on a mountain that belongs to him. He tries to kill Moses for an unknown reason, but stops when Zipporah touches Moses with their son's foreskin. He sends plagues and hardens Pharoah's heart. He puts power in Moses's staff.
*He travels in a pillar of cloud and fire, and looks down from it. He does not concern himself with any other people besides the Israelites. In fact, he favors them to the extent of promising to drive people groups out of their homelands so the Israelites can take over. He still expects animal sacrifices, and still likes the smell of burnt offerings. He expects people to wave some offerings in front of him.
*God is personally responsible for the deaths of all the first born males in Egypt, plus their livestock. He is also responsible for the deaths of over six hundred Egyptian soldiers.
*Chapter 15 says Yahweh is a warrior. He says he is a jealous God. All other gods must not be worshipped, but he does not say they don't exist. He expects obedience, or death is likely to ensue. He gets angry with the Israelites but Moses is able to talk him out of destroying them.
*God says he is compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, but he will punish children for the sins of the fathers down to the third and fourth generation.
*In various places, God is said to have a hand, a finger, feet, a back, and a face. They seem to be literal in context. He also has something called "glory" which people can not look at. He can speak, hear and smell, but does not seem to do any walking, eating, or other physical activity. He also carves stone with his finger. Conversing with him makes Moses glow.
*He gives elaborate instructions for the construction of religious items to be used in his service.
*God (Yahweh) speaks only to Moses, most of the time, but everyone else is expected to believe him. The Egyptians and the Israelites do not appear to have heard of Yahweh before. It is explained that he is the same God Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshipped, but they called him God almighty. It seems that Yahweh had not appeared to anyone else for over 400 years. He considers the Israelites his " first born."
* God says his name is "I am" but the Hebrew Scriptures, including Exodus, call him Yahweh, which supposedly means " he is."
*God talks from a burning bush that is not burnt up, on a mountain that belongs to him. He tries to kill Moses for an unknown reason, but stops when Zipporah touches Moses with their son's foreskin. He sends plagues and hardens Pharoah's heart. He puts power in Moses's staff.
*He travels in a pillar of cloud and fire, and looks down from it. He does not concern himself with any other people besides the Israelites. In fact, he favors them to the extent of promising to drive people groups out of their homelands so the Israelites can take over. He still expects animal sacrifices, and still likes the smell of burnt offerings. He expects people to wave some offerings in front of him.
*God is personally responsible for the deaths of all the first born males in Egypt, plus their livestock. He is also responsible for the deaths of over six hundred Egyptian soldiers.
*Chapter 15 says Yahweh is a warrior. He says he is a jealous God. All other gods must not be worshipped, but he does not say they don't exist. He expects obedience, or death is likely to ensue. He gets angry with the Israelites but Moses is able to talk him out of destroying them.
*God says he is compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, but he will punish children for the sins of the fathers down to the third and fourth generation.
*In various places, God is said to have a hand, a finger, feet, a back, and a face. They seem to be literal in context. He also has something called "glory" which people can not look at. He can speak, hear and smell, but does not seem to do any walking, eating, or other physical activity. He also carves stone with his finger. Conversing with him makes Moses glow.
*He gives elaborate instructions for the construction of religious items to be used in his service.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Exodus chapter 14
After reading chapter 14:
*Then Yahweh told Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in another spot, this was to fake out Pharoah and make him think they don't know what they are doing. Yahweh was doing this to prove himself to the Egyptians. When Pharoah was told that the Israelites had fled, he changed his mind because he realized he had lost all that slave labor. He took an army of six hundred chariots, plus chariots with officers, and chased after the million-plus Israelites.
*The Israelites were terrified and accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to die. They had told him they would rather stay in Egypt and serve the Pharoah. Moses told them not to be afraid because God would fight for them. Yahweh asked what Moses was fussing about and ordered him to raise his magic staff and part the waters of the sea, so they could cross on dry ground. God would make the Egyptians follow and teach them a lesson they would never forget.
*The pillar of cloud they had been following then moved from in front of them to behind them and came between the Israelites and the Egyptians, obscuring the Egyptian's view. So, they did not get any nearer during the night. Moses stretched out his hand and a strong east wind drove back the waters and dried the land. This is the same direction the wind that brought the locusts came from. All million- plus Israelites crossed through the sea between walls of water. The Egyptians followed them into the sea. Just before dawn, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud. (Aha!) He threw them into confusion by making the wheels fall off their chariots. After that, the Egyptians were eager to get out of there.
*Yahweh told Moses to stretch out his hand and at daybreak the water went back to its usual place. The entire Egyptian army was annihilated. In the meantime, over a million people had crossed over on dry land. When the Israelites saw the dead Egyptians on the shore they trusted Yahweh, with Moses as his servant. There is no reason to believe this ever happened.
How much is a million? (Video)
To put it in perspective, San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas, have populations of about one million. A million people is more than just a mob. Imagine one person herding that many people who didn't want to be herded, not to mention women and children on foot, plus herds of animals. The logistics are mind boggling, and frankly unbelievable. Think about what it is like trying to get to the parking lot after a large concert or football game, multiply that by a factor of 100, throw in herds of sheep and goats.
Last edited 9/12/15
*Then Yahweh told Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in another spot, this was to fake out Pharoah and make him think they don't know what they are doing. Yahweh was doing this to prove himself to the Egyptians. When Pharoah was told that the Israelites had fled, he changed his mind because he realized he had lost all that slave labor. He took an army of six hundred chariots, plus chariots with officers, and chased after the million-plus Israelites.
*The Israelites were terrified and accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to die. They had told him they would rather stay in Egypt and serve the Pharoah. Moses told them not to be afraid because God would fight for them. Yahweh asked what Moses was fussing about and ordered him to raise his magic staff and part the waters of the sea, so they could cross on dry ground. God would make the Egyptians follow and teach them a lesson they would never forget.
*The pillar of cloud they had been following then moved from in front of them to behind them and came between the Israelites and the Egyptians, obscuring the Egyptian's view. So, they did not get any nearer during the night. Moses stretched out his hand and a strong east wind drove back the waters and dried the land. This is the same direction the wind that brought the locusts came from. All million- plus Israelites crossed through the sea between walls of water. The Egyptians followed them into the sea. Just before dawn, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud. (Aha!) He threw them into confusion by making the wheels fall off their chariots. After that, the Egyptians were eager to get out of there.
*Yahweh told Moses to stretch out his hand and at daybreak the water went back to its usual place. The entire Egyptian army was annihilated. In the meantime, over a million people had crossed over on dry land. When the Israelites saw the dead Egyptians on the shore they trusted Yahweh, with Moses as his servant. There is no reason to believe this ever happened.
How much is a million? (Video)
To put it in perspective, San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas, have populations of about one million. A million people is more than just a mob. Imagine one person herding that many people who didn't want to be herded, not to mention women and children on foot, plus herds of animals. The logistics are mind boggling, and frankly unbelievable. Think about what it is like trying to get to the parking lot after a large concert or football game, multiply that by a factor of 100, throw in herds of sheep and goats.
Last edited 9/12/15
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Exodus chapter 12 part 2
*It was still night when Pharoah summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to take the Israelites and all their possessions and get out of Egypt. He wanted a blessing too! The Egyptians hurried them along and gave them whatever they asked for on their way out. The text says it was because they were "favorably disposed" toward the people. Yeah, right. It also says the Israelites plundered Egypt.
*There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, not including women and children. That would be at least a million people. Verse 38 says there were others as well. The study bible speculates that some Egyptians went with them. I think, if it happened, it would probably have been their personal servants (slaves). However, there is absolutely no evidence that such an event ever happened. If you combine the plagues with the absence of over a million people, there should be evidence of a large scale economic collapse around that time.
*We are told that the Israelites left Egypt exactly 430 years from the day they entered. As I mentioned in the article in Exodus chapter 1, it would have been approximately 1337 B.C.E., if we begin counting from Bishop Ussher's date of 4,004 B.C.E. The Pharoahs who lived in and around this supposed time period are all accounted for in archaeological evidence. The Israelites in Egypt are not.
*Before the end of the chapter, the story of the Exodus is interrupted by more instructions about how to properly observe the Passover in the future. No foreigners, temporary residents, or hired workers may eat it. Slaves can, if they are circumcised. Any male non-Israelites wanting to celebrate the Passover must be circumcised. The Passover has to be eaten inside a house and no bones may be broken. These are strange instructions for a group of people who are themselves foreigners and temporary residents at the moment. They also no longer have houses.
*Before the end of the chapter, the story of the Exodus is interrupted by more instructions about how to properly observe the Passover in the future. No foreigners, temporary residents, or hired workers may eat it. Slaves can, if they are circumcised. Any male non-Israelites wanting to celebrate the Passover must be circumcised. The Passover has to be eaten inside a house and no bones may be broken. These are strange instructions for a group of people who are themselves foreigners and temporary residents at the moment. They also no longer have houses.
Exodus chapter 12 part 1
After reading Exodus chapter 12:
*Moses has just left Pharoah after telling him that at midnight every firstborn son would die. In the first part of chapter 12, Yahweh gives Moses instructions on how to annually commemorate the "Passover" which hasn't happened yet. The instructions are given as though it has already occurred.
*The month of these events is to be the first month of the Israelite year from now on. On the tenth day of the month, a young, unblemished, male goat or sheep is to be selected and saved to be slaughtered on the fourteen day of that month. The blood of the lamb is to be painted on the door frames of the houses in which the lamb is eaten. The meat is to be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Every bit is to be consumed or burnt. It is to be eaten in a hurry in traveling clothes.
*Verses 12-13 are written as though Passover hasn't happened yet. That night God will kill all the firstborn Egyptians and animals. (Even though the animals have already been killed in previous chapters) God will pass over the houses with blood on the door frames. The people inside them will not be harmed. Yahweh will bring judgement on the gods of Egypt. Does he say the gods of Egypt don't exist and he is the only God? Nope.
*With verse 14 we are back to how these events will be commemorated in the future as a lasting ordinance. For seven days they will eat unleavened bread. Yeast is to be removed from the house on the first day and anyone who eats yeast from the first to the seventh days is to be cut off from Israel. (Harsh. I wonder if that sentence has ever been carried out.) There will be a sacred assembly on the first and seventh days. In between that, no work will be done, except for food preparation. This is called the feast of unleavened bread and commemorates God bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, even though it hasn't happened yet. Verses 18-20 are a repetion of the previous instructions with slightly different wording.
*In verse 21, Moses repeats god's instructions about the lamb and the blood to the Israelites. He tells them to make sure they stay indoors and God will not let the destroyer get them. Sounds like a child's worst nightmare. We are not told who or what the destroyer is. Moses tells the Israelites to make sure they keep this ceremony and explain it to their children when they get to the land he promised them. Then the people bowed down and worshipped. They did what Moses said. At midnight all the firstborn of Egypt from the throne to the prison, plus the non-existent livestock, were killed by Yahweh. There was loud wailing in Egypt. No kidding. I wonder if the Egyptians were still favorably disposed to the Israelites after that.
*After reading the bible this far, one might get the idea that God doesn't like firstborn males very much. Oddly enough, Pharoah himself should have been a firstborn son, but he didn't die. Maybe he got off on a technicality.
*Moses has just left Pharoah after telling him that at midnight every firstborn son would die. In the first part of chapter 12, Yahweh gives Moses instructions on how to annually commemorate the "Passover" which hasn't happened yet. The instructions are given as though it has already occurred.
*The month of these events is to be the first month of the Israelite year from now on. On the tenth day of the month, a young, unblemished, male goat or sheep is to be selected and saved to be slaughtered on the fourteen day of that month. The blood of the lamb is to be painted on the door frames of the houses in which the lamb is eaten. The meat is to be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Every bit is to be consumed or burnt. It is to be eaten in a hurry in traveling clothes.
*Verses 12-13 are written as though Passover hasn't happened yet. That night God will kill all the firstborn Egyptians and animals. (Even though the animals have already been killed in previous chapters) God will pass over the houses with blood on the door frames. The people inside them will not be harmed. Yahweh will bring judgement on the gods of Egypt. Does he say the gods of Egypt don't exist and he is the only God? Nope.
*With verse 14 we are back to how these events will be commemorated in the future as a lasting ordinance. For seven days they will eat unleavened bread. Yeast is to be removed from the house on the first day and anyone who eats yeast from the first to the seventh days is to be cut off from Israel. (Harsh. I wonder if that sentence has ever been carried out.) There will be a sacred assembly on the first and seventh days. In between that, no work will be done, except for food preparation. This is called the feast of unleavened bread and commemorates God bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, even though it hasn't happened yet. Verses 18-20 are a repetion of the previous instructions with slightly different wording.
*In verse 21, Moses repeats god's instructions about the lamb and the blood to the Israelites. He tells them to make sure they stay indoors and God will not let the destroyer get them. Sounds like a child's worst nightmare. We are not told who or what the destroyer is. Moses tells the Israelites to make sure they keep this ceremony and explain it to their children when they get to the land he promised them. Then the people bowed down and worshipped. They did what Moses said. At midnight all the firstborn of Egypt from the throne to the prison, plus the non-existent livestock, were killed by Yahweh. There was loud wailing in Egypt. No kidding. I wonder if the Egyptians were still favorably disposed to the Israelites after that.
*After reading the bible this far, one might get the idea that God doesn't like firstborn males very much. Oddly enough, Pharoah himself should have been a firstborn son, but he didn't die. Maybe he got off on a technicality.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Exodus chapter 11
After reading chapter 11:
* Yahweh tells Moses there will be one more plague and it will make Pharoah drive the Israelites out of Egypt. When they go, they are to ask their neighbors, who are presumably Egyptians, for their silver and gold. Apparently most of the Egyptians liked Moses and the Israelites, except for Pharoah. What??? This makes no sense, considering that Moses is responsible for calling on God to bring plagues upon the land. The Egyptian people supposedly no longer have any livestock or produce. They have endured boils, insect bites, putrid water, and three days of darkness. Yet, they are so "favorably disposed" to the Israelites they would be willing to give them riches? Does this sound like reality to you?
*Apparently, before Moses left Pharoah in chapter 10, he told Pharoah that Yahweh said he would kill every first born son in Egypt, including Pharoah's son. He would kill all the first born cattle too. (What cattle?! See chapter 9.) Nothing would happen to the Israelites because God can tell the difference between an Israelite and an Egyptian. (DNA?) Moses predicted that Pharoah's officials would come to him and beg the Israelites to leave. But God hardened Pharoah's heart and he would not let the Israelites leave.
* Yahweh tells Moses there will be one more plague and it will make Pharoah drive the Israelites out of Egypt. When they go, they are to ask their neighbors, who are presumably Egyptians, for their silver and gold. Apparently most of the Egyptians liked Moses and the Israelites, except for Pharoah. What??? This makes no sense, considering that Moses is responsible for calling on God to bring plagues upon the land. The Egyptian people supposedly no longer have any livestock or produce. They have endured boils, insect bites, putrid water, and three days of darkness. Yet, they are so "favorably disposed" to the Israelites they would be willing to give them riches? Does this sound like reality to you?
*Apparently, before Moses left Pharoah in chapter 10, he told Pharoah that Yahweh said he would kill every first born son in Egypt, including Pharoah's son. He would kill all the first born cattle too. (What cattle?! See chapter 9.) Nothing would happen to the Israelites because God can tell the difference between an Israelite and an Egyptian. (DNA?) Moses predicted that Pharoah's officials would come to him and beg the Israelites to leave. But God hardened Pharoah's heart and he would not let the Israelites leave.
Exodus chapter 10
After reading chapter 10:
*God tells Moses he has hardened Pharoah's heart so that some day the Israelites will have exciting stories to tell their grandchildren. Then Moses and Aaron go threaten Pharoah with locusts like he had never seen before. Pharoah's officials advise him to let the Israelites go, Egypt is already ruined because of them.
*Pharoah tells Moses and Aaron they can go worship their God. Then he asks, "By the way, who is going with you?" Moses says that all the Israelites and their livestock are going to celebrate a festival to Yahweh. Pharoah thinks they are up to no good and says only the men can go. Then Moses and Aaron are kicked out. Moses stretches out his magic hand and God made an east wind bring in hordes of locusts. They covered everything. They ate everything that had been left after the hail. Even though the hail had supposedly stripped all the leaves from the trees, this time they were really really destroyed. Pharoah called Moses and Aaron back and asked them to pray for the locusts to go away. They did, and God sent a west wind to blow all the locusts into the Red Sea. Pharoah still would not let Moses and his people go.
*God tells Moses to stretch out his hand toward the sky and a darkness that can be felt will cover Egypt. The darkness was so thick that none of the Egyptians could see anyone else for three days. The Israelites, however, had light where they lived. Then Pharoah told them they could all go to worship Yahweh, but they had to leave the animals behind. Moses said all the animals must go because they had no idea what God would want for a sacrifice once they got to the desert. (Excuses, excuses.) Pharoah wasn't willing to let all those people and animals go. Pharoah told Moses to go away from his sight and never come back or he would be killed. Moses said, "As you wish."
* I notice that in the last few chapters Moses is no longer using his staff, but his hand. He also appears to be relying on Aaron less. I wonder where Moses was staying during this time. Did he travel back and forth constantly between Goshen and the capital city where the Pharoah lived? Or did he camp out in front of the palace?
Last edited 9/12/15
*God tells Moses he has hardened Pharoah's heart so that some day the Israelites will have exciting stories to tell their grandchildren. Then Moses and Aaron go threaten Pharoah with locusts like he had never seen before. Pharoah's officials advise him to let the Israelites go, Egypt is already ruined because of them.
*Pharoah tells Moses and Aaron they can go worship their God. Then he asks, "By the way, who is going with you?" Moses says that all the Israelites and their livestock are going to celebrate a festival to Yahweh. Pharoah thinks they are up to no good and says only the men can go. Then Moses and Aaron are kicked out. Moses stretches out his magic hand and God made an east wind bring in hordes of locusts. They covered everything. They ate everything that had been left after the hail. Even though the hail had supposedly stripped all the leaves from the trees, this time they were really really destroyed. Pharoah called Moses and Aaron back and asked them to pray for the locusts to go away. They did, and God sent a west wind to blow all the locusts into the Red Sea. Pharoah still would not let Moses and his people go.
*God tells Moses to stretch out his hand toward the sky and a darkness that can be felt will cover Egypt. The darkness was so thick that none of the Egyptians could see anyone else for three days. The Israelites, however, had light where they lived. Then Pharoah told them they could all go to worship Yahweh, but they had to leave the animals behind. Moses said all the animals must go because they had no idea what God would want for a sacrifice once they got to the desert. (Excuses, excuses.) Pharoah wasn't willing to let all those people and animals go. Pharoah told Moses to go away from his sight and never come back or he would be killed. Moses said, "As you wish."
* I notice that in the last few chapters Moses is no longer using his staff, but his hand. He also appears to be relying on Aaron less. I wonder where Moses was staying during this time. Did he travel back and forth constantly between Goshen and the capital city where the Pharoah lived? Or did he camp out in front of the palace?
Last edited 9/12/15
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Exodus chapter 9
After reading chapter 9:
*God tells Moses to tell Pharoah there will be a plague on all the livestock if he doesn't let the Iraelites go. The Israelites' animals would not be affected. The next day, all the Egyptian livestock died, the Israelite livestock did not die. Pharoah still would not let the people go.
*Then God told Moses to take soot from a furnace and toss it into the air in front of Pharoah. The soot would become fine dust and cause festering boils on all the men and animals in Egypt. (Wait a minute, weren't all the animals dead from the previous plague?) Even the magicians had boils. Pharoah still would not let the people go. Today we know that boils are caused by bacteria.
*Now God tells Moses to tell Pharoah he hasn't seen anything yet. God is now going to unleash the full force of his plagues. If he wanted to, he could wipe them out. In fact it was God who made them great, just so he could perform this demonstration of his power. The next show would be the hailstorm of all hailstorms. They better bring their livestock and slaves indoors. (Um, what livestock??) So, Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and there was a violent hailstorm. All the livestock left outdoors was struck. (again) Everything growing in the fields was beat down and all the trees were stripped, but not where the Israelites lived. We are told it was just the barley and flax that had been destroyed, not the wheat and spelt.
*Pharoah summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, "Yahweh is right, we are wrong. Make it stop hailing and you can go." Moses went out of the city and spread his hands toward the lord (Where is that?). The hail stopped and Pharoah changed his mind. He wouldn't let the Israelites go.
*God tells Moses to tell Pharoah there will be a plague on all the livestock if he doesn't let the Iraelites go. The Israelites' animals would not be affected. The next day, all the Egyptian livestock died, the Israelite livestock did not die. Pharoah still would not let the people go.
*Then God told Moses to take soot from a furnace and toss it into the air in front of Pharoah. The soot would become fine dust and cause festering boils on all the men and animals in Egypt. (Wait a minute, weren't all the animals dead from the previous plague?) Even the magicians had boils. Pharoah still would not let the people go. Today we know that boils are caused by bacteria.
*Now God tells Moses to tell Pharoah he hasn't seen anything yet. God is now going to unleash the full force of his plagues. If he wanted to, he could wipe them out. In fact it was God who made them great, just so he could perform this demonstration of his power. The next show would be the hailstorm of all hailstorms. They better bring their livestock and slaves indoors. (Um, what livestock??) So, Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and there was a violent hailstorm. All the livestock left outdoors was struck. (again) Everything growing in the fields was beat down and all the trees were stripped, but not where the Israelites lived. We are told it was just the barley and flax that had been destroyed, not the wheat and spelt.
*Pharoah summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, "Yahweh is right, we are wrong. Make it stop hailing and you can go." Moses went out of the city and spread his hands toward the lord (Where is that?). The hail stopped and Pharoah changed his mind. He wouldn't let the Israelites go.
Exodus chapter 8
After reading chapter 8:
*Seven days passed from the Nile turning into blood. God told Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites go or there would be a plague of frogs. Then God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch his hand over the waters of Egypt and frogs came up and covered the land. Pharoah's magicians were able to do the same thing. Pharoah asked Moses to pray to Yahweh to get rid of the frogs, then he would let the people go. Moses gave Pharoah the honor of choosing the time that the frogs would leave. For some crazy reason, Pharoah said tomorrow instead of right now. So, Moses asked God to get rid of the frogs and they all died, except for the ones in the Nile. However, Pharoah would not let the people go.
*Next, God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his hand over the dust and it would turn into gnats. Aaron did that. Pharoah's magicians were not able to match that trick. They told Pharoah it was the finger of God, but he still wouldn't let the Israelites go.
* I still don't get why God couldn't talk to Aaron directly. Maybe it has something to do with Moses being the favored younger brother.
*Seven days passed from the Nile turning into blood. God told Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites go or there would be a plague of frogs. Then God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch his hand over the waters of Egypt and frogs came up and covered the land. Pharoah's magicians were able to do the same thing. Pharoah asked Moses to pray to Yahweh to get rid of the frogs, then he would let the people go. Moses gave Pharoah the honor of choosing the time that the frogs would leave. For some crazy reason, Pharoah said tomorrow instead of right now. So, Moses asked God to get rid of the frogs and they all died, except for the ones in the Nile. However, Pharoah would not let the people go.
*Next, God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his hand over the dust and it would turn into gnats. Aaron did that. Pharoah's magicians were not able to match that trick. They told Pharoah it was the finger of God, but he still wouldn't let the Israelites go.
* I still don't get why God couldn't talk to Aaron directly. Maybe it has something to do with Moses being the favored younger brother.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Exodus chapter 7
After reading chapter 7:
*God tells Moses to tell Pharoah whatever God tells him. Moses balks. God says Moses will be like God and Aaron will be his messenger, telling Pharoah everything that God tells Moses. However, God will harden Pharoah's heart and no matter what miraculous signs occur, he will not listen. But God will teach the Egyptians a hard lesson, and will bring the Israelites out of Egypt. At this time, Moses was 80 and Aaron was 83, both well past retirement age. Notice that Moses was the younger brother.
*Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah and magically turned the staff into a snake. Pharoah's wise men were able to do the same thing with their staffs, but Aaron's snake swallowed up their snakes. Pharoah still wouldn't listen to them.
*Then God told Moses to take the staff to the River Nile when Pharoah went to the water. He was to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites go to worship Yahweh in the desert. Then, as proof of God, when Moses stretched his staff out over the water, all the water in Egypt would turn to blood and all the fish would die. No Egyptians would be able to drink the water. It happened just that way. However, Pharoah's magicians were able to perform the same trick. So, he wouldn't let the Israelites go.
*God tells Moses to tell Pharoah whatever God tells him. Moses balks. God says Moses will be like God and Aaron will be his messenger, telling Pharoah everything that God tells Moses. However, God will harden Pharoah's heart and no matter what miraculous signs occur, he will not listen. But God will teach the Egyptians a hard lesson, and will bring the Israelites out of Egypt. At this time, Moses was 80 and Aaron was 83, both well past retirement age. Notice that Moses was the younger brother.
*Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah and magically turned the staff into a snake. Pharoah's wise men were able to do the same thing with their staffs, but Aaron's snake swallowed up their snakes. Pharoah still wouldn't listen to them.
*Then God told Moses to take the staff to the River Nile when Pharoah went to the water. He was to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites go to worship Yahweh in the desert. Then, as proof of God, when Moses stretched his staff out over the water, all the water in Egypt would turn to blood and all the fish would die. No Egyptians would be able to drink the water. It happened just that way. However, Pharoah's magicians were able to perform the same trick. So, he wouldn't let the Israelites go.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Exodus chapter 6 Part 1
After reading chapter 6:
*Yaweh says now Moses will see what he will do to Pharoah to make him let the Israelites go. Oh, and by the way, he is the same God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped. They just called him something else, "God almighty," not Yahweh. He's the god that made the covenant to give them the land of Canaan. After hearing the trouble the Israelites were in, he remembered the covenant.
*The word God in God almighty is another form of El, the Canaanite high God. Of course the God of the land of Canaan could decide who he wanted to live in that land, right? What the bible does not tell you is that many gods in ancient times were generally fixtures of geography. Egyptian gods would be worshipped in Egypt, Canaanite gods would be worshipped in Canaan. There were also times when one people group would say to another, hey this particular God of yours looks just like that particular God of mine, they must be the same God! This happened to the Greeks and Romans, because the Romans happened to admire Greek culture. Yahweh says he's the same God as El. We will see later that Israelites definitely do not admire Canaanite culture, but they claim the land as their own, and generally speaking, the land comes with its own God. What we see from a purely historical point of view is that gods evolve along with culture.
*Continuing on with the story, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that he is going to be their God and will take them out of Egypt to the land he promised their forefathers. Moses told them, but they did not listen to him. Can you blame them? Then Yahweh tells Moses to go talk to Pharoah again. Moses does not want to go. Can you blame him? Why doesn't God talk directly to the Israelites or Pharoah? Why go through all this nonsense? Why can't they worship him in Egypt? These questions are unanswerable, unless you make up your own answers. Faith supplies answers that don't exist.
*Yaweh says now Moses will see what he will do to Pharoah to make him let the Israelites go. Oh, and by the way, he is the same God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob worshipped. They just called him something else, "God almighty," not Yahweh. He's the god that made the covenant to give them the land of Canaan. After hearing the trouble the Israelites were in, he remembered the covenant.
*The word God in God almighty is another form of El, the Canaanite high God. Of course the God of the land of Canaan could decide who he wanted to live in that land, right? What the bible does not tell you is that many gods in ancient times were generally fixtures of geography. Egyptian gods would be worshipped in Egypt, Canaanite gods would be worshipped in Canaan. There were also times when one people group would say to another, hey this particular God of yours looks just like that particular God of mine, they must be the same God! This happened to the Greeks and Romans, because the Romans happened to admire Greek culture. Yahweh says he's the same God as El. We will see later that Israelites definitely do not admire Canaanite culture, but they claim the land as their own, and generally speaking, the land comes with its own God. What we see from a purely historical point of view is that gods evolve along with culture.
*Continuing on with the story, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that he is going to be their God and will take them out of Egypt to the land he promised their forefathers. Moses told them, but they did not listen to him. Can you blame them? Then Yahweh tells Moses to go talk to Pharoah again. Moses does not want to go. Can you blame him? Why doesn't God talk directly to the Israelites or Pharoah? Why go through all this nonsense? Why can't they worship him in Egypt? These questions are unanswerable, unless you make up your own answers. Faith supplies answers that don't exist.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Exodus chapter 5
After reading chapter 5:
*Moses and Aaron go to Pharoah and tell him Yahweh wants his people to go to the desert and have a big party for him. Pharoah doesn't see why he should obey Yahweh, a God of whom he has never heard. They tell Pharoah they must go or bad things might happen. Pharoah tells them to stop wasting time and get back to work. Then, he arranges for the Hebrews' labor to be even more difficult so they will stop paying attention to Moses. The Israelite foremen complain to Pharoah about the harsh treatment. Pharoah says it is because they are lazy and gives them even more work. Then the people blame Moses and Aaron for their troubles. Moses goes back to Yahweh and complains about the situation.
*Today, the same question that Pharoah asks is still relevant. "Who is Yahweh that I should obey him?" Why should I take the word of a book written about 2,500 years ago that tells me a man named Moses once talked to Yahweh in the desert about 1,000 years before that? What does that have to do with me? My answer is: nothing.
*Moses and Aaron go to Pharoah and tell him Yahweh wants his people to go to the desert and have a big party for him. Pharoah doesn't see why he should obey Yahweh, a God of whom he has never heard. They tell Pharoah they must go or bad things might happen. Pharoah tells them to stop wasting time and get back to work. Then, he arranges for the Hebrews' labor to be even more difficult so they will stop paying attention to Moses. The Israelite foremen complain to Pharoah about the harsh treatment. Pharoah says it is because they are lazy and gives them even more work. Then the people blame Moses and Aaron for their troubles. Moses goes back to Yahweh and complains about the situation.
*Today, the same question that Pharoah asks is still relevant. "Who is Yahweh that I should obey him?" Why should I take the word of a book written about 2,500 years ago that tells me a man named Moses once talked to Yahweh in the desert about 1,000 years before that? What does that have to do with me? My answer is: nothing.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Exodus chapter 4 part 1
After reading chapter 4:
*Moses very practically asks what he should do if the Israelites don't believe him. So, Yahweh shows him how to magically turn his staff into a snake and back again. Then he learned how to turn his hand leprous and back again, as well as turning water into blood. These magic tricks were supposed to convince the people Moses had talked to God.
*Moses's next big objection was his lack of public speaking skills. God says he is personally responsible for whether people can speak, hear and see! (Don't complain if you are deaf, mute, or blind. God did it, no matter what the doctor says.) Moses really doesn't want to speak to the Israelites and tries to beg off. God suggests Aaron, Moses's brother, do the speaking. God will tell Moses what to say and Moses will tell Aaron. Gee, why couldn't God speak straight to Aaron?
*So, Moses, asked his father- in- law for permission to go back to Egypt. Then he loaded his wife and sons on a donkey. He also took the magical staff, which is now called "the staff of God" but had once been just a plain old staff.
*Yahweh tells Moses to perform the miracles for Pharoah. However, Pharoah will not let the people go because God will harden his heart! This heart hardening is the subject of lots of speculation and theological debate. We will not philosophize, but assume that it means what it says: God was responsible for Pharoah's heart being hardened and everything else that followed. Nevertheless, Pharoah is to be held responsible for not letting the Israelites, God's metaphorical "firstborn son," go to worship him. So, God will kill Pharoah's literal first born son. Harsh.
*Moses very practically asks what he should do if the Israelites don't believe him. So, Yahweh shows him how to magically turn his staff into a snake and back again. Then he learned how to turn his hand leprous and back again, as well as turning water into blood. These magic tricks were supposed to convince the people Moses had talked to God.
*Moses's next big objection was his lack of public speaking skills. God says he is personally responsible for whether people can speak, hear and see! (Don't complain if you are deaf, mute, or blind. God did it, no matter what the doctor says.) Moses really doesn't want to speak to the Israelites and tries to beg off. God suggests Aaron, Moses's brother, do the speaking. God will tell Moses what to say and Moses will tell Aaron. Gee, why couldn't God speak straight to Aaron?
*So, Moses, asked his father- in- law for permission to go back to Egypt. Then he loaded his wife and sons on a donkey. He also took the magical staff, which is now called "the staff of God" but had once been just a plain old staff.
*Yahweh tells Moses to perform the miracles for Pharoah. However, Pharoah will not let the people go because God will harden his heart! This heart hardening is the subject of lots of speculation and theological debate. We will not philosophize, but assume that it means what it says: God was responsible for Pharoah's heart being hardened and everything else that followed. Nevertheless, Pharoah is to be held responsible for not letting the Israelites, God's metaphorical "firstborn son," go to worship him. So, God will kill Pharoah's literal first born son. Harsh.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Exodus chapter 3
After reading chapter 3:
*In Chapter 2, Moses's father- in-law's name was Reuel, here it is Jethro. There us no Biblical explanation for the name change, it is just assumed to be the same person, because he was the priest of Midian. Anyway, Moses was tending his father- in- law's flocks when he came to Horeb "The mountain of God." Nobody today knows the exact location of Horeb, if it existed. There is only speculation. At the mountain, the angel of the lord ( yahweh) appeared to him in a bush that appeared to be burning, yet didn't burn up.
* God speaks to Moses from the bush. He tells Moses to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. This seems very silly to me. How is ground made holy? What does that mean? And what difference do shoes make? God tells Moses who he is, then Moses is afraid to look at him. He wasn't afraid before that. Then God tells Moses he has seen the plight of the Israelites and he wants to rescue them and give them a bunch of land that currently belongs to other people. God is sending Moses to the Pharoah to take his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. So here we have it. Out of all the people in the world, the Israelites are God's people. They now have favored nation status. Where was God for the four hundred years before that time?
*Moses is understandably dismayed. God promises to be with him and a special sign will be that when they people are brought out of Egypt, they will worship God on that very mountain. This seems like a very easily manufactured sign. Moses doesn't think the Israelites know who God is! He wants to know how to explain God to them. God says, "Just tell them I am who I am. ' I am ' has sent me to you. " Very convincing. So, God says "I am" is his forever name and how he wants to be remembered. He is rarely called that again in the whole bible. Instead he is called yahweh . My study bible says it mean "he is."
*So, Moses was to go to the elders of the Israelites and explain that the God of their long, long ago ancestors has been watching over them and has promised to help them get out of Egypt and move to the land of Canaan. They will believe him, and will go with him to the Pharoah to ask to be let go for a three day journey into the desert to sacrifice to their God, Yahweh. Because Yahweh can't be worshipped in Egypt? God already knows Pharoah will not agree to this, so he will strike the Egyptians with wonders. Then the Israelites will be let go. When the Israelites leave, the Egyptians, who are their neighbors and members of their households, will be happy to give them all their wealth.
*In Chapter 2, Moses's father- in-law's name was Reuel, here it is Jethro. There us no Biblical explanation for the name change, it is just assumed to be the same person, because he was the priest of Midian. Anyway, Moses was tending his father- in- law's flocks when he came to Horeb "The mountain of God." Nobody today knows the exact location of Horeb, if it existed. There is only speculation. At the mountain, the angel of the lord ( yahweh) appeared to him in a bush that appeared to be burning, yet didn't burn up.
* God speaks to Moses from the bush. He tells Moses to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. This seems very silly to me. How is ground made holy? What does that mean? And what difference do shoes make? God tells Moses who he is, then Moses is afraid to look at him. He wasn't afraid before that. Then God tells Moses he has seen the plight of the Israelites and he wants to rescue them and give them a bunch of land that currently belongs to other people. God is sending Moses to the Pharoah to take his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. So here we have it. Out of all the people in the world, the Israelites are God's people. They now have favored nation status. Where was God for the four hundred years before that time?
*Moses is understandably dismayed. God promises to be with him and a special sign will be that when they people are brought out of Egypt, they will worship God on that very mountain. This seems like a very easily manufactured sign. Moses doesn't think the Israelites know who God is! He wants to know how to explain God to them. God says, "Just tell them I am who I am. ' I am ' has sent me to you. " Very convincing. So, God says "I am" is his forever name and how he wants to be remembered. He is rarely called that again in the whole bible. Instead he is called yahweh . My study bible says it mean "he is."
*So, Moses was to go to the elders of the Israelites and explain that the God of their long, long ago ancestors has been watching over them and has promised to help them get out of Egypt and move to the land of Canaan. They will believe him, and will go with him to the Pharoah to ask to be let go for a three day journey into the desert to sacrifice to their God, Yahweh. Because Yahweh can't be worshipped in Egypt? God already knows Pharoah will not agree to this, so he will strike the Egyptians with wonders. Then the Israelites will be let go. When the Israelites leave, the Egyptians, who are their neighbors and members of their households, will be happy to give them all their wealth.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Exodus chapter 1
After reading chapter 1:
*We are reminded of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) and his seventy direct descendents, who all ended up in Egypt. They all died, but their descendents continued to multiply and prosper. A new king who did not remember Joseph came into power. It is no wonder he didn't remember; according to Exodus 12:40, 430 years went by before the Israelites left Egypt, making it approximately 1337 B.C.E. (If you count from the date that the Israelite clan was supposed to have entered Egypt and use Bishop Ussher's problematic year of creation, 4004 B.C.E. ) This was the time of Amenhotep IV, commonly known as Akhenaten. However, he is not one of the popular choices for the possible Pharaoh of Exodus. Sigmund Freud connected the exodus with Akhenaten in his book Moses and Monotheism. The events of this first chapter would have been about 80 years before the exodus. The Pharoah is never named in the book of Exodus.
*This new king was worried about how numerous the Israelites were becoming. He didn't want them to join forces with an enemy and start a war. So, he decided to enslave them and force them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses. The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied, the more they multiplied, the more they were oppressed. Then the king spoke to the Hebrew midwives,( who are named even though the Pharoah is not ) and told them to kill all the male babies that were born to the Hebrews when they were in attendance.
*The midwives did not kill the baby boys because they were afraid of God. They told Pharoah that Hebrew women easily bore healthy children without the help of midwives. The people continued to increase in number. Then the Pharoah gave an order to all his people to throw every boy that was born into the Nile River. The text doesn't say every Hebrew boy, but that is assumed.
*There is no concrete historical evidence of a large group of Israelites living in Ancient Egypt, or being enslaved by the Egyptians.
*We are reminded of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) and his seventy direct descendents, who all ended up in Egypt. They all died, but their descendents continued to multiply and prosper. A new king who did not remember Joseph came into power. It is no wonder he didn't remember; according to Exodus 12:40, 430 years went by before the Israelites left Egypt, making it approximately 1337 B.C.E. (If you count from the date that the Israelite clan was supposed to have entered Egypt and use Bishop Ussher's problematic year of creation, 4004 B.C.E. ) This was the time of Amenhotep IV, commonly known as Akhenaten. However, he is not one of the popular choices for the possible Pharaoh of Exodus. Sigmund Freud connected the exodus with Akhenaten in his book Moses and Monotheism. The events of this first chapter would have been about 80 years before the exodus. The Pharoah is never named in the book of Exodus.
*This new king was worried about how numerous the Israelites were becoming. He didn't want them to join forces with an enemy and start a war. So, he decided to enslave them and force them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses. The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied, the more they multiplied, the more they were oppressed. Then the king spoke to the Hebrew midwives,( who are named even though the Pharoah is not ) and told them to kill all the male babies that were born to the Hebrews when they were in attendance.
*The midwives did not kill the baby boys because they were afraid of God. They told Pharoah that Hebrew women easily bore healthy children without the help of midwives. The people continued to increase in number. Then the Pharoah gave an order to all his people to throw every boy that was born into the Nile River. The text doesn't say every Hebrew boy, but that is assumed.
*There is no concrete historical evidence of a large group of Israelites living in Ancient Egypt, or being enslaved by the Egyptians.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Genesis wrap up
What have we learned from the book of Genesis?
*We don't know who wrote this book or exactly when. Historians place its origin long after Moses would have lived. Nowhere does the book of Genesis claim it is God's word, or is inspired by God. Nor does it claim to be the words of Moses. The Hebrew language in which Genesis is written comes from approximately the 6th century B.C.E., about a thousand years after the last events recorded in the book. There are few place name anachronisms.
*We are not told anything about an afterlife, Hell, Satan, or demons. Everybody died and stayed dead, except Enoch.
*The God of Genesis is very powerful but not omnicient or omnipresent. He is able to do human activities like walking, talking, seeing, smelling, wrestling, and eating. He comes down to earth from some unknown place in the sky where he lives with some unknown others and angels. He likes dead animals, and the smell of roasting meat. He doesn't like grain sacrifices, tall towers, or clueless Pharoah's and kings. He doesn't seem to mind deceit, slavery, or the mistreatment of women. He needs to be reminded of his promises. His powers seem to be limited to being able to manipulate people and nature. He can be overpowered by a man. (Jacob) After God wrestles with Jacob, he no longer appears in physical form as a man. For the rest of the book, he is only seen in visions.
*Nothing derogatory is said about other gods. There are no prohibitions against worshiping other gods. Yahweh ( the lord) is said to be "Abraham's God, " not the only God.
*Angels look and act like regular people. They have a few powers. Sometimes they speak for God. We aren't told why he can't speak for himself.
*Circumcision is an everlasting covenant with all of Abraham's descendants who want to be part of the family and in on the promise of owning the land of Canaan. I underlined everlasting because about 2,000 years in the future a person named Paul will claim it is no longer necessary, and that it was actually just a metaphor. There is no indication in Genesis that circumcision is a metaphor for a spiritual state. It is an act of obedience, pure and simple.
*Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all enriched, with God's support, at the expense of others, by deceit.
*We are given the supposed names of dozens of rulers of petty Canaanite kingdoms, who lack any proof of their existence. We are not given any of the names of the at least three Pharoah's of Egypt mentioned in Genesis. This is in spite of the fact that Hebrew writing would not have existed in the time frame of Genesis and that Egypt is a rich source of recorded ancient history.
*The first few chapters are obviously mythological, containing completely unrealistic and magical creation events.
*There are no concrete extra biblical evidences for any of the main characters in the stories contained in Genesis. Many of the place names and people groups are also unknown to history, with a few notable exceptions. The events themselves are also impossible to verify. In fact, it is very reasonable to accept Genesis as an etiological story, written as folk lore for a people (Israelites) trying to forge an identity and explain how their world came to be the way it was at the time of the story's writing. Other people groups had their own explanations of the world and humanity. Today, we know that the history of humanity didn't really revolve around the Middle East. It just happened to have very effective propaganda.
*We don't know who wrote this book or exactly when. Historians place its origin long after Moses would have lived. Nowhere does the book of Genesis claim it is God's word, or is inspired by God. Nor does it claim to be the words of Moses. The Hebrew language in which Genesis is written comes from approximately the 6th century B.C.E., about a thousand years after the last events recorded in the book. There are few place name anachronisms.
*We are not told anything about an afterlife, Hell, Satan, or demons. Everybody died and stayed dead, except Enoch.
*The God of Genesis is very powerful but not omnicient or omnipresent. He is able to do human activities like walking, talking, seeing, smelling, wrestling, and eating. He comes down to earth from some unknown place in the sky where he lives with some unknown others and angels. He likes dead animals, and the smell of roasting meat. He doesn't like grain sacrifices, tall towers, or clueless Pharoah's and kings. He doesn't seem to mind deceit, slavery, or the mistreatment of women. He needs to be reminded of his promises. His powers seem to be limited to being able to manipulate people and nature. He can be overpowered by a man. (Jacob) After God wrestles with Jacob, he no longer appears in physical form as a man. For the rest of the book, he is only seen in visions.
*Nothing derogatory is said about other gods. There are no prohibitions against worshiping other gods. Yahweh ( the lord) is said to be "Abraham's God, " not the only God.
*Angels look and act like regular people. They have a few powers. Sometimes they speak for God. We aren't told why he can't speak for himself.
*Circumcision is an everlasting covenant with all of Abraham's descendants who want to be part of the family and in on the promise of owning the land of Canaan. I underlined everlasting because about 2,000 years in the future a person named Paul will claim it is no longer necessary, and that it was actually just a metaphor. There is no indication in Genesis that circumcision is a metaphor for a spiritual state. It is an act of obedience, pure and simple.
*Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all enriched, with God's support, at the expense of others, by deceit.
*We are given the supposed names of dozens of rulers of petty Canaanite kingdoms, who lack any proof of their existence. We are not given any of the names of the at least three Pharoah's of Egypt mentioned in Genesis. This is in spite of the fact that Hebrew writing would not have existed in the time frame of Genesis and that Egypt is a rich source of recorded ancient history.
*The first few chapters are obviously mythological, containing completely unrealistic and magical creation events.
*There are no concrete extra biblical evidences for any of the main characters in the stories contained in Genesis. Many of the place names and people groups are also unknown to history, with a few notable exceptions. The events themselves are also impossible to verify. In fact, it is very reasonable to accept Genesis as an etiological story, written as folk lore for a people (Israelites) trying to forge an identity and explain how their world came to be the way it was at the time of the story's writing. Other people groups had their own explanations of the world and humanity. Today, we know that the history of humanity didn't really revolve around the Middle East. It just happened to have very effective propaganda.
Genesis chapter 50
After reading chapter 50:
*Joseph mourned his father Jacob and embalmed him in the Egyptian way. Then, he asked Pharoah for permission to take his father's body back to Canaan to be buried. Pharoah gave permission. All the dignitaries of Egypt, Joseph's household, and Joseph's brothers went to bury Jacob. The children and flocks were left behind. I'm guessing the women were too.
*When they got near the Jordan River, they began a period of loud mourning. The locals noticed. Jacob was buried as he had asked to be, in the cave with his other relatives. After the burial, everyone returned to Egypt.
*Joseph's brothers began to worry that Joseph might be holding a grudge for what they did to him. Perhaps he hadn't acted on it because of their father. Now that dad was dead, what was he planning to do? So they sent a message to Joseph asking for forgiveness. Then, they went to Joseph and offered themselves as his slaves. Joseph said he was convinced God had planned everything that way on purpose so they would all live. He told them not to be afraid, he would continue to take care of them. I wonder how many people who weren't related to Jacob died in the famine. I guess God wasn't as concerned about their welfare.
*Joseph lived 110 years and became a great great grandfather. When he was about to die, he talked to his brothers, most of whom were older than he was. He made them swear an oath and told them that eventually God would come to their aid and help them leave Egypt to go to the land promised to their forefathers. When they did, they were to carry his bones with them. He died, was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt. The year would have been approximately 1696 B.C.E.
THE END
*Joseph mourned his father Jacob and embalmed him in the Egyptian way. Then, he asked Pharoah for permission to take his father's body back to Canaan to be buried. Pharoah gave permission. All the dignitaries of Egypt, Joseph's household, and Joseph's brothers went to bury Jacob. The children and flocks were left behind. I'm guessing the women were too.
*When they got near the Jordan River, they began a period of loud mourning. The locals noticed. Jacob was buried as he had asked to be, in the cave with his other relatives. After the burial, everyone returned to Egypt.
*Joseph's brothers began to worry that Joseph might be holding a grudge for what they did to him. Perhaps he hadn't acted on it because of their father. Now that dad was dead, what was he planning to do? So they sent a message to Joseph asking for forgiveness. Then, they went to Joseph and offered themselves as his slaves. Joseph said he was convinced God had planned everything that way on purpose so they would all live. He told them not to be afraid, he would continue to take care of them. I wonder how many people who weren't related to Jacob died in the famine. I guess God wasn't as concerned about their welfare.
*Joseph lived 110 years and became a great great grandfather. When he was about to die, he talked to his brothers, most of whom were older than he was. He made them swear an oath and told them that eventually God would come to their aid and help them leave Egypt to go to the land promised to their forefathers. When they did, they were to carry his bones with them. He died, was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt. The year would have been approximately 1696 B.C.E.
THE END
Friday, August 14, 2015
Genesis chapter 47
After reading chapter 47:
*So, Joseph tells Pharoah his brothers are shepherds and they will be staying in Goshen. Pharoah repeats this like it is his idea. Joseph presents his father to the Pharoah who asks how old he is. Jacob says he is 130 short and difficult years old. (Since Joseph would have been about 39, Jacob was 91 when he was born. ) Then Jacob blesses Pharoah and leaves. Joseph gives his family property in the best part of the land, plus all the food they need. The property was said to be in the "district of Rameses" which is an anachronism. No Rameses had been Pharoah yet, and would not be for a few hundred years. This would have been approximately 1767 B.C.E., if we follow biblical chronology.
*Here I have to say a word about chronology. I have departed from Bishop Ussher since Abraham was born and am doing my own calculations based solely on the information given in the text of Genesis. While researching, I found that many adjustments to the chronology were made based on traditions and other books of the bible, even from the New Testament. There was an assumption that this is the chronology of the lineage of the messiah, and that all the scriptures must not contradict each other. I make no such assumptions.
*The famine raged on. People from all over Egypt and Canaan gave their money to Joseph for food, til there was no money left. They begged for food, so Joseph began to take livestock in payment until there was no livestock left. They begged for food again, so Joseph began to take land in payment, until Pharoah owned all the land in Egypt. Joseph reduced the people to servitude. (Nice guy.) The priests were the only ones left with land because they received an allotment of food from Pharoah and did not need to sell their land.
*After Pharoah owned all the land, Joseph gave the people seed and said from whatever they harvested, one-fifth would belong to Pharoah and four-fifths to them. This became a permanent law. You may have heard the phrase " the king's fifth." The priests were exempt. Apparently, so were the Israelites. They had plenty to eat, acquired property, and increased in numbers.
*When Jacob was 147, he called Joseph to him to swear that he would not be buried in Egypt when he died. Joseph swore as his father asked with his hand under Jacob's "thigh." (Read: genitals. )
*So, Joseph tells Pharoah his brothers are shepherds and they will be staying in Goshen. Pharoah repeats this like it is his idea. Joseph presents his father to the Pharoah who asks how old he is. Jacob says he is 130 short and difficult years old. (Since Joseph would have been about 39, Jacob was 91 when he was born. ) Then Jacob blesses Pharoah and leaves. Joseph gives his family property in the best part of the land, plus all the food they need. The property was said to be in the "district of Rameses" which is an anachronism. No Rameses had been Pharoah yet, and would not be for a few hundred years. This would have been approximately 1767 B.C.E., if we follow biblical chronology.
*Here I have to say a word about chronology. I have departed from Bishop Ussher since Abraham was born and am doing my own calculations based solely on the information given in the text of Genesis. While researching, I found that many adjustments to the chronology were made based on traditions and other books of the bible, even from the New Testament. There was an assumption that this is the chronology of the lineage of the messiah, and that all the scriptures must not contradict each other. I make no such assumptions.
*The famine raged on. People from all over Egypt and Canaan gave their money to Joseph for food, til there was no money left. They begged for food, so Joseph began to take livestock in payment until there was no livestock left. They begged for food again, so Joseph began to take land in payment, until Pharoah owned all the land in Egypt. Joseph reduced the people to servitude. (Nice guy.) The priests were the only ones left with land because they received an allotment of food from Pharoah and did not need to sell their land.
*After Pharoah owned all the land, Joseph gave the people seed and said from whatever they harvested, one-fifth would belong to Pharoah and four-fifths to them. This became a permanent law. You may have heard the phrase " the king's fifth." The priests were exempt. Apparently, so were the Israelites. They had plenty to eat, acquired property, and increased in numbers.
*When Jacob was 147, he called Joseph to him to swear that he would not be buried in Egypt when he died. Joseph swore as his father asked with his hand under Jacob's "thigh." (Read: genitals. )
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Genesis chapter 46
Afte reading chapter 46:
*So, Jacob and his descendants living in Canaan, sixty-four males and two females, plus the wives of the males, packed up all their belongings and began the trek to Egypt. If Judah's two dead sons plus Joseph's sons in Egypt are counted, Jacob had 70 direct descendants, only two of them female. What are the odds?
*The daughters were apparently not married. Remember what happened when a Canaanite wanted to marry Dinah? One wonders where the wives of all the sons came from. Only Judah and Simeon are said to have had Canaanite wives.
*They stopped at Beersheba, where Jacob made a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. God appeared to him in a vision at night (a dream) and told him not to be afraid of going to Egypt. Then Jacob sent Judah ahead to ask Joseph for directions to Goshen. Joseph went to Goshen in his chariot to meet his father. When they saw each other, they had a very tearful reunion.
*Joseph said Pharoah would be told that they were shepherds which were detestable to the Egyptians. For some reason this would guarantee them a place to settle in Goshen. If we count all the wives and the unmentioned slaves, there must have been well over a hundred people in the group.
*So, Jacob and his descendants living in Canaan, sixty-four males and two females, plus the wives of the males, packed up all their belongings and began the trek to Egypt. If Judah's two dead sons plus Joseph's sons in Egypt are counted, Jacob had 70 direct descendants, only two of them female. What are the odds?
*The daughters were apparently not married. Remember what happened when a Canaanite wanted to marry Dinah? One wonders where the wives of all the sons came from. Only Judah and Simeon are said to have had Canaanite wives.
*They stopped at Beersheba, where Jacob made a sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. God appeared to him in a vision at night (a dream) and told him not to be afraid of going to Egypt. Then Jacob sent Judah ahead to ask Joseph for directions to Goshen. Joseph went to Goshen in his chariot to meet his father. When they saw each other, they had a very tearful reunion.
*Joseph said Pharoah would be told that they were shepherds which were detestable to the Egyptians. For some reason this would guarantee them a place to settle in Goshen. If we count all the wives and the unmentioned slaves, there must have been well over a hundred people in the group.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Genesis chapter 45
After reading chapter 45:
*After Judah pleads with Joseph, Joseph orders all his attendants to leave the room. He emotionally reveals himself to his brothers and they are terrified. He tells them not to worry about what they did to him in the past, God planned it that way so Joseph could save them from the famine that God created. (Gen. 21:28-32) God's ultimate goal was to "preserve a remnant" of this family, a theme that is echoed in other bible books.
*Joseph tells them that he is ruler over all of Egypt. The brothers must go get their father and bring him back, along with all their family members and possessions. They will live in the land of Goshen and Joseph will take care of them because there are still five years of famine left. He charges them to tell their father everything about his high position. Then everyone weeps and hugs and kisses each other.
*Pharoah is told of these events and is pleased. He offers the brothers help traveling to Canaan to get their father, and promises them everything they need and more. Everyone was loaded with gifts and sent on their way with an admonition not to quarrel along the way. When they got back to Canaan and told Jacob everything, he was stunned. At first he didn't believe them, but the rich gifts convinced him. He agreed to go to Egypt.
*This continues the pattern of each of the patriarchs of this family spending time in Egypt during famines, first Abraham, then Isaac, now Jacob (Israel). Abraham and Isaac were asked to leave. Joseph has been asked to stay.
*After Judah pleads with Joseph, Joseph orders all his attendants to leave the room. He emotionally reveals himself to his brothers and they are terrified. He tells them not to worry about what they did to him in the past, God planned it that way so Joseph could save them from the famine that God created. (Gen. 21:28-32) God's ultimate goal was to "preserve a remnant" of this family, a theme that is echoed in other bible books.
*Joseph tells them that he is ruler over all of Egypt. The brothers must go get their father and bring him back, along with all their family members and possessions. They will live in the land of Goshen and Joseph will take care of them because there are still five years of famine left. He charges them to tell their father everything about his high position. Then everyone weeps and hugs and kisses each other.
*Pharoah is told of these events and is pleased. He offers the brothers help traveling to Canaan to get their father, and promises them everything they need and more. Everyone was loaded with gifts and sent on their way with an admonition not to quarrel along the way. When they got back to Canaan and told Jacob everything, he was stunned. At first he didn't believe them, but the rich gifts convinced him. He agreed to go to Egypt.
*This continues the pattern of each of the patriarchs of this family spending time in Egypt during famines, first Abraham, then Isaac, now Jacob (Israel). Abraham and Isaac were asked to leave. Joseph has been asked to stay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)