Old Testament, Class 3 Moses & Exodus

September 30, 2015

Readings to prepare for the next class – October 14, 2015: Read Chapters 16-19

Introduction to the Old Testament

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Class ScheduleCLASS DATE: YEAR 2015 TOPIC

ONEWednesday 9/16/2015

Read Ch. 5-7: Boadt, Introduction to the Old Testament

Introduction, Readings, Tels, City Gates, Standing Stones

Article: “Interpreting the Bible: The Right & The Responsibility.”

Sandra SchneidersTWO

Wednesday 9/23/2015Read Ch. 8 & 9 Introduction to the OT

Genesis: Creation & Other Stories

THREE Wednesday 9/30/2015Read Ch. 12 & 15 Introduction to

the OT

Exodus, The Monarchy & Divided Kingdom

——— Wednesday 10/7/2015 NO CLASS | SPECIAL PROGRAM

FOUR Wednesday 10/14/2015Read Ch. 16-19 Introduction to the OT

Rabbi Shelley Waldenberg (Guest)The Master Story

FIVEWednesday 10/21/2015

Final Class - Finish other chapters! The Pre & Post Exilic Prophets

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Writing Assignment

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1. Email the completed essay to ray.oconnor@sacredsf.org1.1. Send the document as WORD or PAGES or PDF attachment to your email, OR1.2. Share the document via Google Drive

2.Be sure to include different references/citations:2.1. ONE from the class readings, 2.2.ONE from the class notes, and ONE from the Bible that supports what you write. 2.3.DO NOT USE OTHER SOURCES - books, Internet, articles, etc.

3.Finally, APPLY what you write to a pastoral situation in your church community in which you are currently engaged or may be engaged at some point.4.Not all the essays will be due on the same day. Some papers will be due on Wed. 9/30; ALL by Wed 10/14 [Email papers]. This gives me time to read your papers and get them back to you before our FINAL classes on 10/21.

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ILM Week 3 Moses 2014.key - September 30, 2015

Master Story: A General Overview (Next Week: Rabbi Shelley Waldenberg’s Lecture)

A.The Key to understanding Judaism is the Exodus from Egypt

B.Exodus as the Master Story for the Jewish People - An Early Worldview: 1. Around 1300 BCE all world religions/cultures saw

the world as controlled by the force of fate/destiny 2. There was free will, choice, human freedom 3. The Hebrew people get out of slavery . . . 4. Adonai & Shomeya ts´akot . . . 5. compassion, justice, freedom, and promise. . .

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D. Exodus 1 1. 70 descendants of Jacob find their way to Egypt 2. “Egypt” experience - Y’TSI-OT MITZ-RAYIM meaning, “exodus from Egypt & “a narrow place.” 3. Pharaoh will say, “Come, let us deal shrewdly with them . . .” (Ex 1:10) = US-THEM separation. (Recall Mark 9:38 & driving out of demons.) 4. The Hebrews multiplying frightens Pharaoh - fulfilling the 1st commandment [Mitzvah] given to them in Genesis 1 – “Be fruitful and multiply.” 5. Pharaoh orders the midwives, Shifra & Puah, to destroy all the males born to the Hebrews. a. The midwives are not Hebrews but Egyptians b. They are “God-Fearing” c. God works through non-Jews to bring about salvation. (Recall of Matthew’s Infancy Narrative.)

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6. Thus, the Egyptians start the Master Story and break the cycle of slavery. God works through the most unlikely to bring about God’s will.

New Testament examples: ✦ The Magi, ✦ Peter, ✦ Mary Magdalene, ✦ Paul

http://my.execpc.com/~kmknapp/images/lastsupper-

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ILM Week 3 Moses 2014.key - September 30, 2015

•Perhaps a large city at the time of the Exodus had 30,000 people in it (Boadt 157/129). Not very big given today’s standards.•“A date for the exodus in the reign of Ramses II, sometime between 1279 and 1250, seems the most likely” (Boadt 163/134).•Pharaoh Amenophis IV or Akenaton (1353-1336). Attempted to introduce monotheism into Egypt through Aton. Short lived but could have possibly influenced the Hebrew understanding of YHWH as a god who stood alone among the many gods (Boadt 159/129).

Thoughts From Lawrence BoadtIntroduction to the Old Testament

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“In short, Israel narrates the story of the exodus to glorify a God who saves. To modern readers, much of the biblical story seems harsh and primitive and too violent and warlike. But in a world where the weak had little protection and fewer rights, a God who can fight for his people and defend them is the God who receives worship” (Boadt 164-165/136).Moses’ birth parallels the story about Sargon, King of Akkad, ca. 2300 B.C. - conceived in secret, put in a basket, set in a river, found by a royalty (Boadt 165/137).The Israelites modified traditional feast to fit their religion: Passover has parallels to much older traditions of a new-born lamb being killed and using its blood to drive away evil. A farming village ceremony of sweeping away old yeast/grain to celebrate a new spring crop (Boadt 168/139).

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ABYDOS, EGYPT

The Temple of Seti I (ca. 1294-1279 BC) Father of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC)

Shot on location, July 2010

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ILM Week 3 Moses 2014.key - September 30, 2015

ABYDOS, EGYPT (5:11 min.)10

Discovering God's Word: Chapter 2, Section 2

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I. The Importance of Moses in the story of Israel

“to draw out”

• 1. Appointed by God to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt

• 2. Received the Law from God • a. Moses is the one through

whom the covenant between God and Israel is made.

• 3. The most important figure in Jewish history

Moses means

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ILM Week 3 Moses 2014.key - September 30, 2015

YHWH - I AM WHO I AM1. I AM WHO I AM = a title & not so much a name.2. God is being or all that is and/or exists.

•If God is being, •and we have being, •then we are part of God!

3. By our very existence we participate in God who mercifully shares God’s self with us. We need God in order to exist or even breathe!

4. The SHEMA prayer of Israel (Deut. 6: 4-5)

5. YHWH is a sacred name in the Jewish tradition and is not spoken. A substitute like Adonai (Lord) when reading is used or Ha Shem (the Name) when spoken is substituted.

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http://i.xanga.com/PaintingPictures/TETRAGRAMMATON%20pronunciation.JPG

These are an unusual combination of Hebrew letters. During the 2nd Temple Period (ca. 515 B.C.), this word was pronounced only once by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies on behalf of all the people.

God is often referred to as ELOHIM or gods. It is the plural of majesty. It shows that God encompasses the power of all the gods.

Jehovah is a bad mispronunciation of God’s name b/c in the Middle Ages, translators did not know the vowels for YHWH and so used the vowels for Adonai

The basic meaning of YHWH or its root is LIFE, MEANING, EXISTENCE, TIMELESS EXISTENCE, IMMORTAL14

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B. A Covenant People (READ: Exodus 24)1. Ratification in blood -- Why blood? It sustained life and bound two parties together.

2. Note - Chapters 25-31 are probably added by the Priestly Source. WHY? • Story flow from Ch. 24 to Ch. 32.

3. Chapter 32 - story continues: • Moses up on the Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. • Why? Number 40 = Renewal, something new is

happening.

4. People make a golden calf in his absence as an image of God. • Ex. 20:4 forbade this image making. • READ Exodus 32 . . .

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C. Liberation from Egypt 1. The Plagues

1. Water/ Blood 2. Frogs 3. Gnats 4. Flies 5. Pestilence 6. Boils 7. Hail 8. Locusts 9. Darkness

- Reveal God’s authority over all people, events, nature, gods - Signs of God’s commitment to Israel, they learned that God can be trusted

2. 10th Plague-- Death of the First-born a. Origins of the Jewish feast of Passover - because the Angel of Death (The Lord) “passed over” the Jewish homes. b. The most holy festival of the Jewish year

3. Ritual celebration = The Seder Meal16

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II. The Giving of the Law at Mount Sinai A. The Ten Commandments/ Decalogue = A Hittite Vassal Treaty

1. Elements of the Vassal Treaty a. The greatness and kindness of the king b. Rules and stipulations c. Witnesses and enforcers of the treaty d. Blessing and Curses stated.

2. Exodus 20: 1-17 [Find the elements of the Hittite Vassal Treaty in Exodus 20, read p. 31 of Discovering God’s Word ]

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5. Exodus 32 parallels Genesis 18:20-33 (Abraham defending Sodom & Gomorrah) – “The worshipping of the Golden Calf”

c. Then, Moses sees the people worshipping a golden calf and breaks the Ten Commandments or Aseret Hadibrot (10 words or major statements).

b. Even God is opened to learning. Why is this? Because covenants are about relationships.

a. Moses gets God to change his mind. “So the Lord relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people” (32:14).

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d. Moses destroys the tablets to save the people from a covenant they are not ready for.

1) According to Babylonian law, if one breaks the tablets there is no agreement.

f. According to Midrash, The broken tablets are placed in the Ark of the Covenant along with the new tablets.

1) So out of our brokenness comes wholeness.

e. Moses, then, must teach the people and go back for new tablets. Maybe this is why it took 40 years?

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C. Joshua and Aaron (read “People of Note”, in Gustin, page 32) •Aaron = Moses’ older brother and spokesman, 1st priest of Israel •Joshua = Moses’ military leader who leads the Israelites into the Promised Land.

http://www.artbulla.com/images/My%20Pictures/moses_aaron.jpg

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The Jordan River (3:17 min.) 22

TIKKUN OLAM – “repair the world” In order to do this one needs chutzpah!“If you know what a person does, then you know what that person believes.”

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See You Next Class

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ILM Week 3 Moses 2014.key - September 30, 2015