Post on 24-Dec-2015
Old Testament Background
Evangelical Free Church of Walnut
sunesis institute_
The ExodusGod Saves His
People
Who Enslaved Israel
“A Pharoah arose who did not know Joseph”
Hyksos (Asiatic foreigners who gained power - 15th & 16th Dynasty)
Joseph likely opened the door for Asiatic political power
The explanation for enslavement is weaker
Explanation: Hyksos were fearful of loosing power to Hebrews
Hebrews did not adopt as many Egyptian customs
Hebrews did not seem interested in political power
Israel’s Slavery
Who Enslaved Israel
18th Dynasty (Native Egyptians who overthrew Hyksos)
Explanation of enslavement is stronger
Hatred toward defeated Hyksos spills over to other foreign groups
Allows for more time for Joseph to be forgotten
Enslavement period does not seem long in Scripture
The land was already filled with Israelites before enslavement
The enslavement seems to be progressive under one Dynasty
Israel’s Slavery
Early Life in Egypt
Israelite Parents
By putting him in the basket they were obeying Pharoah
Pharoah’s daughter probably knew that the nursmaid Miriam got was the Mother of Moses
Moses was weaned by his Israelite parents
Moses always knew he was a Hebrew
Moses
Early Life in Egypt
Egyptian Parents
Hatshepsut
Only living daughter of Thutmose I
Claimed throne when her son, Thutmose III, is innaugurated
Strength: Cool story!
Weakness: Not very likely considering what we know.
Moses
Early Life in Egypt
Egyptian Parents
Thermuthis
Lesser daughter of Pharoah
Sought to advance herself by providing a male heir
Proposed by Josephus
Strength: Fits Thutmose I, who had no son
Weakness: Josephus based on more on oral tradition
Moses
Early Life in Egypt
Egyptian Parents
Anonymous Daughter of a Concubine
She was motivated simply by mercy
Strength: Lack of drama fits biblical lack of drama
Weakness: Doesn’t make for a dramatic movie
Moses
Early Life in Egypt
Young Adulthood (up to 40)
Moses said to be good looking (Exodus 2:2 and Josephus)
Moses would have enjoyed the best education of the day
Josephus has Moses as a general in the Egyptian army
Moses was in his late thirties when he killed the Egyptian and fled from the Pharoah to Midian.
Moses likely was already married when he fled (Numbers 12:1 mentions his marriage to a Cushite woman)
Moses
Middle Years in Midian
Middle Adulthood (40-80)
Flees to Midian and marries Zipporah, daughter of Jethro
Jethro is a priest of Midian – likely a priest of God (Ex. 18:11)
Moses lives as a shepherd
Moses has two sons: Gershom and Eliezer
Moses
Years of Exodus and Wandering
Late Adulthood (40-80)
Sees burning bush while in Midian and returns to Egypt
Midianite wife stays behind with two sons
Likely reunited with his Egyptian wife
Moses
The Purpose of the Ten Plagues
Show the power of God and make Him known to the nations
Exodus 7:1-5 – God hardens Pharoah heart in order to multiply his signs and wonders
Exodus 5:2 – “Pharoah said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.’”
The Ten Plagues
The Purpose of the Ten Plagues
God’s judgment on the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12)
Some try to match an Egyptian God with each plague
The plagues are best understood collectively as an attack on Ra and the cosmic order he had supposedly established
The final two plagues are aimed at the primary Egyptian deity and his earthly representative.
The Ten Plagues
The Purpose of the Ten Plagues
To increase the pressure on Pharaoh
Water to Blood/Frogs/Lice/Flies – discomfort/no material loss
Cattle Disease – material loss
Boils – agonizing pain
Hail/Locust – great material loss, and some loss of life
Darkness – loss of hope and faith (“Ra” was supposed to be the sun god)
Death of First Born – loss of most dear
The Ten Plagues
The Purpose of the Ten Plagues
To increase the faith of the Israelites
The Israelites would have seen that their God was greater than the God’s of the Egyptians
These were stories to be told to their children (Exodus 10:1-2)
The Ten Plagues
The Passover (10th Plague)
The Month
Nissan –established as first month of the Israelite calendar
This signals the birth of the nation!
The Lamb
Unblemished male slaughtered at twilight
Shows that Israelites “deserved” to die as well
Israel is ‘passed over’ only because they were ‘His people’ covered by ‘his sacrifice’
The Ten Plagues
Chronology of Biblical Writing
The Ten Plagues
11:9-10Summary statement for entire plagues narrative
11:1-4God
informs Moses of
last plague
12:1-20Moses
informs Israel of
last plague
and Passover
10:21-24Darkness
over Egypt
10:25-29Pharoah calls for Moses
and threatens
death
11:4-8Moses
informs Pharoah of last plague
12:21-28Moses
sets elders of Israel in action
12:29-32The Last Plague
Passover
EGYPT
Route of the Exodus
MIDIAN
Yam Suph
Yam Suph
Yam Suph
Mt. SinaiMt. Sinai
Mt. Sinai
Goshen