Monday Reading Notes –– Exodus 14:1–31 (February 12)
Exodus 14 – One of the most famous Biblical miracles and greatest memories of God’s triumph over the enemies of Israel is the crossing of the “Red Sea,” as it is traditionally known. However, in these chapters, 10 – 15 of Exodus you’ll find the term “Red Sea” four times in the New International Version Bible (and most other Bible translations). The Hebrew term, however, is Yam Suph, which means Sea of Reeds. Wherever the crossing took place, it was miraculous and a tremendous deliverance God accomplished for His people.
Once again, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to pursue the Israelites. He knew that his people would be vulnerable for some time during there wilderness trek to Canaan, and that at any time they could be easily overtaken by Pharaoh and his chariots. So God destroyed Pharaoh’s army to convince the Egyptians that he was the true God yet again (see verse 18), and to ensure to the safety of the Israelites.
There are many reasons to believe the crossing of the sea was not the Gulf of Suez, northwest arm of the Red Sea. The Hebrew term Yam Suph (Sea of Reeds) would seem to indicate a freshwater lake of some sort, since reeds do not grow in salt water. For that reason, many believe the crossing took place at the Bitter Lakes, a freshwater lake with a larger northern section (Great Bitter Lake) and a smaller southern section (Little Bitter Lake). When you think about it, the Gulf of Suez is better than 20 miles wide at most points. It would be difficult to get 2 million people through in one day. The smallest part of the Bitter Lakes is still perhaps 2 miles across, a doable walk for Israel, yet still large enough for Pharaoh’s army to get stuck and destroyed (verse 25). The Bitter Lakeswere also approximately 20 miles from northernmost point to southernmost, providing a formidable barrier to the Israelites, and making them feel trapped by the Egyptians (verse 12).
Another possibility is that the topography has changed since 3500 years ago when the Exodus took place, and that the 130 miles between the northernmost point of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea was largely marshland left over from the flood. However, the land may be too hilly to allow for that possibility.
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Tuesday Reading Notes –– Exodus 15:1–27 (February 13)
Exodus 15 – Did Moses compose the song the Israelites sang right there? Or did it just come out spontaneously? Hebrew poetry didn’t have to rhyme, and was usually set to a tune that we today would say sounds more like a chant, so it could work with a broad range of syllables. Therefore, a spontaneous singing of a new song to an already known tune is certainly a possibility. It could have been done in a responsive type arrangement. As was typical also of the Psalms, the song goes into great detail about the Yahweh’s protection for His people, a way of teaching and remembering what the Yahweh had done for them.
In verse 22 and following, when the Egyptians journeyed three days without finding water, that doesn’t mean they went without water for three days. Many of them would have died. It does mean that their water supply had probably run out by the time they found water. In that way God was teaching them once again to rely on him in faith. Even when the water they found was bitter, he was able to provide for them miraculously.
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Wednesday Reading Notes –– Exodus 16:1 – 17:16 (February 14)
Exodus 16 – When the people were having difficulty finding food to eat, God sent them the famous manna from heaven. Wouldn’t it have been great if, when they were faced with a food shortage, the whole community prayed to God for help? Instead, they grumbled against Moses. Yet God was gracious to them and sent them that miraculous food.
It is here that we get a great illustration of what “daily bread” means in the Lord’s Prayer. The people had to trust God to provide them with their daily bread. They were only allowed to gather one day’s worth, because the rest would go bad. In that way, they were continually being taught to trust God. In the same way, they had to listen carefully to Him and obey Him in gathering a double portion before the Sabbath. God was preparing for himself a people that would go into the promised in faith and obedience. Their wanderings in the wilderness were their training ground, preparing them to occupy that land in such a way that worship and faith in Yahweh would be a light to the other peoples around.
Exodus 17 – One has to wonder if the people of Israel suffered from collective amnesia. After all the things God had done for them, they still complained grumbled and doubted. It’s not hard to see how a small percentage of them would grumble. There will be some in every crowd. But for so many to complain really shows the extent to which their spiritual training was needed. During their time in Egypt they had either forgotten Yahweh, or remembered him only to the degree to call on him and ask for help (Ex. 2:23), but they were lacking in any real faith and spiritual maturity. Psalm 95:8 shows that this moment lived in infamy for the Israelites for generations, becoming an example of those who distrust God in spite of all He does.
In spite of their lack of faith, Yahweh is patient with them. Remember the Amalekites? They were the offspring of Esau’s grandson Amalek (Genesis 36:12). God showed that it was his power that brought the battle, working victory through the upraised hands of Moses, symbolic of the victory that is available to us in life through persistently upraised hands of prayer.
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Thursday Reading Notes –– Exodus 18:1–27 (February 15)
Exodus 18 – This chapter has long been used to extol the virtues of shared ministry. Moses was not able to adequately care for the needs of all those people, and it was going to be the end of him if he did! Through the wise advice of his father in law, Jethro, Moses appointed capable leaders to form a system of care and accountability for the people of Israel, so that their needs could be met and Moses wouldn’t get burned out.
Today, churches function best when they follow Jethro’s advice as well. The more people who can be involved in caring for one another, the better the care will be. Some small group ministries use Exodus 18 as their model – with the small group leader being in charge of the 10, while a coach helps lead, care for, and train five small group leaders, or 50 people all together. A pastor or other church worker, finally, is the one who helps to lead, care for, and train the coaches. Prince of Peace follows this model in our small group ministry, adjusted to a little bit smaller setting than the 2 million people of Israel.
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Friday Reading Notes –– Exodus 19:1 – 20:26 (February 16)
Exodus 19 – Throughout the Bible, mountains were a favorite place for God to do mighty things. On Mt. Sinai, God revealed His glory to His people. On a mountain in Galilee, Jesus revealed his glory to Peter, James and John. On other mountains the temple was built, Jesus taught the people, was crucified, gave the Great Commission, and ascended into heaven, just to name a few.
This encounter with God at the mountain was another way to train them to know the full power of this God with whom they were dealing. Future generations would recall how the people did not even want to approach the mountain (though God said they could – just not touch it), because the glory of God was so frightening. That image would undoubtedly be on their hearts when they would observe from the outer area of the tabernacle, while the priest alone was permitted to enter the Holy Place. Here, they observed from a safe distance, while Moses and Aaron alone went up on to the mountain.
Exodus 20 – From movies like the 10 commandments, we have an impression of what it must have looked like when God gave the law. Moses is there, cowering in fear, as the fiery finger of God writes on the stone tablets. However, in Exodus 20 it looks as if God spoke the law in the hearing of all the people, at least initially. (After the golden calf incident in Exodus 32, Moses made a second trip up the mountain to receive the law.) But the people were fearful of God and did not want him to speak to them anymore, so Moses became God’s mouthpiece.
God knew the people would react in this way. It was calculated to help instill in them a healthy fear of God so that they would obey Him. Today, since we know God more thoroughly through Jesus Christ, our motivation to do His will is no longer primarily fear, but gratitude and love for God because of what He has done for us. However, there still is an element of fear, as a child might fear the punishment that will come from disobeying parents, even though he knows his parents love him.
I’ve often been asked why we pay attention to the 10 commandments but not to other parts of the law. That is because the 10 commandments are a helpful guide to what Jesus said sums up the moral law. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37 and 39) The many other laws in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy were laws specific to the people of Israel at that time – ceremonial and civil laws. The moral law is applicable for all people at all times.
In verse 26, God prohibits going up to the altar on steps, so that the nakedness of the priests would not be exposed. In those days, most people did not wear undergarments under their robes, so that they risked being exposed every time they took a step up. God’s aversion to man’s nakedness may seem strange, since God created man and woman, and the covenant of circumcision caused men to remember their relationship with God in the most private of ways. However, God would cause His presence to dwell at his altar. There his holiness would be revealed. As Adam and Eve knew they could not be naked in God’s full presence, so God reiterated that truth. One day, in heaven, the people redeemed by the Lamb are pictured wearing white robes, symbolic of the covering of the goodness and purity of Christ.
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Saturday Reading Notes –– Exodus 21:1 – 22:31 (February 17)
Exodus 21 – In our country, we have a great aversion to slavery, and rightly so. It was terribly abused in the past when people were captured and sold into slavery against their will. In the community of Israel, a person could willingly become a servant. It was actually a blessing, allowing a person to survive rather than fall into deep poverty and starve. Perhaps such a practice could be beneficial for many of the homeless of our society. However, God made a way, at least for Hebrew slaves, to get their freedom again – by being set free in the 7th year of service. He could voluntarily remain in service, however.
Laws against physical harm are similar to what we still practice today. Manslaughter (v. 12) carries a lesser penalty than premeditated murder (v. 14). Respect of parents was of the highest order (v. 15 and 17). Personal injury not resulting in permanent injury was to be compensated (v. 19).
Slave owners were also given the benefit of the doubt. If they beat their slave severely, it was assumed there must be a good reason, but if death resulted, they were to be punished. If only injury resulted, however, no punishment was required (v. 21). (It is interesting to note that the word for slave in this verse is identical to the word translated “servant” in verse 2.) God appears to condone slavery in this section of the Bible. It is important to note that slavery was an accepted practice of the world at the time. Since people had slaves, God wanted to see to it that there were laws offering them protection. A good slave/master relationship could provide for the bodily needs of the slave, but of course, as in all things, that relationship could be (and was) abused because of sin.
Verse 22 has often been used by pro-choice advocates as Biblical grounds for abortion. They make their case on the assumption that the Hebrew word which the NIV translates “gives birth prematurely,” can also be translated “miscarries.” Since only a fine is necessary in that case, but a punishment is made to the fullest extent of the law if the mother is injured, the miscarried fetus must be less of a person than the mother, according to that interpretation.
This interpretation is suspect on two counts. Even if the “miscarry” interpretation were correct, it would not authorize abortion. The offender is still required to pay a fine, showing that the harm to the child was not right.
However, the Hebrew word for what comes out of the womb is child, which in every case outside of Exodus 21 refers to a healthy, living child. Therefore, this passage actually establishes special protection for the defenseless, like pregnant mothers and unborn children, requiring a fine if the child is even born prematurely, but requiring the fullest punishment possible by the law if any physical harm is done either to mother or the baby, even though the harm was not premeditated. The negligence shown by the fighting men around the vulnerable mother is enough to warrant the death penalty, when in all other cases of manslaughter they could find pardon.
Love of neighbor is to be the rule in all things. Therefore a person with a dangerous animal will see to it that no harm comes to their neighbors as a result, or suffer the consequences.
Exodus 22 – Most of the laws in chapter 22 are fairly common sense ways of carrying out “love your neighbor.” A few deserve comment.
In verse 2 and 3, if a homeowner uses excessive force defending his home against a thief in the dark and the thief dies, that is pardonable. But in the daytime, the homeowner can determine if the thief means him bodily harm or not, and cannot use the break in as an excuse for taking the thief’s life.
Verse 16 is interesting because a people caught in adultery were to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10), but a sexual relations between unmarried men and women was tantamount, in God’s eyes, to agreeing to marriage. A bride price was to be paid by the man, and they were to be married if the girl’s father allowed it. Why the difference? Aren’t sexual relations wrong in either case? Yes, but the greater offense is breaking the lifelong commitment of marriage, an institution established by God and to be kept as sacred.
A common refrain of God is stated here first in verses 21-24. Aliens, widows and orphans are often singled out (or should I say tripled out) by God to be treated with mercy. They often didn’t have as many rights or privileges as others, and had a more difficult time surviving. God is a God of the outcasts and those less fortunate, as can clearly be seen in the example of Jesus.
Verse 25 does not outlaw all charging of interest, but only interest to those who borrow money out of need, not out of want, which is most often the case in our world.
Verse 29 refers back to passages like Exodus 4:22, 13:2, 13 and 15, where God required that the firstborn son be dedicated to Him and then “redeemed” by the parents with an offering (as Joseph and Mary gave an offering of a “pair of doves and two young pigeons” for Jesus in Luke 2:24).
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