What We Teach about God | #theology Proper #trinity #god #yahweh

YHWH, Yahweh, Father

What We Teach about God

This article explains what we teach about the nature and characteristics of God.

SERIES C --- EXODUS FROM BONDAGE --- LESSON 04

THE BRICKMAKERS

BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

From Exodus 4:18-5:23

After Moses had talked with YHVH near Mount Horeb, he returned home and discussed the matter with his father-in-law, Jethro. [Give me your blessing to return to Egypt to visit my relatives,] Moses asked. [I must see whether they are still alive.] [Go!] said Jethro. [You have my blessing.] Before Moses left, Adonai assured him that he would be safe. [Return to Egypt without fear,] Adonai said. [The men who wanted to kill you are all dead.] Moses put his wife and sons upon a donkey and set out toward Egypt. Moses was careful to take the shepherd’s rod with him, for it was now the rod of YHVH, the means through which YHVH would work His miracles. [When you return to Egypt, visit Pharaoh and show him My miracle,] Adonai told Moses. [But I will encourage him to be stubborn and he will refuse to let the people go. Then you will tell him that Israel is My oldest son and that I Command him to free My son to serve Me. If Pharaoh refuses, I will kill his oldest son.] One night, when Moses and his family had stopped and set up camp, Adonai appeared to Moses and would have killed him. But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, circumcised her young son with a flint knife and threw the skin at Moses’ feet. [What a bloody husband you are!] Zipporah told Moses. But because of the circumcision, Adonai let Moses alone. About this time, Adonai spoke to Moses’ brother, Aaron. [Go to the wilderness and meet Moses,] He said. So, Aaron went to Mount Horeb, the mountain of YHVH, where he met Moses. When the two brothers had greeted one another with a kiss, Moses told Aaron about YHVH’s message; and he told him also about the miracles he must perform before Pharaoh. After Moses and Aaron had arrived back in Egypt, they called for a meeting with the elders of Israel. Aaron told the elders what YHVH had said to Moses and Moses showed the people YHVH’s miracles. The elders were certain that Adonai had looked upon their sorrows and affliction and had sent these men to free them. In joy they bowed their heads and worshiped Adonai. The time had come at last for Moses and Aaron to appear before Pharaoh. [We bring you a message from Adonai, the YHVH Elohiym of Israel,] they told him. [You must let YHVH’s people go to the wilderness to hold a sacred feast to Him.] [Who is this YHVH?] Pharaoh demanded. [Why should I listen to Him and let your people go? I don’t even know Him. I will not let your people go.] [But our YHVH has met with us,] Moses and Aaron insisted. [We must take a three-day’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him, for if we don’t, He may destroy us by plague or sword.] The king was angry. [Why are you taking people from their jobs?] he shouted. [Get back to work. Don’t think you can be idle because there are so many of you!] Immediately Pharaoh sent orders to the taskmasters and foremen who were over the Israelite slaves. [You will no longer provide the straw to mix into the mud bricks. From now on, the slaves must find their own straw. But require as many bricks as they have been making, for they have too much idle time or they wouldn’t be talking about sacrificing to their YHVH in the wilderness. Burden them with work so that they will have no time for the lies of Moses and Aaron.] The taskmasters and foremen told the slaves about Pharaoh’s orders. [By order of the king, you must find your own straw, but you must make as many bricks as you do now.] The people went everywhere looking for straw. The Egyptian taskmasters began to pressure the slaves for more and more work. [Get those bricks made!] they demanded. [You must make as many as you have been making, but you must find your own straw.] Then the taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen. [Why haven’t you finished your work?] they shouted. The Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh to plead with him. [Why are you treating us this way?] they asked. [We are not given straw, but we must make as many bricks as we did before. The taskmasters beat us, but they are to blame for asking too much of us.] [Get to work!] Pharaoh ordered. [You must keep on making the same number of bricks, but you must find your own straw. You’re not working hard enough. If you were, you wouldn’t be asking to sacrifice to your YHVH.] The foremen realized that their complaints were useless when Pharaoh had said the same as their taskmasters. As they left Pharaoh’s palace, they saw Moses and Aaron waiting for them. [May Adonai send judgment upon you!] the foremen said angrily. [You have put us into serious trouble with Pharaoh and his servants. They want to kill us and you have given them an excuse to do so!] Then Moses prayed to Adonai again. [Why have You brought despair to Your people, Adonai?] he asked. [Why did You send me here? Ever since I told Pharaoh what You said, he has hurt the people more and more. But You still have not set them free.]

COMMENTARY

WORKERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: ALIVE AND DEAD

The people of Israel were slaves, put to the backbreaking labour of making bricks to build the cities of their Egyptian masters. Why should Pharaoh listen when told a Command of YHVH of mere slaves? Why shouldn’t he put even heavier burdens on slaves who dared approach him with foolish demands? Slaves did much of the hard labour in ancient Egypt. But the daily work was carried out by workmen and servants, who were supervised by overseers. These overseers made sure each day’s quota was met, and the workman was beaten badly if he failed. No excuses were permitted. Working conditions were harsh and cruel. The workman often stayed enclosed in a tiny room all day or wandered the streets looking for customers. Servants who worked in households usually had an easier time of it. Like servants everywhere, they gossiped about their masters and loafed when they could. They were sometimes accepted as members of the family and influenced any decisions made. Top servants in Pharaoh’s household had a great deal of power. Labourers on government projects were fed and housed by the government. When the Nile flooded their lands, farmers worked as labourers while they waited for the waters to recede. They even formed a union. Their food rations arrived too slowly, so they called a strike; no food, no work. They won. On the bright side, the Egyptians had holidays and feast days whenever they could. Even [half-month] and [month] days were reasons to celebrate and there were temple festivals and royal feasts whenever possible. No one but slaves worked on those days. But life changed very little in ancient Egypt. Whatever a person’s parents were, that’s what he became. A child of a slave became a slave; a servant’s child became a servant. This was a way of guaranteeing that the necessary work would always get done. The ancient Egyptians believed they would eat and drink in the underworld after death, just as they did in life. But they didn’t want to work there. At first, they buried tiny figures of their servants with themselves. They believed magical spells would bring these figures to life and full size in the underworld and they would do the work for their masters again. Later on, they buried figures of themselves with their bodies, sometimes in special boxes or small coffins. These too, they believed, would come alive and the Egyptian who had been wealthy would not have to work through all eternity. As a sign of their power, the pharaohs eventually buried four hundred and one figurines in their tombs: one for each day of the year (three hundred sixty-five) and thirty-six more to act as overseers. A wood named [shawab] was used at first and each figurine was called a [shawabti.] Later they were also made of bronze and limestone. The magic spell to bring the figure alive was often inscribed on the figure itself. A typical one went something like this: [O Shawabti, if {name of dead man} is called to labour in the underworld, let the judgment fall upon thee. You shall answer, ‘Here am I to do the work.’] That is why the figures came to be called [ushebtis,] which means [answerer] and [servant.]

Thought for Today: Shabbat December 24:

May you stand strong in the face of your fears and even stronger still when it comes to your faith. May you bow low when you’d rather exalt yourself and bow lower still in the Presence of YHVH. May you accept Grace for your own missteps and offer more grace still when someone steps on you. Elohiym is your Defender and Protector. Trust in Him.

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Shabbat Shalom & Hanukkah Sameach
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