Old Testament

Exodus 5-11 – The Plagues (part 2)

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You need to read yesterday’s post first, as we’re taking a two-part look at the plagues, and what they tell us about God. His actions + scriptural interpretation = revelation.

God ‘undoing’ creation

The second piece of interpretation we find in the story of the plagues comes through the “creation language” used by the biblical author. In fact, the plagues can be thought of as God undoing creation just a little bit. For example: when God created the world, one of the first things he put in it was water. Before he even said “let there be light,” there was water. In Genesis chapter 2, before God formed Adam, he caused streams to come up from the earth and water the ground. The Garden of Eden had a river to water it, which split into four streams, one of which perhaps significantly flowed to Egypt. Water is presented in Genesis as one of the fundamental ingredients of life, which God provided for us.

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Exodus 5-11 – The Plagues (part 1)

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We’ve seen this week how God answered Moses’ question what is your name by saying, effectively, watch this space. In the chapters which follow, God now proceeds to reveal something of himself through the ten plagues visited on Egypt – plagues designed to force Pharaoh to let God’s people go.

But why ten? I mean, if you gave God only one shot at this, I think he’d get it on the first go. Like David’s first stone killing Goliath. Why draw it all out? Why all the big, showy miracles?

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Exodus 3 – Watch this space

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Yesterday we read of how Moses asked God for his name – he wanted a name for this God who was going to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. More than a label, Moses wanted to know the character of God, and whether he could be trusted. God’s answer was enigmatic:

14- God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” 

Rather than being evasive, the whole “I am who I am” answer tells Moses and Israel to “watch this space.” You’ll see what kind of god I am by what I’m about to do.

Now we’ll have to read the rest of Exodus – and indeed, the rest of the Bible – if we want to know it all. But already in chapter 3 we get some previews of how God is going to reveal himself in the near future. Here’s a lightning-quick summary (courtesy of Alan Cole’s commentary on Exodus):

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Exodus 3 – What’s in a Name?

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This week we’re looking at some highlights from the story of the Exodus, focussing on the Passover feast, as a way of setting the scene for our Easter series in Matthew the following week. We pick up the story in Exodus chapter 3.

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name? Is it just a label to distinguish us from the person next to us, or does it have a deeper significance, a deeper meaning about who we are?

I don’t think people these days place too much significance on the meaning of the names they give to their children – more on how it sounds with the surname. At least I think that’s how my parents approached the task of choosing names. Because mine means “honouring to God,” whereas my sister’s means “prophetess of doom ignored by men.” Either that or they were just mean.

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Leviticus (sort of) – part ten

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Before we say goodbye to our series in Leviticus, there’s one more interesting (I think) place in which Leviticus interacts with an important issue in the New Testament.

We’ve already seen how Peter’s dream in Acts 10 showed that God had abolished the distinction between clean and unclean food because he had abolished the distinction between clean and unclean people. Which means that Jews can eat with Gentiles – there’s no longer a cultural barrier for the gospel to cross. And Gentiles don’t have to commit themselves to circumcision and obeying the law of Moses (that we’ve been looking at in Leviticus).

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Leviticus – part nine

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On Monday we started to read through the purity regulations in Leviticus 11-15. For the rest of this week we’re looking at the various theories scholars have come up with to provide a rationale for the laws. Because I think each suggested explanation gives us a different insight on the laws. And from each we can learn something about God and something about being his holy people.

We look at the final two reasons today.

Separation from the Gentiles

Another explanation for the food laws in particular is that they were all about separation from the Gentiles, from the nations around.

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Leviticus – part eight

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On Monday we started to read through the purity regulations in Leviticus 11-15. For the rest of this week we’re looking at the various theories scholars have come up with to provide a rationale for the laws. Because I think each suggested explanation gives us a different insight on the laws. And from each we can learn something about God and something about being his holy people.

We look at the reasons three and four today.

Separation from pagan religions

Some have suggested that the laws are all about ensuring Israel remains separate from the nations around; separate from pagan religions. They’re all about prohibiting practices which occur in the worship of other gods. That’s why certain animals were declared unclean, and therefore unfit for sacrificing to God – the animals used in pagan sacrifice.

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Leviticus – part seven

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Yesterday we started to read through the purity regulations in Leviticus 11-15. For the rest of this week we’re looking at the various theories scholars have come up with to provide a rationale for the laws. Because I think each suggested explanation gives us a different insight on the laws. And from each we can learn something about God and something about being his holy people.

We look at the first two today.

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Leviticus – part six

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Last week, we went through the various sacrifices in Leviticus 1-10 (and hopefully you also took the opportunity to read those chapters). This week, we change gear and look at the purity laws outlined in Leviticus 11-15 as we read through those five chapters.

To begin, let’s take a quick test to see if you’re ritually pure, according to Leviticus. Afterwards, please answer the poll question.

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Leviticus – part five

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This week we’re going through the various sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus 1-10, and seeing how they were fulfilled in Christ. Monday was an overview, which you might like to look at first.

The Fellowship Offering

The final offering we’re looking at from Leviticus 1-10 is different, because it’s a purely voluntary one: a ‘peace’ or ‘fellowship’ offering. It was brought to God for a variety of reasons: thanking God for something specific; celebrating God’s goodness; the fulfilment of a vow; or even for no reason other than that he’s our God. It’s like surprising your wife by bringing her flowers ‘just because’. Rather than the usual reason, that of turning away anger…

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