Exodus: Desultory Notes and Musings

Moses and the Ten
Commandments
Rembrandt, 1659

Exodus. Some desultory notes and musings.

“The book of Moses” per Mk. 12.26, inter alia. May it be noted the continuous and oft-repeated reference to such in subsequent OT books.

Exodus = Greek ἔξοδος = "going out". The Hebrew scriptures = שמות, Sh'mot, "Names."

Date: 1450-1440 B.C. Written before Moses’ death, c. 1406. Technical discussions are noted, but not addressed here.

Desultory notes:

• Carries forward the Self-Revelation of God Himself--God's pro-active and energetic revealing of Himself in deeds and words--sovereignly and faithfully, in accordance with earlier promises, blessing Abraham and establishing, from Abraham’s seed, a great nation (Gen.12.2).  This cannot be separated from the "mother-promise" of the promises, the Protevangelium, God's Omni-competence promise to crush the serpentine disaster in the Garden.  To reverse the serpentine curse. 

• Ex. 1.1-7 refers to the Church’s descent into Egypt. Jacob’s family encounters the abuses and repressions of the Semitic Hysos’ dynasty (1700-1550 B.C.)

• Ex. 1.8: this most likely refers to the expulsion of the Hysos’ hegemony and the foundation of a new hegemony, the foundation of the Eighteenth (18th) Dynasty by its founder, Mr. (Pharoah) Ahmosis 1 (1570-1546 B.C.). Research on ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian history and archaeology is on-going.

• Mr. (Pharoah) Tutmose 1 (1526-1512 B.C.) is the likely Pharoah of the persecution

• Either of two Pharoahs are the likely ones of the Exodus: Mr. Tutmose III (1504-1450 B.C.) or Mr. Amenhotep II (1450-1425 B.C.)

• The “written preservation of the words of God’s covenant has central importance for the theology of the Book of Exodus”

• God speaks--directly, Personally, majestically--at Sinai. Then, put to “tablets of stone” (Ex. 31.18; 32.15, 16; 34. 1, 28)

• The “Book of the Covenant” with further written specifications (20.22-23.19)

• Written by the “Mediator” of the covenant (Ex. 24. 4, 7; 34. 27)

Second Millenium Treaty Forms:

• “Form and content” akin to Hittite Treaty forms. Further research is ordered up.

• Preamble (20.2), Stipulations (20.3-17), Ratification (24.1-11), Blessing and Cursings

• A copy of the treaty was “preserved” in the sanctuaries. The value of a permanent, unchanged, and standing record--in writing--was recognized by these acts in the ancient world.

• A comparison of the Mosaic case laws is needed in relation to Ancient Near Eastern codes, e.g. Hammurabi’s Code of 1750 B.C.

Characteristics

• Liberation—to fulfill covenant promises. This goes to the Self-revealed attributes of God's integrity, faithfulness, and transcendent competence to keep that which He promised.

• God’s Self-revelation—the Sovereign and Mighty God of Abraham, the thunderous Self-revelation of divine majesty and divine holiness, alongside the gracious, merciful, forgiving, and kind condescension to dwell with the chosen and elect descendants of Abraham.

• Covenant revelation of God’s prescriptive will and schoolmaster

• Utter triumph of grace!

• Crucial to the narrative—Moses as the Mediator, the Mediator of confrontation with Pharoah, the Mediator of deliverance from Egypt, the Mediator of revelation at Sinai, the Mediator of written records, the Mediator as Governor and Shepherd in the wilderness, and the Mediator as an Intercessor (variously)

• Tabernacle—place, rituals, priesthood, sacrifices, ceremony, liturgy, etc. (Ex. 25-31; 35-40. Moses the Mediator leads them to Sinai (Ex. 19-20). Numbers picks up the wanderings.

• The Self-Revelation of God is His utterly holy nature and the lawful demand for holiness, separation and distinctiveness of the nation amongst whom He dwells. This needs amplification.