Day 2

I have a rather tired joke (but I still enjoy it) that involves replacing “Moses” with “Charlton Heston” whenever I mention the story of the Exodus. Truth be told, it’s how a lot of people learn the story of the Hebrew people and their quest for freedom, identity, and home. Reading Exodus in 2021 gave me a new relationship with the primary narrative. I can see why, at least the portions concerning Moses and the freedom of the Hebrew people, resonate with oppressed populations. I see Pharaoh in the faces of despots, dictators, CEOs, politicians, and even ordinary people. It leaves me wondering. Have the words of Exodus been uttered from countless communities seeking freedom? I know of the black spirituals that sing of freedom using the words of this book, but who else in the throng of humanity has cried out with the words of Moses or Aaron?

The second half of Exodus both frustrated me and intrigued me. It was frustrating because there was quite a lot of detail. Cubits and thread colors and breastplate dimensions, not to mention the Ark of the Covenant itself. I was intrigued because I know what’s coming in the rest of the Torah: the priestly codes. I got a glimpse of that here with the ten commandments and the dozens of commandments that followed them (yeah, it’s not just 10). More are yet to come. But I was left with a sense of disorientation. Was this how the Hebrew people felt as they tried to differentiate themselves from the surrounding tribes? Was that what necessitated these rules? Was the point (and I’ll probably wonder this in Leviticus) to be a priestly people who chose a “different way?” The specificity leads me to believe the answer is yes.

One Word for Exodus: Saga

Parts of the Story That Stayed With Me

1. Exod 4 & 10, Pharaoh’s Hardened Heart. It’s interesting for me to notice in verse 4:21 God is the reason for Pharaoh hardening his heart. Pharaoh didn’t have a choice in this matter if you read the text as is. What we learn later in verse 10:1 is that God did this in order to “show these signs of mine among them.” So, the God of Exodus has got a plan and no one will interfere. There will be plagues. I’m left wondering what would have happened without God interfering with Pharaoh’s agency.
2. Exod 15, The Nostrils of the Lord. “At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.” Those are some powerful nostrils. Scripture isn’t the slog we make it out to be. It can be quite fun to read for little gems like this. (And I didn’t even mention Zipporah…)
3. Exod 17, Marionette Moses. I’m leaving out a lot I loved here. Chapter 16 has the Hebrew people complaining, even as bread falls from the sky. There’s a fascinating mention of the “wilderness of sin” that leads me to believe this story was always intended to be metaphorical. But 17:11-13 is a delight. Here we have a battle between Joshua and Amalek. When Moses holds up his hands, Joshua is victorious. When he doesn’t, Amalek is victorious. So Moses endeavors to keep his hands held…until he can’t anymore. So what happens? Aaron and Hur held his hands up for him. Imagine that. (Or just look at the image above.)
4. Exod 25-31, God is Very Specific. A lot was said in these six chapters, but, I think you need to take a look for yourself. God is not only jealous but incredibly detail oriented.

This post is part of a lager series where I read the entirety of Hebrew & Christian scriptures in 45 days. Take a look a the original post for more info, as well as links to other reflections on this journey.