the names (of the children of Israel)

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The reading from two weeks ago was Exodus 1:1-6:1.


Somehow, this summary (especially Chapter 2 and 4) got really long; there is no need to humor the summary in reading it per se, if the actual text is read (it's probably best to right click the above link and open the text separately, and perhaps change the Bible version to your favorite one).

I suppose it may be comparable to reading the "Message" version of the Bible; maybe I could call it the "Massage" version...

So here is my (not so short) Massage/summary:


Chapter 1:
Names in the household of Jacob is listed.
Joseph's generation passes on.
The children of Israel increase and prosper;
the king in Egypt is threatened by them, thus puts them to bondage.
Also, the king commands the Hebrew midwives, two of which that are named Shiphrah and Puah, to kill of the male children.
The women fear God and ignore the king, and God blesses them.
Pharaoh charges the Israelites to cast their sons into the river.


Chapter 2:
A Levite couple has a beautiful son, and he is hid for 3 months.
When he could no longer be hid, the mother puts the baby in an ark in the river;
his sister is there to see what happens.
Pharaoh's daughter finds the baby, the sister of the baby suggests a Hebrew nurse; Pharaoh's daughter agrees, the sister brings the mother.
The mother is now paid to take care of the son, and the child was called Moses.
-
Grown Moses finds an Egyptian beating a Hebrew;
Moses kills the Egyptian, and hides the body in the sand.
The next day, two Hebrew men are arguing;
Moses intervenes, and he finds out they know about the killing of the Egyptian.
Pharaoh hears of what happened, and seeks to slay Moses.
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Moses flees to Midian, and abides by a well.
The Midian priest's 7 daughters comes to the well to draw water for their flock.
The shepherds bullies the girls from the well, but Moses steps in to their help.
The girls return early; Reuel, their father ask why.
The girls report to him about Moses, and the father tells them to invite him home.
-
Moses lives with the family.
The father gives Zipporah his daughter to Moses as a wife.
They have a son, and name him Gershom, because Moses has been a stranger in a foreign land.
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The king of Egypt dies.
The children of Israel cries to God because of the bondage.
God, being mindful of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, looks on the children of Israel with respect.


Chapter 3:
Moses sees the burning bush at mount Horeb while
keeping the flock of Jethro his father in law.
Yahweh talks to Moses about delivering his people from
the Egyptians to the promised land.

Moses questions his own significance,
and Yahweh confirms He will be with him.

Moses questions if the people asks the name of God;
Yahweh answers it is 'I AM'.
Yahweh tells Moses what he is to do, and what is about to happen.


Chapter 4:
Moses tells Yahweh the people will not believe Yahweh appeared to him.
Yahweh has Moses' rod to turn into a snake so the people may believe.
Yahweh has Moses put his hand in cloak to turn it leprous that the people may believe.
Yahweh will have Moses take water from the river to turn to blood that the people may believe.

Moses says he is not eloquent.
Yahweh says He will put the words in Moses' mouth.

Moses asks to have another person be sent.
The anger of Yahweh is kindled, and Yahweh allows Aaron be the spokesperson.
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Moses requests Jethro to live in Egypt; Jethro says go in peace.
Yahweh tells Moses everyone that sought him is dead.
Moses takes his family to Egypt.
Yahweh once again gives Moses directions of what to do in Egypt.
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On the way to Egypt, Yahweh seeks to kill Moses;
Zipporah intervenes and circumcises their son, and calls Moses her bloody husband because of the circumcision.
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Yahweh tells Aaron to meet with Moses in the desert.
Aaron finds Moses at the mountain of God.
Moses tells Aaron the words of Yahweh to tell the elders of the children of Israel.
Aaron speaks everything to the elders, and they believe and worship.


Chapter 5:
Moses and Aaron go talk to Pharaoh, Pharaoh has no regard for Yahweh.
They tell Pharaoh the God of the Hebrews told them to go 3 days' journey to sacrifice, lest He befall them with pestilence or with the sword.
The king of Egypt do not want the people to rest from their work and dismisses them.
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Pharaoh commands the taskmasters to not give
the people straw in making bricks.
The people gather stubble for bricks,
while the taskmasters enforced the same quota.
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The officers of the children of Israel ask Pharaoh why.
Pharaoh calls them lazy for wanting to go sacrifice to Yahweh.
Moses and Aaron are looked upon with scorn by their people.
-
Moses asks Yahweh why this is happening.


Chapter 6:
Yahweh tells Moses that He will apply His strong hand upon Pharaoh.

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In these passages, there were three things that grabbed my attention:

1. The women that broke the law fearing God
2. The word goodly, used to describe baby Moses
3. The word ark, used to describe the vessel in which baby Moses was placed


Regarding 1:
This seems like an extreme thing for these ladies to do; their lives must have been at stake, and they willingly put their lives on the line to regard God in reverence. This (probably not so simple) act of faith resulted in preserving Moses from being killed. I suppose we could easily go in the direction of the topic of abortion, but perhaps it would be wise to not go into an area in which I have limited interest, hence I will stop now.

The main thing about the above passage on which I wanted to focus was the faith in action; that is all.


Regarding 2:
The Hebrew word used to describe baby Moses was used first in Genesis 1:4 when God created light, and saw that it was good. The same word I intended to use to end all the readings in the previous weeks.


Regarding 3:
The Hebrew word used to describe the vessel ini which Moses was placed is exactly the same word used to describe the vessel in which Noah and his family was preserved; I have heard a pastor used to describe to the believers that Christ Jesus is our ark, in which we are preserved from the judgment of God, because

God is just.


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