Passage: Exodus 8:1-15
One of my favorite jokes goes like this:
A scientist says to God, “God, we don’t need you anymore. We’ve figured out all the mysteries of life, including how to create a human being using nothing but dirt.”
God says, “Oh yes? I’m impressed. I can’t wait to see how you do it.”
The scientist, excited to demonstrate his discovery, bends down and starts to scoop together a pile of dirt.
“Not so fast,” says God, “Why don’t you start by getting your own dirt?”
God’s plan for delivering the Israelites out of slavery involves striking Egypt with a series of plagues. The plagues are intended in part to wear out Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and in part to demonstrate decisively the power of the one true God. Pharaoh and his magicians respond to the first displays of God’s power by responding in kind. When Moses’ staff is turned into a snake, the magicians turn their staffs into snakes. When God turns the water of the Nile into blood, the magicians turn pots of water into blood. So far they seem to be keeping pace with God fairly effectively.
Then comes the plague of frogs. The nation of Egypt is overrun by frogs – they’re in people’s houses; in their beds; in the land’s finest hotels and restaurants. Pharaoh’s magicians, once again, replicate God’s miracle by making frogs appear out of nowhere.
The problem is that Egypt doesn’t need more frogs. No one cares whether Pharaoh can make more frogs. They care whether he can make the frogs go away.
Pharaoh finally summons Moses and Aaron and says,
Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go…
Pharaoh momentarily admits defeat. He can approximate some of the mighty acts of God. But Pharaoh is not God. Whether or not he cares to admit it, he needs God.
This is the human dilemma. We have been given godlike faculties of ingenuity, creativity and intelligence. These in turn cause us to believe, at times, that we have every godlike quality. The difference between us and God is that all our faculties have limits. There are places our intellect can’t take us; times our wisdom sends us down the wrong path; moments at which our strength runs out; interactions in which our goodness is shown to be sorely lacking. We are not God. We need God. Everyone does –celebrity or nobody; president or panhandler; saint or sinner. We share this quality with all people and all created things. We need God.
Hey Ben,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the help. Paul and I were both mystified. Then again the computer is not what it was in MI. Couple comments. It seem that when the Passover was first initiated that it was a hurry up affair. When Jesus met with the disciples in the upper room it seemed much more laid back. Why and when did this change? Also, the Passover was to be celebrated the beginning of the month and the feast of unleavened bread toward the middle of the month. Are these two different feast days (I always thought they were one and the same)?
Mary,
ReplyDeleteIf you read Exodus 12:14-28, you see God giving instructions about how the people of Israel are to incorporate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as annual holidays. Further instruction is recorded in Leviticus 23:1-7. It's hard to say exactly when the Passover meal became a more luxurious feast day, but the implication is that it would have become so as soon as the Israelites were free and settled as a nation.
As for the relationship between Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover was sort of the kick-off for the week-long feast. Passover was held the evening of the 14th day of the month of Nisan; the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted 7 days beginning on the 15th of that month.
Ben I read that the first passover was the 10th of the month (Ex. 12:3). Maybe that date was just for the first passover. Seems shortly after the Israelites left Egypt they complained about no meat and God gave them Quail. What happened to the herds of animals that went with the Israelites. Were they supposed to be used just for sacrifices? When the manna came they were suppose to put an omar of manna in front of the Testimony, there was no tabernacle at the time yet so where was it kept? Mary
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeletePreparations for the Passover Feast, including selection of the Passover lamb, began four days prior to the feast itself (i.e., on the 10th day of the month). Regarding the animals, the Bible doesn't offer direct explanation, but we can make some educated guesses. The herds the Israelites brought with them may not have been very extensive - perhaps the equivalent of a single animal, or a few animals, per family. As such they would have been valuable investments - a way of retaining wealth over time. They also would have been a useful ongoing source of milk. For these reasons, the people would have been very reticent to slaughter the animals. What's more, the slaughter of the herd animals would only have fed all the people for a few days. Given that they were on a trek of indefinite length, this approach wouldn't have sustained them for the time needed.
As for the ceremonial omer of manna, we're told that the LORD provided manna for the entirety of the Israelites' trek through the wilderness. As such, they may not have collected the ceremonial jar until the time that the Tabernacle was built. Regardless, here too we're not told exactly how or where this jar was stored while they were on the move.