Monday 20 July 2009

Background

Exodus means 'going out' and the biblical Exodus story reaches acrucial point here as the escaping people of Israel reach the RedSea. If they can get across, they will finally have escaped theclutches of the Egyptians. They had been slaves in Egypt for manygenerations and now, under their charismatic leader Moses, theywere nearly free.

It had been a long struggle during which many plagues had struckEgypt: boils, locusts and frogs among them (Exodus chapters7-10). Finally, the terrible Angel of Death had passed over theland striking dead the first born in every family from the royalcourt down to the poorest peasant and even including animals (Exodus chapters11-12). Only the Israelites had been spared. It really seemedthat now, as the old spiritual song has it, the Egyptian king(Pharaoh) had "let my people go". He was glad to see the back ofthem.

However, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to recapturethe Israelite people. With the sea before them and Pharaoh's armycoming up behind, there seemed no escape; they were lost. But Godpromises to save them by parting the sea, allowing them across andthen engulfing the Egyptians in the waves.

It is a recurrent theme in the Old Testament that the Israelitescomplain whenever things go wrong. It happens lots of times throughthe story of the exodus. The 'security' of slavery in Egypt looksbetter than the risky freedom of wandering in the desert. Moses'cry "Don't be afraid" is one of the Bible's chorus-lines in bothOld and New Testaments.

Another recurrent biblical theme is that God is in charge ofeverything and everyone, including the Israelites' enemies. Here,God "hardened the heart of Pharaoh", stiffening his determination,or at least allowing his natural inclination to recapture theescaping slaves, and thereby ensuring the destruction of his ownarmy.

God is always referred to as "the Lord". The Hebrew Scriptures havea personal name for God (Yahweh) but it is considered too holy tobe spoken by human lips. Instead, a word meaning Lord is used.

To Ponder

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to becaught between the sea and the Egyptian army?

How do you respond to the promise that "the Lordwill fight for you"?

Do you think God ever works through powerfulrulers in the modern world?