Arguing with God

The text today is from Exodus 4, 5, 6.

Most of the text is to set up the environment of confrontation that is going to take place in Egypt between God and Pharaoh's gods.

Moses is given a picture of the power of God that will accompany him when he goes before Pharaoh. Three "signs" were given to Moses by God to show him that it was not going to be through his own power, or eloquence, or maneuvering that deliverance would take place. Still, Moses is unsure and he begs for someone else. God grants him Aaron, his brother to be a spokesman for him. What does Moses mean when he is slow of speech? We don't know. Some have suggested he stuttered; others that he was afraid of being thrust into such a role after 40 years in the desert. We don't know what the reasons are, but the fact that God grants him Aaron's help must mean there was something he was dealing with.

The next two chapters set up the confrontation we are about to read. Moses returns with Aaron, and after a meeting with the elders of the tribe he goes to Pharaoh - who promptly denounces his request - which by the way was for a three day journey into the wilderness to hold a festival, not a wholesale leaving of Egypt. Was that Moses' idea? Maybe. Still, Pharaoh ratcheted up the demands...i.e., things got worse instead of better. That leads to a confrontation between the tribal leaders and Moses. All of this probably makes Moses wonder if God is going to be faithful to what he told him to do.

As the readings end, the writer takes us through a picture of the genealogies. Why the genealogical detour? Genealogies were important to keep family lines of authority and purpose clear. I noticed this one this morning in vs 20:

"Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years."

Vs 18 before this had stated that Amram was a son of Kohath. Vs 16 had said that Kohath was a son of Levi. So, Moses is a Great-Grandchild of Levi. We are three generations removed from the sons of Jacob, or to say it another way, it's the fourth generation of Israelites. Lifespans are sometimes listed, and most are in the 130's. It is now several hundred years from when Joseph went to Egypt and the rest of Israel followed. After many years of slavery, God was about to take them back to the land he had promised Abraham would be theirs.

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