Sunday, Sep 24, 2017: “Exodus Story”

 

Old Testament: Exodus (16:2-15)

 

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”  In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.” 

 
  • NOTE:  The entire session was focused on Exodus this morning.
  • Last week – bitter water episode.
  • We don’t know if Elim is an actual oasis or an exaggeration.
  • Complain (i.e. “grumble”) appears seven times in nine verses.
  • The Israelites are looking back at the “good old days” in Egypt.
  • God is being very patient with them at this point.
  • No official Sabbath yet but being envisioned.
  • First time that God appears in glory as a bright shining light.
  • Play on words in Hebrew for manna — ” man who.”
  • God uses a natural phenomenon to feed the people (manna).
  • Tribes still harvest it today locally.
  • God assigned an “omer” which equals two quarts of manna to everyone.
  • In the verses following today’s reading, the Sabbath is then defined.
  • Everyone is commanded to rest by God.
  • Well before Sinai, the Israelites were commanded to keep the Sabbath.
  • It may have been critical that the people were forced to rest one day a week because of hard work.
  • Also, God rested on the seventh day of creation.
  • It could also have been the celebration of the escape from Egypt.
  • The Sabbath was not a day for religious services.
  • The Christians changed the definition of the Sabbath.  
 
 

Additional Exodus Readings for Today

 

Exodus 14
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 
2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. 
3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 
4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So the Israelites did this. 
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 
6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 
7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 
8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 
9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon. 
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 
11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 
12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” 
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 
14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 
16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 
17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 
18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” 
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 
20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. 
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 
22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 
24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 
25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” 
26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 
27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 
28The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 
30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 
31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
 
Exodus 15
The Song of Moses and Miriam

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. 
2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 
3The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. 
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 
5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 
6 Your right hand, LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, LORD, shattered the enemy. 
7 “In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. 
8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 
10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 
11 Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? 
12 “You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. 
13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. 
14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. 
15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; 
16 terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone— until your people pass by, LORD, until the people you bought pass by. 
17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance— the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. 
18 “The LORD reigns for ever and ever.” 
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 
20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 
21 Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
 

The Waters of Marah and Elim

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 
23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. ) 
24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 
25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 
26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” 
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

 

 

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The Response: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

 

1   Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *

     make known his deeds among the peoples.

2   Sing to him, sing praises to him, *

     and speak of all his marvelous works.

3   Glory in his holy Name; *

      let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4   Search for the Lord and his strength; *

     continually seek his face.

5   Remember the marvels he has done, *

      his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

6   O offspring of Abraham his servant, *

      O children of Jacob his chosen.

37  He led out his people with silver and gold; *

      in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.

38  Egypt was glad of their going, *

      because they were afraid of them.

39  He spread out a cloud for a covering *

     and a fire to give light in the night season.

40  They asked, and quails appeared, *

      and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.

41  He opened the rock, and water flowed, *

      so the river ran in the dry places.

42  For God remembered his holy word *

      and Abraham his servant.

43  So he led forth his people with gladness, *

     his chosen with shouts of joy.

44  He gave his people the lands of the nations, *

     and they took the fruit of others’ toil,

45  That they might keep his statutes *

      and observe his laws.

Hallelujah!

 

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The Epistle: Philippians 1:21-30

 

To me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well—since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

.

 

 

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The Gospel: Matthew (20:1-16)

 

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’  They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

 

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