My colleague Toby Sumpter suggests that the plunder Israel takes from Egypt is a “bride price” as well as the proper gift for a manumitted slave. The “bride price” idea works. Pharaoh has, like the Pharaoh of Abram’s day, claimed a bride for himself, . . . . Continue Reading »
Is Christ ever without His body? Might as well ask, Is Christ ever without His Spirit? The answer to that is, obviously, No. Anointing with the Spirit is what makes Christ Christ. And the Spirit gathers and knits together what He gathers. Hence: To say “Christ is anointed by the . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus comes to Jerusalem riding over palm branches. He is the promised king, and marches over the treetops into Jerusalem, up to the temple. When the disciples hear the sound of the Wind-filled Jesus in the tops of the trees, they will know that Yahweh has gone before them (cf. 2 Samuel . . . . Continue Reading »
A reader, Daniel Hoffman, comments on my post about the dogs of Egypt: “A while back I saw it pointed out somewhere (I am pretty sure it was John Currid in his book ‘Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament’, but I don’t have it on hand to check) that the Egyptian god of the dead . . . . Continue Reading »
If Israel is faithful, Yahweh promises to make her triply fruitful. Deuteronomy 28:11 uses the word “fruit” three times (bizarrely translated in different ways by the NASB): fruit of the womb, fruit of the beast, fruit of the ground. Children, animals, plants will all . . . . Continue Reading »
On the first Passover night, Yahweh promises that “against any of the sons of Israel a dog shall not sharpen his tongue, whether against man or beast” (Exodus 11:7). By implication, dogs will be sharpening their tongues against the Egyptians. Dogs are urban scavengers in the . . . . Continue Reading »
In today’s sermon text, Yahweh tells Moses that He performs signs so that Israel can recount His works in the ears of “sons and sons of sons.” A few verses later, Yahweh says that He brings more locusts than “your fathers and the fathers of your fathers have . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 10:4-5: Tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you . . . . Continue Reading »
Cassuto suggests that there may be a reference to Ra the Egyptian sun god in Exodus 10:10. Pharaoh dismisses Moses and Aaron with “look, for evil is before you,” but the word for evil is ra’a . Cassuto suggests that Pharaoh means, “know that the power of my god . . . . Continue Reading »
Throughout the early chapters of Exodus, Yahweh is hardening Pharaoh’s heart. By the end, there is a heart of stone in the heart of Egypt. To say that Israel has a heart of stone that needs to be turned to hearts of flesh is to say that Israel is an Egypt that needs to be re-Israelized . . . . Continue Reading »
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