Mission Sunday Sermon-Aug, 4, 2020-Part 2

Mission Sunday Sermon-Mission as quest for meaning-Part 1

Theophany (appearance of God) and the Call-The Divine-Human Partnership in Redemption

Exodus 3: 1-12

Theophany (appearance of God) and the Call-The Divine-Human Partnership in Redemption

Jethro (His abundance) is another name for the priest of Midian Ruel (2:18). Moses is in a different and totally new life in the service of his father-in-law. Moses tends the sheep and comes to new grazing land, namely Horeb (literally means “desolate waste”). These two terms connote both the stale life that Moses leads in Midian because of his forced expulsion from Egypt and the transformation that God Almighty is going to bring in his life as he a God with abundant resources to renew life.

Horeb is known as “God’s mountain” or “Mountain of God”, Because of it becoming the locale of God’s appearance many times. In other traditions, the mountain is also called Sinai. The text prepares the reader for some extraordinary happenings and urges the reader to use the categories of faith to understand the text. The burning bush is presented as an angel of God and the voice of God is presented as coming out from the bush. This is the first appearance of God in the book of Exodus. The theophany episode has a visible part (vv.2-3) as well as an audible part (vv.4-6). The dramatic visible part draws the attention of Moses to the very theophany event. The audible part calls out Moses by his name, it is a divine summons. Moses’ response to this sovereign summons is complete submission and obedience as in other “call-response” patterns in the Bible. Moses responds by saying, “here I am (v.4).” The ordinary place that is termed as “desolate waste” (Horeb) is transformed by the preemptive holy presence of God. Moses is now taken up into the sphere of that awful holiness.[1] The holiness of the reality of God always sets a sense of limit for human endeavors. It even happens in the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve are instructed while they were appointed as stewards to respect the limit of not approaching the trees of life and knowledge (Genesis 2:17). Moses is also asked to keep a respectable and conscious distance while approaching the holiness of God. Moses’ removal of sandals signifies his complete submission to the will of God.

Though God was visible Moses is not attempting to see God as seeing God amounts to impinging upon God’s freedom and holiness. Moses hides his face to avoid seeing God. Brueggemann writes about the developing relationship with Moses and God in the following words; “Thus Moses’ act of submissive deference is undertaken so that God’s sovereignty is not crowded. Later on, Moses will become daring and emboldened (33:17–23). But this is after a long, troubled history together.”^[2]

This is the nameable, identifiable voice of the God of Genesis, the one who has made faithful promises, who “goes with,” who guards fugitives like Jacob, who keeps outsiders like Joseph, and who births babies to barren mothers.^[3] God once again reveals His identity as the God of Moses’ forefathers (Ex. 2:24 & 3:6). This God is a God who remembers his covenant with humanity and the people who bear the prospects of that covenant in all generations. The narrative talks about three particular actions of God towards his people; “I have seen…, I have heard…, and I have known…” All three of these actions testifies that Israel is the object of God’s very intense attentiveness. God claims the hapless slaves in Egypt as “my people.” God very seriously attends to the afflictions, cries, and sufferings of his people. God not only knows, but he becomes bodily present in the sufferings of the people. He incarnates into the troubles to share in the pain and to redeem them. God will snatch them away from the brutal clutches of Egypt and will bring them up to the promised land overflowing with the power of God’s blessings. They will be brought to an experience of plenty and goodness from that of misery and bitterness (1:14) in Egypt. Only this God who intensely looks and deeply engages with the lives of the people can bring out an alternative to the oppressive life situations of Israel.

V.10 is a decisive break from whatever is said until now. The generous promises of God have turned out to be a rigorous command to come and play the human responsibility in fulfilling God’s intentions in the life of the people. God says to Moses that I will send you. Moses will act as an agent to fulfill all the promises that God had spoken about the future of the people. God blends beautifully with human history to bring forth newness in God’s beloved created order. Man has to still “till and guard” (Gen. 2:15) for the wellbeing of God’s world. Now it will be Moses who will bring out the people from Egypt for God.

It is no wonder that Moses raises a series of doubts and resistances to this divine summons as the task entrusted is very dangerous. His chances of success in a human viewpoint are very modest, and his chances of survival in his confrontation with the imperial power of the status quo are even worse. But his absolute submission and his willingness to allow God His freedom and power in his life will open up new possibilities of an Exodus even in the darkest and ruthless situation of life.

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[1] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 712). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

 

^[2] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 712). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[3] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 712). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Amalek (trouble-maker) defeated

Exodus 17: 8-16

Amalek (trouble-maker) defeated

Troubles and Conflicts are part of the journey to the Promised Land. The way of the Israelite migrants is fraught with many adversaries because Israel constitutes a political and military threat to the settled people on the way. The struggle with those who are too strong for Israel, when they are not properly organized for a battle and extremely weary because of the grueling journey through the wilderness on bare minimum resources to sustain life is very difficult. Joshua for the first time is introduced as the warrior who recruits the army, fights with the Amalekites, and defeats them.^[1]

Here we see the overlap of traditions of Moses and Joshua though they are given with different responsibilities in the Exodus-conquest-settlement model. Moses is the leader of Exodus and Joshua the leader of the conquest. The name Joshua is derived from the root Hebrew word that means “to save.” The name indicates the fact that the credit of saving the people from bondage and the guidance they experience in the wilderness journey rests with Yahweh and Moses and Joshua are human agents in the overall purpose of Yahweh for this people. Moses also acts as a mentor for Joshua finding in him the leadership qualities to lead the people at a later stage and nurturing his skills for that impending task.

Moses, though does not participate in the battle directly, plays a crucial role in the victory. Brueggemann quotes Childs to say that the crucial roles of Joshua’s leadership and Moses’ hands in the victory represent an inevitable balance between human initiatives and divine intentions; “a delicate balance which neither impaired God’s will nor destroyed man’s genuine activity.”^[2] Human endeavors are strengthened and driven to purpose when they are done within the purposes of God to bring justice and wellbeing in the lives of all.

Brueggemann puts this as, “after all the military strategy, material, and technology is assembled, battles require passion, energy, and sheer adrenalin, which are usually generated not by technicians but by public leaders who can mobilize imagination and play on the passions of the military community.”^[3] This passage is not advocating military adventures, because these people are not marching in an imperial conquest of lands. But this is an exodus journey of unarmed slaves, who had to protect their women, young ones, and the cattle from the attack of the greedy settlers. Therefore, the defensive battle is a sudden innovation for the protection of lives in its entourage. Unless this passion to survive is not instilled in the hearts of the people, their dreams of entering a land of freedom will also be buried along with their dead bodies in the wilderness.

Prayer always instills confidence in people who are out in the field taking up the struggles to bring changes in the collective life of the community. Seeing the raised hands of Moses boosts the confidence of the people who fought the Amalekites, who were the trouble-makers in their journey towards a new life of freedom and justice. The name Amalekite can be translated as the “trouble-maker.” Therefore, in interpreting this text the ‘Amalekites’ should be taken up as a figurative representation of all the hindrances that act against the people’s attempts to fulfill God’s will in their life. It should be this figurative sense that prevail when we interpret the eternal enmity of Israelites with the Amalekites that the Old Testament talks about. Deuteronomy 25: 17-19 exhorts the Israelites “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and struck down all who lagged behind you; he did not fear God. Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies on every hand, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget.” The war was against the trouble maker who prevented the people from progressing to their freedom and the fulfillment of God’s promises in their life. It is not an advocacy to keep a historical enmity with a particular race who are the neighbors of the Israelites. If it is so this comes in conflict with the commandment to love and care for their neighbors.

The people are called out from Egypt to be in an Exodus to proceed to a new life. The people’s resolve to remember forever the hurt, hate, rage, and fear will surely prevent them from being part of the political processes of newness.^[4] The path that the escaped slaves need to take is that of forgiveness. Forgiveness, by contrast to hatred, is the political, creative process of negotiating old wounds in ways that lead to newness. Such negotiations are impossible in a world where hurts are absolutized and institutionalized.^[5] Sometimes our religions and our ideas of a nation are inscribed with this hatred in its institutional expressions preventing a collective progression towards a new, just, and equalitarian society. Let us be wary of these dangers in our political and religious lives!

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^[1] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 820). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[2] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 820). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[3] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 820). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[4] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 822). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[5] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 822). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Water from Rock: Life is wrought from Death

Exodus 17:1-7

Massah and Meriba: A call to be wary of the dangers of a utilitarian religion

The journey through the wilderness to the promised land continues as the Lord had commanded. But there is no water again! The journey was not a well-calculated or well-planned journey. The setting out of the exodus happened in haste and was motivated by the people’s trust in the saving kindness of God. The people are again in great distress as they lack the most elemental resource that is required to sustain life in the wilderness. The exodus instilled in them great expectations and now the journey gets harder and harder by each day. They are turning their frustration and anger against the leadership.

There are two heated exchanges between Moses and the people. The first exchange questions the credibility of the leadership of Moses. It was he and his brother Aaron who convinced these people for an exodus into the wilderness. They promised them a better life outside the realm of Egypt’s brutal and abusive power.

Moses wants to put the issue in a larger context of the destiny of these people in God’s plan. He wants to tell the people that the responsibility of the exodus and the reaching of the promised land is a collective one. The whole group of the escaped slaves needs to show the endurance and character appropriate for this long-lasting journey. He retorts painfully saying “Why to blame me?” “Why test God?” The people need to trust in the faithfulness of the God of the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in the midst of this life-threatening crisis.

The second exchange between Moses and the people is more outraged and the people are accusing Moses of causing death by instigating the exodus. They might have been ready to take revenge on Moses by imparting death on him for bringing them to the verge of death. Moses now turns to God, his petition this time is not for the wellbeing of the people but for his own safety. “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”^[1]

The best part of the story is that YHWH is directly involved in the process of resolution of this crisis. The God of the Exodus is not a distant God, who control the affairs of the people remotely, but one who descends into the miseries of His people to deliver them (Ex 3:8). Moses is asked to walk ahead of the people carrying the staff that he used to strike the Nile, which is a symbol of God’s guiding presence in the life of the journeying Israelite congregation. It is not the personal grievances of Moses that is resolved but the crisis in the people’s lives that is resolved.

The staff, the rock, the courage of Moses, the witness of the elders, and the guarantee of Yahweh all converge to work a wonderful deliverance for the people.^[2] Deliverance, therefore, is a continuing series of saving acts of which God is consistently the subject.

Only Yahweh can give the resources for life, but Yahweh will do so through the work of Moses.^[3] God uses the human medium to manifest his life-giving wondrous acts. People who holds the staff of authority entrusted by God Almighty must always be mindful of this fact to become the life-giving medium for God’s gracious incoming into the lives of the people whom they serve.

The presence and power of Yahweh are perfectly capable of transforming rock to water and death to life. The rock here represents the morbidity of death and water the dynamism of life. Brueggemann notes the importance of this incident being situated in Horeb by the biblical narrator. Horeb is the place where the “wasteland” of no importance was turned into a “holy land” of theophany for Moses. “It is likely important that the rock is “in Horeb,” located in the peculiar precincts where Yahweh’s presence is palpable and immediate. In the sphere of Yahweh’s sovereignty, life is wrought in situations of death.”^[4]

Moses calls the place Massah and Meribah (Massah=“test” and Meribah = “quarrel”), because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”^[5] The context is that of faith or unfaith. It is not the wonderworking power of Yahweh is exposed here but the lack of faith of the people in spite of the mighty acts that they have witnessed in Egypt.

The tendency to test and quarrel with God for personal comforts arises from the practice of a utilitarian religion. A utilitarian religion never allows God His sovereignty. Brueggemann explicates it as an “inverted relationship” of the people with God.^[6] Or in other words, people want to take sovereignty into their hands and YHWH to obey and act in accordance with their desires. “The only evidence of Yahweh’s presence that Israel will accept is a concrete action that saves. Thus, Israel collapses God’s promise into its own well-being and refuses to allow Yahweh any life apart from Israel’s well-being.”^[7]

We all want God to take out all the miseries from our lives immediately. But a spirituality that limits God to the comforts of our personal life is going to be as dangerous as it had been in Meribah and Massah. It will only create more hatred and frustrations and no movement in life towards the purposes for which God calls us collectively as the community of disciples.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 17:4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[2] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 817). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[3] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 817). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[4] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 818). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[5] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 17:7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[6] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 818). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[7] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 818). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

People Groans and God Hears

Exodus 2:23-25

Groaning of the people as a tool of resistance

Again, God takes notice of the groaning of Israelites. From here on, the text consciously uses the term Israelites in place of Hebrews. It is nothing but to make explicit the theological intentionality of the Exodus as an event initiated by the redeeming power of God. The groaning becomes more vocal in this period of transition in the history of Egypt. A pharaoh dies and it anticipates the succession of a new one. The occasion of the death of the king offers an opportunity for the discontinuation of the discriminatory social patterns and the possibility of a new social order. The biblical narrator also describes this time as a time for the Israelites to make their groaning more vocal. Brueggemann observes, “when such pain is voiced, it takes on energy and becomes an active agent in the process of public power.”^[1] Further, Brueggemann notes that the cry involves the “rage, protest, insistence, and expectation concerning an intolerable situation.”^[2] The empire always preferred a silent mass of slaves, who would not create any administrative inconvenience for its bureaucracy. The silence of the slaves is also a mark of their conceding of the oppression. But those conventions are fiercely challenged by the loud cries of the slaves and the eventual breaking of silence. The point may the that they have reached a limit of absorbing pain and insult and now has come the time to rebel, assert, and initiate some alternatives in relation to the existing situation of oppression.

God hears and acts on the groaning

The good news is that their cries haven’t gone in vain, but heard by God. God is moved in decisive and powerful ways by the groaning of the people. In verses 24 and 25 we see God as the subject of well-directed actions, namely, hearing, remembering, seeing, and knowing. God remembered their connection to the promise bearers of the book of Genesis; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, God knew the present pain that the people are going through. This transitional text connects the readers well with the definite and sovereign purpose of God to save his people from slavery.

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^[1] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 706). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[2] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 706). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

God prepares Moses to be a Deliverer

Exodus 2:11-22

Moses’ Violent and Confused Adulthood

Moses is a grown-up adult by now. His life at this stage is being narrated at two different locales; Egypt and Midian.

2: 11-15 is the Egyptian scene. Moses’ young, adventurous, and inquisitive mind engages in the exploration of the outside world. Bible tells us that “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor.”^[1] He was trying to grasp the dynamics of forced labor and had seen an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man. It is an instance of Moses coming in intimate knowledge of the abusive strategies of oppressing and killing the slaves. The sight was deep that it exposed the worst part of it. It was the systemic oppression imposed on people by the imperial power through mandatory hard labor. Hebrews are depicted by the biblical narrator as Moses’ brothers/kinsmen. It shows Moses’ clear solidarity with the Hebrew slaves though he was part of the life in the royal palace. He was not ignorant about his ancestry as that knowledge would have driven him straight to see the plight of his people. Moses easily identifies the aggressor in this unjust relationship and interferes to strike the Egyptian aggressor. But his identity was not acceptable for both Egyptian taskmasters and the Hebrews alike. Since Moses was a Hebrew by origin he would have racially discriminated among the Egyptians. On the other hand, as he was brought up in the palace and not part of the salve community, his acceptance into the community turns out to be a problem for the Hebrews. It was in fact this identity crisis of this young adult that makes him the subject of deadly, violent crime of killing the Egyptian taskmaster. The fight between the Hebrew slaves is also explained as because of the unresolved violence in their life. They cannot strike back at the master who oppresses them badly, but they attempt to vent anger by directing that resentment against their brothers. When Moses interferes to pacify them, the fellow Hebrew shouts at him, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”^[2] This brings to Moses the realization that he is cut off both from his belongingness to the Egyptian royal family as well as his solidarity with the Hebrew slaves. The fact is that solidarity is very essential for any liberation to happen. He is alone and is in fear of his life. Moses is a criminal in the territory of Egypt and his crime is against the royal throne. His fear is so real that the Pharaoh issues a death sentence against Moses, he has no options but to flee from the reach of the imperial power of Pharaoh. But this conflict was inevitable as the Egyptian ways and the ways of the Hebrews are also highly conflicting too.

At last, Moses finds a home

This fleeing from Pharaoh lands him in Midian, the land where God prepared him to take up the role of leading God’s deliverance for the people. Midianites are usually referred to as a nomadic group and hence an exact identification of the geography is not a possibility. Another problem is in wait for Moses in Midian. The seven daughters of the priest of Midian had issues with the rogue shepherds of the territory. Moses interferes and “snatches them out” from the injustices of the shepherds. The word used to rescue has a resemblance to the rescuing acts of God to “snatch” God’s people from the clutches of Pharaoh. The excited daughters return to their father in joy and report the incident. An interesting thing to note here is that the daughters of the Midianite priest also identify him as an Egyptian (v.19). His features were not that suits a Hebrew man. He needed to transform himself by identifying with the pain and struggles of ordinary folks out in the fields to take up the mantle of a leader for the deliverance of his kinspeople. Reuel directs his daughters to invite Moses for a meal. The meal turns to be an occasion of settlement between Moses and Reuel. Zipporah was given to him as his wife. Moses for the first time in his life finds a home in Midian. Egypt has never been a home for him as it had never been a home for any of the Hebrew slaves. This is reflected by the naming of his first child as Gershom meaning “a stranger there.” But Midian invites him into the inner core of its fellowship and life. He is one in the family of the Reuel the Midianite priest. Moses in Egypt was a nonperson, a foreigner without status; here in Midian, where he belongs, and always has belonged, he is at home.^[3] He is among a people who worship their God in freedom. This sense of freedom in worship will definitely inspire Moses to initiate a deliverance for his people to worship their God in absolute freedom.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 2:11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[2] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 2:14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[3] Durham, J. I. (1987). Exodus (Vol. 3, p. 24). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 2:11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[2] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 2:14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[3] Durham, J. I. (1987). Exodus (Vol. 3, p. 24). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

The Unnamed Women defending the power of death to preserve life

Exodus 2:1-10

The Unnamed Women defeating the power of death to preserve life

Baby Moses’ miraculous escape from the death sentence

Exodus is not a hero story. Moses is not the real hero of the narrative, but the narrator seems to conceal God in Moses’ life. God’s presence is not that explicit or visible very often, but Moses is anointed to represent it.

Moses’ miraculous escape from death is the theme of this text. Chapter one ends with the death-dealing decree of the Emperor to drown all the Hebrew baby boys in the Nile (1:22). It is a distortion of the Nile, which is characteristically a power of life for the whole land. Pharaoh is an arrogant distorter, a distorter of the life of people who are all around him. As he had distorted the peaceful life of the Hebrew slaves, he is continuing to distort the life-giving power of Nile. In spite of the decree of the emperor another birth happens. Every birth of the Hebrew babies is an act of defiance of the distortive power of Pharaoh.

Birth as an act of defiance and harbinger of a new beginning

The mother sees the baby be a fine baby (v.2), reminds the readers of the goodness that God as the creator sees in the creation and comments about while reviewing his creative activity. The same Hebrew root wordtob (טוב) is  used in both these places. As creation was an act of bringing order out of chaos, this birth suggests the beginning of a new order in the life of the Hebrews. The baby cannot any longer be hidden as he grows bigger, active, and noisy. But the unnamed mother of the baby seems to be up to the crisis, she plans a rescue act for the baby. She makes a waterproof basket out of bitumen and pitch resembling Noah’s ark of redemption in the book of Genesis. To be creatively imaginative in times of life-threatening crises demands daring courage. In a way, the mother is not defying the decree to throw the boy into the Nile, but she being greatly imaginative turns that act into a life-preserving motherly act.

Being Imaginative and courageous in perils is important to experience salvation

The basket placed among the reeds flows to the place where the pharaoh’s daughter was bathing. Baby seems to flow from one crisis to the other. Being Pharaoh’s daughter, she is expected to replicate the rage of his father towards a Hebrew baby boy. But to the surprise of the reader, when she sees the baby after the basket being opened and identifying him as a Hebrew baby, she feels compassion for him. She decides and prepares to be his protector. Brueggemann says that she has entered into an alliance with the baby.^[1] An alliance to defend life in a context of raging, intimidating power of death. She knew exactly the ramifications of her actions and yet risked herself to be the preserver of the baby’s life. The people who are involved in the rescue act are three unnamed women. Moses’ mother, sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter. Now it is the turn of the sister as she brings a nursing mother for the baby. She very deliberately makes herself present physically, mentally, and imaginatively through the crisis. She was not simply lamenting the “unfortunate” fate of the baby or ready to give up her watchfulness over all the incidents. Overwhelming anxiety can close oneself to the realities and the opportunities out there. She is very much composed and is in perfect control of her emotions. She was daring to go out and talk to the princess about the availability of a Hebrew nursing mother. The baby who is under death verdict is turned to be a baby who is spared by the compassion of a royal family member. One of the kinds of “vigorous and productive Hebrew women” (Ex. 1:19) nurses the baby for the princes. Now, when Moses grows up into an adult, she brings him back to the princess and the latter adopts him as her own son. Adoption is a great lifesaving act. It is difficult to say which act of these women was most crucial in the redemption of Moses. Surrogacy, adoption, and brokering; all with the sole purpose of saving a life is seen as equally lifesaving and intertwined acts of women filled with motherly and sisterly love. He was named Moses to mean that he was drawn out from the water. The name also indicates the future acts of God in the lives of the Hebrews. God will draw them out from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the promised land.

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^[1] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 700). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Power of life embedded in the life-preserving practices

A Study on Exodus 1:15-22

Pharaoh’s desperate policy of Genocide against the Hebrew Slaves

King’s anxiety is intensified seeing the increase of the slave population. He is not satisfied by the imposition of forced labor, which was his plan A, on the slave community, but now, he brings out his plan B to eliminate them through a programmatic genocide. The term Hebrews in the historical context of this text does not generate a sense of national identity, but a general reference to people who lead a marginal existence without any rights to land or social status in any of the west Asian societies of that time. They are “low-class folks” who are feared, excluded and despised.^[1] Biblical Scholars see a correspondence between the Hebrews and hapiru of the contemporary non-biblical texts. Hapiru was a reference for the lower social class of the times. King speaks three times in this passage. The first time to the Hebrew midwives who help with birthing among the slave community. The command is that all boy babies newly born in the slave community should be stealthily eliminated.

Hebrew midwives counteract the genocide by their habitual compassion for life

It is interesting to note that in this narrative the name of the king is not mentioned and on the contrary, the names of the seemingly insignificant midwives are mentioned. They are Shiphrah (the fair one) and Puah (fragrant one). Their fairness and fragrance are derived from their obedience to the will of God. This distinction may be a deliberate effort from the biblical narrator’s part to highlight the obedience of midwives in comparison with the hubris of the king. The king tries to deal with death to the poor slaves and the midwives try to preserve life that is a gift from the Almighty God. The midwives are putting themselves in great risk by deliberately disobeying the royal order. They are counteracting the genocide by their habitual compassion for life. They have allowed the male children of the Hebrews to live (v.17). The reason for their disobedience of the king’s decree is mentioned as their fear of God. Their disobedience further annoys and frustrates the king. He does an inquiry to find out the reason for their disobedience. The midwives are not speaking to the king about their fear of God but speak about the vigorous power of life present among the Hebrew slaves. Hebrew babies, they say, are born with such vigor and at such a rate that the midwives simply cannot be present in time for each birth.^[2] They only asserted their innocence and never accused the Hebrew mothers of any wrongdoing. The miracle of such unmanageable births is not the fault of any human agencies but the doing of a mighty God who is the source of the power of life in Hebrew people’s life. A power that cannot simply be deterred by the decree of the king. The king appears to be desperately fearful and on the other hand the midwives unafraid. The king’s fear shoots up from his dependence on his own resources, whereas the midwives' courage derives from their dependence on the life-giving power of God. The midwives and Hebrew mothers are depicted by the text as “carriers of liberation” for the Hebrews and through whom, God’s liberative life-giving power is operative.

Despite all his shrewd and stealthy policies the people kept on multiplying. Verse 22 picturizes an arrogant king who goes crazy in knowing that his plans A and B are been defeated by the power of life vigorously present in the slave community’s life. Now he resorts to plan C, the intention is more vocal and universal here that “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”^[3] It is doubtful how much this policy is going to help the empire with its ambitious building projects. The empire will lose its labor force if this programmatic genocide becomes a reality. The rage and hubris drive the king into insanity.

Around the world, we hear about socio-economic nobodies are being perceived as a threat by established governments. We hear about such people being eliminated through wars, pogroms, hate campaigns, or stamping as an illegal presence to deny them their rights to live. In all these incidents we can see little people like Shiphrah and Puah acting as the carriers of God’s liberation for the people. Church’s responsibility is to partner with them to strengthen such acts of defiance against the forces of death.

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^[1] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 695). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[2] Brueggemann, W. (1994–2004). The Book of Exodus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 1, p. 696). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[3] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 1:22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Responding to a call to be a young Christian leader during the time of quarantine

1 Timothy 4:6–16 (NRSV)

A Good Minister of Jesus Christ

⁶ If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, ⁸ for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹ These are the things you must insist on and teach. ¹² Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. ¹⁵ Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Responding to a call to be a young Christian leader during the time of quarantine

This book is Paul’s instruction to Timothy a young minister of the church by St Paul the seasoned apostle of the church. As a young man he is told that he has two paths to choose, the wrong one that will make him ineffective as a Christin leader and a right one that will keep on increase his effectiveness as a Christian minister in the changing circumstances of the life of his church members. One of these paths will become a reality in his life depending on his response.

The instructions that Timothy gets from Paul are many and loaded with a lot of meaning. Let us consider some of those instructions for our consideration in today’s study of the text. Let me pick up the following instructions for a brief detailing to build our devotion. They are namely, 1. Depart from (4:1), 2. Follow (4:6), 3. Train yourself (4:7-8), 4. Strive and hope (4:10), and 5. Progress

     1. Depart from

Paul advises Timothy to depart from deceitful spirits and demons. The deceitful spirits and demons are not a reference to the otherworldly beings, but a symbolic expression of the daily temptations that keep us away from a close relationship with God and a knowledge of His ways. He is also to be aware of the hypocrisy of liars and a seared conscience. Don’t be naïve to take all the truth claims around us as it is not the truth that is propagated by the people who attract our attention through different means. Be alert in your conscience to identify the self-interests and profit motives of people who try to waver our attention from growing up as faithful servants of God. Also, beware of the false teachings, false prophesies, false spiritualities that blur the focus of a strenuous and disciplined Christian living, and lead us astray to justify the pleasure-oriented life. In Timothy’s time-teachings forbidding marriage and encouraging abstinence were in popularity. Even in our times, we see such fashionable versions of Christianity that advocate life-negating social practices. But Paul’s thesis is that enjoying the gifts in thankfulness to God is more important and necessary than practices of abstinence. There are controversies among us about accepting a new lifestyle by the youth. What should be measuring rod that we apply in legitimizing a lifestyle? Acceptability of a lifestyle to God rather than a church tradition should be the criteria for that. Paul says that anything that edifies the Christian community living, or that nourishes our feeling of thankfulness to God or that affirms the sanctity of life can be accepted and others rejected. The measuring rods should be the ethos and values that the Bible upholds. The kingdom values the Christians as a community is upholding. Individual freedom or liberty of opinion should not be the sole criteria to choose a lifestyle as the contemporary culture teaches us. We may be free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences of choices that we make. Whether it be our experiments with drugs, sex, or technology, we cannot have the freedom to choose the consequences of those experiments. Those choices will be our character-shaping choices and to escape from the consequences of those choices will be the hardest way forward.

2. Follow

You should not forget the fact that you are a person nourished in the house of the Lord (v.6). “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. ⁶ For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; ⁷ for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and self-discipline (2 Ti 1:5–7).”^[1] We all need to look back into our days of early development in our homes and churches to realize the sense of the presence of God that surrounded us from the very time of our formation in our mother’s womb. Do not ignore or waste the advantages of your upbringing in a Temple of God, in a Christian home. Words of faith and sound teachings that were echoed in our churches and homes are to be held on to forever. Let us inscribe in our hearts the Word of God being read and explained and prayers faithfully uttered by our parents and grandparents. Clinging on to the right way, right faith, and right spirituality as a continuity with the faith of our older generations and building on them in accordance with the gifts and blessings we receive from God will grant a sharper sense of our Christian identity while living in the wider society. That will further help us to be mindful of the boundary that we need to respect being the disciples of Christ in the larger society. The Christian life involves movement, a movement to realize the meaningfulness of living in a changing world as Christians.

     3. Train yourself

Another important instruction by Paul to Timothy is to train in Godliness. Whatever be the situations of life the young minister of God should not feel a slackness in exercising Godliness in his life. Paul uses the imagery of an athlete’s preparation for a race to teach his hearers about the spiritual preparedness in many places in his letters. “While physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (v.8).” Slackness and lack of discipline is a dangerous possibility of a lapse in any disciple’s life. The time of quarantine is a very tempting time to be slack in our disciplines as it tempts us to sleep more, eat unnecessarily, spend more time browsing idly on computers and smartphones, etc. It can also affect our spiritual discipline as there is no compulsion from anywhere to read the Bible, do personal and family prayers. Paul advises Timothy to keep us with the godly practices of thanksgiving, believing and knowing the truth, loving, nourishing faith, and living in purity. This training in Godliness is not merely aimed at attaining a mere victor’s wreath, a perishable wreath. But life both now and in the age to come. Therefore, the training in godliness helps us live meaningfully in the present age as well as in the age to come. Let not this time frustrate us because of the lack of our godly disciplines.

4. Strive and Hope

Timothy has to strive hard to maintain hope in his life. The striving involves reading the scripture, studying it, encouraging others through the explication of it, and teaching the fellow church members in ways of God (4:13). Training in Godliness should be put in the context of long-term benefits. It points our attention to the hope of salvation beyond the current experiences of life. “For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe (v.10).” 1 Cor 9:24–25 we read; “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.” Hope is not a mere aspiration of good times to come, but a concrete assurance we experience because of our intimate relationship with a living God. Hope arises out of Christian conviction that God is our Savior and he is the guarantor of our hope too. Hope is the confidence of sharing in God’s salvation in the present and now.

 5.  Progress

Paul warns Timothy not to neglect the gifts that are in him (4:14).  The gifts are permanent deposits in our person invested by God. But they can be either neglected or rekindled (2 Timothy 1:6). Timothy is asked to rekindle his gifts bestowed on him by the presbyter’s hands. We too have our own experiences of assurance of reception of gifts through the laying on of hands by the ministers of the church. Or through be a prayer done for us by a parent, grandparent or a friend. Timothy is to provide exemplary leadership to the church through the proper nourishing of those gifts “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity,”^[2] Timothy has to present himself as a model to be copied. Authority of status he is holding in the church must be matched by the quality of life that he leads. A development towards maturity that imitates Christ in everything is a necessity in our Christian life. A choice once made to follow Jesus has to be repeatedly reaffirmed and lived out.^[3] Each gift and the commission associated with it in the church has to be carefully thought about, patiently cultivated, and humbly practiced. We all are gifted in different ways; some can sing, some teach, some speak well, some paint well and some write cogently. Every gift should be thought about, nurtured, and practiced. The gifts that are not practiced will wither. And let us not despise the gifts in us at a time like this. Let us do something to cheer the world and give it hope. May the good Lord bless us all!

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^[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (2 Ti 1:5–7). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[2] Dunn, J. D. G. (1994–2004). The First and Second Letters to Timothy and the Letter to Titus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 11, p. 814). Nashville: Abingdon Press.

^[3] Dunn, J. D. G. (1994–2004). The First and Second Letters to Timothy and the Letter to Titus. In L. E. Keck (Ed.), New Interpreter’s Bible (Vol. 11, p. 816). Nashville: Abingdon Press.