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The Battle Begins: An Allegory
The LORD said to Aaron: Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went; when meeting him at the mountain of God, he kissed him. Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs he had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders…
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“… Let us go a three days’ journey …” Really?
Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may hold a feast* for me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh answered, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will…
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Moses’ Uncircumcised Lips
And Moses said to the Lord, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am a man of uncircumcised lips. Exodus 6:12 Up to this point Moses has been a failure, at least with regard to accomplishing great things. His first attempt as a young man…
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Pharaoh’s Hard Heart
But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the Land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you; then I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, my people, the sons of Israel, by great acts of judgement. And the Egyptians shall know that…
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YHWH’s Strange and Terrible Weapons: The Plagues
Yet I will make Pharaoh so headstrong that, despite the many signs and wonders that I work in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Therefore I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring my armies, my people the Israelites, out of the land…
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Life: A Drama of Inescapable Terror
And so at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn of the animals. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians;…
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Israel as Firstborn Priest
“When the LORD, your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, just as he swore to you and your ancestors, and gives it to you, you will dedicate to the LORD every newborn that opens the womb; and every firstborn male of your animals will belong to the LORD. Every firstborn of a…
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History, Memory, and Liturgy
And on that day you will explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ It will be like a sign* on your hand and a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching of the LORD will be on your lips: with a strong hand the LORD brought…
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Unleashing Chaos on Chaos
The angel of God, who had been leading Israel’s army, now moved and went around behind them. And the column of cloud, moving from in front of them, took up its place behind them, so that it came between the Egyptian army and that of Israel. And when it became dark, the cloud illumined the night;…
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The Bard’s Song
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.My strength and my refuge is the LORD,and he has become my savior.This is my God, I praise him;the God of my father, I extol him.The LORD is a…