Galatians lesson #5

GALATIANS # 5
HISTORY
An overview (4)
6/28/10

At Sinai, God entrusted Moses not only with the moral law, and dietary law, but also all the, construction plans, construction specifications, and instructions pertaining to the tabernacle worship. With this, God had made one of His greatest revelations of Himself to mankind: entrusting it to Moses was a staggeringly high honor – and responsibility. After entrusting all this to Moses, they built the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, God then continued the journey, leading them on to “the promised land”.

Even after witnessing and participating in all the amazing miracles which had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, and were even now continuing, leading them, providing for them and protecting them: the majority (not all, a “remnant” always remained true) of the Israelites continued to “waver” in their love of God – on again/off again; they would zealously worship God, emotionally, (not intellectually) when some spectacular miracle took place and then quickly return to their old ways, in spite of the astonishing miracles they had just witnessed! Their ignorance of God was clearly shown by this shallow belief they held, even so God remained faithful. After giving them the law to teach them more about Himself ( James 1:25 ( KJV ) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. ), God’s justice, patience, and mercy is further revealed, as He repeatedly forgives them, continues leading them; chastising them, but never abandoning or crushing them.

As they draw near to the Promised Land, dissent begins to build up. Finally Moses gets discouraged…Let’s turn to Numbers 11, and take a look at some of the troubles they were having:

more in chapter 12:

even more in chapters 13 & 14:

And finally chapter 16:

This fickle, shallow, emotional faith continued! A little later on after they have witnessed many more miracles and have lived in the Promised Land for many years, some even go back to building and worshiping golden calves!

Title : The Holy Bible, King James Version
Edition : Third
Copyright : Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1998, Parsons Technology, Inc.

1 Kings 12:1-33 ( KJV )
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

Meanwhile, back in the desert, as a result of this endemic lack of faith we humans are subject to, the Israelites are condemned to wander in the desert for forty years – no one over the age of twenty at that time, would be allowed into the Promised Land – except for the few (remnant) that trusted. During this interregnum, God also entrusted and guided Moses in the writing of the law (Torah, Pentateuch) the first five books of the bible.


DISCUSSION
1. Why did God give the Law to Moses?
2. Where did Moses get the information to write the Torah?
3. How was their life different after receiving the Law?
4. Why was Miriam stricken with leprosy?
5. Why did the Israelites faith in God continue to “waver”?
6. How did Moses demonstrate his selfless concern for his people?
7. Now, these some 3500 +/- years later, with all that God has done and showed us,(far more than the Israelites had learned) do we have a tendency to worship an occasional golden calf?

GALATIANS # 4
HISTORY
An overview (3)
6/21/10



As a member of the pharaoh’s household, Moses was part of the most powerful, privileged, wealthy class of people alive at that time: he lived a life of power, privilege, and luxury. However, with the death sentence resulting from his slaying the overseer, he instantly lost all this and had to flee for his life, into the dessert, a fugitive, completely discredited, and rejected – by both the Egyptians and the Israelites!

In the wilderness he was taken in by a nomadic herdsman: from living in a magnificent home with all the sophistication, comforts and finest luxuries of that time; to living in a tent; constantly on the move; a refugee; scrambling to survive; herding goats for a livelihood.
Many years go by, then, suddenly from this obscure, ignominious life as a goat herder out in the middle of nowhere, God appears as a burning bush and “calls” Moses, sending him back to Egypt to rescue his brethren from their slavery; the very kinsmen that had rejected him; to confront the Egyptians who had sentenced him to death, twice!

In Egypt, God guides Moses in a series of astonishing confrontations with the pharaoh: the pharaoh responds to Moses, in a very typically human way: he refuses to accept that Moses, the fugitive, goat herding slave, is presenting the “Truth” and that the message is really from God – not Moses. God increases the pressure, ratcheting up the magnitude of the demonstration of His power, notch by notch, culminating in the final plague: the death of all the first born males in Egypt. At the conclusion of this plague pharaoh yields and releases the Israelites, leaving Moses the victor.

After the Israelites left, the pharaoh regained his courage, gathered his army and pursued them: to salvage his self esteem; to subdue them once and for all; to recapture and return them to slavery. Meanwhile, the Israelites had come to the red sea, whereupon, looking back they see the Egyptian army closing in on them – the red sea blocking their escape – it appears that all is lost! They abandon their trust in God, turn on Moses again, accusing him of getting them in this spot where they will likely be killed, Moses tells them to stand still and behold the salvation of God:
“Title : The Holy Bible, King James Version
Edition : Third
Copyright : Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1998, Parsons Technology, Inc.

Exodus 14:10-31 ( KJV )
And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
From this “victory” over the most powerful man alive at that time, Moses continues to perform what appear to be astonishing feats. Though the people “believed the LORD” they didn’t see and/or hear God, they only saw Moses apparently causing all these astonishing things to take place. The conversion and belief of the people was much like that of the pharaoh (Ex. 10: 16 – 20) weak and insincere, only to relieve the immediate situation for their selfish interests.
With God’s guidance Moses leads the people on into the dessert, arriving finally at mount Sinai where God had told him he would serve Him: Exodus 3:11-12 ( KJV )
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
In lesson three we left off with Exodus 32, the story of many (not all) of the Israelites shocking display of their “shallow conversion”. In this incident His chosen people, even after having been miraculously rescued, turn away, choosing their false gods over Him! Enthralled by all the miraculous events that they have witnessed, rather than praising God, they attribute all the miracles to their pagan gods, and return to worshiping them!

However, aside from this failure of many of the Israelites, in this short passage we see the clearest demonstration of “why Moses”. Not only was he well trained, and educated, as we discussed earlier, but here he demonstrates another astonishing characteristic which is in very short supply among we Homo-Sapiens:
Matthew 22:36-40 ( KJV )
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

As we discussed last week, Moses was raised with all the power, privileges, and prestige of being part of the pharaohs household: even the possibility of becoming pharaoh himself – the most powerful, wealthy, man alive! And, even if not pharaoh, the certainty of a life of luxury and influence.

Yet, what did he do? Ex 2: 12 – 15

Moses was outraged at the brutal treatment of the Israelite and felt compassion for him, prompting him to go to his aid. Enmity with both the Egyptians and his kinsmen were the consequences of this action, costing him his lofty position in life and alienating him from his kinsmen.

Would Moses have shown such concern, “love”, for his kinsmen if he had known what was to befall him? We really can’t tell from what is recorded here, but the events recorded in Ex. 32 add a fascinating insight:
Exodus 32:31-33 ( KJV ) And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

We find this sentiment echoed by the apostle Paul in Rom 9: 3. Here we see each of these men offering their lives…even their salvation…for their “friends, this love of God/friend is a very significant part of their greatness.

John 15:12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

With all that had gone on, Moses not becoming impressed with himself, and seizing the power for himself (it would have been very easy to dupe the Israelites at this point, some of them did make a power play but God backed Moses, we will study this next week) in light of all the astonishing feats he had accomplished as God’s representative, was only possible by his loving God with all his heart mind, body and strength. Moses has repeatedly demonstrated his complete selflessness, culminating here in his offer to die for his friends.


DISCUSSION
1. Why Moses?
2. What were the three periods of Moses life?
3. How did they differ?
4. Why did the Israelites continue to desert their faith in God?
5. How did Moses demonstrate his selfless concern for his people?

GALATIANS # 3
HISTORY
An overview (2)
6/07/10

Moses was an unlikely candidate for the leader of the Israelites…
• Born under a death sentence.
• Had to conceal (or unaware of) his Jewish ancestry and heritage.
• Not a member of the Israelite community, though a Jew, was raised and lived as a member of the pharaoh’s family; rulers of Egypt, slave master of the Israelites.
• Rejected by the Jewish community after he killed the Egyptian overseer.
• Fled from Egypt under another death sentence for killing the Egyptian overseer.
• Married a daughter of “the priest of Midian” probably a worshiper of Yahweh, but not a descendant of Isaac.
• Lived there among non-Israelites, app. 40 yrs. before God called him:

Exodus Title : The Holy Bible, King James Version
Edition : Third
Copyright : Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1998, Parsons Technology, Inc.

Exodus 3:1-22 ( KJV )
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

Moses was educated in the household of Pharaoh, with little, or no exposure to the teachings of the Israelites. His knowledge of His heritage would have been somewhat garbled seen through the teaching of his Midianite father in-law, and his Egyptian education. Even so, he was God’s choice to lead the Israelites out of captivity, rather than one of the leaders of the community which was in slavery.

In spite of these, what at “a quick glance”, appear to be some pretty serious shortcomings, Moses went on to become one of the two men having the greatest impact on humanity of anyone who has ever lived (the other being Saul of Tarsus); Let’s “stop, bend down, and peer intently” for a moment, at why Moses was such a monumental figure in mankind’s history.

At the time of Moses childhood, the Egyptians were the most advanced civilization the earth had yet seen: very sophisticated math and science; construction techniques which enabled the building of the pyramids, sphinxes, elaborate building etc.; they had a written language and an elaborate theology; funerary methods that haven’t been matched to this day. Since Moses was raised by the pharaoh’s daughter he was thoroughly educated in all these things: as a potential future ruler he would have been highly trained in military, managerial, and diplomatic skills. With all this training he would have been one of the best equipped, potential leaders of his time. His Midianite father in-law was the “priest of the Midianites” and, as the descendant of one of Abraham’s younger sons, would have been familiar with the promises and teachings that Abraham had received from God, thus Moses would have had access to, and been taught by a knowledgeable tutor: taught what was probably a much more detailed and much less distorted view of God than the Israelite’s. Since they had been kept in pagan captivity all that time, syncretic influences had taken their toll to some extent.

In light of all this information, Moses was not such a bad choice after all!
After Moses had been living among the Midianites for quite some time, God revealed Himself to Moses as a burning bush and in that encounter he directed Moses to go and bring the Israelites out of captivity. At this time God answered Moses question of what His name is: I AM (Exodus 3: 14) God’s most complete revelation of Himself to mankind up until that time, God’s ongoing revelation of himself, culminating in the death and resurrection of “His only Begotten Son”. We see this most clearly and emphatically with the preservation of the Israelites from the last plague God visits upon the Egyptians. (Exodus 12: 1- 20)

God instructed them to select and befriend a perfect lamb, then slay it, take some of the blood and paint their doorposts: the blood saved them from the “judgment” God visited upon the Egyptians. The patient, incremental process God has used here, each plague an increased manifestation of His power, is revealing more and more of Himself, continuing an ongoing provision of bits and pieces of the solution to the “Mystery” (Mark 4: 11; Romans 16: 25; etc)
After God demonstrated His power to Pharaoh and through him to all mankind, and the Israelites are released, He leads and protects them in the dessert, counseling and guiding Moses in all that he does. The general direction of the migration is Eastward, towards mount Horeb where God had told Moses he would “serve God” (Ex. 3: 12), upon arriving there God again speaks to Moses,(Exodus 19 – 20) entrusting Moses with His law.

. With these actions, God set in motion the events necessary to establish mankind’s only hope of Salvation; the “schoolmaster” was in place (Gal 3: 24). With the help of this protector and guide, mankind would be able to understand God’s plan of salvation as it was revealed.
During the time that Moses was on the mountain with God, some of the people grew impatient and reverted to their pagan beliefs! Assigning the rescue and miracles they have just experienced/witnessed to their old Gods, and build a golden calf to worship and thank for all that has transpired! So often there is only a thin patina of change in new converts – the old false god’s are present just below the surface.

As we discussed last week, the Israelites beliefs had been polluted by exposure to four hundred years of syncretism between them and paganism of various forms; additionally a “multitude“of others joined them in their departure from Egypt: Exodus 12:38 ( KJV ) And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. Soon after participating in all the miraculous works of God delivering them from Egypt and providing for them in the desert it seems they would unwaveringly trust and worship God, however, when Moses didn’t come right back from his mission on mount Sinai, they built a gold calf and worshiped it! Even Aaron joined in!

God was displeased and offered to slay all the Israelites and raise a new “chosen” people from Moses. Moses, humbly turned down the offer, God relented and punished only the worst offenders (Exodus 32).

DISCUSSION

1. Why Moses?
2. What was beneficial as a future leader in Moses up-bringing?
3. What was significant about the last plague?
4. What was beneficial about the time he spent with his in-laws?
5. After gaining the peoples release where did Moses head for? Why?
6. What happened there?
7. How did the people respond while at mount Horeb?
8. What happened to them?