Moses: From Slavery To Freedom

MOSES

From slavery to freedom By Prudencio García Pérez

MOSES FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM 0. INTRODUCTION The book of Genesis is the introduction to the events found in the book of Exodus: the creation of Israel as God’s holy nation. God’s promises to Abraham are fulfilled in the birth of this nation led by Moses to the Promised Land. Before talking about Moses, we must answer this question: How did Jacob and his sons get to live in Egypt? Joseph, son of Jacob, is the main reason for the Hebrews to end up in Egypt (Gn 37-50). The story of Joseph shows how God brings good out of evil; God uses the sins of men to bring salvation to his chosen people. Joseph was sold by his brothers to merchants going to Egypt and, after some time, he saved his family from hunger and invited them to live there. That is why Joseph talks to his brothers in these terms: •

“God sent me before you to assure the survival of your race on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gn 45: 7).

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“The evil you planned to do me has by God’s design been turned to good, to bring about the present result: the survival of a numerous people” (Gn 50: 20).

What can we say about Joseph and the historical situation at that time? Joseph probably entered Egypt at around 1.700 B. C., when the Hiksos (“foreign kings”) invaded the country. This is probably why Joseph became such an important person in Egypt (interpreter of dreams minister of agriculture) and invited his family to live there. They lived in the Goshen region, near the mouth of the river Nile (Gn 47: 1-6). They enjoyed the comfort of an easy life where the cattle and the members of the tribe multiplied very fast. Why were the Hebrews reduced to slavery? According to the book of Exodus: “Then there came to power in Egypt a new king who had never heard of Joseph” (Ex 1: 8). The expression seems to refer to Ahmosis I, the prince who defeated and expelled the Hiksos from Egypt. He also hated the Hebrews because they were protected by those invaders. The final persecution came centuries later with

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Rameses II (1290-1224 B.C.), who wanted to build a great empire and needed free workers. -

Objective of the persecution: avoid the multiplication of the Hebrews because they were very numerous already. Reason: national security. They could join forces with the enemy and help them to invade the country. Three effective measures of oppression: 1) Forced labour: make bricks to build the store-cities of Pithom and Rameses and work in the fields (Ex 1: 11-14); 2) Order the Hebrew midwives to kill every baby boy at the moment of birth (Ex 1: 15-16); 3) Order the Egyptians to throw every new-born boy into de river Nile and let the girls live (Ex 1: 22).

1. WHO IS MOSES? Moses was born in Tanis, at around 1.300 B. C., when the Pharaoh ordered to throw every baby boy into the river Nile. Jochebed was his mother and Amram his father, of the tribe of Levi (Ex 6: 16-20). He had a brother, Aaron, and a sister, Miriam, both older than him (Nu 26: 59). His mother and sister, to avoid Moses’ death, put him in a basket at the margins of the Nile where he was found and saved by the Pharaoh’s daughter. She called him Moses, which means “I drew him out of the water” (Ex 2: 10). Miriam, his sister, look for a Hebrew woman, his mother, to nurse him during the first years of his life. The childhood and youth of Moses is a mystery for us, we do not know anything. Probably he lived and was educated in the Pharaoh’s palace, but he did not forget his people. In fact, Ex 2: 11-15 says: “When Moses was grown up, he went to see his brothers. While he was watching their forced labour he also saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew. Looking this way and that and seeing no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand”. The Pharaoh heard about the killing and Moses had to flee the country. He was welcomed by a priest of Midian called Reuel (also known as Jethro) for helping his daughters. Moses married Zipporah, daughter of Reuel, and had two sons: Gershom and Eliezer (Ex 18: 1-4). He became a shepherd of sheep and goats. The experience of the desert was like a spiritual retreat for him: time for loneliness, reflection and encounter with himself and God. While he was in the desert of Midian, the pharaoh died (probably Rameses II). Then “the Israelites, groaning in their slavery, cried out for help. God heard their groaning; God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Ex 2: 23-24). Finally God is going to break his silence and intervene to solve the suffering of his people.

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2. MOSES VOCATION AND MISSION 2.1. GOD’S CALLING (THEOPHANY) One day, while looking after the flock, Moses arrived to the Horeb, the Mountain of God (also known as Sinai) and saw a burning bush, but the bush was not being burnt up. The extraordinary vision attracted Moses attention and prepared him for a dialogue with God: “Moses, Moses! Here I am, he answered. Come no nearer, he said. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your ancestors! He said. I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying for help and I have come to rescue them and bring them to the Promised Land. So now I am sending you to Pharaoh, for you will bring my people out of Egypt” (Synthesis of Ex 3: 4-11). This is the God of his ancestors: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God loves His people, remembers His promises and decides to save them. God is aware of their sufferings: I have seen, I have heard and I know… So He wants to intervene: I have come down, I will rescue and bring them to the Promised Land… This land is described with three adjectives: rich, broad and fertile. 2.2. MOSES FEARS AND DOUBTS Moses is the instrument chosen by God to liberate the people from slavery. The mission is very hard: Moses is afraid of the unknown and is aware of his people’s stubbornness. Despite his fears and doubts, God invites him to look at the future with hope and rely on His assistance in this project. Moses fears are four: -

First fear: “Who am I to go Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Ex 3: 11-12). Moses is just a shepherd of sheep and an assassin for the Egyptians. He feels incapable of fulfilling this mission. God offers His constant help (“I shall be with you”) and a sign for the future (“after you have led the people out of Egypt, 4

you will worship God on this mountain”). Moses must abandon himself in God’s hands; believe in the success of the mission. Moses is just an instrument; God knows that the mission is going to have a happy ending. -

Second fear: “What is your name? God answered: I am who I am” (Ex 3: 13-15). Moses question looks both at the past and at the future: At the past: why God abandoned His people in slavery and oppression in Egypt and if He can be trusted; at the future: when they will ask him, he has to give them some explanations. The name of God “I am who I am” (in Hebrew “eyeh ‘aser ‘eyeh”) means that He is mysterious, impossible to comprehend for the human mind. He is the God of their ancestors and His actions in Egypt will reveal his true name and power.

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Third fear: “But suppose they will not listen to me or listen to my words, and say to me: Yahweh has not appeared to you” (Ex 4: 1). Moses uses the incredulity of his people as an excuse to reject the mission, but God will convince him with some mighty signs: the staff that becomes a snake, the diseased hand and the river water turning into blood. These signs will show the people and the Pharaoh who God is. The people will need them to believe and the Pharaoh will need them to let them go.

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Fourth fear: “I have never been eloquent, even since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow and hesitant of speech… please God send someone else” (Ex 4: 10.13). God accepts Aaron as the speaker of His words, but Moses is still God’s mouth and the staff is the instrument of the divine miracles.

3. MOSES RETURNS TO EGYPT 3.1. MOSES MEETS THE PHARAOH (Ex 5-6) Moses meets probably Merneptah, son of Rameses II, and asks him to let them go to the desert to offer a spring sacrifice to God. The Pharaoh refused because he thought this was a trick to escape from Egypt. Furthermore, the Pharaoh ordered them to work harder: produce the same quantity of bricks per day and also look for the straws. This conflict between God and Pharaoh is at the highest point here: God wants to free his people and Pharaoh wants to keep them slaves. Through dialogue was impossible to solve the problem, and then God will use all his power to change Pharaoh’s mind. 3.2. THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT (Ex 7-11) 5

The 10 plagues are signs used by God to free his people from slavery and to punish the Pharaoh. They reveal God’s power and human fragility. They are also the opportunities that God gave the Pharaoh to change his wrong attitude. These are the 10 plagues: 1) water turns to blood; 2) the frogs; 3) the mosquitoes; 4) the horseflies; 5) the death of the Egyptians’ livestock; 6) the boils; 7) the hail; 8) the locusts; 9) the darkness; 10) the death of the first-born. We cannot read these terrible and tragic events literally. The plagues are a natural phenomenon for those who know the geography and climatology of Egypt. For example: The annual flooding of the Nile River explains the red colour of the water (mud); it also explains the death of the fish and the appearance of frogs and mosquitoes. The darkness is caused by sandstorms from the desert… These natural events were interpreted by the Hebrews as powerful signs used by God against the Pharaoh, the symbol of oppression and slavery. Besides, the book of Exodus was finally redacted at the end of the 5th century B. C. It means that these stories were repeated and embellished generation after generation for more than 800 years and, in the end, what was a natural event became a miracle. The message is clear: God is the hero: He liberates the oppressed people from the Egyptian power; Pharaoh is the antagonist: he refuses to let the Hebrews go and brings misfortune for his people. The literary scheme of these accounts reflects their intention: a) God wants to bring his people out of slavery to worship Him in freedom; b) Mankind is free to make decisions and to oppose God’s will; c) Human’s stubbornness will never be able to hinder the accomplishment of God’s projects. In other words, the God of Israel is the liberator of the oppressed who rejects any kind of tyranny. • • •

“Let my people go and worship me in the desert” (Ex 7: 16.26; 8: 16; 9: 1.13; 10: 3). “The Pharaoh was stubborn and obstinate” (Ex 7: 14.17; 8: 11. 15. 18. 28; 9: 7.12; 10: 20.27; 11: 10). “You will know that I am Yahweh” (Ex 7: 17; 8: 6.18; 9: 14; 10: 2). 3.3. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER (Ex 12)

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This is the spring feast of the nomad shepherds whom offer their god a lamb or a goat to ensure the fecundity and protection of their flocks. It was celebrated every year, going 3 days to the desert, when the sheep were about to give birth and before leaving a place in search for fresh pastures. The Hebrews also celebrated it every year before leaving Egypt. This is the ritual of the feast: • • •

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Animal: a pure year old male lamb or goat. It was killed at sunset, after the shepherds came from their work. Meal: the lamb was roasted, without breaking any bones, and eaten with herbs from the desert. Date: the 14th of Nissan, the first full moon of spring (March or April). That night the shepherds brought their flocks to the summer pastures and it was dangerous because of the wild beasts and the thieves. Marking the posts of the tents with the blood of the lamb: it means that God will protect flocks and shepherds, and nothing bad will happen to them (Passover means “pass through”, indicating that the dangers of that night will pass without harming them). How to eat the lamb: standing up with a belt around their waist, sandals on their feet and a staff in their hand. It means eating it fast, in a hurry, because they must leave that place immediately.

That year, because of the stubbornness of the Pharaoh, God ordered them to celebrate the feast in Egypt and the same night that the firstborn of the Egyptians would die. The houses of the Hebrews, painted with the blood of the lamb, will be safe and the angel of God will not touch the people inside. But the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with mourning and weeping because the angel of God will kill the firstborn of their children and livestock. In this way, what was a shepherd’s feast became a feast to celebrate the exodus and liberation of the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt. 3.4. THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Ex 12: 15-20) In this account, the feasts of Passover and Unleavened bread seem to be just one feast, but originally they were two different feasts. The Passover (‘pesah’) was the feast of the shepherds; the unleavened bread (matsot) was the feast of the farmers. This feast was also celebrated in spring and consisted in offering God the first grains of the harvest in the form of unleavened bread.

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But that year the feast was associated with the lamb of the Passover and took a new meaning too: the exodus from Egypt was so fast and quick that the bread did not have time to ferment (Ex 12: 39). When they will reach the Promised Land, every family will celebrate both feasts on the 14th of Nissan in happiness and with religious respect. This feast will be the memory of God’s love for its people and the liberation from every kind of slavery.

4. THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT (Ex 13-14) The reason why the Pharaoh let the Hebrews go out of Egypt was the death of the first-born of their children and livestock (Ex 12: 29-30). As we know, the Bible attributes to God actions that may have a different origin. Probably this last plague was caused by an infectious disease, many children died in Egypt, and the Hebrews saw in it God’s hand at work to free his people. How many Hebrews left Egypt? The Priestly Tradition says about 600.000 men capable of fighting, without counting their families (Ex 12: 37; Nu 33: 3). This number is not real! Probably the word “elef” should not be translated for “thousand”, but for “group or family” (like in 1 Sam 10: 19). In that case, it would be around 700 families: 25.000 or 30.000 people. Who were those people that left Egypt? Nowadays it is accepted that only some of the 12 tribes of Israel and a mix crowd of people left Egypt. Some of the Israelites had already gone back to Canaan some time earlier or some did not even go to Egypt (like the tribes in the north: Zebulun, Naphtali and Asher). The “mix crowd of people” (Ex 12: 39) was formed by those oppressed who took advantage of the situation to escape and live in freedom somewhere else. When did they leave Egypt? The most probable date of the exodus is the 13th century B. C. Rameses II (1290-1224) was the Pharaoh who oppressed the Hebrews and his son, Merneptah (1224-1204), the one who let them go. What route did they follow after leaving Egypt? The most logic and fastest way out was to follow the Mediterranean coast, used by the merchant’s caravans. Instead, God chose a longer and more difficult way: He led them into the desert and forced them to live there for 40 years. There will learn their national and religious identity, forget about other gods and behave like the people of God. What did really happen at the Red Sea? Two different mixed traditions tell us the story in two different ways: 8

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The Yahwist writer says that “Yahweh drove the sea back with a strong easterly wind all night and made the sea into dry land” allowing the Hebrews to pass through. In the morning, the Egyptians went after them, but the wheels of their chariots got stuck in the mud. Suddenly the wind stopped, the waters returned to their levels and the Egyptians died under the water (Ex 14: 212.24-25). The Priest Tradition says that “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the waters were divided and the Israelites went on dry ground right through the sea, with walls of water to right and left of them” (Ex 14: 21). This is an exaggeration! This is the kind of picture that movie-makers like.

The Hebrews, already on the other side of the sea, started singing a song of victory and praising God for his protection and care. The events of the exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea do not appear in the Egyptian documents. But for the people of Israel, these happenings marked the beginning of their existence as a free nation. For them is a historic event and it will be in their memory for ever.

5. JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESERT AND COVENANT AT SINAI (Ex 16-24) 5.1. THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE DESERT When the Israelites entered the desert, they started to feel hungry and thirsty, tired and insecure. This is the test of the desert: the temptation of looking backwards and miss what you left behind. Immediately they began to complain against Moses and Aaron: “Why did we not die at Yahweh’s hand in Egypt, where we used to sit round the flesh pots and eat to our heart’s content! As it is, you have led us into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death” (Ex 16: 3). “Think of the fish we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic!” (Nu 11: 5). The hardness of the journey makes them doubt of God: “Is Yahweh with us or not?” (Ex 17: 7). God answers these complaints by giving them three gestures of his kindness: Manna, quails and water.

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5.2. THE COVENANT AT SINAI (Ex 19-24) The chapters of Ex 19-24 are the heart and axe of the Old Testament. What comes before it is preparation for this moment and what comes after is a consequence. The covenant will decide the historical destiny of Israel: will be blessed or curse according to the fidelity or infidelity to the covenant at Sinai. God invites the Hebrews to seal a permanent communion of life between both parties based on certain temporal aspects: • • •

Past: God freed them from the slavery of Egypt, protected them in the desert and wants to enjoy a closer relationship with them. Present: God asks the people if they want to accept freely this covenant with Him and if they are ready or mature to keep it. Future: If they accept God’s covenant, they will become his personal property, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

The people of Israel accepted God’s covenant with these words: “Whatever Yahweh has said, we will do” (Ex 19: 8). Now is time to show the people that this covenant will have a few rules that must be kept, this is what we called the Decalogue or 10 commandments. The goal of the Decalogue is to make of Israel a holy nation. God liberated them from slavery, now it is time to free them from their sins. That is why the Decalogue becomes the symbol of their freedom and human dignity. We have two different versions of the Decalogue: Ex 20 (Elohist tradition, oldest one); Dt 5 (Deuteronomist tradition, recent one). This is a summary of them: I am Yahweh, your God, The one who took you out of Egypt 1. You shall have no other gods than me 2. You shall not make carved images 3. You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh, your God 4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy 5. Honour your father and your mother 6. You shall not kill 7. You shall not commit adultery 8. You shall not steal 9. You shall not give false evidence against your neighbour

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10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife and property The Decalogue is a bit different from the one we have now. The first three commandments emphasize our duty versus God and, the other seven, our duties versus our neighbours. All of them must be kept! The covenant with God can be broken every time we are unfaithful to God or neighbour. Is the Decalogue an exclusive phenomenon of Israel? The first four precepts (monotheism, images, use of the name of God and Sabbath) cannot be found in the ancient world. The other six already existed in the ancient world because they reflect a natural ethic or basic rules for every human society. •

In Egypt, the chapter 125 of the “Book of the Dead” (16th Century B. C.), presents the dead person making a confession to probe his innocence in front of Osiris’ tribunal (god of the dead): “I did not take away the holy bread of the gods; I did not hunt the holy birds of the gods; I did not commit adultery; I did not steal; I did not lie; I did not kill anybody; I did not take away the milk of the mouth of the babies; I did not use false weights and measures; I did not offend our king; I did not make anybody weep, etc…”.

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In Babylon, the magic ritual “Shurpu” asks the relatives of the sick person about possible sins that could have caused the sickness: “Has he offended any god or goddess? Does he despise his father or mother? Does he hate his ancestors? Does he hate his older sister? Has he used false weights and measures? Has he killed anyone? Did he commit adultery? Etc…”

As we can see, there are great similarities with the precepts of the Decalogue. It does not mean that the Hebrews copied it from them; on the contrary, it is the reflection of the Natural Law written in the human conscience. It is a summary of universal ethics and also the cornerstone of a society based on justice and love. Furthermore, the Hebrews gave them a religious dimension (put them under the supreme authority of god) because they know that Natural Law can be obscured in the conscience of mankind, leading to degradation or confusion. - The celebration of the covenant is the most important moment of the history of Israel: its birth as the people of God. In Egypt, they were just a mixture of tribes. In the desert, it is a nation that walks, under Moses 11

guidance, to the Promised Land. Now, with the covenant at Sinai, they will become God’s property, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This is how it happened: • • •

Moses explained the 10 Commandments to the people of Israel. The people accepted them: “we shall do everything that Yahweh has said; we shall obey” (Ex 24: 3.7). It is like saying: Yahweh will be our God and we will be His people. Moses sealed this covenant a Sinai with blood. Some young bulls were killed; then Moses spilled half of the blood on the altar (symbol of God) and with the other half sprinkled the people saying: “This is the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you” (Ex 24: 8).

6. THE DEATH OF MOSES (Dt 32: 48-52) Yahweh asks Moses to climb up to the Mount Nebo and announces his death on that spot. From the top of the mountain, Moses contemplates the Promised Land, green and fertile because of the Jordan River. This look at the land indicates that he has accomplished his mission, but cannot enter it. Why did Moses not die in the Promised Land? It is the price Moses has to pay for his lack of faith in God at Meribah (Ex 17: 1-7). The people did not have water and doubted Moses authority. He felt threatened and tempted God by asking a miracle from Him. The people had lost their faith in God despite all the signs He had shown them; Moses was also more worried about saving his life than in trusting God. For not believing in God and for not making God’s holiness clear to the Israelites, Moses’ punishment is to die at the door of the Promised Land. The life of Moses, as well as his death, has always been in God’s hands. Moses, faithful servant, fulfilled many signs and wonders that won him the title of the greatest chief and prophet of Israel. In fact the Book of Deuteronomy says: “Since then, there has never been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man whom Yahweh knew face to face. What signs and wonders Yahweh caused him to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants and his whole country! How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the eyes of all Israel!” (Dt 34: 10-12).

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