Day 39: Slavery in the Old Testament

 Today's readings: Exodus 21, Leviticus 14, and Psalm 75.

I. In today's reading from Exodus, we are presented with commandments on slavery (21:1-11), perhaps one of the gravest evils mankind has committed against their fellow man. As a 21st century American, I want to shout at the evils of slavery, and our national experience with it, but this was written for a culture vastly different than any I know of some 4,000 years ago. The sad truth is that slavery was seen as "normal" then and something everyone practiced. They had no labor-saving machines like we have today, and everything took hard physical labor to do, from sowing the field to grow crops, cooking daily food, washing clothes manually, etc. Seems like a poor excuse to us now, but this was part of their thinking back then. The Ignatius Bible notes:

Slavery was tolerated, but closely regulated in ancient Israel. Laws are given by Yahweh to guard the rights of slaves, to protect them from abusive treatment, and to limit the time of their service. Israel's humane regard for slaves stands in glaring contrast to the wider Near East, where slaves were little more than despised and disposable property. The pressure of slave laws in the Bible does not at all mean that slavery was accepted as an ideal moral standard; rather, its regulation by God was the first step in a prolonged effort to rescue Israel from the unenlightened barbarism of the ancient world. (p. 152)

Next, we are given laws concerning violence and harm, both to humans and animals (21:12-35). This is where we get the well-known "eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." from (21:24-25). It sounds harsh, but these are all actually laws to limit the violence endemic among people back then, what we'd consider to be a breakdown of law and order today, and a violent, failed society. Vengeance in the form of personal retribution was the norm for real or perceived harm then, and they sought to mitigate it. Later, Jesus would temper even these laws with calls for mercy (Mt 5:38-42).

Slavery and violence were both prevalent in the Ancient World. I recall reading Ancient Greek plays about the dangers of endless cycles of retribution being a threat to social order (Orestes? I forget now). It's difficult to remember that what we see in Scripture here is, as noted above, the "first step" in bringing change to all that, for Israel at least at the moment. 

Or, as the BIY Companion, Vol 1, puts it:

Here, God is speaking to a community that does not yet know there are restrictions on what can and cannot be done to other people. Slavery is seen as normal to them because they themselves were in slavery for four hundred years. God has to start somewhere. He has to come down to their level. They do not yet know that human beings have been created in his image and likeness. They have to be taught how to treat other people with justice.  Eventually, God begins to call his people to choose mercy over justice - but they first must learn what justice is. God starts with setting parameters on how the Israelites can treat their slaves. He teaches them that they are not allowed to do whatever they want with them - that slaves are not truly their property. (p. 86)

II. In Leviticus chapter 14, there is a long and detailed outline on the "ritual cleansing for a leper whose health has been restored" (p. 199) as well as the cleansing of leprous houses.

III. Psalm 75 is one of thanksgiving to God. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

It affirms Israel's faith in God as the Judge of the world who brings down the mighty and lifts up the lowly (75:7). His justice, exercised at the time he appoints (75:2), is good news that brings forth praise from his people (75:9). (p. 893)

That's all for today! 

Day 38: The Ten Commandments

 Today's readings: Exodus 19-20, Leviticus 13, and Psalm 74.

I. The Israelites with Moses reach Mt. Sinai, witness God's power, and are given a covenant by Him to be His people with a special mission to all the nations (19:1-15). After 3 days, "there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud upon the mountain," before which the people assembled and God summoned Moses with Aaron to ascend, while the people were warned not to (19:16-25). God spoke to Moses the Ten Commandments, which, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

The Decalogue is an expression of universal law that is binding upon all people at all times, regardless of age, sex, status, or circumstance (20:1-17). It reiterates the precepts of the natural law engraved on the heart (Rom 2:14-15; CCC 2070-72). (p. 150)

 All of this terrified the people witnessing the divine power, but Moses reassured them and was told by God that He would honor the sacrifices they made to Him, but the Israelites should "not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold" (20:21-26).

II. In Leviticus chapter 13, there is a quite detailed telling of diagnosing leprosy, which is said to make one ritually unclean, as well as the garments that come into contact with such. To be honest, this seems a bit monotonous, but given the lack of modern medicines and doctors to do all of this, I find it actually comforting to know that God set something up for the ancient Israelites on this.

III. Psalm 74 is one of lament and national humiliation. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

Its background is the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 B.C. The Psalmist is writing in the middle of the sixth century while the Jerusalem Temple lies in ruins and the Jewish people are living in exile in Babylon. He is puzzled and growing impatient in God's inaction in the face of these calamities (74:1, 10-11), and so pleads for the Lord to remember his suffering people (74:2, 19, 21), to read himself for action (74:22), and to repay the enemy as their evil deserves (74:23). (p. 892)

I cannot imagine the pain and suffering the Israelites endured. They lost everything, and what they valued, especially the Temple, was either stolen or destroyed. Their nation was in ruins, and their people held captive by their enemy. The grief and desperation in this psalm are very clear, and it's difficult not to feel sympathy for the Psalmist and the Israelites for what they underwent.

That's it for today!

Day 37: The Mystical Works of God

 Today's readings: Exodus 17-18, Leviticus 12, and Psalm 73.

I. In a scene which is almost comical (I know that it's not meant to be), the Israelites complain again to Moses, this time about the lack of water to which he replies, "Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?" (17:1-2). To me, this is almost comical because it shows how exasperated Moses is becoming with his people over their constant bellyaching. Moses asks the Lord for help, He grants a miracle at Horeb, and the problem is resolved (17:3-6). I like how Scripture records though, what the place came to be called and why (17:7). From that day forward, their behavior would be recorded and remembered in the place called "testing" and "contention."

The Amalekites attack the Israelite refugees, who, with God's favor and Joshua leading them into battle, are defeated. God promised that in time He would "blot out remembrance of Amalek from under heaven" (17:8-15).

Jethro went to Moses with the latter's wife and two sons. When they met again, they greeted each other warmly, discussed what had happened in Egypt, shared a meal, and offered a burnt offering to God (18:1-12). The next day, Moses "sat to judge the people," but after he had done so "from morning till evening," Jethro gave him some good advice: delegate. That is, he said Moses should organize the Israelites and choose trustworthy men to decide smaller matters, leaving only the larger ones to Moses, or he would wear himself out. Moses wisely decided to take his father-in-law's advice, who then left to return to his home (18:13-27).

II. In Leviticus chapter 12, the purification of women is outlined, for they are unique in their times of ritual uncleanliness, from their monthly period to the blood of childbirth.

III. Psalm 73 is a wisdom one. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

The speaker relates a personal struggle that challenged his faith but resulted in a stronger commitment to God. Initially, he was jealous of sinners (Ps 73:3) because they enjoyed the best things in life despite being prideful, boastful, malicious, and dismissive of God (73:4-12). This made him wonder if religious devotion was worth the effort (73:13). But after praying in the Temple, he came to understand "their end" (73:17), i.e., the divine judgment that awaits evildoers (73:18-20). The psalm contrasts the wicked, who are "far" from God (73:27), and the righteous, who are "near" to God (73:28). (p. 891)

Is this the voice of King David? Whomever the speaker is, I can relate at times to what he expresses here, especially when I was younger.

That's all for today!  

Day 36: Manna From Heaven

 Today's readings: Exodus 15-16, Leviticus 11, and Psalm 71.

I. Moses, "the sons of Israel", and even the women sing a victory song, praising God for saving them and defeating their Egyptian enemy (15:1-21). After this, we get one of the first problems that causes people to complain: undrinkable, bitter water in Marah. Through Moses, God resolved this problem miraculously, telling them to "diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God" (15:22-27). Then, troubles came up again with hunger, and people murmured against Moses. God told him that He would provide and test the people. He gave the Israelites manna or bread from heaven, which tasted "like wafers made with honey," but the people still struggled with learning to follow God (16:1-34).

As the Ignatius Bible notes:

The Lord provided a daily ration to feed the children of Israel until they reached Canaan (Josh 5:12). With the supply always abundant, no one went hungry and there was no need to hoard (16:18). Manna is known in Scriptura as the "bread of heaven" and the "bread of the angels" (Ps 78:24-25; cf Wis 16:20). Recalling this provision in the desert, Jesus declares himself to be the true manna that descends from heaven in the Eucharist (Jn 6:30-59). Paul gives this sacramental interpretation as well (1 Cor 10:1-6). (p. 146)

II. In Leviticus chapter 11, kosher food, essentially, was established. That is, creatures on the land, in the sea, and even insects, that are considered to be clean (kosher) or unclean (non-kosher). The carcass of any unclean creature that is touched by someone makes them ritually unclean until evening. The details are surprisingly elaborate, with things like pork, rabbit, crab, lobster, and shrimp being what I'd probably struggle the most with! Thank the Lord for the New Covenant (e.g., Acts 10:9-16). I'll still refrain from cuy though, with only half-hearted apologies to my Ecuadorean friends!

III. Psalm 71 is a plea to God for protection and help. From the wording of the psalm, I'm curious if this was written by King David as an old man? As the Ignatius Bible notes:

The speaker is a man with "gray hairs" (71:18) who is struggling with failing health (71:20) and the taunts of those who claim that God has abandoned him (71:11). He cleaves to the Lor with firm hope (71:5, 14), trusting that just as God was his help in youth, so he will come to his rescue in old age (71:17-18). When the time is right, God will "revive" him (71:20) and "comfort" him (71:21); then he will witness to the Lord's goodness (71:15-18) and sing praise to his name (71:22-24). (p. 889)

That's it for today! 

Day 35: Crossing the Red Sea

 Today's readings: Exodus 13-14, Leviticus 10, and Psalm 53.

I. Moses told the Israelites that on this day they were leaving Egypt, they would keep remembrance of it in the Feast of the Unleavened Bread afterward (13:3-10). Also, the final plague that the Egyptians suffered would be remembered by the consecration of all firstborn males, both human and animal (13:11-16). God led the Israelites out of Egypt, not by the direct route to Canaan but further south into Sinai to avoid the Philistines. He did this by means of a miraculous pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (13:17-22).

That must have been an extraordinary and frightening sight.

You'd think at this point, Pharaoh would just let them leave. He and his people had suffered 10 plagues for his stubbornness, the final one particularly painful.

No. Of course not.

Pharaoh's heart hardened again, and he missed having the Israelites do the dirty work in Egypt. So "all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army" went off after them, overtaking them while encamped at the Red Sea (14:1-9).

Seeing Pharaoh's army charging towards them, the Israelites were understandably terrified and cried out to Moses, who reassured them that God would save them (14:10-14). Moses called out to God, who told him to miraculously part the Red Sea and cross it. The Israelites did with Pharaoh's army in hot pursuit (14:15-25).

That must have been an even more amazing sight to behold, and the terror the Israelites felt during all this would have been indescribable.

When the last Israelite had successfully crossed the Red Sea, and the Egyptians in pursuit were all in the passway that had been created, God told Moses to close the gap and let the waters flow back and drown them. So he did, and thus God had saved them (14:26-31).

The Ignatius Bible notes that this miraculous event was seen in even deeper lights by early Christians:

Paul interprets the sea crossing as a type of Baptism, which brings salvation anew through water and the power of God (1 Cor 10:1-2) (CCC 1221). Allegorically, the sea is a type of Baptism, for just as it caused the demise of Pharaoh, so our washing is the end of the devil's tyranny. In the sea the enemy is slain, and in Baptism our enmity with God lies dead. From the sea the people emerged unharmed, and from the water we step forth saved by the grace of the One who called us (St. Basil, On the Holy Spirit 15, 31). (p. 144)

II. In Leviticus chapter 10, a sad incident occurs where Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu are consumed them both for acting against what he had commanded for worship (10:1-2). 

Aaron must have been on the verge of freaking out, as any father would in this case, but he was calmed by what Moses told him from the Lord and "held his peace" (10:3).

At this point, God spoke of other instances where going against His commands for proper worship will result in death, I guess to reiterate that He wasn't kidding (10:4-11).

Aaron is still shaken by the death of his sons, as can be seen at the end of the chapter. Moses gets angry that he doesn't eat the sin offering, but was "content" once Aaron explained his fear (10:16-20).

III. Psalm 53 is one of lament. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

The speaker is distressed by the corruption that surrounds him (53:1-2), but he is confident that God will bring inners to judgment (53:5) and will restore the fortunes of Israel (53:6). (p. 874)

The opening line of this psalm is powerful, not only against atheism but also against a slack attitude as if following God's will isn't important in our lives:

 The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.” (53:1)

That's all for today!

Day 34: The Passover Instituted

 Today's readings: Exodus 12, Leviticus 9, and Psalm 114.

I. God establishes perhaps one of the most sacred days for Israel to remember every year: Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. These are also heavily significant for Christians too, as they foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ and the Eucharist. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

The feast of Passover is charged with typological significance: the lamb offered in sacrifice prefigures Christ as the unblemished lamb slain for our redemption (Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:19), and the lamb eaten in the meal looks ahead to our communion with Christ in the Eucharist (Jn 6:52-58; 1 Cor 10:16). both ideas are present at the Last Supper, where Jesus transforms the Jewish Passover into the memorial meal of a new exodus from sin (Mt 26:17-29) (CCC 608, 1340). (p. 140)

He outlines how the Israelites are to all gather together with their families in their houses, with no one left outside, and sprinkle a lamb's blood on the "doorposts and lintel" of their houses, how they are to eat (lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs), and that they must eat all of it; how they are to be fully clothed with their sandals on, ready to travel; that they must keep this service every years in remembrance of their exodus from Egypt (12:1-28).

The final and most terrible of the Plagues then struck: the death of all Egypt's first-born. God said that "on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments..." (12:12), and for this last plague, Osiris, their false god of life and patron of Pharaoh, was the main target. As for the death of the first-borns, that's of all Egyptians, high and low, as well as their cattle (12:29). There was a great cry, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and finally told them that they should all leave, with their flocks (12:30-32). Fearing all of them would be killed, the Egyptian people rushed the Israelites along, and the latter were "thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry" (12:33-42). Lastly, God gave a command to Moses and Aaron that no foreigner or uncircumcized male was to eat of the Passover meal (12:43-50).

II. In Leviticus chapter 9, the inauguration of Aaron's priesthood and "the beginning of public worship at the Tabernacle" commence. Interestingly, the Ignatius Bible notes:

[T]he initial sin offerings prescribed for Aaron and the people are connected with specific sins of idolatry. (1) Aaron sacrifices a calf for himself because of his leadership role in the golden calf apostasy. (2) Aaron sacrifices a goat for the people because the tribes worshiped goat idols in the wilderness during the encampment at Sinai. The lesson implied: worship of the true God (the Lord) entails a cultic renunciation of false gods (idols). (p. 192)

III.  Psalm 114 is a short one of historical remembrance. The wonders of God during the Exodus from Egypt are expounded, with poetic language employed that personifies nature "fleeing in fear from the Lord's presence" and the divine establishment of their homeland in Canaan (p. 931).

That's it for today!

Day 33: Locusts, Darkness, and Death of the First Born

 Today's readings: Exodus 10 & 11,  Leviticus 8, and Psalm 50.

I. Moses goes again to Pharaoh to give him God's demand that he let the Israelites go (10:1-6). Pharaoh agrees only to let the Israelite men go, but not the rest, for in his mind, if he doesn't hold the women and children essentially as hostages, the Israelites will "have some evil purpose in mind" (10:7-11).

Big mistake.

The Eighth Plague is unleashed: a huge swarm of locusts over all the land (10:12-15). 

Again, Pharaoh begged Moses to intervene and stop this plague, but once more he reneged and "did not let the children of Israel go" (10:16-20). This plague could also be seen as an attack on the false Egyptian god Senehem.

The Ninth Plague is unleashed: darkness over all of Egypt, except for where the Israelites lived. Pharaoh tries again to get Moses to intercede for him, saying that only the flocks and herds of the Israelites must stay behind. Moses says they are needed for sacrifice to God, but Pharaoh responds angrily, "Get away from me," and says that Moses will die if his face is ever seen again. Moses leaves his sight (10:21-29). Interestingly, the text doesn't say if the Ninth Plague ended or not.

Regardless, God gives Moses a warning of the Final Plague: "all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die" (11:1-10).

The BIY Companion, Vol 1, has some good commentary on this:

Through the plagues, God not only inflicts punishment on Pharaoh for refusing to free his people from slavery and not only demonstrates his power over Egypt's false gods, but he is also seeking to reach the hearts of the Israelites. The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years, so they have been affected by its culture and religious practices. Through the plagues, God is releasing his people from the influence of the Egyptian gods. (p. 74)

II. In Leviticus chapter 8, a detailed description of Moses ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests, the first being the high priest, and consecrating all the vestments, objects, furniture, and tent as commanded by God.

III. Psalm 50 is one of prophetic exhortation. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

It announces that God is coming in judgment because his people have become lax in keeping the covenant. Two problems are noted: (1) some wrongly think that sacrifice is something God depends on, rather than an expression of Israel's dependence on God (50:9-15), and (2) some recite God's commandments with their lips but fail to observe them in their relationships with others (50:16-20). What truly "honors" the Lord and leads to "salvation" is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and a life of obedience (50:23). (p. 872)

 That's all for today!