We all realize that seeing the future requires prophetic inspiration. But we think that the past will be accessible to us if we can accumulate sufficient evidence. Some of the ancients knew better. Josephus wrote that “the prophets alone had this privilege [writing history], obtaining their knowledge of the most remote and ancient history through the inspiration that they owed to God, and committing to writing an account of the events of their own time just as they occurred.” Any... Read more
INTRODUCTION Because it contains so many Messianic passages (e.g., 7:1-14; 9:1-7; 11:1-10; 42:1-4; 53:1-12), Christians have long regarded the book of Isaiah the prophet (so called in Isaiah 37:2; 38:1; 39:3) as a kind of “fifth gospel.” This week, we begin our study in the book by asking the question, What is a prophet? We must answer that question from a variety of different perspectives. THE TEXT “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah... Read more
Exodus 8:22-23: in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be. What does it mean to be saved? What does “redemption” look like? In the third plague, Yahweh says that He will “sever” the land of... Read more
For the Egyptians, frogs are symbols of fertility. Heqet, the Egyptian goddess of childbirth, has a frog’s head. When frogs start breeding in the Nile, it’s a sign that the divine Nile’s generosity. But there can be too much of a good thing. Fecundity is good only if what’s multiplying is something you want. In the plague of frogs, the Egyptians are reminded of an earlier plague of fertility that overran the land. Frogs swarm over the land (8:6), just... Read more
Thomas Oord, whose Defining Love I briefly and sharply criticized here yesterday, writes to tell me that his forthcoming book will fill in some of the gaps I complained about in his book. He writes, “You may like to know that the book was published in the same month and year as my other book, The Nature of Love: A Theology . The books were meant to be read together. Some of your criticisms of Defining Love – e.g., lack of Trinity... Read more
Cartun has some other interesting links up his sleeve: “‘God ( elohim ) occurs, as was previously pointed out, eighteen times in its various forms. The ‘Nile,’ a god to Egypt, is the only other single word repeated eighteen times total in the plagues narrative. These parallel repetitions suggest the battle between the Israelite God and the gods of Egypt, upon whom God promised to ‘execute judgments’ (Exod 12:12) Similarly, ‘Moses’ and ‘Pharaoh’ each recur 56 times. Just as God... Read more
I’ve been musing all day on the possibility that the somehow symbolize Israel. The Nile turns to blood because Pharaoh has been killing Hebrew babies in the river, and the frogs swarm just like the Hebrews had done (cf. Exodus 1:7). Now I come across a 1991 article from the Union Seminary Quarterly Review by one Ari Mark Cartun that examines the numerology of the plague narrative (the limits for his purposes are 7:14-13:16). Builting on the work of Cassuto,... Read more
In an essay in Andre Wenin, ed., Studies in the Book of Genesis Literature, Redaction and History (Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium) , Benedicte Lemmelijn argues that the plague narrative is playing off of the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2. Citing Z. Zevit’s work on the plagues, he notes that “the ten plagues . . . do correlate with ten creation words in Genesis’ creation narrative (cf. also 10 times [and he said] in Genesis 1,3.6.9.11.14.20.24.26.28.29).” He goes on to suggest... Read more
The Passover is, like the Law itself, to be on the hand and the forheads of Israel (Exodus 13:16). It is to be like a phylactery attached to the “frontlet between the eyes.” Eyes are organs of investigation and judgment, and putting the Passover between the eyes means that Israel is to form its judgments about the world through the spectacles of Passover. Read more
Frogs come up from the Nile and “cover” the land of Egypt (Exodus 8:6), and later locusts do the same (10:5). Earlier, the same verb ( kasah ) is used to describe the waters “covering” the mountains in the flood (Genesis 7:19-20). The plagues covering Egypt are another flood raging over Egypt until it is reduced to chaos. Intriguingly, the same verb is used again in the flood narrative: Noah’s sons “cover” him with a garment when he lies naked... Read more
Leithart
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