...OUTSMARTING GOD: EGYPTIAN SLAVERY AND THE TOWER OF BABEL SHEILA TULLER KEITER The Book of Exodus begins the story of Israel's enslavement in Egypt. A new pharaoh rises to power, one who did not know Joseph (Ex. 1:8). This new pharaoh ushers in a new regime and new policies. He embarks on a national program of enslavement and subjugation. Yet these policies are not as original as one might think, for they are reminiscent of the social-political experiment of another great building society, the people who built the Tower of Babel. The Torah deliberately links these two societies and passes judgment on both. The new pharaoh begins by bringing his cause to the Egyptian people, making the following pitch: 'Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise, in the event of war, they may join our enemies in fighting against us and go up from the land' (Ex. 1:9-10). As presented in the text, the pharaoh's logic is hard to discern. His solution to the problem of Israel's burgeoning population is persecution and enslavement, rather than expulsion or genocide (Ex. 1:11). If they are too many, why not just kill them? Pharaoh does eventually order the killing of all the male babies born to the Hebrews, but only after his first policy prescription results in an Israelite population boom (Ex. 1:12, 16). Furthermore, if the Israelites represent a potential fifth column, why is Pharaoh afraid that they will...
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...The book of Judges introduces us to the long years of Israel’s struggle to maintain control of the Promised Land and serves as the transition from the conquest to the kingdom. It deals with events following Joshua’s death (c. 1380 BC) The main body of the story revolves around six cycles of apostasy, repentance, and deliverance. God intervenes time and again to rescue the struggling Israelites from military oppression, spiritual depression, and ethnic annihilation. The book of Judges derives its title from the Latin Liber Judicum, but the Hebrew title is shophetim. The verbal form (“to judge”) describes the activity of the various deliverers whom God used despite their personal challenges, oddities, or inadequacies Most of the biblical judges were heroes or deliverers more than legal arbiters. They were raised up by God and empowered to execute the judgment of God upon Israel’s enemies. The sovereignty of God over His people is seen in these accounts as God, the ultimate Judge (11:27), judges Israel for her sins, brings oppressors against her, and raises up human judges to deliver her from oppression when she repents. I. Reason for the Judges (Judges 1:1–2:23) The period of the judges followed the death of Joshua (1:1) when Israel was left with no central ruler. While the book of Joshua represents the apex of victory for the Israelite tribes, the book of Judges tells the story of their heartache and struggle to maintain control of the land. While the conquest of the land...
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...adversaries. Sarah later banished Hagar and her son by Abraham, Ishmael, from their household. At age 90, Sarah finally bore Abraham’s son according to God’s will, a boy named Isaac. God did not forget His promise to Abraham and He especially did not forget Sarah, even when she decided to take matters into her own hands. Sarah’s story perfectly reminds us that what God has promised for you, it is especially for you! Even despite her doubt and the pain and conflict she caused by taking advantage of Hagar, God still came through with His promise for her, making her the “mother of all nations.” Ruth The book of Ruth author was anonymous, but some believe it was written by Samuel the prophet. Written about 1046-1035 B.C. and intertwined during the period of the Judges, the book of Ruth is written as a story of love and loyalty. Key personalities include Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. During the book of Judges, there was a famine and...
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...According to Dr.L. Hoffman "The name Ruth means a sight worth seeing, beauty and friendship. She was beautiful in the inside. Ruth got all of the ugliness, bitter, anger hurt and grief out of her life. This made her soul beautiful in the eyes of God. She changed her character." It's also means friendship or a female friend, like the in Reuel- Reuel- friend of God.,( Women of Bible) Beauty- a combination of qualities, such as shape, colours, or form that pleased the eye aesthetic senses, especially the sight Friendship Friend Ruth was a gentile woman born in the country of Moab, which is located East of the Dead Sea. Scholars say that " Moab only refers to a person in Gen 19:30-38, everywhere else the name refers to a people. The Land According to researchers Moab was bounded by the Arabian Desert on...
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...Summary of the Old Testament Starting with the book of Genesis uses narrative form to tell us God created the universe. God then created man. He created man from his own image. There was Adam and Eve. They were supposed to populate the land and they both disobeyed God words by not listening. Exodus only the first part of the book is a narrative. The genre changes the law in verse 20. The narration picks up 400 years later after Jacob moved to Egypt. God used a burning bush to speak to Moses and inform him that he is the one to deliver the Israelites out of bondage. Moses did not think he could convince the Israelites and Pharaoh that this was God’s command. Moses confronted Pharaoh with ten plagues. The 10th plague began the Passover ritual. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and to Mt Sinai. When they reached Mt. Sinai, God gave the people his commandments or laws. The law taught the Israelites how to have a relationship with God and each other. Leviticus Leviticus uses the genre of law. Israelites are told how and why to have sacrificial offerings. These offerings are broken into three categories. Consecratory offerings were used to dedicate a person or thing to God. Expiatory offering were acknowledge sin. Communal offering were a way for communities to celebrate their thankfulness to God. Numbers Numbers is both the book of narrative and law. Per God’s instructions, Moses took a census of all the Israelites. This help organized them by their...
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...people don’t read the book of Ruth, saying it is pointless and is just about everyday life. People think it doesn’t belong and it doesn’t teach us anything about God that we don’t already know. Many people, are so very wrong about this wonderful and insightful book as the book of Ruth is one of the most brilliant, yet often looked over, work of theological art in the old testament and maybe even in the bible. This wonderful book invites us to reflect on one big question; how is God involved and woven into the day to day hardship’s that we as humans regularly experience. In this story there are three main characters, Naomi the widow, Ruth the Moabite, and Boaz the farmer and their story is told in...
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...of those 66 books, only two bear the name of a woman, one of those being the book of Ruth. It is in this book that we find Ruth, a young women of Moab, after whom the book receives its title. This story takes place in a time when judges ruled the land, a period of religious and moral depravity, national discord and oppression. In its writings, we are given a glance at the lives of Israelite families. As well, it offers a wonderful account of loyalty, true faith and devotion to God. The introduction of our story points towards the central problem for our characters....
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...Ruth OutlinedI. Ruth of Moab (1:1-5) A. Events occurred "when the judges ruled" (1:1) B. Famine in the area of Bethlehem (1:1) C. Migration to Moab (1:1) 1. Elimelech and his wife, Naomi (1:2) 2. They had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion 3. They were Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah D. Elimelech died in Moab (1:3) E. After the death of Elimelech, his two sons married Moabite women (1:4) 1. One of the sons married Orpah (1:4) 2. The other son married Ruth (1:4) This violated God's law Deuteronomy 7:3-8, 23:3, and Ezra 9:2 3. After 10 years both Mahlon and Chilion died (1:5) 4. Naomi was without husband or sons (1:5) II. Devotion of Ruth to Naomi (1:6 to 2:23) A. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem-judah (1:7) 1. Both Orpah and Ruth accompany Naomi part of the way (1:7) 2. Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab (1:8-13) 3. Orpah tearfully agrees to remain in Moab (1:14) 4. Ruth refuses to leave Naomi (1:14-18) Matthew 19:19 - Honor your father and mother a. Ruth’s famous statement: "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:." (1:16) b. Ruth was "steadfastly minded" to remain with Naomi, so the mother-in-law ceased her protest (1:18) B. They arrive at Bethlehem (1:19) 1. Women of Bethlehem surprised to see Naomi so sad and desolate 2. Naomi asks them to call her "Mara," instead...
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...heart became Hollywood fodder there was Rahab’s story. She single-handedly saved two of Joshua’s spies by hiding them, lying to the authorities, and helping the pair to escape. As shrewd as she was gorgeous Rahab knew an opportunity when she saw one. “Swear to me by the Lord, that since I am showing kindness to you, you will in turn show kindness to my Deborah, the Warrior Princess Bible Ref: Judges 4 and 5 In a time in which it was improper for a woman to be alone in a house with a man, Deborah sat outside beneath a palm tree and judged Israel. After 20 years of oppression, it was she who summoned the military general Barak to take ten thousand soldiers and storm Mt. Tabor against their enemy Sisera. Barak answered, “If you go with me.” Deborah agreed, but told Barak he’d receive no glory. “The Lord will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman.” This prophecy would have dual meaning, for not only would Deborah be remembered as the real leader of this victory, Sisera would literally fall because of a woman. Jael, the Woman with the Heart of a Lion Bible Ref: Judges 4:17-22 and 5: 6, 24 When the war-weary, defeated general of Canaanite forces staggered into...
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...The era of baseball played during the Babe Ruth era should be viewed from the same retrospective viewpoint that we judge each aspect of any progressive change within society. We shouldn’t attribute undeserving accolades for seemingly simplistic deeds or efforts. Moreover, some may argue that it’s just baseball, track or boxing. Conversely, it would be tough to argue against the fact that they are sports. What makes each of them transcend beyond just sports is the impact. It would be easy to speak of the impact of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson or Jeese Owens because they seemingly stood up during difficult times and against significant obstacles. Each of them impacted some elements of society. Babe Ruth impact may have been less dynamic or celebrated but his impact was felt and reflected society progress as it relates to sports, race relations and economic growth. While our relationship with sports has always been complicated, it has been a platform to address social and racial injustices. In addition, it has influenced economic development within society. We should view the accomplishment of Babe Ruth in the same manner that we viewed Jackie Robinson or Hank Aaron. Babe Ruth was...
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...The Problem of Evil McCayley Hendricks MWF-2pm #3564 November 17, 2014 One of the most prominent arguments against the existence of God today would be the problem of evil. Not only is it a problem for Christians, who want to provide a defense for their faith, but it is also a problem for Christians, who being faced with suffering and pain on account of evil, and without knowing the thoughts or intentions of God, wish to reconcile the two ideas together. In spite of Mackie’s Logical Argument of Evil proving, some would say, that it is not possible for both God and evil to exist, I believe that it is in fact possible that they exist simultaneously. My reason for believing so stems from the Free-Will Defense, coupled with a deeper understanding and more clearly defined description of the attributes of God and how they work together. I will also highlight scripture that incorporates both the existence of evil as well as the existence of God, who remedies the evil into a greater good, reiterating a point made in premise 4 of Plantinga’s Free Will Defense. In order to walk you through my thought process, I will start with a basic outline of Mackie’s Logical Argument, as well as include why this is a problem for theists. I will then define some ambiguous terms in his argument, and shed some light on the culture-saturated definitions of Christian lingo used in the argument. And finally, I will present the Free-Will Defense and show how this paired with the previous information...
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...The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, is a book that involves many characters and their views on the issues they face. The main female characters, Orleanna, Leah, Adah, Rachel, and Ruth May all are telling the same story, but from different perspectives and unique interpretations of certain events. The events of the story deal with guilt, grief, forgiveness, the struggle for survival, and much more. It involved many parallels to different situations, mainly the Congo Crisis as a whole. Through the characters and events of the story, the reader gets an understanding of the issues of the Congo and is able to compare the situations faced between the characters to the main issue. To add, the novel is considered to be a frame story. A frame...
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...Soviet Union) and he was arrested in July, and Ethel was arrested a couple of months later. Their trial became a big public event and their execution in 1953 made them a public display for the American people. Many people argued that Julius was innocent during the sentencing and the trial but years later people argue that they were not innocent. It’s still a huge discussion to this day. The one source is a picture of Ethel and Julius and the other is a testimony by Ruth Greenglass(Ethel’s sister in-law). David Greenglass(Ethel’s brother) and Ruth Greenglass helped send Ethel and Julius to the electric chair with their testimonies. The fear of Communism and the Cold War and the paranoia surrounding it in America, sealed the fate of Julius and Ethel...
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...in Israel, going from judges to kings. 1 We will look at the four questions asked here. These arise during the time of Samuel, the prophet, priest, and last of the judges in Israel. The four questions we must answer are: 1. Why did the people of Israel desire a king? 2. Why was Saul chosen, and, ultimately rejected? 3. What attribute did David display that made him a better king than Saul? 4. What sin did Solomon commit that ultimately led to the division of Israel after his death? 1. Why did the people of Israel desire a king? Under the reign of the judges, Israel had many troubled times. They had battles with the Philistines and even lost the ark of God (1Sam 4:10-11). To the Israelites, this meant disobedience to God and a total disconnect from God’s presence and the mosaic covenant.2 With all the confusion and turmoil in the land, the Israelites decided they should have a king “to judge us like all the nations” (1Sam 8:5). This action is contrary to the divine will for Israel and the result of the worldly desire of Israel to be like other peoples. 3 The basic difficulty is the nature of the kingship that the elders have in view. Kingships like that of the other nations would be dynastic, bureaucratic, tightly regulated, and thus in direct 1. Ed Hindson, Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012), pp159. 2. Ibid, pp164. 3. Eric C. Rust, Layman's Bible Commentary: Vol. 6, Books of Judges, Ruth, and First and Second...
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...Ruth is about a love story, also has some important genealogy. The timeframe of this book is intertwined during the period of the Judges and the author is anonymous but some believe it was perhaps written by the prophet Samuel, around 1046-1035 B.C. Some of the key personalities during this time include Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. Due to a severe famine in the land of Judah Elimelech a native of Bethlehem, emigrated to Moab with his wife and two sons, who married Moabites (Smith, 2005). Ruth was gleaning in the fields of Naomi’s relative, Boaz and out of compassion and obedience to the law, he allows Ruth to glean but also leaves extra grain for her purposely. Naomi encourages Ruth to seek marriage with Boaz as a kinsman redeemer, she obeys Naomi and asks for her rights and Boaz agrees, but mentions that he must first be sure there are no others with first rights. This would eliminate any type of confusion, making sure that Ruth was not already spoken. Boaz and Ruth are married and Ruth conceives a son named Obed, the grandfather of the great King David, in the lineage of Christ our Messiah. Ruth remains loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi after the death of...
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