Ex.1,1-22
1 –The sons of Israel, kept increasing… growing in strength…Ex.1,20
So, the King Pharaoh oppressed them with forced labor. Ex.1,1-12
- When Jacob went to Egypt there were 70 ? ? ? persons.
When the Israelites left there were 600.000 ? ? ? = 2.000.000 ?. Ex.12,37
- In the Nile valley the archaeologists found inscriptions that mentioned the headquarters of the Pharaonic army and the names of the Kings Tuthmosis second 1512 , Seti first and Ramses second 1318-1237 B.C.
- All these stories, that happened 3500 ago, are not chronicles but there are enough proof that, the events reported in the books of Pentatecus are real, even if, we should not read literally.
2 – The new king Ramses II ? or Mernepta ( 1234-1222) ? who had not known Joseph, came to power and started to oppress the Israelites. Ex.1,8.
- The word slavery, means any kind of physical, moral, economical slavery and includes all the modern slaveries like : corruption, drugs, hedonism wars, oppression of the poor, fashion, scandals, gender, Halloween…
3 – God, through Moses, will teach us, how to be brothers, to respect each other and, to free us from any kind of slavery. Rm.8,22.
- For centuries God, the good shepherd, and brooding-hen, came to search for human sinners, for the prodigal son, for making us ,one people, one church, one family, here in the world and, in the future in the eternal life.
Is,1,2-3 ; 35,1-10 ; 40,1-31 ; 41,13-20 48,17-19 ;Lk.5,17-20 13,31-35 ;
Mt,11,16-30 18,12-14; Jn.17,1-26
- God, rich in mercy, can do anything except make sin and stop to love.
So, he gave cloth to Adam, promised the Savior, called Abraham, Moses…
and became man for the salvation of mankind. Bar. 2,1-12 ; Eph.2,4-5.
4 –Shema Israel = listen people of Israel and people of any time… But…
- The Angels refused God. Adam disobeyed, Israelites grumbled… We…? ? ?
- To pray, is not to wake up God, but to open the door of our heart to God who wants to save all of us. N.2
- The most used words of Jesus were peace, joy, justice, forgiveness, love.
- God chose : Noah, Abraham, Moses… the people of Israel… the Church and any person who believes God, to be missionary of his love.
5 –The writers, insist on the cruelty of slavery, just to prepare us to understand the necessity of doing our exodus from the slavery of sin.
- Pharaoh, ordered to throw the male babies into the river Nile… w.16.22
- But the river Nile was used for drinking and for bathing of Pharaoh’s daughter. So that river, should not be the grave for innocent babies. Ex.2,5.
If the male babies died, who will carry on the slaves work ?
6 – The authors, through the goodness of the midwives, are preparing for Moses ‘birth… and want to teach us, not to slaughter the innocent babies and not to destroy the families. Ex.1,15-20.21 ; Mt.2,13-18
* Evil, never comes from God.
7 – From now on, we have to talk often about authority… Kings… obedience
- The writers, are telling us that, all of us, must obey to legitimate authorities
- But, we should never compromise with sin and with any person who wants to violate our conscience. 1Pt.2,18 ; 3,15.
8 - Pharaohs are not only the rulers of Egypt but, any civil or religious person, who force us, to do something against our conscience.
- Jesus said : I will send you in the middle of wolves. Mt.10,16-33.
- The fifth commandment forbids any damage or killing, scandal. Lk.17,1-6
- Sin, offends not God but, our dignity. Sir.38,24-39 ; Ger.7,19
Qoelet 8.1-14 ; Prov.119-32 ; 8,36 ; 11,27 ; Ez.8,1-6 16-9.11 ;
Bar. 1,14-22 ; 3,1-8 ; 4,5-29. In fact…
- Angels became demons… Adam naked… Pharaoh died in the sea…
The Israelites slaves… Judah hanged himself… Sinners will go to hell.
9 - From now on, there is like an antiphon , telling us that :
God loves mankind but they preferred sins… injustices…any kind of idols even if they increased human slavery… sufferings and… the second death.
10 - So the writers, are not telling only about the exodus of 3.000 years ago but are telling about the necessity of our exodus, from any kind of sin.
- All the stories, that we will consider from now on and, especially the Prophets will insist about our conversion from this evil generation.
Mk.8,38 ; Mt.10,33 ; 16,27 ; Lk.9,26 ; 11,29 ; 12,9 ;Jn.12,23
11 - Even if, men refuse, God’s love, the history of salvation must be fulfilled, taking all the believers into God’s banquet. Mt.22,1-14 Rv.3,14-22
- Give to God what belongs to God, it means that, our soul and body must go back to God, unless we refuse him with our sins. Mt.22,15-21
- Nothing can stop the plan of salvation. Is.40,1-11; 61,11.
- For God, one day or 1000, is the same… but the salvation will come 2Pt.3,8-14
- God will change the heart of people. Mk.1,1-8.
- So the real exodus, is not only that event of 3000 years ago but salvation, justice and love for all the people. Dt.24,1-25,4.
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