This Week: Moses' Staff | HDYRI Newsletter #61
Week of 12/6/24
Refer friends and family, and receive a complementary paid subscription:
Last week in Episode 64 - Moses’ Hand - Exodus 4:1-2, God heeds Moses’ concern of the Israelites’ skepticism about God and who He is. We worked through the legitimacy of Moses’ logic, revisited the proper understanding of how ancient peoples believed in and interacted with gods, and wrapped up with a discussion of sheep and goats.
This week in Episode 65 - Moses’ Staff - Exodus 4:3-9, God gives Moses signs to display His power to the Israelites and Pharaoh. We discuss the seemingly positive imagery of the snake as God’s sign and the strength of Moses’ faith, with a short detour on the meeting of an ophidiophobe and an unlucky cat. We leave of with a discussion of God’s purpose in plaguing Egypt, pondering whether the plagues were for Egypt or for Israel.
Episode 65 teaser:
Until next time!
If you are interested in digging deeper on your own, here are a few resources:
Ancient Christian reading practices:
Biblical Exegesis and the Formation of Christian Culture
Medieval exegesis:
Medieval Exegesis: The Four Senses of Scripture, Vol. 1
Medieval Exegesis : The Four Senses of Scripture, Vol. 2
Second Temple Judaism:
Two Gods in Heaven: Jewish Concepts of God in Antiquity
Torah with Rabbinic Commentary:
Bereishis Genesis, Part I and II, ArtScroll Tanach Series, Translation with Commentary
Mythological:
Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel
Literary approach:
René Girard