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Archive for June 29, 2009, 10:00 am

YHWH Enjoys Making People Wait

June 29, 2009, 10:00 am by dc-agape.

Exodus Chapter 12:1-13

This part of the Book of Exodus is the Passover.  The very first thing to take note is the length of time from Moses’ warning to the Pharaoh to the time of the Passover – 14 days:

Exodus 12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month o your year. 

Exodus 12:6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

So even after the Israelites have been in slavery at least 80 years, when Moses returned from Midian, the Israelites had to wait even longer.  It took 25 days from the time Moses first spoke to the Pharaoh before the people turned on Moses due to making bricks without straw.  Then there was the additional 19 days between turning the staff into a snake and the 9th plague.  And now there is an additional 14 days before Passover. You can say that “YHWH works in mysterious ways” or that “YHWH operates at his own time frame” but come on these were his people!  80 years of slave labor (or more) before he even starts to rescue them.  Then 58 days of the most backbreaking labor they have endured, just so that YHWH can perform some hideously cruel “wonders” on the mind-controlled Egyptians?  In my last post I indicated that YHWH was not a loving god, but this takes the cake!  Two additional months of intense slavery, just so YHWH can show off!  Isn’t that the epitome of arrogance?

Finally this is the night that YHWH frees his people.  He tells them to slaughter the lamb and spread the blood on the door frame, which will keep his final plague from entering their house.  He also tells them to be prepared to leave immediately, by dressing in traveling cloths while eating the roasted lamb.  That’s right it cannot be boiled it must be cook over a fire.  Isn’t that lovingly kind of YHWH, he will protect his people if they do exactly what he tells them to do.


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