020 With All Your Heart

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Exodus 14 #

See images in presentation

• God's people cross the "sea of reeds" not the "Red Sea"... no idea why English translations have done this forever
• There are 19 academically sound ideas of where Mt. Sinai is... there are also a ton of possible spots at which Moses and the Israelites crossed the sea of reeds, it's just impossible to know the exact spot when looking at a map (modern or ancient)
• Moses' staff represents a lot of things:
  • The juxtaposition of Empire with Shalom
  • Yahweh's power over everything
  • Deliverance vs slavery
• Eastern wind (ruach) may symbolize judgement from God (judgement from the East)

Kingdom #

We don't see kingdom until Exodus 19 but it is taught in Judaism that for God's Kingdom to come there are 3 things that happen:

1. The finger of God works (Magicians in Exodus story tell Pharaoh to back off because this "is the finger of God")
2. People call on the name of YHWH
3. Yahweh's people are obedient

Testing #

• Tradition says God tests his people 3 times - they're heart, soul, and might
• Eastern vs Western testing... Testing in the East is not a pass/fail thing, it is a thing which reveals something... Testing reveals truth
• Deuteronomy 8 - "to humble you and to test you in order to know [yada] what is in your heart"
  • yada has sexual overtones, it refers to an in-depth knowing
  • yada is experiential, not cerebral; it's experience, not facts