Exodus 3: Theophany, Identity and the Faithfulness of God

  Exodus 3: Theophany, Identity and the Faithfulness of God             Anthony Wick Old Testament Introduction OT500 Spring 2021     The third chapter of the book of Exodus is a very significant and interesting portion of the Exodus narrative. In the text, Moses is tending and leading the flock of his father-in-law Jericho beyond the wilderness and stumbles into a divine encounter from a burning bush. From this bush, which is not consumed by the fire, the angel of the Lord speaks to Moses about hearing the cries of the Israelites and the Lord calls Moses to go back and preach liberation to the people of God, and provide actual liberation from Egypt. This encounter marks both a beginning and transitional point between the slavery in Egypt and the liberation of God’s people in chapter 12. Not only transitional for the people of Israel, but also for Moses himself who goes from a fugitive sojourner to the prophet of the true God, YHWH. Brevard Childs in his commentary on the Book of Exodus writes about the significance of the interaction between the human and the divine in the text  Brevard S. Childs, The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary (Westminster Press, 1974), 72.: the dialectic between the ordinary elements of human experience with elements of the extraordinary. Not only does the dialogue make this text significant, but also the place where the dialogue happens carries weight as well. The mountain is a significant place within Semetic culture, it is usually a place designated with the presence of a deity. Theophany plays a very significant role in the passage, and Douglas Stuart argues that “an awareness of the prominence of the theophany form in this section of Exodus not only clarifies the purposes of the various details in the narrative but also confirms the unity of the entire passage.”  Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 97.  Exodus chapter 3 is a narrative concerning the calling of Moses, communicating the identity and name of God, and through God’s identity communicates who the Israelites are as the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Carol Meyers helpfully notes that “Not only is a name intrinsically related to identity; but also in the biblical world deities, or people for that matter, do not exist without a name.”  Carol L. Meyers, Exodus (Cambridge University Press, 2005), 57. This identity is also bound up with a history and a promise, it is not an abstract identity primarily based in ideology, but is rooted in the action of God in the lives and history of His people. This study of the text will be broken down into four sections: The theophany at the bush (1-6) The Lord hears the cry of his people in bondage (7-9) The calling of Moses (10-12) The identity of God/mission of Moses (13-22) In terms of translation and difference some translations vary in certain word choices. There are not a significant number of differences between translations, of which I consulted the NRSV, the ESV, NIV, the CEB and Robert Alter’s Hebrew Bible translation. In verse 7 of the text, rather than using the word “taskmaster”, the CEB translates it “slave master” and the NIV translates it “slave driver”. Translating it this way creates a different space for the text, highlighting a more brutal or inhumane element to the Israelites time in Exodus. “Taskmaster” has its origin in “overseer” or “imposer of tasks”. Slave drivers/masters certainly pack a bigger punch for the narrative. Robert Alter’s translation of the divine name אהיה אשר אהיה (Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh), unlike the other four consulted translates it “I-Will-Be-Who-I-Will-Be”. Alter comments that it is the most plausible construction in the Hebrew, but notes “the middle word ‘asher' could easily mean “what”, rather than “who”, and the common rendering ‘I-Am-That-I-Am’ cannot be excluded… Since the tense system of biblical Hebrew by no means corresponds to that of Modern English, it is also perfectly possible to construe this as ‘I Am He Who Endures’.”  Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: a Translation with Commentary (New York, NY: Norton, 2019). The translation of the divine name is significant because of the consequences that can follow theologically, and also the sheer difficulty of translating biblical Hebrew to Modern English, contributes to theological interpretations and conclusions. The third chapter sits in between the birth and early life of Moses in chapter 2, and chapter 4 which is the continuation of the dialogue between Moses and God. Moses’ early life told in chapter 2 begins to shape the reader/hearer’s imagination about the identity of Moses. Carol Meyers helpfully points out “the Nile… is meant to be the pharaoh’s instrument for killing male children; and instead it becomes the vehicle for saving Moses…” and also “the word for “basket” in Hebrew ist ̄ebˆa, a term that appears elsewhere in the Bible only in the story of Noah, where it denotes Noah’s “ark.” Both basket and ark are vehicles for saving a significant figure from watery demise, thus signaling a new era.”  Meyers, Exodus. 42-43 The fourth chapter continues the dialogue with Moses and God, where Moses continues to push back against what God is saying to him, and concludes with Moses accepting the call and bringing his family back to Egypt. There is also a very scary occurrence in 4.25-27 where the Lord seeks to kill Moses’ firstborn, the Hebrew in this context is ambiguous from all accounts, but his wife Zipporah quickly cuts the foreskin of their first born and touches Moses’ foot and uses a very unique phrase “bridegroom of blood”. Zipporah expertly performs this ritual act, and her Midianite identity plays a role here.  ibid. 63 It is important to note this, because it helps to frame the literary context of the third chapter. This literary context finds the third chapter being what is known as a “call narrative” which is a tradition in ancient literature that has a specific rhythm to its telling of the story. Norman Habel in his article “The Form and Significance of the Call Narratives” gives the traditional outline: “1. divine confrontation, 2. introductory word, 3. commission, 4. objection, 5. reassurance, 6. sign.”  N. Habel, “THE FORM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CALL NARRATIVES,” Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 77, no. 3 (1965), https://doi.org/10.1515/zatw.1965.77.3.297, 298. He uses Exodus 3 as an example, along with the call of Gideon and argues that these two calls in particular, because of their striking similarities “establish the probability of a common pre-literary (or literary) form or Gattung with associated traditions utilized by the authors of these two call accounts. This common heritage provided for these authors a form appropriate for the delineation of the call of Yahweh's messengers and mediators.”  ibid. 298. Within the narrative framework of Exodus, the third chapter is an anticipatory and transitional text. It anticipates the work of God in the life of the oppressed and enslaved people of Israel, but also a transition in the life of Moses as well in his identity and role.  The book of Exodus carries with it two major themes: the revelation of God (YHWH) and the liberation of Israel from slavery to Egypt. These themes are woven into a historical narrative that involve a combination of sources. Exodus 3 in particular is thought to be a combination of two sources: J and E. John Collins notes on how the opening verses in Exodus 3 are evidence that “two sources, J and E, have been combined, and illustrate the difficulty of separating them.”  John J. Collins, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Fortress Press, 2018), 113. Discerning the titles given to important portions of the text, like Horeb (J) and God (E) and Lord (J) begin to see the combination of the sources, but Collins notes that not much is to be gained by pulling them apart. Terrance Fretheim argues that, Exodus being a patchwork of different traditions, the final work we now engage with had the Priestly source (P) reworking the text during the exile.  Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Westminster/John Knox Press, 2010), He argues “This Priestly redactor drew on materials from a wide variety of sources, older and more recent, particularly legal and cultic, and placed his stamp on the entire book, which would be identified with much of what we now call the Tetrateuch.” 6. In terms of the historicity of the text, not much by way of extra-biblical evidence and sources are able to confirm the account given in the book of Exodus, not yet anyway. What is important to consider is that, agreeing with John Goldingay, it is highly unlikely that Israel created this story out of thin air, but rather it is “based on some real events, at least as such as happened to a group of people with whose story other people in Canaan then identified.”  John Goldingay, An Introduction to the Old Testament: Exploring Text Approaches and Issues (SPCK Publishing, 2016), 153-154. The internal biblical data for the date of the exodus events suggests around 1445 B.C.E., but because of the little to no evidence from other sources of the time, it would be difficult to place the exodus in that time frame. John Collins notes that “if the story of exodus has any historical basis, then the thirteenth century B.C.E. provides the most plausible backdrop.”  Collins, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 109. There is not enough space here to treat this complicated issue fully, but the chosen way forward in engaging this chapter is shaped in part by what Carol Meyers argues for is framing Exodus within the category of memory. Here Meyers writes about how Jewish and Christian beliefs and identities are rooted in memories of the past. To put it simply, “Collective memories create identity; their truth represents the actuality rather than the factuality of the past. To put it another way, the truth of the past encoded in memory lies in the identity it shapes.”  Meyers, Exodus. 11. This works right along the lines of the thesis of this paper. The way ancients approached writing history is vastly different from the way modern history is approached today. The theophany at the bush (1-6) The opening verses have Moses tending to the flock of his father in law, Jethro, leading them through the wilderness into the mountains when he hears a voice calling for him. Moses sees the bush burning and turns to see why this bush is not consumed by the fire. Out of the flames comes the angel of the Lord and calls over to Moses. Moses responds with “Here I am” and the angel invites Moses to come closer. The identity of the Lord is slowly beginning to be revealed to Moses, and begins with recalling Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The place of God’s revelation to Moses is Mount Horeb. This event of the burning bush is what is known in the Bible as a “theophany”. A “theophany” is a visible manifestation of God, and this occurs multiple times throughout the Bible. Here we can recall God’s manifestation to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden  Gen 3:9–19, Samuel encountering God in his dreams  I Sam. 3:15, 21, Isaiah’s vision  Isa. 6:1–5, the visions of Amos  Amos 7:1, 4; 8:1; 9:1, and also Jeremiah  Jer. 1:11, 13, Ezekiel  Ezek. 1-3; 8:1–3; 10 and Zechariah.  Zech. 1-14,2:13 Not to mention the later encounters that Moses has in chapter 33, and we can also extend the term theophany to the Baptism  Matt 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21-22 and the Transfiguration  Matt 17:1-13 of Jesus in the New Testament. Theophanies are never a secondary motif, they are central to the text. George Savran in his book “Encountering the Divine'' he notes how “theophany narratives exhibit a number of recurrent motifs around which the story is based: the setting of the scene, the appearance and speech of YHWH, human response to the presence of the divine, the expression of doubt or anxiety, and the externalization of the experience.”  George W. Savran, Encountering the Divine: Theophany in Biblical Narrative (London: T & T Clark International, 2005), 13. Moses’ encounter with YHWH here follows this pattern. Savran goes on to note that the visual and speech elements of the theophany experience should not be thought of as separate elements. He writes “the bush ablaze reflects both Moses’ role as prophet (enlivened by fiery inspiration) as well as his task as national liberator (Israel caught in Egypt).”  ibid. 16-17. In verse 5, the Lord says to Moses “Do not come near; take the sandals off your feet, for the place which you are standing is holy ground.” The Lord reveals to Moses the significance of where he stands, and what is striking is how the presence of God is not destroying or overthrowing the natural world. God, in some sense, descends into the world to speak out from the bush. By the Lord’s appearance Moses is made aware of the holiness of the ground around him. He is reoriented into seeing the ordinary sights he sees everyday made alive with the divine fire. In verse 5 the Lord reveals His identity as the “God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses proceeds to hide his face out of fear of looking upon God. The Lord hears the cry of his people in bondage (7-9)  Following the initial encounter, the Lord tells Moses that He has heard the cries and the afflictions of the people of Israel, because of their slave drivers/masters the Lord knows their sufferings. Continuing from the Lord becoming lowly and speaking from a bush, the Lord is entirely aware of a people who are being oppressed and made to suffer at the hands of the Egyptians. In verse 8 the Lord says “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land flowing with milk and honey…” Notice the movement of the Lord coming down so that He may bring the Israelites up and out of bondage. Not only will the Israelites be leaving Egypt, but God promises they will have a land of which to relocate. The land promised is already occupied by other nations: the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. The awareness of what is to follow is that God is not doing this alone, but Moses is going to play an integral role in the liberation of the people of God. Terrance Freitheim notes that “the first word of God in Exodus, is programmatic; it both sets all that follows into motion and reveals the kind of God it is who acts in the narrative to follow.”  Fretheim, Exodus. 59. The calling of Moses (10-12)  This set of verses we will identify as the official call of Moses. This call for Moses is for bringing him back to Egypt, the place from which he fled, and out of the wilderness to proclaim the Word of YHWH to Pharoah about the oppression of the Israelites and bring them out of Egypt. Moses is initially skeptical about what God is telling him to do. He responds with doubt, saying “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Here we see the doubt Moses has not only in himself, but doubting what the Lord is saying to him. This response follows the pattern noted by Savran above, this is the point of expression of doubt/anxiety from the human side. In response to Moses, God offers him the assurance of “I will be with you.” The call narrative pattern is clearly seen here, moving from the objection of Moses to the reassurance from the Lord. This pattern of objection and reassurance happens a few more times in the following chapter. Moses’ concern is short in words, God’s reassurance takes up the rest of the chapter. The identity of God/mission of Moses (13-22)  Moses again seeks an answer about the identity of the Lord. His concerns are about what he will say to the people of Israel about who sent him, and the Lord responds to Moses “I AM WHO I AM”. The Lord revealing is prompted by Moses asking a question, not purely on the Lord’s own initiative. The human element and action within the text is never trampled or lost amidst the divine, but is told with genuine agency that the Lord genuinely responds to. The transcendent quality of the text hits its peak at the Lord’s response. Not only is the burning bush a very odd choice for a means of revelation, but the Lord’s response only amplifies the strangeness. In part what should grab the reader is how the more Moses begins to learn about who God is, the deeper the mystery gets. The more God reveals, the less you actually know. In terms of the divine name the Hebrew Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh is most commonly translated as “I AM WHO I AM”. Considering the rivers of ink that has flowed from theological reflection, one element that comes up in commentaries concerns the faithfulness of God. “I AM WHO I AM” in many ways communicates that God will be faithfully God, and this faithfulness will be manifested through the liberation of the people of Israel. Freitheim argues  Fretheim reflects “Giving the name entails a certain kind of relationship; it opens up the possibility of, indeed admits a desire for, a certain intimacy in relationship. A relationship without a name inevita-bly means some distance; naming the name is necessary for closeness. Naming makes true encounter and communication possible. Naming entails availability. By giving the name, God becomes accessible to people. God and people can now meet one another and there can be address on the part of both par-ties. Yet, because name is not person, there remains an other-ness, even a mystery about the one who is named.” 65. that God’s name and connection to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God is deliberately tying himself to a history, and the history of these people will carry his name: “This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.” Moses is to carry this name to the Elders of Israel, and also the king of Egypt to first establish the connection with Israel and second to proclaim condemnation for what Egypt has done. In verse 17 God tells Moses that “I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt”. Not only is God’s name to be bound up with history, but also with this promise. God puts something on the line, and Moses is to carry this out. Not only will the Israelites be liberated from slavery and bondage, but God will give favor for the Isralites in the sight of the Egyptians, and they will plunder the Egyptians as well. In terms of theological affirmations from this text, the significance of the divine name carries with it layers of depth and meaning. First is the profound otherness of God revealed with the name. God is not anything like humanity, and He is not bound or controlled by anything. The revelation of God’s name is bound up with the history, a specific history of the people of Israel. Not only is history bound up in God’s name, but also the promises of God towards His people. There is also an awareness brought out in the text that God is deeply active in the life of his people, even when they are not aware of it, especially in times of great suffering and oppression. God is present in suffering, and he hears the cries of those where injustice is carried out. The text also affirms that God is the primary actor in redemption and restoration, but not the only one. Moses at this point in the narrative is not anyone significant, but God calls him out of the wilderness to carry out His plans of salvation and liberation. He desires humans to participate in this work. Exodus chapter 3 plays a vital role in the narrative of the Old Testament. It is anticipating the liberation of the people of God, and continues to establish the identity of God flowing from the book of Genesis. The revelation of God’s name carries with it history and promise, and these promises stem from Abraham and are reaffirmed in this chapter of Exodus. Considering the fundamental importance of the Exodus event for Israel’s identity, this text sets the stage for what is to come in the life of Israel and Moses, with God’s faithful action and presence the key element to all of it. To begin concluding this paper, the application of this text can work in a few different ways. Identity is of fundamental importance to a modern person. Especially in the West, identity is construed as first and foremost individualistic: I am the bearer of my own identity; I construct and express who I am, regardless of what others think of me. Exodus 3 shines a different light on what constitutes identity for human beings; it is fundamentally about our relation to God. This relation manifests itself fully in a community of other Christians, not isolated to our own experience. It is in the community of those called by God that we begin to know who we really are. Second is the notion of justice. Justice is a primary value in our culture today. Whether that is racial and social justice, or justice for the unborn; human beings have an eternal impulse for the world to flourish through the eradication of injustice. This text displays God’s true character towards those who are destitute and in bondage: He hears their cries and is with them in their sufferings. He has not abandoned them, and He will make all things right. God’s liberation leads to restoration and new creation.                   Bibliography Alter, Robert. The Hebrew Bible: a Translation with Commentary. New York, NY: Norton, 2019. Childs, Brevard S. The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary. The Old Testament Library. Westminster Press, 1974. Collins, John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Fortress Press, 2018. Fretheim, Terence E. Exodus (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching). Westminster/John Knox Press, 2010. Goldingay, John. An Introduction to the Old Testament: Exploring Text Approaches and Issues. SPCK Publishing, 2016. Habel, N. “THE FORM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CALL NARRATIVES.” Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 77, no. 3 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1515/zatw.1965.77.3.297. Meyers, Carol L. Exodus. The New Cambridge Bible Commentary. Cambridge University Press, 2005. Savran, George W. Encountering the Divine: Theophany in Biblical Narrative. London: T & T Clark International, 2005. Stuart, Douglas K. Exodus. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006.