Section A

2. Why does YHWH rescue Israel from Egypt in Exodus?

The question of why YHWH rescues Israel from Egypt in Exodus is fundamental in understanding the
significance of this event for Israel and the Old Testament, and also for answering the question of
why God didn’t prevent Israel’s enslavement to begin with. Though we can never presume to know
the mind of God or fully understand the reasons for what he does, we can deduce why God rescued
Israel in this manner. Firstly, to fulfil His covenant with Abraham, secondly to reveal himself as God
and to showcase His Godly attributes, thirdly, to shape their understanding that they are God’s
people, and lastly, to set a “paradigm” for future rescues for His people.

YHWH rescuing Israel from Egypt fulfils the Covenant God made with Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-6, of
the three promises to Abraham, making his descendants into a great nation (v.2), and giving them
the promised land (v.6) were partially fulfilled through the Israelite’s time in Egypt and by God
delivering them out of captivity. The four hundred years in Egypt gave Israelites protection, food,
and land which allowed them to grow into a large nation (Exodus 1:7). Also, God delivering his
people out of Egypt and into the promised land was a fulfilment of His promise in Genesis 12:6 and
the prophecy 15:13-16. For God promised Abraham that his descendants will sojourn for 400 years
in a strange land as slaves, but will be delivered and brought back to the promise land. God’s rescue
partially fulfilled his covenant with Abraham and the prophecy in chapter 15 and is used as the basis
as a reminder that God is faithful to his covenants.

The rescue of Israel was a means to reveal himself as God and to give Himself Glory. Firstly, as one
who is faithful to His Covenants. He fulfils His promise of making Abraham’s descendants into a great
nation, and the rescue begins the fulfillment of bringing them to the promise land and giving them a
Land of their own to live. Secondly, the rescue reveals Him as the one who’s in control and is
mightier than the gods of Egypt. It was YHWH who hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12), it was
YHWH who brought the plagues onto Egypt, and it was YHWH that parted the water and defeated
the Egyptian army. The entire event of delivering Israel showcased that it is YHWH that’s in control
of all things and nothing can stand in His way. Thirdly, Israel’s deliverance showed YHWH as one who
loves His people. According to Longman and Dillard, it is implied in Exodus that Israel had forgotten
YHWH, yet He still cared and loved them to save them from captivity. Therefore, YHWH delivering
Israel from captivity revealed to them that He can be trusted, as one who fulfils His covenants, as
one who’s in control, and as one who loves and cares for them.

Thirdly, YHWH rescueing Israel helped shape Israel’s understanding that they’re God’s people.
Dillard and Longman write that Israel’s deliverance was crucial in making a distinction between Israel
as God’s people, and those who aren’t. This distinction is reinforced further later in Exodus and in
the Pentateuch as God outlines what it looks like to live as God’s people which is distinct from the
people around them. The Passover festival was pivotal in the shaping of Israel’s identity as being
God’s people.

Lastly, YHWH rescuing Israel becomes a future reminder for His people, and in the words of
Longman and Dillard, a “paradigm for future deliverance” (Pg. 74). The Exodus story is the greatest
example of God rescuing His people that future deliverance’s are referred to it (i.e. Isaiah and
Hosea). Even Jesus’ ministry points back to key moments in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. For
example Jesus’s baptism and immersion from the River Jordan followed by 40 days in the wilderness
mirrors the Israelites crossing the Red sea and 40 years sojourn in the desert. Also Jesus’ sermon on
the mount mirrors the laws given to Moses on Mt Sinai. YHWH rescuing His people becomes the
basis as a reminder and proof that He will deliver his people as he has promised to Abraham.

How and why YHWH rescued Israel from captivity in Egypt is important to answer to understand the
significance of this even for God’s people. It showed them that YHWH fulfils His covenantal
promises, loves His people, is in control and therefore can be trusted and worshipped. But ultimately
in all of this, God was glorified as a mighty God who saves His people.

Section B

5. “The God of Judges is a misogynist and a moral monster.” Discuss.

A big struggle for many Christians and non-Christians in reading and understanding the book of
Judges is reconciling the stories that are seen as ‘immoral atrocities’ with what we know about God.
With some going as far as saying “The God of Judges is a misogynist and a moral monster”, but with
a close reading of Judges, how much of that is true, and is there any credit to that statement?

For most modern readers, the treatment of women in Judges are at times abhorrent. For example,
Jephthah sacrificing his daughter, the Levite’s concubine who raped by the men of Gibeah, and the
women of Benjamin who were slaughtered, and the virgin women Israel who were kidnapped to be
wives for the Tribe of Benjamin. All these stories are uncomfortable to read and all depict a society
who don’t value women and see no problem in mistreating them horribly. Furthermore, the Book of
Judges depicts horrific acts of barbarity that majority of the modern world would view as abhorrent
and immoral. Where entire towns, peoples, and cities were put to the sword, and individuals are
murdered in gruesome inhumane ways without any form of judicial process. All this does lend itself
to painting a picture of a society that is misogynistic and immoral.

However, it’s important to understand the author’s purpose in writing Judges, and the literary
context of the book. The book is a descriptive account of Israel’s history between the death of
Joshua and leadership of Samuel in 1 Samuel. The book does not prescribe how God’s people should
live nor does it give God’s ‘stamp of approval’ to the various acts and events depicted in the book.
The repeated phrase ‘In those days there was no King in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his
own eyes” reinforces the author’s and therefore God’s disapproval over many of the events in
Israel’s history. This is evident in the structure of Judges as a whole, as the events follow a repeating
pattern; Israel abandoning God to worship and serve other gods followed by a Judge appointed by
God to lead Israel back to Him. However, at each repeated cycle there is a gradual decline in which
the judges become more and more flawed and sinful, along with the period of peace with Israel
following God becoming shorter. Overall this paints a picture of a moral decline of the nation of
Israel. This repeated phrase and the overall structure shows the Author’s purpose in highlighting the
need for a covenant keeping King appointed by God to lead Israel. Therefore, this book isn’t a
prescriptive stamp of approval from God on how to live, but rather a cycle of moral decline and
decay of the people of Israel.

In regards to specific stories of the mistreatment of women, these events showcased the depravity
and moral decline of Israel and did not have God’s approval or blessing. Jephthah sacrificing his
daughter to God, was a vow he made to God on his own volition which went against God’s own
command to not commit human sacrifices like the pagans. The rape of the concubine and her death
was in voalation of the 1 commandments God gave Israel. And following the slaughter of the
Benjaminite women by the rest of Israel, it wasn’t God who commanded them to do it, and it wasn’t
God who led them to kidnap virgins for the Benjaminite men. These acts were committed against
God’s commands and from their a desire to do what ever was right in their own eyes.

A big question that arises though, is that even though God does not condone this behaviour, why did
he allow it to happen. God appears absent in preventing these atrocities to happen. It is important
to be reminded that the lifespan of people is far longer than their time spent on earth. Our time
spent on Earth is a mere fraction compared to an eternity spent either in heaven with God or an
eternity in hell enduring God’s wrath. God has a plan to fix the injustices of this world through his
son Jesus.

To conclude, the injustices, the mistreatment of women does make us uncomfortable, but this is a
portrayal of who God is, but rather showing the moral decline of Israel and their need for a covenant
keeping king appointed by God to rule over them.

4. Who is more important in the Pentateuch: Abraham or Moses?

Who is more important in the Pentateuch: Abraham or Moses? Neither. Obviously for an exam essay
there needs to be more substance and explanation. Though, to ask this question it takes the focus
away from the one who is the most important in the Pentateuch: God. Both Moses and Abraham
were flawed individuals who God chose, and God used to work through them to achieve incredible
things. However without God, they would have achieved nothing, and the fact that they didn’t
achieve the fulfillment of what was promised pointed to a greater Abraham and a greater Moses
who will achieve the covenantal promises given to them in the Pentateuch.

Abraham was chosen by God, and He made a covenant with him in Genesis Chapter 12 and 15 which
he promised him and his offspring: He’ll make them into a great nation, that will inhabit a land of
their own, and will be a blessing to the nations around them. These covenants are the basis for
future covenants and as proof of God’s faithfulness and power throughout the Bible. The various
stories about Abraham in Genesis shows a man who at times trusted God and obeyed (i.e. when told
to sacrifice his son and to travel to canaan) but as as a sinful man who at times lacked faith (i.e.
sleeping with Sarai’s servant to birth a child). Ultimately he is remembered as the Father of the
people of Israel, but the important aspects of his life came out of God. It was God who chose him,
and it was God who blessed him and continued to uphold his covental even when Abraham lacked
faith.

Moses beginning was similar, in the sense that it was God that appointed him. It was God that
delivered him from the Egyptians, and brought him to safety to the Pharoah’s household to be
educated. It was God who chose him to lead his people even when he lacked faith. Though Moses
leading Israel out of Egypt will be remembered for future generations as the greatest act of
deliverance, it’s always in the context of showcasing how it’s God’s greatest act. God’s Covenant
with Moses was important for highlighting the distinctive relationship Israel has with God compared
to the other nations; to be Kingdom of priests and a Holy nation, a treasured possession. Though
important for shaping Israel’s understanding that they are God’s people separate and distinct from
the rest of the world, Moses was merely a mouthpiece of God. Though his leadership and faith can
be admired, it was his sin and shortgivings that highlighted the need for a greater leader and a
greater deliverer to lead God’s people.

Both Moses and Abraham are important in the sense that they were used by God. Both of them
would be nothing if it wasn’t for God choosing them and using them. God could have easily used
someone else. So to discuss and examine who is more important distracts from the one who is really
the most important and distracts from the one who we all really need.