Lesson&#16&

Epilogue&

Epilogue) 1)

The$Lord$said$to$Moses:$$“When&you&enter&the&land&of&Canaan,&this&

is&the&territory&that&shall&fall&to&you&as&your&heritage—the&land&of&

Canaan&with&its&boundaries&.&.&.”$(34:$1).$$Recall$that$the$land$should$be$allocated$in$propor<on$to$the$number$of$men$in$each$tribe,$clan$and$family.$$We$drew$the$geographical$boundaries$in$Lesson$#15.$$$

We$also$dealt$with$three$other$issues:$

$1) $Ci<es$set$aside$for$the$Levites;$$2) $Ci<es$of$refuge;$

$3)$$$$A$twist$in$the$saga$of$Zelophehad’s$daughters.$

Epilogue) 2)

With$the$book$of$Numbers$completed,$Lesson$#16$reviews$our$linear$narra<ve$from$Genesis$through$Numbers,$placing$what$we$have$studied$so$far$in$the$Hebrew$Scriptures$into$its$proper$historical,$cultural$and$literary$context,$seTng$the$stage$for$our$movement$into$Deuteronomy$and$the$comple<on$of$the$Torah.$

Epilogue) 3)

Recall$that$when$we$began$our$Scripture$study$we$noted$four$founda<onal$principles$that$would$guide$us:$

1)  the$Bible$is$rooted$in$geography;$2)  the$Bible$emerges$from$history;$3)  the$Bible—in$its$final,$finished$form—is$a$

unified$literary$work;$and$4)  the$Bible$is$the$word$of$God.$$

Epilogue) 4)

We$also$noted$that$all&works$of$art—visual,$musical$or$literary—mirror$the$<me$and$culture$from$which$they$emerge.$$Scripture$is$no$excep<on.$$To$understand$Scripture,$we$must$understand$that$the$world$of$the$Bible$is:$

1)  Patriarchal;$2)  Monarchial;$3)  Polytheis<c;$and$4)  SlaveZholding$

Epilogue) 5)

Consequently$our$approach$to$the$Hebrew$Scriptures$pays$close$a\en<on$to:$1)  the$geography&of$the$ancient$Near$East,$

loca<ng$the$seTng$of$our$stories$using$Google$Earth$satellite$imagery;$

2)  the$historical&Ame&of$our$stories,$seTng$Abraham$at$roughly$2,000$B.C;$the$story$of$Moses$and$the$Exodus$at$1446$B.C.;$and$the$Israelites$on$the$plains$of$Moab$at$1406$B.C.,$being$internally$consistent$with$1$Kings$6:$1;$$

3)  the$literary&structure&of$our$stories,$from$the$linear$trajectory$of$the$main$narra<ve$to$the$obenZcomplex$structures$of$individual$episodes$and$stories;$and$$

4)  the$tribal,&patriarchal&culture&from$which$the$stories$emerge.$

Epilogue) 6)

Epilogue) 7)

As$a$literary$work,$the$Bible$is$a$grand$epic$that$begins$with$crea<on$itself.$$$

Genesis$1Z11—the$primeval$chapters$of$Genesis—are$classified$as$“mythopoeic”$literature;$that$is,$literature$that$address$in&the&form&of&

story,$fundamental$issues$of$the$human$condi<on:$$who$we$are,$how$we$got$here,$our$purpose,$why$there$is$evil$in$the$world,$and$so$on.$

Epilogue) 8)

Look,$for$example,$at$the$crea<on$story$in$Genesis$$1:$1$–$2:$3.$

Epilogue) 9)

Epilogue) 10)

William$Blake.$$”Ancient$of$Days”$(relief$etching$with$hand$coloring),$from$Europe&a&Prophecy,&(1794).&The$Fitzwilliam$Museum,$Cambridge$University.$

Now$turn$to$what$is$oben$called$the$2nd$crea<on$story$in$Genesis$2:$4Z25.$

Although$drawing$from$a$different$body$of$source$material$than$the$1st$crea<on$story,$from$a$literary$perspec<ve$Genesis$2:$4Z25$func<ons$as$a$recapitulaAon&into$Day$6$of$the$1st$crea<on$story.$$Here$we$drop$into$the$Garden$of$Eden,$and$we$see$how$God$created$man,$God’s$rela<onship$with$man,$the$crea<on$of$woman,$and$the$rela<onship$between$the$man$and$the$woman.$

Epilogue) 11)

Michelangelo.$$“Crea<on$of$Adam,”$Sis<ne$Chapel$(fresco),$c.$1512.$

Va<can$City.$$&

12)Epilogue)

As$we$read$at$the$end$of$this$story,$“the&man&and&his&wife&were&both&naked,&yet&

they&felt&no&shame”$(2:$25).$$$

In$the$prelapsarian$world,$all$crea<on$lived$in$harmony$with$God$and$with$one$another:$$indeed,$it$was$very$good.$

But$every$story$has$a$conflict,$and$our$conflict$enters$the$story$in$Genesis$3:$1Z24—sin.$

Epilogue) 13)

Ti<an.$$Adam&and&Eve&(oil$on$canvas),$c.$1550$

Prado$Museum,$Madrid.$

14)Epilogue)

In$our$Genesis$lessons$we$defined$sin,$not$as$an$act$that$one$commits,$but$as$a$condiAon&that$one$is$in—a$condi<on$of$aliena<on$and$separa<on$from$God$that$manifests$itself$in$sinful$ac<on.$$$

We$also$learned$that$sin$is:$1)  subtle;$2)  it$distorts$our$judgment;$3)  it$escalates;$and$4)  it$cascades$down$through$genera<ons.$

Epilogue) 15)

Hubert$and$Jan$van$Eyck.$$Ghent&Altarpiece,$detail$(c.$1432).$

Cathedral$of$St.$Bavo,$Ghent,$Belgium.$

16)Epilogue)

By$the$7th$genera<on$aber$Adam$&$Eve:$“Lamech&said&to&his&wives:&&&

‘Ada&and&Zillah,&hear&my&voice;&

&wives&of&Lamech,&listen&to&my&uLerance:&

I&have&killed&a&man&for&wounding&me,&

&a&young&man&for&bruising&me.&

If&Cain&is&avenged&seven&Ames,&

&then&Lamech&seventyNseven&Ames.’”&

$ $ $ $ $ $(4:$23Z24)$

And$by$Genesis$6:$5Z6$we$read:$“When&the&Lord&saw&how&great&the&wickedness&of&

human&beings&was&on&earth,&and&how&every&desire&

that&their&heart&conceived&was&always&nothing&but&

evil,&the&Lord&regreLed&making&human&beings&on&

the&earth,&and&his&heart&was&grieved.”&

Epilogue) 17)

By$the$7th$genera<on$aber$Adam$&$Eve:$“Lamech&said&to&his&wives:&&&

‘Ada&and&Zillah,&hear&my&voice;&

&wives&of&Lamech,&listen&to&my&uLerance:&

I&have&killed&a&man&for&wounding&me,&

&a&young&man&for&bruising&me.&

If&Cain&is&avenged&seven&Ames,&

&then&Lamech&seventyNseven&Ames.’”&

$ $ $ $ $ $(4:$23Z24)$

And$by$Genesis$6:$5Z6$we$read:$“When&the&Lord&saw&how&great&the&wickedness&of&

human&beings&was&on&earth,&and&how&every&desire&

that&their&heart&conceived&was&always&nothing&but&

evil,&the&Lord&regreLed&making&human&beings&on&

the&earth,&and&his&heart&was&grieved.”&

Epilogue) 18)

John$Mar<n.$$The&Deluge&(oil$on$canvas),$1834$$Yale$Center$for$Bri<sh$Art,$New$Haven.&&

19)Epilogue)

When$Noah$gets$off$the$Ark,$he$plants$a$vineyard,$gets$drunk,$curses$his$sons$.$.$.$and$by$Genesis$11$we$are$at$the$Tower$of$Babel.$

It$happened$all$over$again!$

Epilogue) 20)

Pieter$Bruegel$the$Elder.$$The&Tower&of&Babel&(oil$on$panel),$1563.$Museum$of$Art$History,$Vienna.$

21)Epilogue)

So$what$is$God$to$do$at$this$point?$

Epilogue) 22)

Epilogue) 23)

If$I$were$God$I’d$snuff$out$this$miserable$world$

and$start$over$somewhere$else$in$the$

universe.$

But,$no!$$God$introduces$a$plan$to$redeem$humanity,$making$a$covenant$with$Abraham$and$his$wife,$Sarah:$

“Go&forth&from&your&land,&your&relaAves,&and&

from&your&father’s&house&to&a&land&that&I&will&

show&you.&&I&will&make&of&you&a&great&naAon,&

and&I&will&bless&you;&I&will&make&your&name&

great,&so&that&you&will&be&a&blessing.&&I&will&

bless&those&who&bless&you&and&curse&those&

who&curse&you.&&All&the&families&of&the&earth&

will&find&blessing&in&you.”&

$ $ $ $ $ $(12:$2Z3)$

Epilogue) 24)

And$that$plan$consists$of$two$elements:$$progeny&and$property;$people$and$real$estate.$

Regarding$progeny,$God$took$Abraham$outside$and$said:$$“Look&up&at&the&sky&and&count&the&stars,&if&you&can.&&Just&so&.&.&.&will&

your&descendants&be”&(Genesis$15:$5).$

And$regarding$property,$the$Lord$said$to$Abraham:$&&“Go&forth&from&your&land,&your&

relaAves,&and&from&your&father’s&house&to&a&

land&that&I&will&show&you&.&.&.&to&your&

descendants&I&will&give&this&land”&(Genesis$12:$1,$7)$.&.&.&“I&will&set&your&boundaries&from&

the&Red&Sea&to&the&sea&of&the&PhilisAnes,&and&

from&the&wilderness&to&the&

Euphrates&.&.&.”&&(Exodus$23:$31).$

Epilogue) 25)

As$we$move$from$the$primeval$chapters$of$Genesis$into$the$“historical”$sec<ons,$our$story$unfolds$like$a$triptych:$

1)  the$Abraham/Isaac$story$(12:$1$–$25:$18);$2)  the$Isaac/Jacob$story$(25:$19$–$36:$42);$and$3)  the$Jacob/Joseph$story$(37:$1$–$50:$26).$

Epilogue) 26)

It$takes$a$long$<me$for$Abraham$and$Sarah$to$have$a$child$(Abraham$was$100$and$Sarah$was$90!),$but$have$a$child$they$do:$$Isaac,$the$son$of$the$covenant.$

But$then,$when$Isaac$is$a$young$man,$we$read:$

“SomeAme&aWerward,&God&put&Abraham&to&

the&test&and&said&to&him:&&Abraham!&&‘Here&I&

am!”&he&replied.&&Then&God&said:&&Take&your&

son,&Isaac,&your&only&one,&whom&you&love,&

and&go&to&the&land&of&Moriah.&&There&offer&

him&up&as&a&burnt&offering&on&one&of&the&

heights&that&I&will&point&out&to&you.”&

$ $ $ $ $ $(22:$1Z2)$

Epilogue) 27)

Epilogue) 28)

Yikes!!!!!$

Caravaggio.$$Sacrifice&of&Isaac&(oil$on$canvas),$c.$1603.$$$Uffizi$Gallery,$Florence.$

29)Epilogue)

1.   “Scripture,&which&saw&in&advance&that&God&would&jusAfy&the&GenAles&by&faith,&foretold&the&good&news&[the&Gospel]&to&Abraham,&saying,&

‘Through&you&shall&all&the&naAons&be&blessed’”$(Gala<ans$3:$8).$

2.   “Now&I&am&reminding&you,&brothers,&of&the&gospel&.&.&.&that&Christ&died&

for&our&sins&in&accordance&with&the&scriptures;&that&he&was&buried;&

that&he&was&raised&on&the&third&day&in&accordance&with&the&

scriptures”$(1$Corinthians$15:$1Z4).$

3.   “By&faith&Abraham&when&put&to&the&test,&offered&up&Isaac,&and&he&who&

had&received&the&promises&was&ready&to&offer&his&only&son,&of&whom&

it&was&said,&‘Through&Isaac&descendants&shall&bear&you&name.’&&He&

reasoned&that&God&was&able&to&raise&even&from&the&dead,&and&he&

received&Isaac&back&as&a&symbol”$(Hebrews$11:$17Z19).$

30)Epilogue)

1. $Abraham$offers$his$“only$son”$as$a$sacrifice;$God$offers$his$“only$son”$as$a$sacrifice.$

2. $Isaac$is$to$be$sacrificed$in$the$region$of$Moriah;$Christ$is$sacrificed$in$the$region$of$Moriah$[Jerusalem]$(2$Chronicles$3:$1).$

3. $Isaac$carries$the$wood$of$the$fire$for$his$own$sacrifice;$Christ$carries$the$wood$of$the$cross$for$his$own$sacrifice.$

4. $Abraham$is$told,$“God$will$provide$the$lamb”$for$the$sacrificial$offering;$God$provides$Christ,$the$“lamb$of$God,”$for$the$sacrificial$offering.$

5. $Isaac$is$about$33$years$old$when$Abraham$offers$him$as$a$sacrifice;$Christ$is$about$33$years$old$when$God$offers$him$as$a$sacrifice.$

31)Epilogue)

Isaac$and$his$wife,$Rebekah,$become$the$father$is$Jacob$and$his$twin$brother,$Easu.$

And$Jacob$(who$is$later$named$“Israel”$by$God),$along$with$his$wives$Leah$and$Rachael—and$his$concubines$Bilhah$and$Zilpah—have$12$sons,$who$become$the$founders$of$the$12$tribes$of$Israel.$

By$the$end$of$Genesis,$Jacob$and$his$12$sons,$along$with$their$wives$and$children,$have$relocated$to$Egypt,$where$Joseph$has$become$“Prime$Minister,”$second$only$to$Pharaoh.$

Epilogue) 32)

These$are$some$of$the$best$stories,$not$only$in$Scripture,$but$in$the$en<re$canon$of$world$literature.$

Genesis$is$a$literary$gem,$a$dazzling$introduc<on$to$God’s$epic$plan$of$redemp<on$that$spans$nearly$2,000$pages,$from$the$crea<on$in$Genesis$1$&$2$through$a$“new$heaven”$and$a$“new$earth”$in$the$concluding$chapters$of$RevelaAon.$

Epilogue) 33)

When$we$leave$Genesis$and$turn$the$page$to$Exodus$400$years$flash$by,$and$Jacob’s$extended$family$of$72$have$become$a$people$of$nearly$2$million—and$they$are$slaves$in$Egypt.$

As$far$as$our$story$is$concerned,$God$seems$to$have$remained$silent$the$en<re$<me,$withdrawing$to$the$back$side$of$the$desert$in$Midian,$while$the$Israelites$labor$under$the$whip$of$the$Egyp<ans.$

Aber$400$years,$God$finally$turns$his$a\en<on$back$to$his$people,$and$he$raises$up$a$redeemer,$Moses.$

Epilogue) 34)

William$Blake.$$The&Compassion&of&Pharaoh’s&Daughter&(pen,$ink$and$watercolor$over$pencil),$1805.$$Victoria$and$Albert$Museum,$London.$$

35)Epilogue)

Raised$as$a$prince$of$Egypt$by$his$adop<ve$mother$and$trained$“in$all$the$wisdom$of$the$Egyp<ans”$(Acts$7:$22)$Moses$kills$an$Egyp<an$slaveZmaster,$causing$him$to$flee$as$far$away$from$Egypt$as$he$could$go:$$east,$to$the$land$of$Midian$(Exodus$2:$15).$

There$he$encounters$God$on$the$back$side$of$the$desert$in$a$burning$bush,$who$tells$him$to$return$to$Egypt$and$bring$God’s$people$out$(Exodus$3:$10)!$

Epilogue) 36)

Sinai$Peninsula$

Egypt$

!Mt.$Sinai$

Tradi<onally$iden<fied$as$a$land,$Midian$may$not$have$been$a$land$at$all,$but$rather$a$loose$confedera<on$of$tribal$warlords$allied$for$defensive$(or$perhaps$religious)$purposes,$much$as$the$Achaeans,$who$were$not$a$Greek$na<on,$but$a$confedera<on$of$tribal$warlords$led$by$Agamemnon,$king$of$Mycenae,$to$a\ack$and$defeat$Troy$$(c.$1194Z1184$B.C.).$

37)Epilogue)

Moses&and&the&Burning&Bush$(mosaic),$6th$cent.$St.$Catherine’s$Monastery,$Mt.$Sinai,$Egypt.$

38)Epilogue)

The$tradi<onal$“burning$bush”$at$St.$Catherine’s$Monastery,$Mt.$Sinai,$Egypt.$

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

39)Epilogue)

But$Moses$has$five&reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$

40)Epilogue)

Moses$has$five$reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$

1.   “But,&who&am&I&that&I&should&go&to&Pharaoh&and&bring&

the&Israelites&out&of&Egypt?”&(3:$11).$

41)Epilogue)

Moses$has$five$reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$

2. &“But,&if&I&go&to&the&Israelites&and&say&to&them,&‘The&God&of&your&

ancestors&has&sent&me&to&you,’&and&they&ask&me,&‘What&is&his&

name?’&what&do&I&tell&them”&(3:$13).$

42)Epilogue)

Moses$has$five$reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$3. &“But,&suppose&they&do&not&believe&me&or&listen&to&me?&&For&they&

may&say,&‘The&Lord&did&not&appear&to&you.’”&(4:$1).$

43)Epilogue)

Moses$has$five$reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$4. &“If&you&please,&my&Lord.&&I&have&never&been&eloquent,&neither&in&

the&past&nor&now&that&you&have&spoken&to&your&servant;&but&I&am&

slow&of&speech&and&tongue”&(4:&10)—literally,$“I$am$of$uncircumcised$lips.”$

44)Epilogue)

Moses$has$five$reasons$why$he$can’t$go!$5. &“If&you&please,&my&Lord,&send&someone&else!”&(4:&13).&$

45)Epilogue)

Of$course,$Moses$goes,$and$we$all$know$the$story$of$the$10$plagues,$culmina<ng$in$the$death$of$the$1st$born$that$breaks$Pharaoh’s$will,$resul<ng$in$the$Exodus,$the$crossing$of$the$Red$Sea,$and$the$Israelites’$arrival$at$Mt.$Sinai.$

Epilogue) 46)

Charles$Sprague$Pearce.$$LamentaAons&over&the&Death&of&the&FirstN

Born&of&Egypt&(oil$on$canvas),$1877.$$$Smithsonian$American$Art$Museum,$Washington,$D.C.$

47)Epilogue)

David$Roberts.$$The&Israelites&Leaving&Egypt&(oil$on$canvas),$c.$1830.$$$

Birmingham$Museum$and$Art$Gallery,$Birmingham,$England.$

48)Epilogue)

Land$of$Goshen$Rameses$"#$

Succoth$"#$

#$!$Marah$

#$!$Elim$

!$Mt.$Sinai$

#$!$Rephidim$

!$Bi\er$Lakes$

!$Via$Maris$

#!$Nuweiba$

Gulf$of$Suez$"$ !$Gulf$of$Aqaba$

49)Epilogue)

Approaching$Mt.$Sinai$from$the$southwest.$

Photography&by&Ana&Maria&Vargas&

50)Epilogue)

Not$the$highest$peak$in$the$Sinai$Peninsula,$Mt.$Sinai$rises$7,497$feet$above$sea$level$as$part$of$a$volcanic$ring$complex,$consis<ng$of$various$types$of$granite.$$Its$alternate$name$“Horeb”$derives$from$the$Hebrew$root$meaning$“dryness,”$sugges<ng$something$like$“Parched$Mountain.”$

!$Mt.$Sinai$

51)Epilogue)

There$God$reaffirms$the$covenant$with$the$en<re$Israelite$community,$and$he$gives$them$two$great$gibs:$

1)  The$Law$$ $10$principles$by$which$a$covenant$

$people$is$to$live$with$God$and$one$$another;$and$

2)  The$Tabernacle$$ $a$physical$structure$that$enables$a$

$sinful$people$to$gain$access$to$an$$infinitely$holy$God.$

Epilogue) 52)

José$de$Ribera.$$Moses&(oil$on$canvas),$1638.$$$

Museo$Nazionale$di$San$Mar<no,$Naples.$

53)Epilogue)

54)Epilogue)

Entering$Levi<cus,$the$Israelites$have$been$out$of$Egypt$for$13$months,$and$over$a$30Zday$period$God$instructs$the$Israelites$on$how$to$use$the$Tabernacle$(the$5$great$sacrifices)$and$how$to$apply$the$Law.$

Epilogue) 55)

In$numbers$we$count$up$the$figh<ng$men,$ages$20Z50$by$tribe,$clan$and$family;$organize$them;$and$get$them$on$the$move$from$Mt.$Sinai$to$the$plains$of$Moab.$

Epilogue) 56)

57)Epilogue)

Mt.$Sinai$"$MIDIAN$

EDOM$

MOAB$

KadeshZbarnea$"$

The$Wilderness$Years$(1445$–$1406$B.C.)$

.$

Hazeroth$"$

! EzionZgeber$$$$$$$$(Elath)$

!$Timna$

Punon$"$

Abronah$"$Jotbathah$"$

The$journey$takes$40$years—an$en<re$genera<on—and$all$those$who$leb$Egypt—except$Joshua$and$Caleb—die$in$the$wilderness.$$On$the$plains$of$Moab$we$count$up$the$new$genera<on:$$601,730$men,$ages$20Z50,$who$can$fight.$

From$Mt.$Sinai$to$the$plains$of$Moab$the$Israelites$camp$at$40$different$sites,$and$they$learn$tough$lessons$along$the$way.$$During$the$40$wilderness$years$God$transforms$the$Israelites$from$a$motley,$whining$group$of$undisciplined$slaves$into$a$fierce$figh<ng$force,$staging$for$war.$

Epilogue) 58)

Before$the$invasion$of$Canaan,$Moses$will$gather$the$new$genera<on$and$tell$them$their$story:$$not$a$repeat$of$Exodus$through$Numbers,$but$a$reZtelling$of$their$story$to$a$new$genera<on,$on$the$back$side$of$40$years$experience.$

That$is$the$book$of$Deuteronomy.$

We$have$moved$from$Genesis$through$Numbers$in$a$straight$linear$progression,$with$occasional$recapitula<ons,$moving$from$crea<on$to$the$year$1406$B.C.$

Like$the$Israelites,$we$too$are$poised$to$move$ahead$in$the$linear$narra<ve$of$our$great$adventure$through$Scripture,$Genesis$through$Revela<on!$

Epilogue) 59)

1.   How$is$the$canon$of$Scripture$structured?$$Why$are$the$73$books$ordered$the$way$they$are?$

2.   What$makes$the$Bible—In$its$final,$finished$form—a$unified$literary$work$?$$

3.   Genesis$through$Numbers$charts$a$straight,$linear$course,$with$occasional$recapitula<ons.$$What$are$they?$

4.   Who$are$the$major$characters$in$Scripture,$so$far?$$$

5.   If$all$good$stories$have$a$conflict,$what$is$the$major$conflict$in$Scripture?$

Epilogue) 60)

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Epilogue) 61)