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The Exodus Story
Do you know the story of Moses? Moses, Hebrew Moshe , (flourished 14th–13th century BCE) is considered one of the most popular important religious leaders in world history. He is claimed by the religions of Judaism (Links to an external site.), Christianity (Links to an external site.), Islam (Links to an external site.) and even Bahai as an important prophet of God. Moses is best known from the story in the biblical Book of Exodus and Quran as the lawgiver who met God face-to-face on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments after leading his people, the Hebrews, out of bondage in Egypt (Links to an external site.) and to the "promised land" of Canaan (Links to an external site.). The Exodus Story is a story of slavery, rescue and restoration. It starts a low point about the drama of slavery and suffering and end with picture of redeeming blood of God who does unthinkable, magnificent things just because He loves His people. Christianity is a monotheistic, deontological, grass-roots, Jewish sectarian movement that focuses upon the life, teachings, and mission of Jesus of Nazareth (also known as Jesus the Christ). It began in Jerusalem in Judea in the 1st century CE, and moved northward and westward in the Mediterranean region through the efforts and activities of Jesus’ personally chosen disciples & apostles - Peter, Paul , James, and John (among others). Once a small, Messianic Jewish sect, by the 4th century CE, Christianity dominated all other religions in Greco- Roman society and spread throughout the Roman Empire even as far north as ancient Britain and possibly as far east as India. Unlike other Gnostic movements of the era, the Christian message was meant to be openly and honestly shared to anyone who would hear it - regardless of race, gender, economic, or social status. The narrative of Christianity is complex as are the early Christian doctrines, which are best understood in the cultural and historical contexts of the Christian movement and through the pivotal decisions and actions of its adherents.
The Traditional Jesus Story
Based upon traditional Christian Scripture, community creedal statements, and non-canonized historical writings of the Christian Church Fathers, primitive Christianity taught that Jesus of Nazareth (also known as Jesus Christ ) was/is the Son of God who, fulfilling centuries-old Jewish prophecies of a coming Messiah to set God’s people free from bondage, was paradoxically incarnated as a fully-human being, living a sinless life in order to become the perfect sacrifice to reconcile all humanity to Yahweh , the Jewish creator God. In Jesus’ earthly mission, he ministered to the spiritually and physically hurting people of Israel (and nearby regions), he promoted a purist, personal faith based upon absolute love of God
and neighbor, and he challenged the corruption/oppression of the political and religious elite. Socially, this led to controversy and conflict with the ruling powers in Jerusalem, Judea, and Roman demesnes. Eventually, Jesus was arrested, tried, and convicted by the Sanhedrin under Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest, and for treason in the Roman courts under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea (although Jesus’ Jewish enemies wanted him convicted of blasphemy). Ironically, in both instances, the trial of Jesus violated traditional, official Jewish and Roman jurisprudence for capital crimes, procedures, and protocol, ending with an unlawful sentence and subsequent execution by crucifixion, which was carried out by Roman soldiers on what later came to be called, “Good Friday.”
THE TRIAL OF JESUS VIOLATED TRADITIONAL,
OFFICIAL JEWISH & ROMAN JURISPRUDENCE
FOR CAPITAL CRIMES, PROCEDURES, &
PROTOCOL, ENDING WITH AN UNLAWFUL
SENTENCE & SUBSEQUENT EXECUTION BY
CRUCIFIXION.
According to multiple eyewitness testimonies in the region (as detailed in the Gospels and the Epistles), through a supernatural resurrection by God, Jesus -miraculously alive and well - appeared to a variety of people, having perfectly performed his father’s mission on earth. Somewhat ironic considering the Patriarchy of the era, Jesus’ first appearance was to a woman - Mary Magdalene - who immediately ran and told the other Disciples about what she had seen and heard. Later encounters of Jesus included Mary, the mother of James; Salome; Joanna; James, the half- brother of Jesus; the lead Disciple Peter and eventually all of the remaining eleven Disciples (except for Judas who had committed suicide, earlier); and the Apostle Paul (formerly known as Saul of Tarsus ) who would be later so instrumental in establishing Christianity in Europe. In fact, in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, he records that over 500 people saw Jesus, the risen Christ, all at the same time, although some of them had already died by the time he wrote his second letter to Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:6, NASB). After a 40-day period of visitation and confirmation that he had indeed risen from the dead as he said he would, Jesus left the earthly realm and ascended into Heaven, sending the Holy Spirit to guide and empower them,
... and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them... And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ (Acts 5: 40, 42, NASB).
Christian Persecution
This Christian zeal energized many to follow; however, it energized many on the other side of the argument to more serious efforts. Thus, the Apostle Stephen is the first recorded martyr of the Christian movement (Acts 7, NASB), and based upon extra-biblical accounts of the time, others soon thereafter followed Stephen’s demise. The Disciple Andrew was crucified on an ‘X’ in Greece ; the Disciple Matthew was killed by the sword in Ethiopia; the Disciple Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael) was whipped to death in Armenia ; the Disciple James Zebedee was beheaded in Jerusalem; the Disciple Thomas was stabbed by a spear in India; the Disciple Jude was killed by arrows during his missionary work; the replacement Disciple, Matthias was stoned and beheaded for his faith; the Apostle John (and Gospel writer) was boiled in oil but somehow survived; the Apostle Barnabas was stoned to death in Salonica; the Gospel writer, John Mark , was dragged to death by horses through the streets of an unnamed Egyptian city ; James the Just was thrown over a cliff, somehow survived, but then was immediately clubbed to death; the leader of the Disciples, Peter, was crucified upside down in Rome under the Emperor Nero ; and the Apostle Paul was beheaded under the persecutions of Nero. As the early Christian movement spread, the early Jesus followers passed on their understanding of the new covenant between God and humanity with the Greco-Roman sub-cultures that they encountered. Even more so, they shared a new and affirming religious philosophy that ran counter-cultural to the superstitious, hedonistic, relativistic mores of the day. They spoke of the reality of the one, real God to polytheistic communities that had never known life without an ever–increasing (and very often unknowable) pantheon of gods. They encouraged people to live by the spirit and not the flesh, embracing chaste lifestyles that honored other people’s bodies (and their own) instead of exploiting and abusing sexuality for momentary pleasure. They exhorted people to take care of the weakest and neediest in society - the orphans, the widows, the poor - and to avoid activities like divorcing and suing that poisoned their relationships with each other. In the Greco–Roman world, ideas like these were radical, refreshing, but were sometimes considered quite subversive, if not perverse.
Such Christian activism did not go unnoticed, especially by the provincial leaders who disliked any civil unrest that interfered with the Pax Romana and monetary gain. With the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE and Diaspora (the forced dispersion of the Jews from Israel) that followed, after the 1st century CE, Christian castigation mostly came from Roman leadership who feared little, if any, reprisal or revenge from the Christians who were known for their passivity and peacefulness (and who had few political friends in the Senate). Thus, members of the Early Christian movement often became political targets and scapegoats for the social ills and political tensions of specific rulers and turbulent periods during the first three centuries CE; however, this persecution was sporadic and rarely empire -wide, but it was devastating, nonetheless. The persecution of the Christians did not end with the deaths of the Disciples and the Apostles; their pupils and successors, the Church Fathers (ancient theologians, church leaders, and defenders of orthodox Christianity) also endured Roman hostility and maltreatment for their beliefs, as did other peripheral Christian men, women , and children (of all ages) who called themselves, “Christian.” The three main periods of persecution occurred from 64-95 CE (Emperor Nero to Emperor Domitian ), 112-250 CE (Emperor Trajan to Emperor Decius ), and 250-311 CE (Emperor Valerian to Diocletian ). Generally, people of all religious persuasions were tolerated within the Roman Empire; after all, polytheism was the norm for most Mediterranean societies at that time. Yet, for the Empire to operate, efficiently and profitably, social order had to be maintained at all costs. Submission to the Emperor was not an option, but Christians could not and would not say, “Lord, Lord,” to the enthroned emperor or make a divine offering in their deified honor. This caused frequent friction with Roman authorities, and who started a conflict was less important to the Roman governors than maintaining peace and acquiescence; therefore, the troublesome elements were eliminated as a warning to others about challenging the absolute rule of Rome. Senator and Roman historian Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (56-120 CE) recounts, Nero set up as culprits and punished with the utmost refinement of cruelty a class hated for their abominations, who are commonly called Christians. Nero’s scapegoats (the Christians) were the perfect choice because it temporarily relieved pressure of the various rumors going around Rome. Christus, from whom their name is derived, was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius. Checked for a moment, this pernicious superstition again broke out, not only in Judea, the source of the evil, but even in Rome...
than bad governorship. Thus, he issued the strongest anti-Christian edicts of all the emperors, commanding that all Christian churches were to be burned, all Christians were to be deprived of political office, all Christian scriptures and bibles were to be burned, and all private and public worship of Jesus was to cease. Despite his austere measures, though, the Christian movement grew stronger. One of the most famous Christian martyrs was Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna ( Turkey ), who was executed during or around the reign of Marcus Auerlius (r. 161-180 CE). One of the Apostle John’s disciples - the others being Papias of Hierapolis (c. 70-163 CE), Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 35 CE – 108 CE), and Irenaeus of Lyons (early 2nd century – 202 CE) - Polycarp was a guardian of the faith and unyielding to the end of his days. In the Martyrdom of Polycarp , the (unknown) author writes, Eighty and six years have I served Christ, nor has He ever done me any harm. How, then, could I blaspheme my King who saved me? You threaten the fire that burns for an hour and then is quenched; but you know not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment. Bring what you will. Martyrdom was not limited to officials in the Christian movement or believers only from the male gender, either. In 203 CE, five Carthaginians defied the Imperial orders of Septimus Severus (145 - CE) prohibiting conversion to Christianity and were subsequently arrested, including Vibia Perpetua, a twenty-two-year-old Roman noblewoman and her servant/handmaiden, Felicitas. A young mother, Perpetua was allowed to breastfeed her young child in prison, and Felicitas was eight months pregnant, but both women still refused to recant their faith (despite the objections and pleading of Perpetua’s father). During their execution, they were first mauled by a mad cow, finally being dispatched by sword in the arena. The three other male slaves - Revocatus, Saturnius, and Secundulus - were whipped and then thrown into the arena to defend themselves against a wild boar, a bear, and a leopard.
The Canon of Scripture & Orthodoxy
Even with the aforementioned challenges to the Christian movement, from its earliest days through the centuries of development, Christianity’s focus stayed on its founder - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Apostolic and Church Fathers labored to preserve the authentic message of Jesus and his Disciples, rejecting works and ideas that were more than just unsubstantiated myth, personal biases, or incongruent teachings concerning theology on God and Jesus. Moreover, a majority rule or belief had to be accepted by the ecumenical councils from all areas of the Roman
Empire - Antioch, Rome, Alexandria , Carthage , etc.; before there was commitment, there had to be careful Christian consensus. In determining the standard or canon for Christian scripture, the early Christian leaders used a four-part “rubric” and international community affirmation to approve or reject books and letters for biblical inclusion. First, the writings had to be Catholic, used universally all over the Mediterranean religion ; second, the writings had to be Orthodox, or included correct truths of Jesus and his message; third, the writings had to be Apostolic, or written in the time of Jesus by his Disciples/Apostles; finally, the writings had to be Traditional, or used often and regularly by Christian churches. If a book or letter could place this “COAT” upon its back, it was worthy of inclusion in the biblical canon. Moreover, because of their historical closeness to Jesus and his direct training of their authors, the Gospel accounts and letters (the Epistles) of the Disciples/Apostles were considered to be superior, authoritative sources in discerning authentic Christian doctrine. Contrary to some who claim these early Christian church fathers made their choices out of personal benefit, it is interesting to note that none of the Apostolic Fathers’ own writings (The Didache , 1 & 2 Clement, the Epistles of Ignatius, the Epistle of Polycarp, the Epistle of Barnabas, the Shepherd of Hermas, etc.) made it into the biblical canon despite having great cultural value and influence. Thus, despite regional differences and emphases, despite strong personalities and community dominance, the major tenets of Christianity were established for the church, using Scripture as the main guide, and only confirmed through ecumenical councils from all over the Mediterranean region. This was done both for unity within the Christian body, but also to protect against heretical ideas seeping into Christianity from various false teachers and movements (many of which are still held today by some people). For instance, the Gnostics promoted a secret way to the divine that vilified the flesh and contradicted the theology of the Hebrew scriptures with its own pantheon of deities, demons, and spiritual beings. Docetism promoted the idea that Jesus only appeared to die on the Cross, as he was only spirit and never truly incarnated. Arianism contended that Jesus was a created being, not equal with God the Father. Nestorianism held that Jesus existed as two separate people, and that only the human Jesus suffered and died on the Cross. Pelagianism suggested the idea that Adam’s original sin did not carry on through him to all humanity, and that all human beings can effect their own salvation through the will and wise choices. All of these movements contradicted, in some way, scriptural evidence in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
day: Arianism, Docetism, Modalism, and Monophytism. It expands upon the Nicene Creed and promotes a more exclusive understanding of salvation and eternal rejection for non-believers. Islam is an Abrahamic-monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (l. 570-632 CE, after whose name Muslims traditionally add “peace be upon him” or, in writing , PBUH). Alongside Christianity and Judaism , it is a continuation of the teachings of Abraham (featured in both Jewish and Christian scriptures, considered a prophet in Islam, after whose name Muslims say, “peace be upon him” as well), although it does differ in some respects from both of these. The adherents of Islam are referred to as Muslims, of which there are around two billion in the world today, second only to Christians in number. Taking roots from humble beginnings in the Arabian Peninsula, the followers of Muhammad managed to conquer the superpowers of the time: the Sassanian Empire and the Byzantine Empire. At its peak ( CE), the Islamic Empire stretched all the way between parts of modern-day Pakistan in the east and to Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula in the west. Although initially spread by conquest , Islam would later flourish through trade to expand beyond its initial borders and around the world. In the present day, it is the world’s fastest-growing religion.
The Prophet’s Mission
The Prophet – Muhammad ibn Abdullah – was born in 570 CE. He was a member of the Qurayshite clan of Banu Hashim, a highly respected faction despite their declining wealth. Orphaned at an early age, he was raised by his uncle Abu Talib, who is said to have loved him even more than his own sons. Muhammad became a trader and was renowned for his honesty (as it was a rare trait in Arabia in those days), and this honesty attracted the attention of a wealthy widow named Khadija who sent a marriage proposal, which he accepted, although she was 15 years older than him (he was 25 years of age at the time). Khadija’s support for Muhammad was instrumental in the Prophet pursuing his mission.
MUHAMMAD BEGAN PREACHING THE ONENESS
OF GOD TO HIS FAMILY &CLOSE FRIENDS,
&AFTERWARDS, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
As he reached his late thirties, he began worshipping in seclusion, in a cave called Hira, in the mountain Jabal al-Nour (“Mountain of Light”), near Mecca. One day in 610 CE, the Angel Gabriel is said to have approached
him with the first revelation from God – Allah (meaning “the God”). Muhammad is said to have initially reacted negatively to the revelation – he was perplexed and scared, he ran back home, shivering with fear – but later on he realized that he was a prophet of God. Muhammad began preaching the oneness of God to his family and close friends, and afterwards, to the general public. Arabia was polytheistic at the time and so Muhammad’s preaching of a single god brought him into conflict with the Meccans whose economy relied on polytheism (merchants sold statues, figurines, and charms of the various gods) and the social stratification it supported. The Meccans took serious measures to stop him but he continued to preach this new faith as he felt he owed it to God to do so. In the year 619 CE, he lost both his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadija (a date known to Muslims as The Year of Sorrow) and now he felt alone in the world and sorely grieved, a situation worsened by the persecution he experienced in Mecca. Help came in 621 CE, however, when some citizens of Yathrib (later known as Medina), who had accepted Islam, invited the Prophet and his companions to come to their city. In 622 CE, Muhammad fled Mecca to escape plots on his life (a flight known as the hegira , which marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar) and went to Yathrib. The city admired his teachings and wanted the Prophet to act as the ruler of the city and to manage its affairs. Muhammad encouraged his followers in Mecca to migrate to Yathrib, and they did so in batches. After most of his companions had left, he migrated with a trusted friend of his (and future father-in- law ) named Abu Bakr (l. 573-634 CE). With their newfound base, the Muslims now wanted to strike back against those who had persecuted them. The Muslims started conducting regular raids or “Razzias” on Meccan trade caravans. These raids were technically an act of war ; the Meccan economy suffered and now they were angered and decided to end the Muslims once and for all. The Muslims faced an attack from the Meccans at the Battle of Badr (624 CE) where 313 Muslim troops routed an army of around 1,000 Meccans; some credit this victory to divine intervention while others to Muhammad’s military genius. After the victory at Badr, the Muslims became more than just a group of followers of a new religion, they became a military force to be reckoned with. Multiple engagements followed between the Muslims and other Arabian tribes, with a great deal of success for the Muslims. In the year 630 CE the doors of Mecca, the city from which they had fled in panic a decade earlier, were opened to the Muslim army. Mecca was now in Muslim hands and, against all expectations, Muhammad offered amnesty to all those who surrendered and accepted his faith.
capable of achieving. Although ancient Egypt in popular culture is often associated with death and mortuary rites, something even in these speaks to people across the ages of what it means to be a human being and the power and purpose of remembrance.
THE WRITTEN HISTORY OF EGYPT BEGINS
BETWEEN 3400 AND 3200 BCE WHEN
HIEROGLYPHICSCRIPTIS DEVELOPED BY THE
NAQADA CULTURE III.
To the Egyptians, life on earth was only one aspect of an eternal journey. The soul was immortal and was only inhabiting a body on this physical plane for a short time. At death, one would meet with judgment in the Hall of Truth and, if justified, would move on to an eternal paradise known as The Field of Reeds which was a mirror image of one's life on earth. Once one had reached paradise one could live peacefully in the company of those one had loved while on earth, including one's pets, in the same neighborhood by the same stream, beneath the very same trees one thought had been lost at death. This eternal life, however, was only available to those who had lived well and in accordance with the will of the gods in the most perfect place conducive to such a goal: the land of Egypt. Egypt has a long history which goes back far beyond the written word, the stories of the gods, or the monuments which have made the culture famous. Evidence of overgrazing of cattle, on the land which is now the Sahara Desert, has been dated to about 8000 BCE. This evidence, along with artifacts discovered, points to a thriving agricultural civilization in the region at that time. As the land was mostly arid even then, hunter-gatherer nomads sought the cool of the water source of the Nile River Valley and began to settle there sometime prior to 6000 BCE. Organized farming began in the region c. 6000 BCE and communities known as the Badarian Culture began to flourish alongside the river. Industry developed at about this same time as evidenced by faience workshops discovered at Abydos dating to c. 5500 BCE. The Badarian were followed by the Amratian, the Gerzean, and the Naqada cultures (also known as Naqada I, Naqada II, and Naqada III), all of which contributed significantly to the development of what became Egyptian civilization. The written history of the land begins at some point between 3400 and 3200 BCE when hieroglyphic script is developed by the Naqada Culture III. By 3500 BCE mummification of the dead was in practice at the city of Hierakonpolis and large stone tombs built at Abydos. The city of Xois is recorded as being already ancient by 3100-2181 BCE as inscribed
on the famous Palermo Stone. As in other cultures worldwide, the small agrarian communities became centralized and grew into larger urban centers. Canaan was the name of a large and prosperous ancient country (at times independent, at others a tributary to Egypt ) located in the Levant region of present-day Lebanon, Syria , Jordan , and Israel. It was also known as Phoenicia. The origin of the name 'Canaan' for the land comes from various ancient texts (among them the Bible ) and there is no scholarly consensus on precisely where the name originated nor what it meant. According to the Bible, the land was named after a man called Canaan, the grandson of Noah (Genesis 10). Other theories cite 'Canaan' as derived from the Hurrian language for 'purple' and, as the Greeks knew the Canaanites as ' Phoenicians ’ ( Greek for purple’) and as the Phoenicians worked in purple dye and so were called by the Greeks 'purple people', this explanation is the most probable. The theory has also been advanced that the name comes from the Hebrew root-verb _kana_ which denotes order from chaos, a blending, or synchronous existence. Scholars J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes claim no definitive meaning for the name citing ancient sources which used it simply as a place name: The name 'Canaan' appears in various ancient texts from Egypt to **Mesopotamia**. In the **Egyptian** texts, Canaan seems to have been used as a designation for Egypt’s Asiatic province. In the Bible, Canaan could refer to the whole of **Palestine** west of Jordan, the ideal inheritance of the Hebrews; but it could also refer to more restricted areas, especially the coastland of Palestine. Correspondingly, the biblical writers occasionally refer to the whole indigenous population of Palestine asCanaanites’ (thus interchangeably with 'Amorites'). On other occasions, they seem to distinguish the Canaanites and Amorites from other groups among the occupants of Palestine. (38) The earliest habitation in the region was around the city of Jericho in the Paleolithic Age and this early rural community would then develop into the city which is the oldest urban center in the region (and, arguably, the world). Other cities developed during the Early Bronze Age but were abandoned, probably because of overpopulation, and the people returned to an agrarian lifestyle for a number of years. Cities again grew up during the Middle Bronze Age which saw the development of trade with other civilizations and, most notably, Egypt. Canaan (also referred to as Phoenicia at this time) continued to prosper until c. 1250 - c. 1150 BCE during the so- called Bronze Age Collapse. The biblical books of Joshua and Numbers attribute the destruction of Canaan to the Hebrew general Joshua and his conquest but this claim has been challenged by modern-day scholars.
There is no record of any king ruling a unified nation but only of men governing their own city-state and however much land around it they could hold. Depending on the strength of a city’s ruler, and that city’s resources, a community would prosper or fail. By the 2nd millennium BCE, for example, Byblos was the great exporter of cedar from Mount Lebanon and of papyrus to Egypt and other nations and was able to thrive because of an efficient government administration and ample resources. Byblos, in fact, is probably the most famous of the Canaanite cities even if one has never heard of it. The name of the Bible comes from the Greek word byblos for 'Book', a reference to the city which supplied the surrounding nations with papyrus. Tyre was another great industrial center producing highly sought-after garments colored by the purple dye of Murex shells and the city of Sidon , also engaged in similar trade, was a great center of learning. The rivalry between Tyre and Sidon ensured high- quality products from both until Tyre eventually monopolized the textile business. The region prospered through trade because of its location. It was the terminus, at Gaza, for the Incense Routes which wound up from the Kingdom of Saba in Arabia to then divide into diverse courses upwards throughout Mesopotamia and down through Egypt. It was also a nexus of trade between Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Libya. The Canaanite- Phoenicians were expert shipwrights and seamen and participated in trade directly, sharing their cultural values with other nationalities and importing other’s values back to their own land. The Canaanite-Phoenicians developed the first alphabetic writing system, further developed mathematical principles from Mesopotamia, were renowned in the ancient world for their skill in shipbuilding and navigating the seas, and have also been cited as the early source or inspiration for the mythology of the Greek gods. The alphabet , however, is considered their greatest achievement, as noted by scholar Marc van de Mieroop: The role of the Phoenicians in the spread of the alphabet is their most renowned accomplishment. Having preserved the use of the script in the Dark Age after 1200, the Phoenicians inspired all the alphabetic writing systems of their neighbors. In the Near East , the Hebrew and Aramaic scripts derived from the Phoenician. Of major importance to Europe was the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet by the Greeks, either directly from Phoenicians or through intermediaries in Syria or Anatolia. The classical sources were clear about this debt: the Greeks called their letters Phoenician. (222) The Canaanite-Phoenicians sailed across the sea as far away as Spain and as far north as modern-day Cornwall, England, and their cities grew, owing
to their prosperous trade, into places of splendor and wealth. All of this came later, however, following their involvement in trade with other nations. In the beginning, the people of the land were nomads who most likely migrated to the region from Mesopotamia.
The Plagues of Egypt
Plague is defined as widespread affliction, calamity or destructive invasion seen as divine punishment. In the eyes of the Israelites, the occurrence of the Ten Plagues is a strong demonstration of God’s power and designed to persuade Pharaoh to let God’s people go. The Ten Plagues are: 1 st: water to blood 6 th: boils 2 nd: frogs 7 th: hail 3 rd: gnats/lice 8 th: locusts 4 th: flies 9 th: darkness 5 th: pestilence on livestock 10 th: death of the first-born The first nine plagues occurred in nature. What does this mean? I f God can cause things to happen in nature, then He has control of them. And having control over nature means God has power over them. The tenth plague shows God has power even over life , therefore, is indeed their creator. It shows that God is Almighty , the one who has power over all things. The Exodus event, particularly Israel’s freedom from bondage and departure from Egypt is the first & most significant mighty act of God for His chosen people. And because of this, Israel felt God’s presence working in their lives. They started seeing everything with the eyes of faith. This story, the story of God’s mighty acts were told & retold from one generation to the next through oral tradition until someone was inspired to write them down so our generation may see this wondrous work of God. Today, the Ten Plagues take a different meaning to us. As it continues to reveal God’s mighty power over nature and life, it also reflects God’s loving mercy as we are asked to turn our hearts toward the millions of people around the world suffering today’s plagues of hatred, prejudice, baseless violence, sickness and war. We are asked to do something small and personal. BLOOD We comfort and mourn those whose blood has been spilled. FROGS We protest the proliferation of violence.
God’s providence was striking because soon men of better quality took their places and became successful under John’s training.
- Restlessness of his teachers and worrying about the future Since they had embraced a lowly profession, they worried occasionally about their prospects. They thought of what their situation would be should de la Salle ever fail them. They were unhappy at the prospect of devoting the days of their youth and strength in the service of others without any assurance that when age or sickness made it impossible to carry on, there would be anyone to take care of them .” De la Salle’s Response: Men of little faith,” Do you insist on putting limits to the Providence of God? Do you not know that there are no limits to his goodness?” If He has care of the grass of the field, as He Himself says, and takes care of the birds and other animals so that they need neither nor barns nor houses, how much more will He take care of you who are devoted entirely to His service Therefore, do not be troubled about the future, for God knows your needs and will not fail you, only provided you remain faithful in your service to him’. But his teachers replied, “It is easy for you to speak to us,” You have everything; you have money, you still have your canonry, all these things will save you if the schools should fail.” What did De la Salle do? John began to see that he must identify with his teachers , so in the y ear 1684, John Baptist gave all his money to the poor that he might be poor in spirit like his followers. He gave up his fortune and dedicated himself to education. But God continuous to guide them because two years of famine had gone by and while a number of other people suffered the lack the necessities of life, his community, though without income nor money, had always been provided for by the hand of their heavenly Father.
- Heroic Vow (Nov 21, 1691 –Vaugirard) As we have discussed in Module 1, the Heroic Vow was a promise to maintain the existence of the Society of the Christian Schools “even if there remained only 3 of us in the said society, and we were obliged to beg and live on bread and water alone”. And this was entered into by John Baptist de la Salle, Gabriel Drolin and Nicolas Vuyart. As the other later on vanished and betrayed the vow, God has continued to direct association into what it is right now. Dimensions of Faith Webster’s New World dictionary uses words such as: “confidence, belief, to be convinced of, reliance or complete trust. The Greek word often used in the New
Testament is pistis , which Strong’s Biblical Dictionary defines as: “persuasion, giving credence to someone, moral conviction of religious truth.” FAITH means- belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction, faithfulness. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance that God is working, even though we cannot see it. Faith knows that no matter what the situation, in our lives or someone else's that the lord is working in it. In one of his morning masses, Pope Francis said “No one deserves faith and no one can buy it; faith is a gift that changes one's life and allows people to recognize Jesus as the son of God with the power to forgive sins. Faith touches every part of our being. It touches our mind, our heart and out body. These are the Three Dimensions of Faith.
