Bible Difficulties Exodus

IT SEEMS THAT the charge that the Bible contradicts itself has been made more and more in the last 20 years. Generally, those making such claims are merely repeating what they have heard, because most have not even read the Bible, let alone done an in-depth study of it. I do not wish, however, to set aside all concerns as though they have no merit. There are many who raise legitimate questions that seem, on the surface anyway, to be about well-founded contradiction. Sadly, these issues have caused many to lose their faith in God's Word, the Bible. The purpose of this series of books is, to help its readers to be able to defend the Bible against Bible critics (1 Pet 3:15), to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3), and help those, who have begun to doubt. Jude 1:22-23

Building on his first book, Revelation of the Bible: The Book of Genesis, this volume examines the book of Exodus in detail. Moshe Mazin highlights how God made contact with the Hebrew people on Mount Sinai, recapping important themes from the first book so anyone can understand the events of Exodus. Examining the Bible from multiple perspectives, the author focuses on themes such as: • advancements in technology and the growth of collective knowledge; • knowledge and information—and how we can use it to explain biblical events; • extra-terrestrials and their possible role interacting with humans. The author explains Pharaoh’s plans for restricting and eliminating the Hebrew people, Moses’s encounter at the burning bush, what happened during the ten plagues on Egypt, the exact location of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, the deliverance of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, the roles of the Ark of the Covenant that God asked Moses to build, and other critical events. Find out how miracles from long ago can be explained by advance technology with the surprising conclusions and insights in Revelation of the Bible.

IT SEEMS THAT the charge that the Bible contradicts itself has been made more and more in the last 20 years. Generally, those making such claims are merely repeating what they have heard, because most have not even read the Bible, let alone done an in-depth study of it. I do not wish, however, to set aside all concerns as though they have no merit. There are many who raise legitimate questions that seem, on the surface anyway, to be about well-founded contradiction. Sadly, these issues have caused many to lose their faith in God's Word, the Bible. The purpose of this series of books is, to help its readers to be able to defend the Bible against Bible critics (1 Pet 3:15), to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3), and help those, who have begun to doubt. Jude 1:22-23

The obvious riddles and difficulties in Exod 3:13–15 and Exod 6:2–8 have attracted an overwhelming amount of attention and comment. These texts make important theological statements about the divine name YHWH and the contours of the divine character. From the enigmatic statements in Exod 3:13–15, most scholars reconstruct the original form of the name as “Yahweh,” which is thought to describe YHWH’s creative power or self-existence. Similarly, Exod 6:3 has become a classic proof-text for the Documentary Hypothesis and an indication of different aspects of God’s character as shown in history. Despite their seeming importance for “defining” the divine name, these texts are ancillary to and preparatory for the true revelation of the divine name in the book of Exodus. This book attempts to move beyond atomistic readings of individual texts and etymological studies of the divine name toward a holistic reading of the book of Exodus. Surls centers his argument around in-depth analyses of Exod 3:13–15, 6:2–8 and Exod 33:12–23 and 34:5–8. Consequently, the definitive proclamation of YHWH’s character is not given at the burning bush but in response to Moses’ later intercession (Exod 33:12–23). YHWH proclaimed his name in a formulaic manner that Israel could appropriate (Exod 34:6–7), and the Hebrew Bible quotes or alludes to this text in many genres. This demonstrates the centrality of Exod 34:6–7 to Old Testament Theology. The character of God cannot be discerned from an etymological analysis of the word yhwh but from a close study of YHWH’s deliberate ascriptions made progressively in the book of Exodus.

The Lord's commitment to make himself known throughout the nations is the overarching missionary theme of the Bible and the central theological concern of Exodus. Countering scholarly tendencies to fragment the text over theological difficulties, Ross Blackburn contends that Exodus should be read as a unified whole, and that an appreciation of its missionary theme in its canonical context is of great help in dealing with the difficulties that the book poses. For example, how is Exodus 6:3 best understood? Is there a tension between law and gospel, or mercy and judgment? How should we understand the painstaking detail of the tabernacle chapters? From a careful examination of Exodus, this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume demonstrates that the Lord humbled Pharaoh so the world would know that only God can save the Lord gave Israel the law so that its people might display his goodness to the nations, living in a state of order and blessing the Lord dealt with Israel's idolatry severely, yet mercifully, for his goodness cannot be known if his glory is compromised In the end, Exodus not only sheds important light on the church's mission, but also reveals what kind of God the Lord is, one who pursues his glory and our good, ultimately realizing both as he makes himself known in Christ Jesus. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

The book of Exodus contains the stories that have entertained people for many decades at the movies and on television, yet few people realize that the central event of the entire Old Testament is found in the book of Exodus: God's revelation as savior of his people. Exodus: God to the Rescue is an excellent Bible study for groups who want to take a closer look at this primary theme that eventually reaches its fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth. A Guided Discovery of the Bible The Bible invites us to explore God s word and reflect on how we might respond to it. To do this, we need guidance and the right tools for discovery. The Six Weeks with the Bible series of Bible discussion guides offers both in a concise six-week format. Whether focusing on a specific biblical book or exploring a theme that runs throughout the Bible, these practical guides in this series provide meaningful insights that explain Scripture while helping readers make connections to their own lives. Each guide is faithful to Church teaching and is guided by sound biblical scholarship presents the insights of Church fathers and saints includes questions for discussion and reflection delivers information in a reader-friendly format gives suggestions for prayer that help readers respond to God s word appeals to beginners as well as to advanced students of the Bible By reading Scripture, reflecting on its deeper meanings, and incorporating it into our daily life, we can grow not only in our understanding of God s word, but also in our relationship with God."