BEMA Episode Link: 18: A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Episode Length: 43:36
Published Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:00:00 -0800
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set up the narrative of God’s story as a contrast between empire and shalom.

Discussion Video for BEMA 18

That the World May Know — Faith Lessons, Volumes 1–12 (Amazon)

God Heard Their Cry — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)

BEMA listeners can use code BEMA12 for 20% off of one purchase. Details.

God Heard Their Cry, Lesson 1 — YouTube

Transcript for BEMA 18

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • Review
    • Preface: Gen 1-11
      • G-d loves his creation
    • Introduction
      • Introduced to the family of G-d
      • A family full of hutzpa who insists in the truth
      • Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
    • Last week we took a break to ask some question:
      • What do we do with a god of wrath?
      • What do we do with Egypt and its narative as a metaphor? Egypt will become our first metaphor for this idea of empire.
  • Ray Vander Laan’s That the World May Know
    • Video #1
      • Ray points out that there are similarities between the Hebrew creation story and the Egyption creation story.
      • The main link between the Egyption people and their god is Pharoah.
      • The vault (or kartush) of water above and below is also an Egyption image of creation.
      • Pharoah is responsible maintaining order on behalf of the gods.
      • There are two competing naratives and Ray asks the question, “Have we bought into the wrong narative?”
        • Have we bought into the narative of fear? Have we put our trust in Pharoah? Have we put our trust into anyone other than G-d?
        • There are people that are expendable and pushed to the edges when we try to keep the vault inside the kartush. The poor, sick, alien, elderly, etc.
        • “If you see a culture where life is cheap and sacrifice of other is acceptable to sustain your obsession with pleasure and entertainment and wealth, you have the wrong story.” Ray
    • Video #2
      • Goshen, where the Israelites settled, is lush, green, and extremely fertile land.
      • Israelites we nomadic though and would move during the flood season.
      • The Israelites were actually given an incredible gift when they settled in Egypt.
      • Where would we say G-d is, in lush, green, full barley fields or in the desert? Would we choose the desert?
      • Pharoah provided the following for the Israelites
        • 10-day work weeks with a two or three day weekend
        • A generous middle class wage
        • Three room apartments
      • Israelites end up giving in to the Egyption narative
      • Egypt was the leading people group in metal work because they had state of the art furnaces and had figured out how to make the fire hotter.
        • Metal is used to make weapons and tools.
        • Israelites would have used the tools.
        • The slaves working the furnaces would have dropped like flies because of how hot the furnace was.
          • Life is expendable when you buy into the narative of Empire.
      • Eventually the people who bought into the narative of Empire end up finding themselves at the bottom of that Empire.
      • Pharaoh is typically found holding a staff over his slaves threatening him in hieroglyphics.
      • G-d ends up looking for someone to partner with even if that person isn’t ready.
      • “We need to be people who hear the cry.” Ray
      • G-d definitely hears the cry. When you’re on the crying end, that’s good news. When you’re on the opporessive end, this is not good news for you.
    • Video #3
      • Introduction to the Exodus
      • Competition between G-d and the Egyptian gods.
        • The story about the sticks that turn into snakes.
          • Then Moses’ “stick” or “staff” ate all of the other “sticks” or “staffs”
          • This is about Empire and the crooked staff versus the shepherds staff.
        • The finger of G-d: The plagues
          • G-d begins knocking out each of the Egyption gods, one by one.
      • Yeda means “to know”
        • Intimate or experiential knowing. “G-d wants to yeha your heart”
        • G-d says, I’m not made at the Egyptians or at Pharoah but that “I want the Egyptians and Pharoah to yeda that I am G-d”
        • G-d is really at war with the Egyptian gods.
        • The final Egyption god, the chief god, Amanrah was a goat, and G-d asks the Israelites to slaughter a goat and spread its blood on their door posts.
        • Many, but not all, Israelites end up choosing G-d narative.
        • Empire and Shalom are built on fundamentally different principles. You cannot have both and you cannot have a Godly empire.

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