BEMA Episode Link: 18: A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Episode Length: 45:14
Published Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:00:00 -0800
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé set up the narrative of God’s story as a contrast between Empire and Shalom.

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)

Study Tools

Legacy Episode Content

Notes

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

BEMA Episode 18: A Tale of Two Kingdoms - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode Title: A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Episode Code: E18v24
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings
Guest: Josh Bossé

This foundational episode explores the contrast between empire and shalom as competing narratives throughout biblical history, using Egypt as both historical reality and metaphor for imperial systems that oppose God’s kingdom.

Key Takeaways

  • There are always two competing narratives in the world: empire (based on fear and self-preservation) versus shalom (based on trust and service to others)
  • Egypt serves as both historical context and a powerful metaphor for imperial systems throughout biblical narrative
  • The Egyptian creation story parallels but fundamentally opposes the Genesis creation account
  • God’s deliverance from Egypt is not just about physical liberation but about extracting imperial mindset from His people’s hearts
  • The ten plagues represent a systematic dismantling of Egyptian gods and the imperial narrative they represent
  • Moses embodies God’s heart for the oppressed and serves as God’s representative against Pharaoh’s imperial power
  • The choice between kingdoms requires active faith and cannot be passive - we cannot serve both narratives

Main Concepts & Theories

Two Creation Narratives

The Genesis creation account stands in direct contrast to Egyptian creation mythology:

Biblical Narrative:

  • God speaks order out of chaos for the benefit of creation
  • Humans are made in God’s image with inherent dignity
  • Creation is declared “tov” (good) and “tov meod” (very good)
  • Order serves to bless and sustain all creation

Egyptian Narrative:

  • Ra (sun god) emerges from chaotic waters, often depicted on a pyramid
  • Humanity is an afterthought, created from tears of joy as Ra sees his divine children
  • Humans exist to serve and uphold the gods, not for their own flourishing
  • The cartouche (rectangular vault) represents the world, held open by Pharaoh to prevent cosmic collapse
The Cartouche and Pharaoh’s Role

In Egyptian hieroglyphics, Pharaoh’s name appears within a cartouche, symbolizing that:

  • Pharaoh holds the world together through his divine authority
  • Without Pharaoh maintaining order, chaos (waters above and below) would flood the earth
  • Citizens must support Pharaoh to maintain cosmic stability
  • Only Pharaoh bears divine image - common people are expendable
Empire vs. Shalom Framework

Empire Characteristics:

  • Built on fear and self-preservation
  • “Life is cheap and sacrifice of others is acceptable to sustain your own obsession with pleasure and entertainment and wealth”
  • Power maintained through coercion (symbolized by Pharaoh’s stick/staff)
  • Hierarchical structure with divine authority concentrated at the top
  • Progress justified at the expense of human cost

Shalom Characteristics:

  • Built on trust and service to others
  • Invites partnership with God in caring for creation
  • Power shared and used to lift up the oppressed
  • Recognizes inherent dignity of all people made in God’s image
  • Progress measured by flourishing of the vulnerable
The Goshen Paradox

Goshen represents the seductive nature of empire:

  • The richest farmland on earth (100 feet of topsoil in Nile delta)
  • Provided abundance and security for Joseph’s family
  • Eventually became a trap as generations bought into Egyptian narrative
  • Illustrates how empire can provide material comfort while enslaving the soul
The Metal Technology and Imperial Power

Egypt’s dominance came through superior metallurgy:

  • Controlled world through advanced tools and weapons
  • Used slave labor (jumping on bellows) to create oxygen-enriched smelting
  • Life expectancy for smelting slaves was extremely short
  • Israelites benefited from these tools while slaves died making them
  • Demonstrates how empire creates complicity even among the oppressed

Examples & Applications

Modern Imperial Narratives
  • Political systems built on fear of “the other” rather than trust in God’s provision
  • Economic systems that prioritize efficiency and profit over human dignity
  • Cultural narratives that justify sacrifice of vulnerable populations for “greater good”
  • Individual lifestyle choices that depend on exploitation of others
The Challenge of Extraction

The question shifts from “How does God get His people out of Egypt?” to “How does God get Egypt out of His people?” This reflects:

  • How deeply imperial mindsets embed in our thinking
  • Why dramatic intervention is sometimes necessary to break free from comfortable oppression
  • The ongoing struggle to choose trust over fear in daily decisions
Moses as God’s Representative

Moses embodies both God’s heart and methods:

  • Sees oppression and acts (like God hearing the cry of the oppressed)
  • Initially uses violence but learns God’s methods in the desert
  • Becomes “like God to Pharaoh” - representing divine authority
  • Carries staff representing God’s power rather than imperial coercion
The Plague Narrative as Systematic Deconstruction

The ten plagues systematically dismantle Egyptian gods:

  • Each plague targets specific Egyptian deities
  • Demonstrates YHWH’s superiority over imperial religious system
  • Creates experiential knowledge (yada) for Hebrews, Egyptians, and Pharaoh
  • Culminates in Passover - requiring active choice to reject Egyptian narrative

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  • Comparative study of other ancient Near Eastern creation myths and their political implications
  • Analysis of how imperial narratives manifest in contemporary religious and political contexts
  • Investigation of biblical passages that reference “gods of Egypt” and ongoing spiritual bondage
  • Study of metallurgy and technology’s role in ancient imperial expansion
  • Examination of Joseph’s role in Egyptian administrative system and complicity with empire
  • Research into archaeological evidence for Hebrew presence in Egypt and forced labor
  • Exploration of rabbinic interpretations of Moses’s killing of the Egyptian taskmaster
  • Analysis of staff/rod symbolism throughout biblical narrative
  • Investigation of Passover symbolism and its anti-imperial implications
  • Study of mixed multitude who left Egypt with Israelites

Comprehension Questions

  1. Contrast and Analysis: How do the biblical and Egyptian creation narratives reflect their respective views on human dignity and purpose? What are the practical implications of each worldview?

  2. Metaphorical Understanding: In what ways does Egypt function as both a historical location and a symbol throughout biblical narrative? How might “Egypt” manifest in contemporary contexts?

  3. Psychological Liberation: Why was it necessary for God to make the Israelites’ situation worse before delivering them? What does this teach about the nature of spiritual and psychological liberation?

  4. Power and Authority: Compare and contrast the symbolism of Pharaoh’s staff versus Moses’s staff. What do they represent about different approaches to authority and power?

  5. Choice and Commitment: Why did God require the Israelites to actively participate in the Passover ritual rather than simply delivering them without their involvement? How does this relate to the ongoing choice between empire and shalom?

Personal Reflection Summary

This episode presents a foundational framework for understanding the entire biblical narrative as a contest between two incompatible worldviews. The Egyptian empire represents systems built on fear, exploitation, and self-preservation, while God’s kingdom operates on trust, service, and mutual flourishing. The physical exodus from Egypt becomes a powerful metaphor for the ongoing spiritual challenge of extracting imperial thinking from our hearts and minds.

The discussion reveals how seductive empire can be - offering comfort, security, and material abundance while slowly enslaving our souls. The Israelites’ reluctance to leave Goshen reflects our own difficulty in abandoning systems that benefit us materially but compromise us spiritually. The systematic dismantling of Egyptian gods through the plagues demonstrates God’s commitment not just to political liberation but to cognitive and spiritual transformation.

Perhaps most challenging is the recognition that we cannot serve both narratives simultaneously. The choice between empire and shalom requires active faith, ongoing vigilance, and community support. This “tale of two kingdoms” continues to play out in every generation, demanding that we regularly examine which story we are living and whose interests we are truly serving.

BEMA Episode 18: A Tale of Two Kingdoms - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 18 - A Tale of Two Kingdoms (2017)
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings
Guest: Chris Marshall
Focus: Understanding the biblical narrative as a contrast between empire and shalom, using Egypt as the first metaphor for empire systems.

Key Takeaways

  • The biblical narrative presents two competing worldviews: empire (represented by Egypt) and shalom (God’s kingdom)
  • Egypt serves as the foundational metaphor for empire throughout Scripture
  • Empire operates through fear, coercion, and making certain people expendable
  • Shalom operates through trust, hospitality, and bringing outsiders in
  • The Israelites initially prospered in Egypt’s system but eventually became enslaved by it
  • God seeks partners who “hear the cry” of the oppressed and work toward shalom
  • We face the same choice daily between empire and shalom narratives
  • Empire and shalom are built on fundamentally different principles and cannot be combined

Main Concepts & Theories

Two Creation Narratives
  • Biblical Narrative: God speaks order out of chaos (tohu va-vohu), calling creation “good”
  • Egyptian Narrative: Ra accidentally creates the world from murky swamp, requiring constant maintenance
  • Key Difference: Biblical order comes from God’s love and intentionality; Egyptian order requires human effort to maintain
The Cartouche System
  • Definition: Egyptian symbol representing the ordered space where people live
  • Structure: Ordered vault surrounded by watery chaos above and below
  • Pharaoh’s Role: Divine-human mediator who maintains order through his work
  • Implication: Without pharaoh’s efforts, the world would collapse into chaos
Empire vs. Shalom Characteristics

Empire (Egypt Model):

  • Built on fear and insecurity
  • Requires people to be expendable (poor, refugee, alien, orphan, widow, elderly)
  • Operates through intimidation and coercion (pharaoh’s stick/staff)
  • Promises security through human effort and control
  • Creates comfortable middle-class life for some at the expense of others
  • Life is cheap when it serves the system’s needs

Shalom (God’s Kingdom):

  • Built on trust in God’s goodness
  • Brings outsiders in and puts everything in proper place
  • Operates through love, hospitality, and self-sacrifice
  • Promises security through relationship with God
  • Values all people as made in God’s image
  • Life is precious and sacred
The Land of Goshen Paradox
  • Location: The best farmland on Earth (100+ feet of rich topsoil)
  • Egyptian Strategy: Give nomadic Israelites the best land because they could move during floods
  • The Temptation: Prosperity made it easy for Israelites to buy into Egyptian narrative
  • Biblical Metaphor: One foot in waist-deep barley (prosperity), one foot in barren desert (God’s way)
The Slavery Progression
  1. Initial Blessing: Israelites given the richest land and comfortable middle-class lifestyle
  2. Narrative Adoption: Israelites begin worshiping Egyptian gods and embracing empire values
  3. System Reversal: New pharaoh “who knew not Joseph” oppresses the very people who built the system
  4. The Pattern: Empire always eventually crushes those who serve it
God’s Mission and Method
  • The Problem: How to get Egypt (empire mindset) out of His people, not just His people out of Egypt
  • God’s Strategy: Give people what they want until empire reveals its true nature
  • The Cry: God hears the cry of the oppressed, even when they don’t call specifically to Him
  • Partnership Model: God seeks partners (like Moses) who have His heart for justice

Examples & Applications

Modern Empire Manifestations
  • Political systems that promise security through strength and exclusion
  • Economic systems where some people’s comfort depends on others’ exploitation
  • Religious systems where leaders maintain control through fear and intimidation
  • Cultural narratives that make certain groups expendable for others’ benefit
The Stick Symbolism
  • Pharaoh’s Stick: Symbol of coercive power, always held over people in threatening posture
  • Moses’ Staff: Simple shepherd’s staff from the desert, representing genuine care and guidance
  • The Contest: When staffs become snakes, Moses’ staff (not snake) swallows the others
The Passover Choice
  • The Test: Israelites must slaughter a lamb/goat (symbol of chief Egyptian god Amun-Ra)
  • The Risk: Publicly declaring rejection of Egyptian religious system
  • The Decision: Choosing to trust God’s narrative over empire’s promises
  • The Lesson: Faith requires concrete actions that demonstrate allegiance
Contemporary Applications
  • Examining political rhetoric for empire vs. shalom language
  • Questioning what costs our comfort, security, and luxury impose on others
  • Recognizing when we’re standing “one foot in barley, one foot in desert”
  • Choosing to “hear the cry” of those marginalized by current systems

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Biblical Studies
  • Detailed analysis of the ten plagues as systematic dismantling of Egyptian pantheon
  • Comparison of empire narratives throughout Scripture (Babylon, Rome, modern nations)
  • Study of Israel’s repeated attraction to empire systems despite liberation experience
  • Investigation of Jesus’ kingdom teachings as alternative to empire
Historical Context
  • Archaeological evidence of Hebrew/Ibiru people in ancient Egypt
  • Egyptian metallurgy and its role in ancient military supremacy
  • Social structure of ancient Near Eastern empires
  • Comparison of ancient empire systems with modern equivalents
Theological Implications
  • The nature of God’s judgment and mercy in dealing with empire systems
  • Understanding divine partnership in social justice work
  • The role of suffering in revealing empire’s true nature
  • Relationship between personal faith and systemic transformation
Contemporary Ethics
  • Analysis of modern political rhetoric through empire/shalom lens
  • Economic systems and their impact on vulnerable populations
  • Religious authority structures and potential for abuse
  • Environmental stewardship vs. exploitative resource management

Comprehension Questions

  1. Contrast Analysis: How do the Egyptian and biblical creation narratives differ in their understanding of who maintains order in the world, and what are the implications of each worldview?

  2. Historical Application: Explain how the Israelites’ experience in Goshen demonstrates the seductive nature of empire systems. What parallels can you draw to modern situations?

  3. Symbolic Interpretation: What is the significance of the staff/stick imagery in the contest between Moses and Pharaoh’s magicians? How does this relate to different models of leadership?

  4. Theological Reflection: Why does God seek to reach not only the Israelites but also the Egyptians and Pharaoh through the plague narrative? What does this reveal about God’s character?

  5. Personal Application: Marty Solomon suggests we can analyze modern political speeches through the empire/shalom framework. Choose a contemporary example and explain how you would apply this analytical approach.

Brief Personal Summary

Episode 18 establishes the fundamental framework for understanding Scripture as “a tale of two kingdoms” - the way of empire versus the way of shalom. Egypt serves as the archetypal empire: a system that promises security and prosperity through human effort and control, but ultimately operates through fear, coercion, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. The Israelites’ experience demonstrates how seductive empire can be - they initially prospered in Egypt’s system before becoming enslaved by it.

The episode challenges modern believers to examine which narrative we’ve truly embraced. Like the Israelites in Goshen, we may find ourselves with “one foot in waist-deep barley and one foot in barren desert,” enjoying empire’s benefits while claiming to follow God’s way. True discipleship requires choosing between these fundamentally incompatible systems, recognizing that we cannot serve both God and empire (Mammon).

God seeks partners who “hear the cry” of those crushed by empire systems and are willing to work toward shalom - not just proclaiming God’s message but becoming it through lives of justice, hospitality, and sacrificial love. This framework will continue throughout the biblical narrative as various empires rise and fall, but God’s call remains constant: to choose the way of shalom over the way of empire.

Original Notes

  • 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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