Good morning and Happy Friday,
This week we are starting a series of sermons based on the book of Exodus. We will be calling it To Egypt and Back again
We really started last week as we read from the end of Genesis about the movement of Jacob’s family to Egypt in a time of famine. Then they were an honored family in the sight of the pharaoh but as we meet up with them this week, several hundred years have passed and while they are now a very numerous family indeed they have been enslaved by the pharaoh who is fearful of them, and their numbers.
The book of Exodus tells the story of their liberation and journey out of Egypt. It is a foundational story in the Bible. God’s saving action in this book shapes much of our theology and how we understand God and God’s will and faithfulness at work in the world, for life and freedom. There is also a Biblical literacy that comes from reading Exodus. Many of the other books of the Bible and indeed events in Jesus life echo it and reference it and so we understand the rest of the Bible better when we know Exodus. And finally there is also a cultural literacy that comes with reading Exodus as the themes it explores have nourished and given hope to oppressed people for thousands of years and terms like wilderness wandering and manna from heaven have become part of our cultural as well as our faith language.
I’m looking forward to exploring this book with you this fall. We are going to begin with Exodus 1: 8 – 2: 10 this week.
See you then,
Blessings
Karen