by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Intense fighting seems to be winding down in Rafah while moving back up to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip, as the IDF attempts to root out the remaining or regrouping pockets of Hamas terrorists. Meanwhile, in the Israel-Lebanon border, Israel wants peace and hopes for diplomatic solutions but actively prepares for a full-scale ground war against Hezbollah. Iran now warns of “obliterating war” for Israel. Some countries (Canada, Germany, etc.) have already issued advisories for its citizens to voluntarily evacuate Lebanon.
Nine (9) months into the war as a result of the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack and massacre in Israeli neighborhoods in the south, over 100 hostages (alive and dead) are still held somewhere in Rafah or elsewhere in Gaza. Let us continue to pray for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
The LORD had given a new, conditional pact with the Israelites encamped at Mount Sinai. Unlike the earlier Abrahamic Covenant, the Sinaitic Covenant was dependent on the obedience and loyalty of the Israelites and their fidelity to the Decalogue and the “Book of the Covenant” given by the LORD through Moses. Exodus 19:5-6 sum up the conditionality: if the Israelites will faithfully obey the LORD and keep his covenant, then they would be the God’s “treasured possession” among all the peoples and be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” set apart to God.
As we have seen earlier, the LORD Exodus 23:20-33 narrates that God will accompany the Hebrews in their journey to Canaan (via his angel/messenger) and the LORD promised to wipe out the occupants of the land they were heading to. It would seem that God would do everything for the Israelites to possess the land. In Exodus 23:28 the LORD even promises to send the צִּרְעָ֖ה (“tsirah” hornet) before the Israelites to גָּרַשׁ (“garash” drive out) these occupants. The Hebrew verb forms of גָּרַשׁ (“garash”) is a favorite word used for expelling, casting or driving away the existing land inhabitants.
The Hebrew verse of Exodus 23:28 is given below (read right to left, top down) with the people groups to be driven out by God highlighted:
וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י אֶת־הַצִּרְעָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְגֵרְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־הַחִוִּ֧י אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֛י וְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֖י מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃
The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the verse this way:
28And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.
Interestingly, the Septuagint (LXX) adds another people group in this verse: the Amorites. The New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) renders verse 28 as follows (see http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/02-exod-nets.pdf):
28And I will send hornets before you, and it shall drive out the Amorites and the Heuites and the Chananites and the Chettites from you.
Either the Septuagint used a different Hebrew source document which contained the Hebrew word for Amorite, or the scribe inadvertently added “Amorites” from a previous verse such as Exodus 23:23. “Heuites” here would be Hivites; “Chananites” obviously are the Canaanites; and “Chettites” are the Hittites.
The succeeding 5 verses up to the end of chapter 23, the land (Hebrew אֶרֶץ “erets” together with the definite article) is mentioned in 4 of these verses. This goes to show the importance of the land grant as an inheritance to the Israelites together with the other covenantal promises. Exodus 23:29 says that God will not drive out all the occupants in just a year, “lest the land (אֶרֶץ “erets”) be desolate.” In verse 30, God apparently plans to drive them out little by little until the Israelites have multiplied in number (which is also a covenant promise) and are then able to possess the land (אֶרֶץ “erets”). In Verse 31 God reveals the borders of the land promised (which are even larger than what is later stipulated in Numbers 34). Once again, the LORD reiterates that the land (אֶרֶץ “erets”) will be given to the Israelites and they in turn must drive away its inhabitants. Only in verse 32 is the land not directly mentioned; only an instruction that no covenant must be entered into by the Israelites with the inhabitants and their gods. Then in Exodus 23:33, the last verse of the chapter, the LORD specifically forbids the Israelites to allow these inhabitants to dwell “in your land” (אֶרֶץ “erets”) with them. Notice that God uses the possessive pronoun (“your” to describe the land which Moses and the Israelites have yet to get to. Driving out these land occupants was to be taken seriously as God attaches so much importance to keeping his people from being tempted to serve their other gods. It is certainly clear that God, the landowner wants his current tenants in Canaan out. The warning is an indication of what one reads in the books of Joshua and Judges.
The next chapters of Exodus now turns its attention to the sanctuary and all the instructions from God for building it together with its implements and the holy garments the priests would wear when they serve and minister to God. It is in Exodus 32, the chapter that narrates the sad, familiar Golden Calf incident of Sinaitic Covenant unfaithfulness that God once again reiterates his Abrahamic Covenant promises.
When the LORD wanted to destroy the Israelites because of the Golden Calf, the altar, the sacrifices and the festival merriment they had done, Moses interceded for them and implored God’s mercy and compassion and reminded him of his promises to the patriarchs. The Hebrew verse of Exodus 32:13 is given below (read right to left, top down) with the land grant highlighted:
זְכֹ֡ר לְאַבְרָהָם֩ לְיִצְחָ֨ק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתָּ לָהֶם֮ בָּךְ֒ וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבֶּה֙ אֶֽת־זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם כְּכֹוכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ הַזֹּ֜את אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶתֵּן֙ לְזַרְעֲכֶ֔ם וְנָחֲל֖וּ לְעֹלָֽם׃
The ESV translation for this verse is given below:
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
In verse 14, because of his great mercy and compassion, the LORD acted on Moses’ reminder of his gracious, unconditional, irrevocable, perpetual Abrahamic Covenant and relented from immediately punishing the Israelites.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.