BIBLICAL MYTHS? - Commemoration of the Exodus was primarily intended for Israel. They had fallen into cruel slavery in Egypt, yet had been delivered and molded into a great nation. Many Israelis and evangelicals deny this event actually took place. God had told them to remember, but many have forgotten. As with the Exodus, most Christian leaders today do not believe creation took place as Scripture records, and feel that they must twist or supplement or ignore the plain sense of revealed history. Throughout the Old Testament, God often reminded His children to remember His mighty acts on their behalf. Sometimes visible memorials were set up to facilitate their recall, such as the pile of stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River when God held back the waters to allow them to enter the Promised Land. This extraordinary event really happened, and God desired them to remember it forever. He based important commands on true events. But there were two greater events in history that God most often used as an impetus to praise, faith, and trust. These He expressly wanted us to remember. God had told them to remember, but many have forgotten. Only true events can be remembered. If God has based His commands on myth then they are not to be obeyed either. The time has come for Christian leaders to "remember" that they serve a God of truth.

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Biblical Myths?

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Commemoration of the Exodus was primarily intended for Israel. They had fallen into cruel slavery in Egypt, yet had been delivered and molded into a great nation. Many Israelis and evangelicals deny this event actually took place. God had told them to remember, but many have forgotten. As with the Exodus, most Christian leaders today do not believe creation took place as Scripture records, and feel that they must twist or supplement or ignore the plain sense of revealed history.

BY JOHN D. MORRIS, PH.D.    

"remember. . ." 

Throughout the Old Testament, God often reminded His children to remember His mighty acts on their behalf.

Sometimes visible memorials were set up to facilitate their recall, such as the pile of stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River when God held back the waters to allow them to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 4:6).

This extraordinary event really happened, and God desired them to remember it forever.

He based important commands on true events, not myths.

But there were two greater events in history that God most often used as an impetus to praise, faith, and trust. These He expressly wanted us to remember.

Commemoration of the Exodus was primarily intended for Israel, His chosen people.

They had fallen into cruel slavery in Egypt, yet had been delivered and molded into a great nation.

Often they were told: "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm" (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Unfortunately, many scholars today -- even Israelis and evangelicals -- deny this event actually took place.

The seeming disharmony of biblical history with secular Egyptian chronology as established by archaeology causes most scholars to fully discount Scripture.

At a recent archaeological convention, Jewish lecturers taught that the nation of Israel has no recorded history.

Attendees rightly asked, "If the Exodus isn't history, then who are we? What right do we have to exist?"

God had told them to remember, but many have forgotten.

Here's the dilemma. If the Exodus and Israeli history are mythological, how can they be remembered?

Only true events can be remembered. If God has based His commands on myth -- which are not to be taken as literal truth -- then evidently, they are not to be obeyed either.

Even many evangelical seminary professors, to their shame and the detriment of the church, teach that the Exodus did not actually take place as Scripture records, that it was allegorical at best.

Mainline denominations have long denied Israel's identity. Must literalists join them?

The second primary "remembrance" of Scripture involves creation.

Inscribed in stone, the fourth commandment reads "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:8, 11).

All of creation was commanded to set aside this day to remember.

Yet as a people and church we have forgotten, in direct disobedience to the Creator's command.

As with the Exodus, most Christian leaders today do not believe creation took place as Scripture records, and feel that they must twist or supplement or ignore the plain sense of revealed history.

Most leading evangelical seminaries today teach The Framework Hypothesis, which holds that Genesis only vaguely implies God's involvement and contains no true history.

Such teachers cannot rightly obey the fourth commandment for they consider the creation account to be merely figurative, and you can't "remember" an indefinite event.

The time has come for Christian leaders to "remember" that they serve a God of truth Who acted in true history, and not a mythological god of fantasy.

Dr. Morris is President of the Institute for Creation Research.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

https://www.icr.org/article/biblical-myths/

SPLIT LAYERS - THE SPLITTING OF THE SEA - The splitting of the sea was more than a utilitarian measure to save the Israelites. Why did G-d choose this method? We have times when G‑d's presence is revealed and times when G‑d seems concealed from us. There are times when we are spiritually inspired and feel close to G‑d, and times when we are uninspired and feel distant from G‑d. A "splitting of the sea" in our lives would mean that the inspiration of prayer stays with us throughout the day — that we experience Divine awareness and revelation even in a time and place where G‑dliness is typically concealed. "We should be grateful to G‑d for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us! For He has ... split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land." G‑d could have saved us in another way. Why did G‑d choose this method? The answer is that the splitting of the sea was the manifestation of a profound revelation of G‑d at that time. This revelation of the concealed was mirrored by the splitting of the waters, where what is normally concealed (the seabed) was revealed. Divine revelation of this kind would cause a person to be so overwhelmed that he would cease to exist with an independent consciousness at all. How was this possible? At the sea, G‑d revealed more than what is revealed in prophecy — He revealed His essence, which transcends all rules.

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Split Layers - The splitting of the sea

The splitting of the sea was more than a utilitarian measure to save the Israelites. Why did G-d choose this method?

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We have times when G‑d's presence is revealed and times when G‑d seems concealed from us. There are times when we are spiritually inspired and feel close to G‑d, and times when we are uninspired and feel distant from G‑d. A "splitting of the sea" in our lives would mean that the inspiration of prayer stays with us throughout the day — that we experience Divine awareness and revelation even in a time and place where G‑dliness is typically concealed

By Yanki Tauber

"We should be grateful to G‑d for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us! For He has ... split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land." (Passover Haggadah)

Is there any significance to the splitting of the sea independent of G‑d taking us through it?

Is it not essentially one act of kindness?

Why are they listed as two separate acts of kindness?

G‑d could have saved us in another way.

Chasidus [and Kabbalah] explains that the splitting of the sea was more than a utilitarian measure to save the Israelites.

Indeed, G‑d could have saved us in another way. Why did G‑d choose this method?

The answer is that the splitting of the sea was the manifestation of a profound revelation of G‑d at that time.

As our Sages taught, even the most spiritually illiterate amongst us experienced prophetic visions at the sea of the sort that our later prophets never experienced.

This revelation of the concealed was mirrored by the splitting of the waters, where what is normally concealed (the seabed) was revealed.

Generally, Divine revelation of this kind would cause a person to be so overwhelmed that he would cease to exist with an independent consciousness at all. How was this possible?

More Than Prophecy

At the sea, G‑d revealed more than what is revealed in prophecy — He revealed His essence, which transcends all rules.

The Israelites were therefore able to remain conscious — to walk through the sea during this immense revelation.

Hence the two acts of kindness:

1) He split the sea for us — i.e., revealed to us the Divine reality that is normally concealed;

2) He led us through the sea on dry land — i.e., He revealed His essence, which transcends the conflicting properties of "sea" and "dry land," thereby enabling us to remain conscious during this revelation.

On dry land:

In contrast to the above interpretation, another perspective is that we are thanking G‑d for:

1.    Splitting the sea and providing us an escape from Egypt, and

2.    for drying the seabed for us so we would not have to walk in mud.

But sparing us a muddy walk seems a relatively insignificant miracle in comparison to the other miracles enumerated here.

Why then is it included?

... this inspiration slowly escapes once we close the prayer book and enter the "real" world...

As mentioned, the splitting of the sea represented a revelation of the G‑dly reality that is usually hidden.

In a personal sense, we also have times when G‑d's presence is revealed and times when G‑d seems concealed from us.

There are times when we are spiritually inspired and feel close to G‑d, and times when we are uninspired and feel distant from G‑d.

Generally, we experience Divine "revelation"--awareness and inspiration — during the times of prayer, especially through meditative prayer.

But this inspiration slowly escapes once we close the prayer book and enter the "real" world, where G‑d is concealed.

A Personal Revelation

A "splitting of the sea" in our lives would mean that the inspiration of prayer stays with us throughout the day — that we experience Divine awareness and revelation even in a time and place where G‑dliness is typically concealed.

But this can occur in two ways:

In the first, the perspective gained during prayer is enough to affect our behavior during the day but does not transform our feelings and inclinations.

This can be compared to a splitting of the sea in which the waters of concealment have not been completely removed from the seabed — it remains wet and muddy.

This means that the hidden has been revealed, but not entirely — a residue of the waters of concealment remains.

Yet, as we say in the Haggadah, even if G‑d only granted us this "small" spiritual achievement — Dayenu!

He gave us the ability to experience an absolute "splitting of the sea"...

But G‑d accorded us an even greater kindness: He gave us the ability to experience an absolute "splitting of the sea," a revelation of the concealed, where no "water" remains at all and we can walk on "dry land."

Our meditative prayers can "part the sea," enabling us to see through the "concealing waters" of the world even outside the times of prayer.

We are then able to see the world as the handiwork of its Creator and to perceive the purpose He intended for it in its creation.

From The Kehot Passover Haggadah: Translator--Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet; Commentaries—Yanki Tauber; Editor—Rabbi Yosef Marcus. By Yanki Tauber

Based on the talks and writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson; rendered by Yanki Tauber.

Yanki Tauber served as editor of Chabad.org

https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/4358627/jewish/Split-Layers.htm

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT - Hebrews from the land of Canaan had lived in Egypt for many years, and had become numerous under the kind treatment of the kingdom's rulers. However, the Pharaoh became intimidated by the sheer number of Hebrews in his kingdom and ordered them all to be enslaved. Lives of bitter hardship ensued for 400 years, at one time including a decree from the Pharaoh that all male Hebrew children be drowned at birth. The Hebrew people living in Egypt were suffering under the cruel rule of the Pharaoh. Their leader Moses (Moshe) asked Pharaoh to let them return to their homelands in Canaan, but Pharaoh refused. In response, the Hebrew God inflicted 10 plagues on the Egyptians in a divine demonstration of power and displeasure designed to persuade Pharaoh to "let my people go," in the words of the spiritual "Go Down Moses."

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The Plagues Of Egypt

The 10 Egyptian Plagues

by N.S. Gill 

The Ten Plagues of Egypt is a story related in the Book of Exodus. Exodus is the second of the first five books of the Judeo-Christian Bible, also called the Torah or Pentateuch.

According to the story of Exodus, the Hebrew people living in Egypt were suffering under the cruel rule of the Pharaoh.

Their leader Moses (Moshe) asked Pharaoh to let them return to their homelands in Canaan, but Pharaoh refused.

In response, the Hebrew God inflicted 10 plagues on the Egyptians in a divine demonstration of power and displeasure designed to persuade Pharaoh to "let my people go," in the words of the spiritual "Go Down Moses."

Enslaved in Egypt

The Torah relates that Hebrews from the land of Canaan had lived in Egypt for many years, and had become numerous under the kind treatment of the kingdom's rulers.

However, the Pharaoh became intimidated by the sheer number of Hebrews in his kingdom and ordered them all to be enslaved.

Lives of bitter hardship ensued for 400 years, at one time including a decree from the Pharaoh that all male Hebrew children be drowned at birth.

Moses, the son of a slave who was raised in the palace of the Pharaoh, is said to have been chosen by his God to lead the Israelite people to freedom.

With his brother Aaron (Aharon), Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave Egypt in order to celebrate a feast in the wilderness to honor their God. The Pharaoh refused.

Moses and the 10 Plagues

God promised Moses that he would demonstrate his power to convince Pharaoh, but at the same time, he would be convincing the Hebrews to follow his path.

First, God would "harden the heart" of the Pharaoh, making him adamantly against the Hebrews' leaving. Then he would produce a series of plagues with escalating severity that culminated with the death of every firstborn Egyptian male.

Though Moses asked Pharaoh before each plague for his people's freedom, he continued to refuse.

Ultimately, it took all 10 plagues to convince the unnamed Pharaoh to free all of Egypt's Hebrew slaves, who then started their exodus back to Canaan.

The drama of the plagues and their role in the liberation of the Jewish people are remembered during the Jewish holiday of Pesach, or Passover.

Views of the Plagues: Tradition vs. Hollywood

Hollywood's treatment of the Plagues as portrayed in movies such as Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" is decidedly different from the way that Jewish families regard them during the celebration of Passover.

DeMille's Pharaoh was an out-and-out bad guy, but the Torah teaches that God was the one who made him so intransigent. 

The Plagues were less about punishing the Egyptians than showing the Hebrews — who were not yet Jews since they had not received the Ten Commandments — how mighty their God was.

At the seder, the ritual meal accompanying Passover, it is customary to recite the 10 plagues and flick a drop of wine from each cup as each plague is enumerated.

This is done to remember the suffering of the Egyptians and to diminish in some way the happiness of a liberation that cost so many innocent lives.

When Did the 10 Plagues Happen?

The historicity of anything in ancient texts is dicey.

Scholars argue that the story of the Hebrews in Egypt is most likely told about the Egyptian New Kingdom during the late Bronze Age. The Pharaoh in the story is thought to be Ramses II.

The following Biblical passages are line references to King James' Version of Exodus.

Water to Blood

When Aaron's staff hit the Nile River, the water became blood, and the first plague began.

The water, even in wood and stone jars, was undrinkable, fish died, and the air was filled with a horrid stench.

Like some of the other plagues, Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate this phenomenon.

Exodus 7:19 – “And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.”

Frogs

The second plague brought an influx of millions of frogs. They came from every water source around and inundated the Egyptian people and everything around them. This feat was also duplicated by the Egyptian magicians.

Exodus 8:2 – “And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
^8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:
^8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.”

Gnats or Lice

Aaron's staff was used again in the third plague. This time he struck the earth and gnats flew up from the dust.

The infestation took over every man and animal around. The Egyptians could not recreate this one with their magic, saying instead, "This is the finger of God."

Exodus 8:16 – “And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Flies

The fourth plague affected only the lands of Egypt and not those where the Hebrews lived in Goshen.

The swarm of flies was unbearable, and this time Pharaoh agreed to allow the people to go into the desert, with restrictions, to make sacrifices to God.

Exodus 8:21 – “Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.”

Diseased Livestock

Again, affecting only the herds of the Egyptians, the fifth plague sent a deadly disease through the animals they relied on. It destroyed the livestock and flocks, but those of the Hebrews remained untouched.

Exodus 9:3 – “Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.”

Boils

To bring on the sixth plague, God told Moses and Aaron to toss ashes into the air. This resulted in horrendous and painful boils appearing on every Egyptian and their livestock.

The pain was so excruciating that when the Egyptian sorcerers tried to stand in front of Moses, they could not.

Exodus 9:8 – “And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
^9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Thunder and Hail

In Exodus 9:16, Moses conveyed a personal message to Pharaoh from God. It said that he had purposely brought the plagues upon him and Egypt "to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

The seventh plague brought torrential rains, thunder, and hail that killed people, animals, and crops.

Despite the fact that Pharaoh admitted his sin, once the storm calmed, he again refused freedom to the Hebrews.

Exodus 9:18 – “Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.”

Locusts

If Pharaoh thought frogs and lice were bad, the locusts of the eighth plague would prove to be the most devastating. These insects ate every green plant they could find. Afterward, Pharaoh admitted to Moses that he had sinned "once."

Exodus 10:4 – “Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
^10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.”

Darkness

Three days of complete darkness stretched over the lands of Egypt — not those of the Hebrews, who enjoyed light by day — in the ninth plague. It was so dark that the Egyptians could not see each other.

After this plague, the Pharaoh attempted to negotiate the freedom of the Hebrews. His bargain that they could leave if their flocks were left behind was not accepted.

Exodus 10:21 – “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
^10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.”

Death of the First-Born

Pharaoh was warned that the tenth and final plague would be the most devastating. God told the Hebrews to sacrifice lambs and eat the meat before morning, but not before they used the blood to paint their doorposts.

The Hebrews followed these directions and also asked for and received all the gold, silver, jewelry, and clothes from the Egyptians. These treasures would later be used for the tabernacle.

Over the night, an angel came and passed over all of the Hebrew homes. The firstborn in every Egyptian household would die, including Pharaoh's son. This caused such a clamor that Pharaoh ordered the Hebrews to leave and take all they owned.

Exodus 11:4 – “And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
^11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.”

N.S. Gill

Introduction

Latin teacher

Master of Arts in linguistics

Freelance writer covering ancient history and the classics

Experience

N.S. Gill is a former writer for ThoughtCo, who wrote about ancient history in numerous articles over a 17-year period through 2014. Gill has taught Latin and written articles on ancient history and classics and has been interviewed by National Public Radio and National Geographic about Valentine's Day and the Roman calendar. She has been a teacher's assistant for classes in the age of Pericles, technical terms, classical culture, and mythology. 

Education

N.S. Gill has a B.A. in Latin and an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Minnesota. She has done graduate coursework on classics at the University of Minnesota and written two master's level papers, one on the misdating of an Oxyrhynchus papyrus and another on Ovid.

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https://www.thoughtco.com/plagues-of-egypt-ancient-jewish-history-118238