Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15, the First Reading appointed for the 10th Week after Pentecost in the Year of Mark, is a wonderful story of human sin and God's grace. It is a story retold elsewhere in the Pentateuch, but told here in such a way that God's generosity, patience, and mercy are highlighted. It will be the preacher's privilege to proclaim this.
(The following questions have been developed to unearth the function of the Word in the text, a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers. These questions are not meant to be exhaustive but are best used in conjunction with other exegetical methods which have other concerns. For more on this method and Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? This text has a clear demarcation of Law and Gospel between the two sections. In section one (vs. 2-4), the Law is illustrated clearly; that is to say, the the Word is functioning to expose our need of a Savior. There is grumbling, whining, and profound unbelief. The second section is the opposite: it is purely Gospel, proclaiming God's amazing grace. God promises to "rain down bread from heaven", God hears the cries of the people, God's glory appears in a cloud - a clear sign of God's presence, and finally God delivers meat and bread.
2. With whom are you identifying in the text? We are clearly the Israelites, prone to complaint, impatience, and even unbelief, especially in the face of any suffering or need. We are also those who receive God's gifts so abundantly, despite our unbelief.
3. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? A call to obedience is not present in this part of the story. That will come later, when the Israelites are asked to trust God and gather enough manna for two days on Friday, so as to not gather on the Sabbath. The call in this text is the call to faith.
4. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? We might imagine any number of couplets using the details of this story: lack/abundance; fear/faith; Egypt's bondage/freedom in God's provision.
5. Exegetical work: It is interesting to note the construction of the verb which is central to the Israelites' complaint. They say, "...you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (vs. 3b). The verb has a causal construction which means it could be literally translated as "you caused us to go out into this wilderness," (i.e. We wouldn't have gone had you not forced us!) It is really astonishing how, after only six weeks of freedom, the Israelites are interpreting their release from bondage as a forced march to their death. Given this profound amnesia and unbelief, what is more remarkable still is that God pays no attention to their whining, but like a dutiful and loving parent, provides for them what they need to be sustained. Terence Fretheim, in his commentary, notes this connection between food and faith: "The people have expressed doubt to Moses/Aaron that they have had the people's best interests at heart in bringing them out from Egypt. God has disappeared as a subject of the deliverance; the people have reverted to the pre-exodus stance of 14:10-12. ["Were there not enough graves in Egypt?!] The food crisis has led to a faith crisis." (Interpretation series, Exodus, p. 182-183.) It is no doubt fair to say that any lack of 'daily bread' that we experience can easily turn into a crisis of faith.
6. How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? There is perhaps no more straightforward example of the Crossings model than Peter Keyel's analysis of this text. He begins with the voices of complaint, and ends with the voices of witness, coming full circle through the depths of unbelief, to the encounter with the life-giving God, to faith. See crossings.org/text-study to see the details.
Blessings on your proclamation!
No comments:
Post a Comment