Posted by Steven Benjamin on October 19, 2009, 5:44 pm, in reply to "Exodus Chp 4 Continued"
(cONT FROM PREVIOUS)
Why do we have so many views and each seeming presented with such zeal as to being “the Truth” when they obviously contradict each other in many cases? Well, because along the way certain issues in scripture are just plain vague, and speculation rises to the subject at hand. At times the one speculating may truly be inspired, but still on that particular subject, may simply be Speculating. But often, people come along and gain big ministries like Billy Graham, or become Notoriously famous like David Koresh, or go down in History for huge revivals like Billy Sunday or D.L. Moody. IT is much easier to see people with such big lives as “blessed by God” or “Inspired” than it is to see the same in a “No Name, Nobody” or a bum on the street with a Gideons New Testament in his pocket.
Such is human Nature, and often times God sends these people, bum, Graham-like or otherwise with a particular message which like that of William Miller whose message emphasized primarly the possibility of the imminent return of Christ not in some far off distant future, but in the present tense, in the “Now,” these messengers were only sent to emphasize one point but end up addressing many, or all the topics of scripture in the day. God sends them to clear up one truth, and light goes off in everyone’s mind and we say “Wow, I never seen that before!” And the truth seems revolutionary, and soon, the revelation seeming well, Revolutionary, the messenger himself, or those listening him or her, are questioning every topic, but do so in earnest zeal oft times. Then the messenger dies, or gets so big that they are untouchable, sure you see them on stage, but not “Backstage” and their lives in life, or death, become distant, but still LARGER THAN LIFE. THE ATTITUDE SAYS.."So, since their life is “Bigger than Mine” or “Bigger than Yours…after all, he/she travelled the world holding mass revivals, or he had the biggest church in the City or state or country, or world…who are YOU COMPARED TO HIM? I mean he has a big ‘ol fancy doctorate in English Literature, and he’s a Duke, or He’s A Count, and He’s Got a title or a degree, and all you got is…”…an idea?
So, often times, against their own wishes, a true Messenger, in the actions of others parroting their words are lifted dogmatically to they themselves become “Brother So-And-So” and “Sister She-Said-it.”
Sometimes, the truth is, so much time has past, and somethings have become obscure, and unless God him/herself is addressing the subject, even if his number one living messenger of the day is doing likewise, we simply are speculating.
As such, with so much speculation already existing and covering all the possibilities of such subjects, I am reminded of the closing scene to the movie “HERO” with Dustan Hoffman and Andy Garcia. The Movie is lighthearted and starts with Dustan Hoffman’s Character rescuing several people from plane crash, going against his cynical and selfish nature. His character often engaged in illegal activity born of hopes of leaving poverty, is akin to his friend in the homeless character of Andy Garcia, who comes along and takes the credit for the act as Hoffman, who saved a reporter amongst those he rescued, wanted no recognition, but left a shoe behind in Cinderella like fashion.
The Movie goes to show the power of hype, and spins through intricate webs of comedic and at times tender moments as Hoffman’s Character, now wants his cut of the Millions of Dollars given to his friend and Charlatan character played by Garcia who rescued nobody. The movie webs with another story of Hoffman’s Characters estranged wife who has custody of their son, both of whom Hoffman really wants in his life, and to have their respect, revealing even to his character, his true drive to “get rich Quick” so many times.
Near the end of the movie, Hoffman himself is publicly recognized as a hero for talking the character played by Garcia off a ledge, an privately he is likewise recognized as the reporter recounts the truth in her memory, but neither destroy the image put in the publics mind by the Media in relation to Garcia’s Character.
The Closing scene shows Hoffman’s Character at the Zoo with his son, revealing the truth that it was his shoe left behind at that plane crash, and in such revelation, offering fatherly advice he states…and I paraphrase…”Son, you can’t believe every people say or show you there is only one truth in life, that is, EVERYTHING IS BULL S*&T, Everything, and in life everyone has their own line of Bulls*&t, And They present it as “THE TRUTH” but it’s all Bulls*&t, and that’s ok, because it’s all Bulls*&t, so what you to do, is pick out which Bulls*&t you want to believe, and that’s your line of Bulls*&t.”
So, sometimes, you just got to choose the anwer you want or like to believe the most and go with it.
ME…well,
I think Moses fell deathly ill, not the child, and the Child had to be circumcised. My Reason? Well he had two sons at this point, only the circumcision of one is mentioned here. We don’t know whether it was the oldest or the youngest who was circumcised, but we do know it was one of those boys. Now, I see to possibilities in this, and lean towards the latter. The first, is that Moses after Leaving Egypt, was in hatred of the Egyptians for their treatment of the Hebrews. In such, he was proud of his heritage, and having been circumcised himself saw to it his older son was likewise circumcised at the proper time. But we know his younger son was born just before Moses’ family left to go to Egypt, so the matter was overlooked because Moses was in such a hurry to go do what God had told him to do, and thus God stopped them on the way. This is indeed one possibility, but I personally believe, yes, Moses circumcised by his mother as an infant, but Moses was fed up with both Egyptian and Hebrew cultures. It wasn’t the Egyptians who made Moses flee, though he feared death by them, it was jealous tattle telling Hebrews (Exo: 2:12-14). Moses had to cross the desert to get away, I assure you, on human levels, by the time he got across that barren wasteland to another civilization, he was parched, he was hungry, he was certainly thirsty as our first encounter with him in that new land is at a well, but I guarantee you, he was fed up with everbody he collectively left behind, Hebrew and Egyptian alike.
HE had lived in a house of royalty, now all that was gone, and he is in a new land and living as a shepherd. He is making a new life, forgot or tries to forget he was ever Egyptian or Hebrew, and he has a wife whose father is the priest of the land. HE works for his father in law, he has a good relationship with him, I don’t think they argued about religion, so Moses prior to the Burning bush had forsaken his past. In such his oldest son was not circumcised after the Hebrew custom. Now, fast forward to the Burning Bush, Moses has a newborn son, now all of a sudden he has an encounter with God, get’s revival, and begins to again embrace his roots, he circumcises his youngest son, who is still at the proper age for circumcision to be able to forget the event, and spares the oldest from the pain. After all, the Hebrews always performed Circumcision in the males infancy, so he must have found reason to see himself keeping custom, but also in position to excuse circumcising the oldest child.
His family leaves for Egypt, and along the way Moses is stricken ill, likewise the oldest child, not the Baby. And the fact that Zipporah, knowing her son will never forget the pain she inflicted upon him in circumcision, adds to her disgust, and throwing the foreskin at Moses feet.
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