Daily Retreat 07/14/09
2009 Jul 14 Tue:Bl Kateri Tekakwitha, v M
Ex 2:1-15a/ Ps 68(69):3. 14. 30-31. 33-34/ Mt 11:20-24
From today’s readings:“When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son and called him Moses; for she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’... Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.... Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of His mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented....”
Drawing Out Moses
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - the first five books of the Bible are the most fundamental part of the Old Testament, and sometimes referred to by their Hebrew title, the Torah, meaning, “the Law,” ( or "instruction") and also collectively known as the Pentateuch. Over the centuries, they have also been called the “Five Books of Moses,” and that title has led to confusion, because some people assume that means that Moses himself wrote those five books. Scripture records that Moses, the great lawgiver, did, at God’s command, write laws and other words of God (e.g., Exodus 24:4) and these revelations certainly were the basis for those first books of Sacred Scripture.
However, the Bible itself does not say that Moses himself entirely wrote those first five books (and note that the death of Moses is even recorded in Deuteronomy 34 - presumably, Moses didn’t write those verses at least). Why then did the Torah become known as the “Books of Moses”? Well, Moses is, in fact, the “hero” and central figure (next to God, of course) in these books, except for Genesis (but since that book ends right before Moses, his life was still a determining factor). And, since Moses was God’s central mediator in giving the Old Testament law, it’s easy to understand why the Torah was naturally referred to as the “Law of Moses” or the “Books of Moses.”
Chapter Two of Exodus narrates the auspicious and ironic beginnings of the life of Moses. Upset by the hard slavery of the Hebrews, he tries to right the matter on his own by killing an Egyptian, but that new wrong just makes things worse! So in the next chapter, God starts teaching Moses that wrongs can only be made right in the right way - God’s way! And that’s one of the most important lessons you and I must remember as we strive to right wrongs in our own day....
Ex 2:1-15a/ Ps 68(69):3. 14. 30-31. 33-34/ Mt 11:20-24
From today’s readings:“When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son and called him Moses; for she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’... Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.... Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of His mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented....”
Drawing Out Moses
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - the first five books of the Bible are the most fundamental part of the Old Testament, and sometimes referred to by their Hebrew title, the Torah, meaning, “the Law,” ( or "instruction") and also collectively known as the Pentateuch. Over the centuries, they have also been called the “Five Books of Moses,” and that title has led to confusion, because some people assume that means that Moses himself wrote those five books. Scripture records that Moses, the great lawgiver, did, at God’s command, write laws and other words of God (e.g., Exodus 24:4) and these revelations certainly were the basis for those first books of Sacred Scripture.
However, the Bible itself does not say that Moses himself entirely wrote those first five books (and note that the death of Moses is even recorded in Deuteronomy 34 - presumably, Moses didn’t write those verses at least). Why then did the Torah become known as the “Books of Moses”? Well, Moses is, in fact, the “hero” and central figure (next to God, of course) in these books, except for Genesis (but since that book ends right before Moses, his life was still a determining factor). And, since Moses was God’s central mediator in giving the Old Testament law, it’s easy to understand why the Torah was naturally referred to as the “Law of Moses” or the “Books of Moses.”
Chapter Two of Exodus narrates the auspicious and ironic beginnings of the life of Moses. Upset by the hard slavery of the Hebrews, he tries to right the matter on his own by killing an Egyptian, but that new wrong just makes things worse! So in the next chapter, God starts teaching Moses that wrongs can only be made right in the right way - God’s way! And that’s one of the most important lessons you and I must remember as we strive to right wrongs in our own day....
posted by FrPitstick | 7/11/2009
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