Seder 51: Exodus 10 and Revelation 9:1-11---Locust Plagues

 God used the plagues of the Exodus to free the Israelites, judge the Egyptians and their gods, and send important messages to Israel, Egypt, and other nations.  

Throughout the rest of the Bible. themes and images from the Exodus are used in situations where God is judging the rebellious and rescuing his people.  For example, in the visions of the book of Revelation, imagery from the plagues of the Exodus is prominent.  

Revelation 9:1-11 describes the judgment of the fifth trumpet, which sends out a kind of locust plague, an allusion to the eighth plague of the Exodus (Ex 10:1-20).  As in the plagues of the Exodus, the people of God are protected from this judgment (Rev 9:4), and God limits the extent of the judgment---it lasts for five months (Rev 9:5).   

In other ways, this is different from the locust plague of the Exodus.  The locusts in ancient Egypt devoured plants (Ex 10:14-15), while those in Revelation 9 are told to avoid plants.  

In fact, the ``locusts'' in Revelation 9 are not insects.  They come out of the abyss or "bottomless pit," a place of confinement for evil spiritual beings (Lk 8:31).  According to traditions recorded in 1 Enoch, the Watchers of Genesis 6 are held there.  In Revelation 9:1-2, an angel temporarily releases some of the beings confined there to carry out judgment on rebellious humans.  

Revelation 9:7-11 describes the ugliness of these beings.  A misguided popular approach to interpreting this passage tries to connect it with modern military technology.  Such images would not have been meaningful to John or his original readers.  Instead, we should realize that Revelation is full of allusions to passages from the Hebrew Scriptures.  For example, ``their teeth like lions' teeth'' in Revelation 9:8 comes from Joel 1:6; "the locusts were like horses prepared for battle" in Revelation 9:7 refers back to Joel 2:4; and the comparison with the noise of chariots in Revelation 9:9 is similar to Joel 2:5.  The book of Joel likens an invading army to a locust plague, and something similar is happening in Revelation 9.  

Seder 111: Numbers 11---Support for Moses

 In response to Moses' plea for help, God directed Moses to gather "seventy men of the elders of Israel" who would be empowered to provide extra support for Moses (Num 11:16).   

"I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them," God told Moses.  Some have actually seen this as a punishment to Moses, as if the Spirit were some subtance that he possessed in a finite quantity and would subsequently possess in a lesser quantity.  Instead, as Jewish commentator Joseph H. Hertz has observed, the situation can be likened to a candle, which can be used to ignite other candles and continue to burn as brightly as before.  

When these elders received the Spirit, they prophesied (v. 25).  The end of verse 25 has been translated in two different ways.  Most translations say that the elders "did not continue doing it" (ESV).  Others---KJV, Targums, Vulgate, Martin Luther---say instead that the elders did not cease prophesying.  In any case, the elders were equipped to assist Moses.  

The names of two who were not standing with Moses and also prophesied were given in verse 26---Eldad and Medad.  Opinions differ as to whether Eldad and Medad were among the 70 or were in addition to the 70.  One tradition proposes that six elders were chosen from each tribe, and that then 70 were chosen from those 72.  In this scenario, Eldad and Medad were the two "extras."  

Joshua expressed concern to Moses about what Eldad and Medad were doing.  Apparently he was worried that they were undermining Moses' authority. Moses, however, was not concerned.  He knew that the more people who were led by the Spirit, the better.  In his wish that all of the Israelites could be led by the Spirit, he anticipated events prophesied later ( Deut 30:6; Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 11:19-20; Joel 2:28-29).

There is a parallel event in the ministry of Jesus, where Jesus' disciples worried about the fact that someone outside of their group was casting out demons in the name of Jesus (Luke 9:49).  Jesus' response was, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you: (v 50).  

Because of Joshua's concern about Eldad and Medad, there has been much speculation about the content of the prophecy of Eldad and Medad.  For example, there is a (now lost) book called the Book of Eldad and Modad (Medad was also known in Greek as "Modad") that apparently discussed what they prophesied.  We know about this book from the Shepherd of Hermas, a Christian work from the second century AD, which gives a quote from it:  "The Lord is near to those who turn to him."  This thought is similar to James 4:8:  "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."  

We do know some Jewish traditions about what Eldad and Medad prophesied.  One says that they called upon Israelites to repent of their gluttony.  Another says that they were talking about Gog and Magog (i.e., end-time prophecy).  A third tradition says that they predicted Moses would die before the Israelites reached the Promised Land and Joshua would be the one to lead them there.  This third one is meant to explain why Joshua was upset.  

If Eldad and Medad were calling for repentance, not everyone listened.  God sent judgment against those consumed by gluttony (vv 31-35).  

Seder 96: Psalm 126---Sowing Seeds in Faith

 For the Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalm from Babylon starting in 538 BC, coming back to the land of promise was like a dream come true (Ps 126:1).  Words of the prophets were being fulfilled.  The repetition of "the Lord has done great things for them/us" in verses 2-3 suggests that the psalmist may have had in mind in particular Joel's prophecy, since a similar phrase also appears twice in Joel 2:20-21.  (Walter C. Kaiser points this out in his book The Journey Isn't Over.)

But other things in the prophecies were not happening yet---e.g., the bountiful harvests described in Joel 2:22 and 3:18 had not occurred, as we see in Haggai 1:6.  And so the people prayed for further restoration--Ps 126:4.

In answer to their prayers, God sent prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who affirmed that God would bring blessing when the people stepped out on faith and put God first.  Psalm 126:5-6 uses the imagery of a harvest to communicate this lesson.  

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!" (v 5)

Sowing may involve tears, since one has to give up grain that could provide food right now in order to plant a crop of grain.  Before anything can sprout, the seed must die (see John 12:24).  But the sacrifice is worth it.  The harvest reaped will far exceed the seed sown.  The psalm concludes, "He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shourts of joy, bringing the sheaves with him."

It is still the case that there is much fulfillment of biblical prophecies yet to occur.  We should continue to sow seed, because the greatest harvest still lies ahead.

Seder 52: Psalm 97---Proclaiming God's Universal Rule

 Psalm 97 declares God's reign over all the earth and looks ahead to the time when God's Kingdom will come in its fullness.  

God's rule is good news for everyone (v 1) because "righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (v 2).  

Psalm 97 describes a theophany, the coming of God to rule.  This is a Day of the Lord, a time of God's intervention in world affairs leading up to the final one. Such times are described in the Bible in terms familiar from the Exodus.  Verse 2 says that "clouds and thick darkness are all around him," reminding us of the Exodus plague of darkness.  We see such imagery also in the Day of the Lord prophecies in Joel 2:2 and Zeph 1:14-15.  

God's coming is accompanied by fire, lightning, and earthquakes (Ps 97:3-5), as at Mount Sinai.   All of the heavenly beings worship him, their creator, and so how much more should all the inhabitants of the earth (vv 6-9).

God brings light and joy (v 11), as in Isa 60:1-3.  We are blessed already, but more lies ahead.  We rejoice in God's mighty works in past, present, and future---that's what God's name connotes (v 12).