The PTC held it’s annual lecture nite, inviting the Professor of biblical studies of Westmont College and Old Testament scholar, Prof. Tremper Longman III to discuss “The History and Theology of the Exodus: An Assessment of the Current State of the Discussion.” It was an interesting nite focusing on the historical theological background to the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt and it provided some thought provoking insite into the Israelites departure out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land. Basically, it was an historical and theological argument put forth saying whether the Exodus actually really happened or not.

It was also a good move, I think, by the PTC to hold Bill Dumbrell’s book launch “Covenant and Kingdom: A Collection of Old Testament Essays” just before Tremper’s talk on Exodus. It provided a variety of sledging firstly starting off with Bishop Glenn Davies and Dr. Dumbrell himself, which almost could have ended up in a denominational melee. I think that’s why you don’t invite Anglican Bishops to a Presbyterian event!!

But then things got down to business with Prof. Longman III stepping up to address the issue of the Exodus of the Israelites as recorded in the book of Exodus.

The first point introduced the movement of Israel out of Egypt where God’s people were transformed from a family of people into a (chosen) nation of people. And how the waters of the Red Sea were both an instrument of rescue for Israel and a means of Judgment for Egypt. There is no historical evidence to tell us that the Exodus was an actual event. There are no actual recordings by Egyptians to tell us about Moses or any biblical events of that time, mainly because the Egyptians do not hold any records of their worst defeat in history – although there are accounts of foreign slaves within Egypt at that time. So whether the Exodus was a real event or just a well-constructed parable is still undecided.

Some scholars have carefully traced back the biblical dates from known events like 1 Kings 6:1, which has placed the Exodus happenings around the 15th Century BC, but various archaeological discoveries of Raamses and Pithom (Exodus 1:11) and the unearthing of cities like Jericho and Ai (Hebrew for ‘dump’) as recorded in Joshua, reveal that these cities were uninhabited at the time around the 15th Century BC and didn’t agree with the 15th Century dating at all. Thus dispelling the truth about biblical dating and also adding controversy to the Exodus myth. Others tried to compensate for the dating by bringing the age from 40 years (the age of one generation to the next, as a number set forth by the time spent wandering in the desert) to 25 years thinking that children had to be born before people got to the end of their age. Thus, this changed the dating of the Exodus and brought it forward to the 13th Century BC. A difference of two centuries. But this change in biblical history is made to fit in nicely with what archaeologists discovered and therefore the Bible can be seen as trying to accommodate archaeological dates to prove its truthfulness and reliability.

But what makes the archaeologists rite? Why does biblical history have to try to fit in around what archaeologists have discovered? Most archaeological findings are traced back from findings of ceramic pots for example, which may have been made much earlier and carried out with people during the Exodus. If what we take to be biblical truth and what God has done in rescuing and redeeming his people is true, then the events of Exodus has to be real! Otherwise Exodus is seen as just a long historical parable and if it didn’t really happen then what chance have we as Christians to believe that God is our rescuer and redeemer. If Exodus is just a made up story, how are Christians to recognise the God who rescues and delivers his people out of the hands of enemies and establishes his people in the rest of the bible? Exodus is the beginning of God’s rescue plan and part of His nature is to restore His people back to him.

Like it says in 1 Corinthians 15:13-15,
“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.” If we doubt the Exodus as an actual event, then we doubt the saving nature of God. And if we doubt the resurrection, then we doubt that we are saved and still live in sin. Christians take seriously Christ’s death and resurrection and if it isn’t true then what chance do we have in claiming God’s Word and our faith as true? It’s the same with the Exodus account. We don’t just believe that the Red sea parted because of a strong wind at the time or that the burning bush had some gas leak underneath it as the archaeological sensationalist’s believe.

The other argument that was brought forth is that the Exodus doesn’t really matter in the bigger scheme of things because those of us who live on this side of the cross already know the bigger picture of Gods saving purposes, and the Exodus has no real significant impact on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how we are saved by that miraculous and awesome event. To truly know what Jesus has done to rescue his people once and for all means that salvation has come upon us if we receive it, and whether or not the Exodus really happened doesn’t affect our view of salvation because it’s a non-relevant event, which has no bearing on whether one is righteous before God or not.

The book of Job is one example where to true Christians, it holds no real significance to our salvation. The first 2 chapters of Job start off like a historical narrative but then goes off into chapters of verse and prose where as Tremper said, “When your sitting on a dung heap covered in sores, the last thing you want to do is talk in [poetic language].” Job is a story about how bad things happen to good people also and God doesn’t just bless those he loves. It isn’t essential to playing a part in ones salvation.

But on the other hand, Exodus does play a part in our understanding of Gods character because he is a Lord who saves, who hears the cries of his people, who delivers them from the clutches of the enemy. If we don’t take Exodus seriously, then we cant take God seriously either. And I reckon if Exodus is made up, then who is to say that everything beforehand in Genesis hasn’t been made up as well – especially Genesis 1-11. To say that the Exodus isn’t a factual story is saying that the bible isn’t a fully reliable document and inspired by God, because He didn’t really save the Israelites by providing plagues and parting the sea and destroying the Egyptian army.

Psalm 77 was referred to as a Psalm of lament which talks about how God is there during down times. The Psalmist then starts to ask a series of rhetorical questions from vs7-9. He praises God for his mighty works from vs10-15 and then he recounts the Exodus narrative till the end of the chapter. The waters are personified, the description of Yahweh is glorified and the Psalmist writes about the past event happening, making it real to the reader in the present thru praise and worship and producing great hope for the future because they know that God will win thru in the end and deliver his people and save them.

“I get knocked down but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down! We’ll be singing when we’re winning” – Tubthumpin’
Dunno why but that song just came into my head and now I cant get it out.

It’s not the most comprehensive summary but the fact that I didn’t take notes doesn’t help either. I would have enjoyed it more if Prof. Longman addressed other controversial issues in Exodus such as why the Lord gave Moses two tablets on Mount Sinai if he didn’t have a headache, and who won the tennis match when Exodus records Moses serving in the courts of Pharaoh. Maybe next time …

PS: By the way – great supper provided by the PTC.