The Naked Bible Podcast

The podcast discusses the plagues in Exodus 8-10 as acts of de-creation and religious polemic, specifically targeting the Egyptian concept of order. They analyze each plague, highlighting Yahweh's sovereignty and debunking theories about the identity of certain plagues. The significance of the plague of locusts and its connection to darkness is explored. The hosts also briefly discuss the pronunciation of Passover and upcoming topics for the next episode.

In this episode, the hosts discuss the ten plagues in Egypt and their significance in the Exodus story. They explore different interpretations of the plagues and their connection to Egyptian deities. The chapter also highlights the parallels between Moses' water ordeal and Noah's redemption, as well as the connections between the creation account in Genesis and the Exodus narrative. The first plague, turning the Nile into blood, is examined in detail, showcasing Yahweh's power over Egyptian deities and its impact on Egyptian religion.

An exploration of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in the book of Exodus, questioning moral responsibility and human free will. The podcast delves into the complexities of Pharaoh's character, God's intentions, and the ethical implications of God's intervention. They discuss human behavior, divine judgment, and the interplay between God's control and human free will.

This episode of the podcast covers two chapter of Exodus. Aside from some comments that relate to items in previous episodes, our discussion focuses on the biblical motif of the “hand of the Lord” and “outstretched arm” of the Lord. Both expressions are part of the confrontation between Moses and Aaron and Egypt’s pharaoh. Both are also important motifs in Egyptian literature. That isn’t a coincidence.

The second half of Exodus 4 presents a series of chronological problems in relation to Moses’ movements to and from Sinai and Jethro’s home and, ultimately, the journey to Egypt. The section includes the bizarre episode in verses 24-26 where God sought to kill Moses. Why was God angry? How does the circumcision of Moses’ son fix the problem? What does it mean that Moses’ wife, Zipporah, touched the foreskin of her son to Moses’ feet? This episode of the podcast unravels all these questions.

Exodus 4:1-17 continues Moses’ conversation with God at the burning bush after the revelation of the divine name. It is marked by Moses’ unwillingness to do what God has tasked him to do. This episode covers God’s compassionate responses to Moses and also his anger when Moses refuses the job. The conversation takes us into supernatural sign acts, Egyptian magic, and the concession by God of bringing Aaron (and the Aaronic priesthood) into his plan for Israel.

Exodus 3:13-14 are two of the most familiar verses in the Old Testament: “Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”  God reveals his name here in the first person (ehyeh – I AM), but most of the time the Old Testament has the divine name in the third person (Yahweh). Biblical names typically have meanings, so what is the meaning of this name for God? People can go up to my website for a detailed discussion of this. I favor the second view: “I am he who causes to be all that is,” arguing for a hiphil, a causative, vocalization of the verbal name phrase. Also a youtube video I created.  

Dive into the fascinating connections between Cain, the Kenites, and the Watchers in ancient texts. Discover how a literate Jew might interpret the biblical linkage and the deeper implications of Cain as the archetypal murderer. Learn how the teachings of the Watchers contributed to the spread of violence and the development of civilization under Cain's lineage. The discussion evolves into how God’s restoration plans involve the seemingly unlikely Kenites, paving a path to messianic hope. Unravel the theological reversals revealed through genealogies and their significance.

Exodus 3:1 puts Moses in Midian, a land that, as we saw in Part 1, is closely tied to occupants known as Kenites. The Kenites, in fact, overlap in biblical thought with the Midianites (Judg 1:16; 4:11). Midian is also connected with the idea that Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to his land “from the South,” where “South” is defined as Edom, Teman, Paran, and Midian (Hab 3:3-7; Deut 33:1-2; Judg 5:4-5). It is for this reason (and some archaeological data) that many scholars and archaeologists believe that the Kenites / Midianites transmitted the knowledge of Yahweh to Moses (and, hence, Israel). This episode explores the coherence of this idea.

This episode focuses on Exod 3:1 (“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God”) and how the place names (Horeb, Midian, “mountain of God”) might possibly dovetail with traditions about Yahweh “coming from the South” (from Teman, Paran, Edom, Seir) in other passages (Deut 33:2; Hab 3:3-7; Judg 5:4-5). Biblical critics have used the apparently contradictory nature of these passages to argue for biblical inconsistency with sources and that Yahweh worship did not originate with the Israelites. Others who have rejected the traditional location of Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa in the “V” of the Sinai Peninsula) in favor of Jebel al-Lawz in Midian have ignored or missed these passages.