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The first Bible study in Marah!

글쓴이 : 관리자

What are the two lessons taught to the Israelites?

The Israelites left Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month which was right after the Passover.

They started crossing the Red Sea from the night of the twenty-first day of the first month. It was the following dawn that they witnessed how their crossing of Red Sea marked the redemption for the Israelites and the judgment for the Egyptian troops (Exo 14:24, 27). According to the calendar with today’s concept of one day, this day falls on the dawn of the twenty-first day of the first month.

Also, since the Israelites came to Marah after the three-day journey through the desert of Shur, the date of arrival at Marah was the twenty-fourth day of the first month, which was Saturday. According to Jewish time, however, a day starts from 6 PM of the previous day and ends at 6 PM of the following day. In other words, a night of the twenty-first day of the first month according to Jewish time is actually the night of the twentieth day of the first month in today’s calendar. Therefore, the dawn of the next day when the Israelites saw the Egyptian troops drown in the Red Sea becomes the twenty-first of the first month. Counting the three-day journey thereafter through the desert of Shur, we can see that Moses and Israelites came to Marah on Saturday (Sabbath Day), the twentyfourth day of the first month.

2. The first Bible study in Marah. What was the core message?

In Exodus 15:25, God taught the Israelites a decree and a law in Marah for the first time after the exodus. What were the decree and the law God gave to the Israelites after He satisfied them with sweet water when they were grumbling about the bitterness of the water of Marah?

3. What is the evidence for the fact that the two commandments taught in Marah are “observing the Sabbath” and “honoring one’s parents”?

A careful look at the Ten Commandments proclaimed in Deut 5:7 and thereafter will reveal that different expressions were used to proclaim the fourth and the fifth commandments. It is written, “...as the Lord your God has commanded you” (Deut 5:12, 16). This means that the fourth and the fifth commandments have already been taught before. Jewish literature Seder Olam and also the footnotes of Mekilta both provide the same explanation that God gave two commandments in Marah to observe the Sabbath and to honor one’s parents.

4. Why did God first teach them to “observe the Sabbath” and “honor one’s parents”?

Among the commandments between God and man (hoq), the most fundamental commandment is “to observe the Sabbath.” When we observe the Sabbath, only then we can serve God, not serve idols and not take the name of the Lord in vain. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 430 years, they had to follow the Egyptian calendar. The Egyptian calendar had ten days in a week and therefore three weeks in a month. It was impossible to observe the seven-day cycle which was the providence of God’s creation. God taught the Israelites to observe the Sabbath according to seven-day cycle which they have forgotten.

Among the ‘commandments between men’ (Mishpat), the primary commandment is “to honor one’s parents.” In Ephesians 6:2, it says, “Honor your father and mother- which is the first commandment with a promise.” Only when over two million Israelites honor their parents during the tough life in wilderness, could there be an order among them and possibility to educate people on the interpersonal relationships.

5. The Israelites passed the test after being taught on the decree and the law.

According to Deut 15:25, it says that God made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. The Israelites arrived in Marah on the twenty-fourth day of the first month and stayed until the next Sabbath which was the first day of the second month. Then they came to Elim on the second day of the second month. Although the distance from Marah to Elim is 10km and it takes only few hours to get there, they stayed in Marah for quite a period. This was to see whether they observe the Sabbath on the first day of the second month and whether they honor their parents well after finishing their first Bible study. Only after seeing them follow the Word, God allowed them to move to Elim. So, they arrived in Elim on the second day of the second month. Such records are also found in Jewish literature.

The Ten Commandments are the greatest commandments, that is, the head of all the laws. The Ten Commandments encapsulate the entire laws. God summarized the Ten Commandments into one decree and one law and taught them in Marah. After exodus, the first Bible study in Marah was on the fourth and the fifth commandment which were “to observe the Sabbath” and “to honor one’s parents.”

Reporter Ji Geun-wook

This article is a partial summary of the revised edition of the 7th book, “The Eternal Covenant for All Generations: The Ten Commandments” (written by Rev. Yoon-Sik Park, D.Min., D.D.)