"If It Wasn't For The Women"

Exodus 1:15-22; 2:1-10; 3:1-22; 4:24-26

Confession... The truth of the matter is that when I include a video clip on my blog, I intend to incorporate it within the content of the post.  This time, however, I don't think that is going to be the case.  But it's early and I'm open to the spirit, so who knows, S/HE might just give me something that will connect the dots.  In the meantime, do like I did and just sit back and enjoy the song.

Now, if I have said it once, I've said a thousand times, that Moses is one of my favorite characters in the bible.  I mean I could stay on Moses for months and still have much in the way of material to teach and preach about.  As much as we know and revere him as the great liberator of the Israelite people, we must also know him as the incredibly flawed, insecure, temperamental and reluctant messenger of God.  The beauty of the dichotomy of Moses is that when he is at his greatest, it is God indeed, but at his most vulnerable and weakest moments, he is wholly human.  It is therefore his humanity that brings me to this post.

From the outset, before we are introduced to Moses, we are introduced to members of the supporting cast in this epic saga.  They are the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah (1:15).  Pharaoh, recognizing that his tactics in oppressing the Israelite people did not work, but actually backfired on him as their numbers multiplied as the oppression intensified, decided to ratchet things up a bit by instructing the midwives to kill all the boy babies borne to the Hebrew women (v. 16).  The text tells us that because the women "feared God, they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live" (v. 17).  This is the first time women are identified as playing a major role not only in the life of the Hebrew people, but more specifically in the survival and life of Moses.  

If you have been following and I know you have, then you know that the mere presence of these two women's names is in itself an indicator of their importance.  Most women in the bible are identified as some man's mother or some father's daughter.  Rarely do they stand independently - unless, however, they are being made an example of, or used to establish a point of "acceptable" or "unacceptable" behavior as it relates to women.  But in this instance, the women are named, and for their selfless and courageous act of sparing the life of the Hebrew boys - thus saving the nation - they are blessed by God with their own families.  Don't ask me how that happened with them working for Pharaoh, but okay...

Next on the list of women who actively got involved in the life of Moses was Pharaoh's own daughter.  She by the way remains nameless, but who, while bathing in the river Nile, spots a basket nestled against the "reeds on the bank of the river" and instructs her attendants to bring the basket to her.  Keeping watch at a distance is Moses sister, whose name we later learn is Miriam.  As Pharaoh's daughter looks inside the basket and finds the child, and while she starts getting all goo goo ga ga over the child, Moses' sister leaps into action and offers to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for her.  Not surprisingly, she goes after her mother to fill in as "surrogate."  Graciously, Pharaoh's daughter offers to the Hebrew woman - Moses' mother - payment to nurse the child.  How clever is that?  After the child is properly nursed, he is then taken back to Pharaoh's daughter where "she took him as her son and named him "Moses,"  "Mosheh" in Hebrew which means, "The one who draws out (2:1-10).  Okay, because I know you all are now reading with new lenses, I shouldn't have to point out the adoption and surrogate motifs here.  And of course, coming out of the black woman's cotton patch version, we are reminded of the many instances of the enslaved African women nursing and caring for the babies of the master's wife, often times to the detriment of their own.

Lastly, but certainly not least of these is the first Wonder Woman, Zipporah, the Midianite daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, that Moses takes as his wife.  After Moses' encounter with God at the suspicious burning bush, and given his instructions to go back to Egypt to "Tell ole Pharaoh to let my people go," he sets out to do just that.  On the way, God meets him and tries to kill him...  Yep, I'm asking the same question; What the hell?  But never fear, Zipporah, the priest, is here!  Ah ha!  Put a pin there...  But faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a pissed off bull, and with precision that would make the most skilled diamond cutters green with envy, she leaps into action with a "flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, and said, 'Truly you are a bride groom of blood to me!  So [God] let him alone" (4:24, 26a)...  Whoa Lawd...  "How do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be.  The sweet love story that is older than the sea.  The simple truth about the love she brings to me.  Where do I start?" LOL...  Sorry, sorry, sorry...  I couldn't help it - I couldn't.  Okay, I'm back, but, ummm, yeah...  

First, it is uncertain as to who is at risk of this unprovoked attack - Moses or his son.  And if we're not sure of who's at risk, are we sure about whose penis it was that was - ummm - unceremoniously circumcised as in the Hebrew tradition or in this instance, whose foreskin was 'cut off?'  Huh?  Okay, where's that pin?  Take it out...  As the daughter of a priest, Zipporah, by birth, is also a priest and may have been familiar and acquainted with ritual procedures.  Thank God!  Also noteworthy is that "feet" is a common biblical euphemism for genitals.  Now whether it was Moses' son or Moses, the text is clear - someone's genitals got messed with - an act reserved for those endowed with priestly status.  And, because they did, "[God] let him alone."  So, once again, the likely deduction gleaned from the text is that if it wasn't for the women, there may never have been a Moses or this so-called great exodus out of bondage.  More appropriately, a great physical and spiritual movement.      

The inclusion of these posits of women could point to a distinct female tradition that existed alongside the preferred and more carefully preserved male-centered tradition.  That is not to say that women and women alone are more likely to lift up the lives of women and domestic characteristics such as childbirth, but suffice it to say that the "telling" of these stories raise more questions than they answer.  So whether we read the narrative of Moses literally or metaphorically, he wouldn't be who he is to us today, if it wasn't for the women.
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2011

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!

"Here I AM"

Exodus 3

"If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors 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.'  He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'  God also said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you:'  'This is my name forever, and this is my title for all generations'" (Exodus 3:13-15).

In January 2008, multi-talented, artist, and member of the hip-hop group, Black Eyed Peas, William James Adams Jr., aka "Will-i-am," wrote a song in support of then Presidential candidate, Barak Obama, entitled, "Yes We Can."  The song was a very inspiring tribute to a movement lead by an equally inspiring candidate.  Before that, the division of Mr. Adams' name caught my imagination first.  Not withstanding his brilliance, I believe he's on to something much larger than we may suspect.  I, like many others, sat in complete amazement as this country - for a moment - rose to "the better angels of our nature" and voted, in record numbers, for this country's first African American President.  Two years have passed since that historical election and yes, a lot has changed.  Right, wrong or indifferent, President Obama represents a long line of men and women who, like the Moses figure in the Hebrew scriptures, have been called during extraordinary times and who rose, sometimes reluctantly, to a level of greatness under some pretty $h!tty circumstances.

Under the leadership and watchful eye of Joseph, Israel had prospered and greatly multiplied their numbers.  But a new Pharaoh was now on the throne and as I mentioned in the last post, he didn't give a rat's @$$ about Joseph and all that he had done for Egypt.  Consequently, the Israelites are enslaved and oppressed miserably.  The writers of the text informs us that Pharaoh, fearing the powerful Israelites, ordered all Egyptians, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews, you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live (Exodus 1:22).  That introduces us to the circumstances surrounding the birth and early life of Moses.  Presumably, like the other Hebrew boys, Moses is sent down, or rather up the Nile river and is rescued by Pharaoh's daughter.  Ironically, not much interest is ever paid to Moses' early development in the lap of luxury.  Between chapters 2 and 3, we see an older Moses, strong enough to kill a man and flee Egypt to escape punishment.  We read about him marrying and having a son (that's another post of its own).  Our hearts are warmed by the image of him keeping his sheep.  And Finally, we stand in awe with him as he is confronted with that suspicious burning bush where he gets his great commission from God to go back to Egypt and to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.

Here's where we learn about the great I AM.  Up to this point, we have come to know God by many names - YHWH (Yahweh),  Elohim, El Roi and El Shaddai just to name a few.  But now, God is, "I AM what I AM;" "I AM that I AM, or I AM what I will be!"  God self-identifies in a very personal way to Moses - a man who arguably knows little of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.    For one of the most profoundly important narratives in the Hebrew scriptures, in fact, in the entire Christian bible, God calls on an unlikely, and severely flawed character to go back to Egypt and liberate an enslaved people and in the process, becomes a real and tangible force in the lives of the Israelite people.  S/HE does so, it seems, by transferring elements of divine power onto the chosen one, creating an almost seamless morphing of sorts with Moses, and vice versa.  Thus, Moses and God become one - "I AM what I AM!  I AM what I will be!"  After all, this story is to be told throughout the ages to Hebrew children and grandchildren for generations to come, how "With a strong hand, the LORD brought you out of Egypt" - not Moses (Exodus13:9c). 

What am I saying here?  That in every circumstance and in every situation, God rarely calls us in times of "comfort and convenience, rather, in moments of challenge and controversy."  The response to that, for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the ultimate measure of a man.  For Abraham Lincoln, it was the final sentiment of his first inaugural speech challenging a nation to rise to "the better angels of our nature."  S/HE reaches for those among us who like President John F. Kennedy heeded the call and instructed us to "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."  Or as legend goes about Harriet Tubman - that woman called Moses - armed with a bible in one hand and a Smith & Wesson in the other, warning enslaved Africans she encountered on the way up north, something along the lines of, "Ya can go wid me a' try freedom or die a slave tonight."  And finally, standing at the podium with one foot on an oil spill and the other on the edge of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression is President Barak Obama - massaging the heart of a fearful, and yet hopeful nation - telling us without pause or hesitation, "Yes We Can!"

God calls us "o'er the tumults of life's wild restless seas..."  S/HE calls us in our own time, and at the appointed hour of our own season, to go and "Tell Pharaoh to let my people go!"  Though the task is great, the answer is simple; LORD; "Here I AM!  Send me!"

© Dorinda G. Henry, 2011

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!

"Journey To The Promised Land"

Exodus 1-13

"When Israel was in Egypt land;

Let My People Go!

Oppressed so hard, they could not stand;

Let My People Go!

Go Down, Moses, way down in Egypt land;

Tell ole Pharaoh, to let my people go!"

Here we are back to the place where we started from.  For obvious reasons, I took a detour to be present in the moment of the holiday season.  While I'm sure it is hard for many of you to believe that I am indeed a Christian, it's true - I am.  And although I'm sure many of you would also find it hard to believe that I am a bit traditional when it comes my faith walk, that too is also true...  But read me carefully; I said, "traditional," not conservative.  Certainly not narrow in my focus or my approach to encountering the Divine in all of its manifestations.  So yes, I am moved when the sacred text records King David as writing, "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8a).  I like that!  That's good stuff!  And since I like to believe that I have a rather sophisticated and discriminating palate, delighting in a plethora of cuisines, it should be no surprise that I enjoy the adventure of the journey.  I get excited about the many routes the journey may take us.  I look forward to the high peaks and yes, even the valley lows.  For without them, we are just church playing, bible thumping, pseudo believers, who are probably engaged in and/or are members of what a former professor of mine so aptly characterized as a personality cult.  Although I hate to say it, that too is one of the routes on the journey that many of us must take in order to get to the promised land.  Which just so happens to be the subject of this post.

As you know, we are reading Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg.  We have gotten through Genesis and are now into the book of Exodus.  Yes, I know I've missed posting on some of the most exciting and controversial chapters and characters of the bible, but how many times do you all need to hear about the mysterious disappearance of Ishmael and the even more mysterious re-appearance of Isaac where Ishmael was said to be?  How many times do you all need to hear about Esau being swindled and cheated out of his birthright and his blessing by a conniving "co-mother," Rebekah and her son, his brother, Jacob - who we have also come to know as Israel?  Indeed I lament not posting about the rape of Dinah, and two of her brother's plot to avenge her honor by tricking the assailant and his fellow brethren into circumcising themselves and then killing them while they were recovering from it.  Yikes!

Then there's the epic tale of Joseph, the dream-weaver and his [rainbow] coat of many colors ;) ;) - who is thrown into a pit by his brothers, sold into servitude to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, "where he found favor in his sight and attended him..."  Whew... Umph, umph, umph...  Though my mouth is watering over this, I'm gonna leave that alone.  After that, he is allegedly sexually harassed by Potiphar's wife, and thrown into a dungeon.  But, after revealing the meaning of Pharaoh's dreams foretelling famine, he finds favor with Pharaoh.  He rises to a place of honor and a seat of power, second only to Pharaoh, saves Egypt and consequently his own family; And, just when you thought it was all over, he is summoned by his father, Jacob aka Israel, to come and put his hand under his thigh to make a promise that he will not bury him in Egypt.  Uh, Umph...  Lawd hammercy ya'll...  I don't think I can walk away from this one...  "Put your hand under my thigh!"  What?  Wait a minute now...  Okay, okay, OK!  But trust and believe, I am going to come back to this epic tale - I must, I really must!  Anyhue, moving right along.  Eventually, Joseph dies and like his father, he too makes his brothers swear that they will not bury him in Egypt.  He didn't require them to put their hands under his thigh though...  Jeez Louise...  I'm jes saying.

Joseph's death brings us right into Exodus.  In fact the first 13 chapters of Exodus is about the birth of Moses, his time in Egypt, his encounter with the Sacred through a burning bush, and the great commission to go back to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.  God had heard the misery of the Israelites who, due to their increased numbers - and the fact that there was now a new Pharaoh, who didn't give a rat's @$$ about Joseph and all that he had done for Egypt - were now slaves under the oppressive yoke of Pharaoh.  This is the story of Israel.  It is how they got over.  This story is told time and time again, for all generations to come.  It is the moment in the history of the Jews where YHWH (Yahweh) stepped in, remembered the promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, aka Israel, and thought it was high time that S/HE made good on that promise.  

This is also a very critical narrative in the lives of African Americans.  As a people, the Exodus narrative and the relationship developed between Moses and God throughout the telling of the Exodus story is reminiscent of the enslaved African's plight under the yoke of a contemporary Pharaoh - America and the institution of chattel slavery.  Like the Israelites, the enslaved Africans looked and hoped for their very own "Moses" - the one that would come to deliver them from physical bondage.  That is why every time there arise from the shadows of our collective whole, one that appears to have an extraordinary desire and gift to speak of freedom from the oppressive systems of power, privilege and principalities, and then acts with deliberate intent and speed to bring about the very freedoms they speak of both individually and collectively, that we affectionately refer to them as our "Moses."  

We don't know for sure if there ever was a great exodus out of Egypt, but we do know that here in America, there was a people, enslaved - a people "oppressed so hard they could not stand," a people beaten, raped, hunted down like dogs, and lynched with impunity.  There was a people, who worked in the blistering heat in tobacco fields - a people that picked and chopped cotton from sun up to sun down, all the while bearing the lash of the taskmasters whip.  There was a people who cried out to the Lord to send a deliverer who would come and "Tell ole Pharaoh to let my people go."  Indeed there was a people who waited and in many ways, are still waiting for the deliverer who will move us on through the next phase of the journey toward the promised land - where we may all be free - free from all forms of oppression and discrimination, where we can worship God how we damn well please.  There was a people, there is a people.  We are the people, who will get to the promised land.  RIZE UP and BE FREE!

"Your foes shall not before you stand;

Let my people go!

And you'll possess fair Canaan's land;

Let my people go!

Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land;

Tell ole Pharaoh, to let my people go!"    
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2011

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!

"When Morning Comes"

"We  will return to our regular scheduled program later in the week, but first, a word from our sponsor..."

Hello...  Rev. Henry here; I just wanted to stop in to share a few thoughts with you.  Admittedly after the holidays, I'm more than a little worn out, so this post is going to be short and sweet - or quick and dirty, whichever one suits your fancy.  If what I've heard from a couple of my readers is true, it will be a nice break from my other "long winded" postings.  To that I say, "Whatever!  I'm a writer - and writers write so >:p~ on you!"  But seriously, 2010 has come and gone.  It was a very interesting year to say the least.  I experienced some very high highs and some very low lows.  I've gained and lost friends and in a couple of instances, the friends I gained were the same friends I lost - thankfully not to death, but certainly as a friend no more.  But as the song goes, "Time is filled with swift transition."  And while those losses may not have been due to physical deaths, they are nevertheless "deaths" of another kind.

In my experiences, I have found that it is often times necessary for God to shut, bolt and lock the door on people, situations and relationships in order for me to move in the direction and onto the path S/HE has for me.  I don't recommend this level of stubbornness, because its companions are distress, frustration, hurt, disappointment, disrespect, depression and anger.  All of which have the potential to cause life threatening diseases.  Therefore, I come to this post as one who has decided to live, and to live, love and laugh abundantly.  So, if you find this post causing you to yawn a little, I understand...  Really I do, but hear me as I say this in the best Clark Gable voice this bald-headed, black woman in Atlanta, Georgia could muster up - "Frankly my dear; I don't give a damn."  Because through it all, and in spite of the ups and downs, the ins and outs - through all of the wasted time of sitting in and watching contrived exhibitions of Christian piety, the tomfoolery and buffoonery, God has been good to me.  And, as a faithful woman, I believe we have to go through some tough times to enjoy the good times - that we have to wade in some dirty, stale, stank, and funky waters to get to the other side - to get to freedom.  We may not always understand, or see "what the end is g'on be," but we have to run on to the end and trust that God knows what's best for us.

As I say goodbye and goodnight to 2010, and to the many "deaths" I've experienced, I am comforted in knowing that when morning comes, it brings with it the dawning of a new day, new possibilities, new friendships, new situations, new relationships and new opportunities to get it right, to say it right, to do it right.  Gone are the proverbial shackles on my feet that held me in a state of  perpetual bondage.  I's free now!  And like Harriet Tubman, I'm g'on see how many mo' slaves I's can help get free. 

© Dorinda G. Henry, 2011

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!