Some time ago, we reflected on the role of the prophetic word, and I urged us to be careful what we say in God’s name. For Moses seemed to have taken the conversation with YHWH and transformed it into information that we had not been privy to. Well, Moses was justified in his statement, because he did have such a conversation with God. We only gain access to the conversation after the fact. So, as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat, let’s hear what God said and see what lessons we glean from it.
Exodus 16:11-12 CEVDCI
[11] The Lord said to Moses,
[12] “I have heard my people complain. Now tell them that each evening they will have meat and each morning they will have more than enough bread. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
Vindication
It was almost verbatim.
Some concepts appear in a different order, but Moses’ words in verse 8 match our Nougat perfectly (save for his comment about nobodies). See what you think:
Exodus 16:8 CEVDCI
Then Moses continued, “You will know it is the Lord when he gives you meat each evening and more than enough bread each morning. He is really the one you are complaining about, not us—we are nobodies—but the Lord has heard your complaints.”
Whereas YHWH begins with hearing the people’s complaint, Moses began with recognising YHWH through the provision of meat and bread. They both refer to the nature of God’s provision as the defining statement – this is the essence of the responses. Then Moses concluded where YHWH began – with a comment about the complaints. On the whole, they are the same. The difference of course, is the speaker, for the intended audience – the Children of Israel- is the same.
It begs the question, Why did Moses seem to preempt God’s comment to the people and is the order of the response important? The conundrum doesn’t seem to gain priority for the scholars I’ve consulted, so you might concur with them that it’s not very critical. Yet, we live in an era beset by prophetic words – fake and real – so it seems important that we reflect on those two concerns.
It could be a simple matter of transcription, those who wrote under inspiration placed YHWH’s words after Moses spoke. If so, it might be related to the text being ‘Redacted’ and/or ‘Interpolated’ by the various contributors to the text.
Scholars believe that four groups contextualised the Torah for their eras and audiences. They (obviously) had different foci, but instead of deleting words from the saved text, they added bits or emphasised parts as needed. So redaction was not reducing, it was shifting emphasis by adding more detail. And interpolation was the inclusion of extra, seemingly unrelated material.
But YHWH’s comment is not unrelated. In fact, one could see it as part of the revealed glory when the sunburst appeared to the Children of Israel. Perhaps it was ensuring that readers associated hearing God with the revelation of God’s glory.
Whatever their reasons, we see God vindicating Moses by ‘echoing’ what Moses said regarding complaints and the provision of needs. Additionally, some days ago, we noted Y’shua’s reference to the importance of the testimony of two witnesses. There, He noted that the Father (YHWH) bore witness to Y’shua’s testimony. This suggests therefore, that YHWH validated Y’shua’s testimony, thus vindicating Him. I suggest that YHWH’s statement after Moses’ prophecy validated what Moses and Aaron said.
It follows then, that YHWH began with an acknowledgement of the people’s complaint. YHWH needed them to understand that whether intentional or not, the complaint to and against Moses and Aaron was a direct complaint against YHWH. That, was YHWH’s priority, as they would soon learn that every sin or action in opposition to God carries consequences. Thereafter, YHWH shared about the proof they needed, and what the proof would look like.
The lessons for us: ensure that the prophetic is validated by God’s Spirit or God’s word. Moreover, be very careful about what we say when we complain or comment about God’s servant. Remember that there’s the instruction for judging tongues to be condemned in Isaiah 54:17. That includes us against others as well as ourselves.
Self-Check
How often do we require proof from YHWH regarding YHWH’s capacity to provide for our needs?
Point to Ponder
Was it validation, vindication, or redaction that resulted in YHWH’s quote following Moses’?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
