In The Song of the Sea, Exodus 15:1-18, Moses and the Israelites praise God as both protector of his people and punisher of those who do not follow the words of the Lord. The song tells a story of the omnipotent force and marvelous power of God in the destruction of the Egyptians, who did not obey the Lord of the Israelite. In Exodus 15: 4 Moses says, “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea”. Egypt was a strong and powerful empire, however the might of mankind’s weapons stood no chance to the might of God, who created man and the sea he vanquished Pharaohs men to drown in. This line illustrates the violence and wrath that can ascend upon those who disobey God and …show more content…
In lines 3 and 6 Moses describes God as “a warrior” and “majestic in power” illustrating a force beyond the natural powers of man, that controls all and violently punishes opposition. This song also personifies God as a being, which is all-powerful, yet mirrors the emotions of man. In line 7, Moses depicts God by stating, “You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble”. Here Moses is referring to the wrath of God being unleashed among the Egyptians, evoking images of fire and power by using words such as “burning” and “consumed”. These descriptors add to the dramatic imagery by reinforcing the power that the Lord has over all men, regardless of the power one man, the Pharaoh, might posses on …show more content…
Moses states, “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established”. This line hints to the Gods establishment of Jerusalem as the holy city for which he will plant his creations to thrive and follow his teachings. The mountain may be a reference to the cosmic mountain for which Jerusalem was built upon to be closer to God. Line 17 further suggests the generosity of the divine by providing his followers a safe and fruitful life within the holy city. By using the word “plant” this song evokes imagery of a natural phenomena where God is the gardener and the earth is his garden. His followers are the flowers and those he punished are the weeds that must be removed from the
All of this is brought to the reader by an abundant use of figurative language throughout the song. For Instance, the scaffold the man is standing on symbolizes his position in life (he is scared and wants to escape. In the third stanza, after describing the problems with his world and how he prays, he curses the windstorms. This is actually a metaphor for his mental confusion and despair. In the next stanza, the prestige of the boardroom is made evident by the allusion of it towards a pharoahs tomb. We know in the end that he has pulled it all together when he calls his “crystal clear canvas” (the windows) a “masterpiece” . He has given value to his work and thus, value to his life.
In the book “The Art of Biblical Narrative” by Robert Alter, there is one chapter (Chapter 3) titled “Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention” (Alter 47). Alter describes several different stories (but similar in some ways) in the Old Testament that can be difficult to interpret in today’s culture. Alter describes how reading any book (more specifically the Bible), requires use of conventions, which he describes as “… an elaborate set of tacit agreements between artist and audience about the ordering of the art work is at all times the enabling context in which the complex communication of art occurs” (Alter 47). In other words, an agreement of how the writing is done; it can be pretty complex as well. He states that there are stories in the Bible that have the same stories of narrative, but there are different characters, they often are told several times in the Bible. Alter uses several of examples, like how patriarch is driven by famine; or where someone is found and is invited to eat with them, or a betrothal (engagement) near a well/body
Like Odysseus, Moses was at one with the gods. In Moses' case it was only
Many different symbols were utilized in Kate Chopin's The Awakening to illustrate the underlying themes and internal conflict of the characters. One constant and re-emerging symbol is the sea.
Moses' journey begins in Egypt. This is a land where the Pharaoh has ultimate control and power over the people. Campbell refers to this greedy, egocentric, possessive leader as the tyrant. At this time, Egypt is noticing a huge increase in the number of Hebrew slaves (Exodus 1:9). In order to maintain possession of the land, Pharaoh must stifle the future threat that the increasing population of Israelites represent. To do this he orders the first born son of every Hebrew to be thrown into the Nile. However, baby Moses floats to the Pharaoh's daughter and Moses is raised as an Egyptian prince. He grows up different than any other Hebrew. He learns how to become soldier for his Pharaoh, but something is always troubling him. One day Moses sees an Egyptian striking a Hebrew slave and Moses intervenes and kills the Egyptian (Exodus 2:12). The next day he sees two Hebrews struggling, and tries to intervene, but he discovers that his murder of yesterday is known. This conflict symbolizes what Campbell says is the "call t...
Throughout her novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses symbolism and imagery to portray the main character's emergence into a state of spiritual awareness. The image that appears the most throughout the novel is that of the sea. “Chopin uses the sea to symbolize freedom, freedom from others and freedom to be one's self” (Martin 58). The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, wants that freedom, and with images of the sea, Chopin shows Edna's awakening desire to be free and her ultimate achievement of that freedom.
Not everyone knows there true identity yet, we go through a series of life tests and have to go searching for ourselves for who we really are and our purpose in life. In the book Song of the Solomon, by Toni Morrison she tells a story of a man by the name of Macon Dead III, also known as Milkman. This character has been sheltered his whole life by his mother and father, in results from being sheltered, he tends to take on ways of his father which are the following: being caught up in materialistic values, arrogance, and utilization of women. Milkman does not have a sense of direction nor does he know any other family members but his sister, mother, father, and Aunt Pilate whom his father forbids him to see. This character shows he has no identity because he has no morals and has a lack of ancestry which cause him to have a sense of rootlessness.
They were set apart; they had no earthly king and their history was one filled with miracles and impossible victories. Yet Israel’s people were still human; their failures were nearly equal to their victories and their frequent disobedience towards God had cost them greatly. They were hardly a unified nation, and despite a history rich in God’s provision, they were rebellious.
Herbert reveals this reference very early in the poem: "I did towards Canaan draw, but now I am/Brought back to the Red Sea, the sea of shame." Herbert suggests that the traditional teaching of Christendom, namely that the march of the Jews through the desert, their endless back-turnings, complaints and lapses, are mirrors of the personal life of Christianity. But where's the cluster? Where's the taste/of mine inheritance?" The significance of the "cluster of grapes" is that they were brought back to show the Israelites the promise of the Promised Land, but were rejected by the Israelites shortly thereafter, upon hearing that they would "not be able to go up against the people; for they are stronger" (Numbers, Ch.13 Line 31) than them.
Exodus 1-15 in the Old Testament is the story of Moses’ journey with his people, the Israelites, as they use God’s power to leave the land of Egypt and return to Israel. The story is also significant because of the argument it presents for people experiencing oppression and how to liberate themselves from their vicious subjugators. What Exodus 1-15 argues is that violent means are necessary in order for one to become emancipated. Furthermore, the story also argues that fear accompanied by vengeful violence will lead the Israelites and other oppressed groups to freedom.
Like no other prophet before him, Moses was “a vessel for displaying God 's awesome powers…” (Jen Saunders, "What Significance Does Moses Have to the Hebrew People?") This not only allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt, but protected them along their way to a new land and cemented their faith in G-d. His most notable act was the ten plagues. G-d channeled his divine powers into Moses’s human vessel and made him turn the Nile into blood, let frogs, bugs, wild animals and locusts overrun Egypt, give disease to their livestock, riddle the people with boils, strike down a thunderstorm of hail and fire, bury them in darkness, and kill off every nonbelievers first born. (Chabad, “The Ten Plagues”) This certainly put the fear of G-d into the Egyptians. His next big act would be splitting the Red Sea. With the raise of Moses’s staff, G-d allowed him to part the sea, protecting the Hebrews of the advancing Egyptian army. Instances like this occurred, just enough for the Hebrews to reinforce their belief in the one and only, to praise no other and to follow the rules of no other. Through demonstrations, such as striking water out of a rock, Moses was the catalyst for Hebrews to accept their G-d. He was able to captivate a people into a zealous belief that lasted for many years to
Moses, the man upon whom God built the nation of Israel, brought his people out of the land of Egypt. By God’s power, he divided the waters of the Red Sea. By God’s power, summoned manna in the wilderness. By God’s power, he led the Israelites despite their obstinate attitudes. He is a greatly respected patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike. But, imagine his legacy to be non-existent. Imagine that he died under the will of the God who sent him. Exodus 4:24-26 is brief story that nearly describes such a scenario. This exegetical study will partake in an attempt to better understand Exodus 4:24-26 through examining its historical and literary context and looking into the scholarly opinions about the topic. The proposal this paper will make is that God is in control of everything. Though He had just called Moses to rescue the nation of Israel, He shows Moses and family his complete sovereignty.
There are many themes running through the Old Testament myth of Exodus – slavery, rescue and redemption, guidance, commandments on how to live, the creation of a nation, and God’s power over other gods. In this paper I will explore what appears to be the chief reasoning behind the creation of the Exodus myth – the explanation of the creation of a monotheistic religion and the similarities of the Exodus myth to the ancient myths, as well as how one should approach the reading of the myth.
... people. It also shows the dependence of people on God. Moses was a man of courage who sought to see the face of the God. He received the laws of the lord and made sacrifices for them when they sinned. Moses acted as a mediator between Yahweh and his people (Woolfe).
Once God freed the Israelites, they disobey him and created a false god called the "golden calf". In Exodus 32-33, explains how God was angry with the people for worshipping other gods and upset with Aaron for creating the golden calf. The Lord provided Moses with the Ten Commandments, which the covenant with Moses and the Israel was made.