Going West

More than a few sermons, books and Sunday School lessons have been based on the Jordan crossing of the Children of Israel. Although most of them have contained valuable concepts and great lessons, a few questions have sprung to my mind over the years.

How strange and terrifying must it have been for those Canaanites who lived north of the Jordan crossing, when Joshua first lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land? What, I wonder, went through their minds as they watched the waters of the Jordan flood their fields and homes for days as, perhaps unknown to them, a million Hebrews were going over.

As for those living south of the crossing, how horrified would they have been to see the waters of Jordan swiftly wane and  trickle to nothing for no apparent reason? Did they fear that somehow the water had been dammed off or the rains on the Mountains of Hermon had simply stopped? Did they think that some curse of their gods had taken from them the blessing of the always reliable Jordan River?

They must have known, had to have known, that the Hebrews were sojourning east of the Jordan. But could they even guess that their plan, for forty years, was to cross over and settle the already inhabited land of Canaan? Did they see or, at least, hear the teaming thousands as Joshua lead them across the now dry river bottom?

As for those heathen on the east side, who had watched in awe for decades as the cloud by day and fire by night lead the twelve tribes around the wilderness, to see it suddenly turn west, did they also see the mass of dust kicked up by a million pairs of feet moving away from them? Would they have even began to understand what was about to happen?  Were they presumptuous enough to think that that was a good thing?

How about those on the west side of Jordan? Did they see the people? Did they hear the noise? Did they comprehend exactly what was coming? Did they realize how much trouble they were in?

For its current residents, it must have been a sight to behold to witness this mass, not exodus, but mass penetration into a land where they themselves had lived for centuries. Did they realize just how dangerous things were about to get for them? Did they feel save because the Hebrews seemed like Lilliputians to them? Did they feel safe in their walled cities? Well, we all know how that ultimately worked out for them.

What about those who actually observed the crossing? What did they think when they saw the waters of the Jordan river wall up on the north side and deplete on the south? What did they think as that wall of water grew taller and taller and broader and broader? What could they have thought as they saw a million Hebrews march across the, albeit narrow, dry river basin? What might they have thought as they even saw them take the time to build an alter of stones in the middle of the now thirsty river bed? One can only imagine their shock and awe, amazement and befuddlement!

It all must have been a breathtaking sight, indeed. No doubt so, but I can only assume that while the ground may have been dry under the feet of the children of Israel crossing Jordan, it would definitely have been wet under the feet of the pagans fearfully observing this, for them, disheartening spectacle!

"Oops!"

My brilliant daughter never ceases to amaze me. She is insightful, wise, articulate and, I'm proud to say, spiritual. (I say this, of course, without any prejudice whatsoever.)

We were watching movies that dealt with the Passover this past week and were enjoying the 1956 version of "The Ten Commandments." I had just bought the fifty-year commemorative three-disk set. My darling daughter had never seen the movie, so it was a big thrill for me to share it with her.

Now, if you've seen the movie and remember the story, it seems that Moses, Charleton Heston, had tarried too long on Mt. Sainah and the people were restless, unruly and had given up hope, even to the point of coercing Aaron, John Carradine, into building an idol of gold for them to worship...a golden calf.

So, Moses, after receiving the Ten Commandments, is walking down the mount where he meets Joshua, John Derek. They hear a noise in the camp which Joshua incorrectly interprets as that of battle. Moses, on the other hand, knew it to be only the sound of singing.

In true C.B. DeMille form, Moses steps out on a pedestal of stone, an outcrop, with a looming and dark sky at his back, to look down upon the children of Israel with a look so cold it would freeze water. For the moment, the people continued their party, not even noticing the old man on the mountain. Then Joshua, who had joined Moses on the precipice, blew his trumpet.

Suddenly, at this point, everything in the film, just for the slightest instant, went quiet. The people all turned from their wickedness and silliness to stare, mouths agape, at Moses gazing down at them. That's when the scene stopped. There they were, caught in their sin. Here's where my baby girl showed her genius.

I was sitting on the couch next to my daughter, enjoying the drama of the moment. That's when it happened. I heard my little girl say something so profound, the brilliance of it almost, almost passed me.

"Oops!," she said. Then, we laughed until we cried.

Now, I can only imagine that other words and phrases less suitable for genteel company went through their minds. Still, they knew that they were busted and they knew it was now, so to speak, the end of their ends.

The old adage goes, brevity is the soul of wit. Sometimes, understatement is the soul of genius.

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Exodus 32
1And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.

6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

7And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

18And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.