“GOD WITH US” Part 1: Exodus Through the Lens of Trauma
- Richard Lawrence
- Mar 24
- 16 min read
Introduction & Background
Due to the length of this study it has been broken up into three blog posts or you can download a PDF version:
"God With Us" Part 1: Exodus Through the Lens of Trauma
Abstract
The Exodus narrative tells the story of the nation of Israel being delivered by God from a 400 year long Egyptian slavery and a subsequent 40 years of wandering as they moved toward the land that God promised them.
This God a establishes a unique “covenant” relationship with the nation in which He promises to care and provide for the them if they will only “Obey My voice and keep My covenant” (Exodus 19:3-8). The agreement was straight forward and yet as we read the Exodus narrative “obey” was the one thing that they seemed unable or unwilling to do (Psalm 81:11). The entire first generation, except for Caleb, Joshua and their families died ignobly in the wilderness.
This paper attempts to answer the “why” question of Israel’s failure by viewing it through the lens of trauma. It asserts that they experienced numerous life-threatening traumas which impacted their responsiveness to God and that the three elements of God’s presence, God’s Law and God’s Tabernacle may have been intended to function as means of addressing their traumas with healing and recovery.
“God with us” in the biblical narrative
Before our consideration of the Exodus narrative and its’ focus on the presence of God there is value in taking a high-altitude look at one of the overarching themes of the Bible. As a life-long student of the Bible I would argue that one of the major themes that runs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and Christian Scriptures (New Testament) is that of God dwelling with humanity. I see four instances of this recurring theme:
In the Garden of Eden
God creates the man and woman and places them in His own garden to cultivate and tend it. Reading the account in Genesis it seems as if walking and talking with God was a normal event for these two. And even after they partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil this relationship must have continued as we read,
Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8-10).
This passage suggests that they were accustomed to being in the presence of the creator God as He and they walked through the garden. They did however experience shame as a result of their disobedience. They are sent out of the garden and God sends as angel to keep them from also partaking from the tree of life.
In the Tabernacle
In Exodus 25:8 God tells Moses to “… construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.” Moses was shown detailed plans for its construction while on Mount Sinai in the presence of God (Exo. 25:9, 40 and 26:30) and told to follow the plan precisely.
In the Person and Work of Jesus
The Apostle John informs us that “the Word (Jesus) became flesh, and dwelt (Gr: tabernacled) among us,” (John 1:14). All of Jesus’ life, teaching and sacrifice were a grand fulfillment of “God with us.”
In Eternity
The Christian Scriptures close with the book of Revelation where God fully restores His Kingdom on this earth and declares “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.” (Revelation 21:3).
A Synopsis of the Exodus Story
The Exodus narrative and the structure of the tabernacle actually begin back in Genesis where we read,
Now the Lord said to Abram,
Go from your country,And from your relativesAnd from your father’s house,To the land which I will show you;And I will make you into a great nation,And I will bless you,And make your name great;And you shall be a blessing;And I will bless those who bless you,And the one who curses you I will curse.And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)
Only a few chapters later, during the actual confirmation ceremony of the agreement (covenant) between Abram and Yahweh He again speaks to Abram
Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the wrongdoing of the Amorite is not yet complete. (Genesis 15:13-16)
This same promise and prophecy were given to Abram’s son Issac (Genesis 26:1-4) and to Issac’s son Jacob (Genesis 28:13-14). It would have been common knowledge to their entire family as the stories were shared over the generations. Toward the end of Genesis, we are introduced to Jacob’s son Joseph who was hated by his eleven brothers and sold to an Egyptian family. Through a series of circumstances this son ends up in an Egyptian prison and eventually ascends to the second in command in Egypt itself. It is this Joseph who is used by God to save up grain in Egypt during seven years of plenty then sells it back to sustain lives during seven years of famine.
As we open up to the first chapter of Exodus, we discover that Joseph’s family has increased exponentially and over several generations the Egyptian pharaoh came to fear that in a time of war these “sons of Israel” might join Egypt’s enemies. The birth of the man Moses brings one of these very Israelites into the royal family where he is both accepted and educated. The adult Moses becomes concerned about the treatment of the Israelite’s and seeks to defend them. Eventually he is compelled to leave Egypt and spends the next 40 years as a shepherd in the land of Midian. Then at the age of 80 Moses returns to Egypt with a commission from Yahweh to bring Israel out of Egypt and to the land he promised them. Through Moses, and his brother Aaron, God brings a series of ten plagues upon Egypt trying to convince the pharaoh to release Israel from their bondage. He repeatedly refuses and Yahweh eventually judges the nation of Egypt and frees them.
The nation flees into the wilderness with the Egyptian army behind them. God’s positions a pillar of cloud/pillar of fire between Egypt and Israel to protect Israel while creating confusion among the Egyptians. God parts the Reed (Red) Sea so the nation can pass over and drowns the Egyptian army in that very sea. Thus begins a 40-year journey in which God “dwells” the nation of Israel and seeks to get them to simply trust Him. This experiment ends 40 years later with Israel’s abject failure and the eventual death of the first generation in the wilderness.
It is easy to look back at the first generation of Israel and criticize them for their failure to trust the God who so clearly made Himself known to them and even Yahweh declared that Israel was “an obstinate people” (Exodus 32:9, 33:3, 33:5). But as I read the narrative carefully and thought about the political, social and spiritual environment they lived in it may be possible to piece together the “WHY” of their failure. That is the goal of this paper; to explore the possible influences that made them who they were and may help explain why they failed to trust Yahweh and eventually died in the wilderness without entering the land that God promised. The intent is not to absolve them of guilt for their decisions and responses but to just better understand. It will seek to show that God’s presence, God’s law and God’s tabernacle may have been intended by God to be a means of healing and recovery from the traumas they experienced in Egypt and along the journey. The study will be broken down under three headings: 1) The Importance of the Tabernacle; 2) Spiritual, Cultural and Psychological Influences on Israel; and 3) “God with us” and the Tabernacle as Instruments of Healing and Recovery.
This study will not deal with how the tabernacle pointed forward to the person and work of Jesus Christ, but what it might have meant to the people of Israel as they looked on this structure sitting in the middle of their camp. All Scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible[1], unless otherwise noted.
Part One: The Importance of the Tabernacle
Model of the tabernacle, as seen in Israel, Timna Park[2]
Twelve full chapters in the Torah are dedicated to describing the design and installation of the “holy tent” as it is referred to above (Exo. 25-30 and 35-40). This structure called the tabernacle traveled with the nation of Israel throughout their 40 years of wandering. Andrew Hill and John Walton help to put the tabernacle into the larger picture of God’s plan for the nation of Israel. They explain that.
Although Moses is the primary human character of the Exodus narratives, the real story is the redemptive work of Yahweh in delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt and establishing a unique covenant relationship with the nation. These acts of God signaled his good intentions to keep the promises made generations ago to Abraham and the other patriarchs (cf. 3:7-16). Israel’s exodus from Egypt is the redemption event of the Old Testament. Along with the Covenant ceremony at Sinai it constitutes the high-water mark of Old Testament salvation history.[3]
They also point out that “The tabernacle structure was designed to symbolize the active presence of the Lord among the Hebrews.”[4]
A History of Jewish and Ancient Christian Interpretation
The Hebrew word for tabernacle is מִשְׁכָּן mishkân, mish-kawn'; from Strong’s # H7931 and is defined as a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple); specifically, the Tabernacle (properly, its wooden walls):—dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle, tent.[5]
In observing what the Talmud (the body of Jewish civil and ceremonial law and legend comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara) says regarding the word “tabernacle”, passages explored seemed to focus not on the overall understanding of the structure and its meaning but on details regarding consecration of the various sacrifices and discussions about what to do with animals that seem to have aged out and are no longer suitable for sacrifice.[6] Another comment found in the Talmud on the construction of the tabernacle speaks at length about the length of the curtains covering the tabernacle and that the additional material covered the sockets into which the vertical boards were inserted. The writer then asks “What did the Tabernacle resemble? A woman who goes in the street and her skirts trail after her”[7] Several other Talmudic references were consulted but all seemed to deal with more vague details rather than what might be considered relevant to the question of how a typical Israelite might have understood the presence of the tabernacle in the midst of the camp.
Many comments regarding the tabernacle in the Midrash (ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures, attached to the biblical text) address specific elements in the tabernacle and insights relating to sacrifices rather than speaking of the significance of the tabernacle overall. One helpful comment was a reference to the “pattern” (Exo. 25:40) that Moses was shown on the mountain. The rabbi comments on the phrase “Exactly as I show you” saying:
The Holy One literally showed Moses images of all the utensils and all the construction, just like the "visions of God (Ezek. 40:2) in which Ezekiel, in Babylonia, was shown the Second Temple. It was explained to him by means of words as well: ‘Mortal, look closely and listen attentively and not well everything I am going to show you’ (Ezek. 40:4). V. 40 her, ‘the patterns ... that are being shown you on the mountain,’ proves that Moses was shown images as well as words; if he was ‘shown’ only in speech there would have been no need to say that they were shown to him ‘on the mountain.’[8]
Pentateuchal Traditions
Craig R. Koester notes that there are several early traditions regarding the tabernacle including one which considered the “Tent of Meeting” (Exo. 33:7-11) as a precursor of the tabernacle. This tent was outside the camp, instead of in the center, and Yahweh met and talked with Moses from within the cloud rather than at the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant. Moses and the people left the camp to meet with God who descended in the cloud.[9]
Jewish Traditions
The Anchor Bible Dictionary says that the tabernacle “Is presented in biblical narrative as the visible sign of Yahweh’s presence among the people of Israel. More verses of the Pentateuch are devoted to it than any other object.”[10] And a quote from the Mishnah helps explain the centrality of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, in particular, in Jewish thinking:
As a general rule, Judaism rejects physical manifestations of spirituality, preferring instead to focus on actions and beliefs … Worship of graven images is harshly condemned throughout the Torah, and perhaps the greatest sin the Israelites collectively committed was the construction of the Golden Calf (in Ex. 32), intended to serve as a physical intermediary between them and God. Today, Jews do not venerate any holy relics or man-made symbols. But in the history of the Jewish people, there was one exception to this rule. One man-made object was considered intrinsically holy - the Ark of the Covenant.[11]
Jewish Literature 200 B.C. – A.D. 150
In The Dwelling of God, Craig R. Koster provides an excellent overview of how the Jews in this time period understood the role and meaning of the tabernacle. He writes that “During the period between the latest OT texts and the NT, the tabernacle continued to appear in Jewish writings … A survey of this literature in its own right helps to establish a context for the interpretation of the NT by sketching out the diverse ways in which the tabernacle was perceived during this period.”[12] A full examination of these 52 pages in Koster’s book lies outside the scope of this project, but could be of value to anyone who wants to explore a good overview of the Jewish understanding of the tabernacle during these intervening years. Koester covers Jewish literature from pre-Maccabean sources, The Dead Sea Scrolls, and the wider history of Israel in non-Biblical sources and rabbinic traditions.
Ancient Christian Interpretation
The IVP Christian Commentary on Scripture takes the reader from the world of Jewish interpretations to that of the early Church Fathers and leaders over the centuries who, after the appearance of Jesus view the tabernacle as a full-blown symbol of the person and work of Jesus Christ. A couple of examples of this level of symbolic interpretation should suffice[13]
In reviewing these various resources this writer found the Talmudic tradition of less value than other sources. The rabbis in Talmud often seem to comment on rather esoteric thoughts about the “tabernacle” that this author did not find particularly helpful. I found greater value in the Misrash especially in its focus on the “pattern” given to Moses. This value was also observed in looking at Midrash comments on specific articles of furnishings in the tabernacle as well. The shift from the writings of the rabbis to the writings of the early church fathers is quite surprising. Suddenly it seems that the only value of the tabernacle was as a foreshadowing of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Of course, this is appropriate and certainly reflects what the apostles taught but still seems to lack a sense of appreciation for the unique character and meaning of the tabernacle in its own right and how it may have been received by the people of Israel as they traversed the wilderness.
Focal Point of Israel’s Encampments
The tabernacle became the focal point of Israel’s community and life, with the 12 tribes encamped along its four sides. Its placement in the center of the encampment instead of being placed on a hilltop raised above the community made it the center of Israel’s daily life (Exo. 2:1; 3:39). This structure along with the presence of the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud would be visible to all and sent a clear message that in spite of His holiness Yahweh was available and accessible to all. The illustration below will help to visualize this.
Footnotes
[1] New American Standard Bible Side-Column Reference Edition, The Lockman Foundation, Foundation Publishing, 2020.
[2] Model of the tabernacle, as seen in Israel, Timna Park, File:Stiftshuette Modell Timnapark.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
[3] Andrew E., Hill, and John H. Walton. 1991. A survey of the Old Testament. (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub. House). 103
[4] Hill and Walton. A survey of the Old Testament. 120
[5] "H4908 - miškān - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (nasb95)." Blue Letter Bible. Web. 5 May, 2022. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4908/nasb95/wlc/0-1/>.
[6] Isadore Epstein. Hebrew-English Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, [v. 20] Shebuo̕th, Makkoth, (London: Soncino 1965.). 11a, 11b, 12a.
[7] Isadore Epstein. Hebrew-English Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, [v. 3] Shabbath, (London: Soncino 1965.). 98b.
[8] H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. Midrash Rabbah. 3rd ed. v. 3. Exodus / translated by S.M. Lehrman, London; New York: Soncino, 1983. 218.
[9] Craig R. Koester,. The Dwelling of God: The Tabernacle in the Old Testament, Intertestamental Jewish Literature, and the New Testament. (Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1989. Print. Catholic Biblical Quarterly. Monograph Ser.), 22.
[10] David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Bible Dictionary. First ed. New York: Doubleday, v. 6. Si-Z, 1992. Print. 292 – VI.
[11] Ancient Jewish History: The Ark of the Covenant, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-ark-of-the-convenant. Web
[12] Craig R. Koester. The Dwelling of God. 23-75.
[13] Joseph Lienhard, Ronnie Rombs, and Thomas C. Oden. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Old Testament; 3. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2001.184, 185.
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