Breaking the Word

15^th Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 18^th July 2023 – Exodus 2,1-15; Mt 11,20-24

Vulnerable Liberator

Today’s first reading tells of the birth and raising of Moses and his adoption by the daughter of the Pharaoh, and his later killing of an Egyptian who was inflicting pain upon a Hebrew. Having heard about the difficult situation in which the Hebrews were living in Egypt, the hero of the story is now introduced. God makes sure that his divine plan is brought about through this individual. As the Israelites were enslaved under new dynasty, it seemed almost impossible that a leader would arise after the law imposing the death of male children of the Hebrews. Yet God heard the cry of the chosen people and through the miraculous events of putting a baby into a basket in the Nile River, God raised up a leader who would be educated at the royal courts. It is unheard of, that the son of an Israelite couple, is adopted as a son of the royal princess. It is interesting to note that Moses was saved through the waters of the Nile River, just as he would lead his people through the waters of the sea, years later at the time of the Exodus. Thus, God chose a vulnerable baby, Moses, very early in life to be a liberator for his chosen people. God has a way of bringing about his plan in spite of the doings of mortals. In fact, God often uses the worst scenarios to show the awesomeness of the divine power and plan.

15^th Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 17^th July 2023 – Exodus 1,8-14.22; Mt 10,34-11,1

Oppression Abounds

The first reading sets the background for the book of Exodus. After Joseph’s death, a new dynasty came to power in Egypt. New Pharaoh does not value the work of Joseph and he resented the growing numbers and the increasing power of the Hebrews. He saw them as a possible threat to the integrity of his kingdom. Their increase had to be stopped, otherwise, in time of war, they might take sides with the enemy and leave the country. The implication is that an important source of slave labour would be lost. Therefore, the Pharaoh had planned to “deal shrewdly” and included forced labour. This was the first phase of oppression.  After this phase, we note that the greater the oppression, the more the Hebrew population increased. Secondly, as a result, the working conditions became even more severe, that they were reduced to doing forced labour under Egyptian taskmasters. They “ruthlessly” forced them to work, making “their lives bitter” with harsh labour as brick makers and workers in fields. Thirdly, the Pharaoh commanded the midwives to throw newborn Hebrew sons into the Nile. Despite these efforts, nothing could stop God’s plan to turn the Hebrew people into a mighty nation.