An ironically blond European Moses discovered (Paul Delaroche 1797–1859 Moïse exposé sur le Nil)
In this post we’ll discover some humour from below. The humour of the oppressed often pokes fun at the oppressor. Those who subjugate others fear them, and this fear generates feelings of inferiority that in Exodus some oppressed women manipulate delightfully.
Please open your Bibles at Exodus 1-2.
So, here’s the link to the audio:
Humour in the Bible: Book 2 Exodus
I love you note (photo by jtbrennan)
In this podcast I’ll suggest that noticing the importance of why we read Scripture can help clarify at least the theological question about the genocide of the Canaanites. Listen to my previous two posts for more on how knowing why we read matters:
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In some Bible passages as atheists and others who want to avoid the claims of God are quick to point out God sounds like a Dalek.
Deut 7:2 is a typical case.
When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. (NLT)
Here God demands that Israel exterminate all the Canaanites. What’s going on? Is the God of the Bible (or at least the Old Testament agenocidal maniac?
This is part one of a series, so it will only deal with part of the answer. You will have to watch out for the other parts for a fuller treatment. The really difficult takes more than five minutes 
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Basalt Stele of the god Hadad on a bull with a thunderbolt in hand from Arslan Tash (Tiglath-Pileser III, c.744-727BC
This passage was probably chosen because it contains two famous “Bible stories”, the Golden Calf (in which a priest does what the people want, and becomes so successful that drunkenness, idolatry and other stupidity reigns) and the time Moses got to see God’s backside. But more troublingly it is another passage where God commands and demands killing. I can’t offer easy answers, indeed in one 5 minute podcast what did you expect but I will return to these passages and examine the issue in podcasts outside this E100 series.
I’m torn two ways on how to respond to this reading:
There is a fascinating discussion between ardent Christians and a pained unbeliever at The Paraclete Forum. I can “see” both sides of this debate, and won’t have time in this podcast to begin to deal properly with the topic 
PS: See also an interesting response on ?????: The 10th Plague and the Problem of Evil (Jonathan’s posts are alomost always worth mulling over 
E100-19: Exodus 12: A great festival, but a huge theological problem [ 5:37 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
