Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669)
Seems like everyone is getting into the Act(s) or perhaps just ‘putting in his own two zuzim’ (i.e. his or her own two cents).
“Expounding on the Passover/Exodus?”
What’s *the story* with the Seder — or are we talking about Evil Egypt or Ruinous Romeo (Pax Romana)?
And why would *anyone* stay up all night talking about it . . . (who exactly) unless you were talking about something else entirely.
And by the way, whatever happened to “the Passover Sacrifice . . .”
____________
Here’s an odd note: The Gospels reacting to — or according to — their own understanding of history,
OR: “quite the reversal”
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod” (ESV).
King Herod lived in constant fear of being overthrown and was very protective of his throne. As a young man he had seen his father poisoned and had witnessed much unrest and war. In 37 BC, he became king of Judea and was entitled, “King of the Jews.” Any threats to his throne were met with swift retribution. He even suspected his own sons of conspiracy against him, and had them executed.
Imagine Herod’s reaction or his ‘great fear’ when it is reported to him that they had seen the new “King of the Jews!” So King Herod tries to do what he does best—eliminate the competition. He orders that all infant boys under the age of two be killed. But the Gospels have other plans for the boy — and the life of one who is ‘a redeemer’ is saved – and in keeping with the Moses-motif, *as Moses is named in Hebrew as ‘the one who draws out’ and in Egyptian as ‘the son of . . . ‘
