Bible Helpings I: The Egyptian Oliver Twist

There are times I just don't like writing a long post but something in my studies sparks a passing thought or stimulates a neuron patch that I can't quiet. I will post these ideas or thoughts in an ongoing series of brief posts starting with this one. This is the stuff that usually ends up on Facebook instead of SoulJournaler.

Like a secondary helping of mom's beef stew, theses tidbits will be biblical, hearty and spiritually nourishing but not overly time-consuming and will probably not come as long main course. As such I will be calling this ongoing series Biblical Helpings. Obviously anything from the Bible is helpful. It just seemed to make sense to call the series what I did. On to the first helping...

In modern stories people destined for greatness rarely start off privileged. They are dropped off at the doorstep of an orphanage or abandoned in the rain. This literary vehicle goes back to ancient stories, where writers use the abandoned child theme to identify a character that rises from obscurity to privileged hero status. It’s found in the biblical account of Moses’ birth. But is that really the story of Moses? I suggest it isn't quite that simple.

Moses stands out against the stories of the ancient cultures because he isn’t promoted like their chosen figures, but saved and demoted to poverty so that he can lead others to salvation. He is the new archetype of the chosen hero, the Christian hero, one who is promoted only for the benefit of others. He is a type of Christ. Over and against the stories of worldly kingdoms, Moses’ story articulates God’s remarkable work for His kingdom through Moses by taking him on a roller coaster first from poverty, then to Pharaoh's court, then back to poverty then to spiritual richness and relationship with God. Wle see the same in Jesus' humble origins, rise to ministry, death in crucifixion and then Resurrection to glory.