My Time With A Bedouin Sheikh
Thankfully, we survived the ride home.
Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:
Bound & Determined
In case you haven’t already listened, I’m delighted to tell you that the second-to-last episode of the Holy Ghost Stories Exodus series has dropped.
If you’re someone who (like me) has struggled to believe that God loves you and likes you—even though you’re a mess… these last two episodes are for you. As the Exodus story comes to a close in Scripture, we get an incredibly intimate picture of Yahweh that demonstrates His heart in some beautiful ways.
Let’s dive into some details, shall we?
BITS & BOBS
Wedding ceremony - The first scene of this episode is without a doubt one of my favorite scenes in the Holy Ghost Stories catalogue. Kendall’s score as the blood of the covenant is sprinkled…it’s just masterful. I hope the scene transports you.
Peter, certainly, was thinking of this moment when he wrote of God’s elect having been “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (1 Peter 1:2). That’s you in the crowd alongside Joshua and Miriam. :)
Down from the mountain - I love that the altar and pillars Moses builds are made from the stones around Mt. Sinai/Horeb. These rocks are pieces of the holy mountain, pulled from heaven to earth over the ages and now stacked back in the direction of heaven by the worshipful prophet.
Lapis Lazuli - This semi-precious stone features in the Exodus text’s description of the surface on which Yahweh stands during the theophany witnessed by Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders. In case it’s been a minute since you’ve seen this stone, it’s really magnificent:
What in the world, Aaron?? - The golden calf tragedy leaves us with many questions about Aaron’s state of mind during all that. I think the answer to “what was he thinking” is complicated, but I believe the NASB’s translation of his words in Exodus 32:2 gives us the sense of an exasperated emotional state as he collects the gold that will become the idol: “Aaron said to them, ‘Tear off the gold rings…’”
Where’d they get the wine? - We get the strong impression from Ex 32:7 that drunkenness was a part of the Israelites’ revelry—but where did they get the alcohol? They certainly weren’t cultivating grapes or wheat or honey and producing wine or beer or mead. The answer is likely that they procured wine (and perhaps other goods, like the purple dye for the tabernacle) from traders. The wilderness, of course, was far from any trade routes, but a camp of maybe 2 million people who possessed large quantities of Egyptian valuables certainly would have been worth the trip for a merchant willing to travel.
Unraveled - Most translations render Exodus 32:25 something like the NIV: “Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control” Robert Alter points out that the Hebrew word (paru‘a) translated “running wild” and “out of control” means literally “to unbind”—hence, my word choice in the episode: “The Israelites…unwind. Unspool, really.”
The Levites—your predecessors - In this episode, we witness the genesis of the Tribe of Levi’s calling as a priestly presence among Israel. Here’s a great piece from Bible Project tracing the concept of priesthood through Scripture and history.
Moses’ People - Since the beginning of this season we’ve been following Moses on his journey of identity. A large part of this journey has been whether or not he sees the Israelites as his people. In this episode, we get a beautiful answer to that question.
Moses, but better - Lots of Hebrews 3 energy at a certain part of this episode. Don’t miss it. :)
Farewell - When she listened to this story, my daughter London empathized with the sadness of Moses and the Israelites when Yahweh told them He would not go with them to Canaan. But she was most powerfully moved by the sorrow Yahweh must have felt when He made that declaration. I love that.
I hope “Bound & Determined” blesses you richly. If it does, I’d love to hear from you—your impressions are always such an encouragement to me.
Dinner With the Sheikh
Thought I’d share a story with you as we prepare to leave Mt. Sinai and bid farewell to the Exodus series.
During my research trip to Egypt, my family and I lived for several days in a Bedoin camp in the Sinai peninsula near Mt. Sinai. One day, the owner of the camp told me, "I want you to come see my farm. Almond trees, apricots- you will like it. We can eat from the trees; you will meet my wife and my daughter and son." This was completely out of the blue, as we'd spoken with this gentleman for a total of 5 minutes, but Jennifer and I looked at each other and said, "We'd love to come!"
Two days later, we piled into the back of a pickup and rode out of town about 15 minutes. When we turned off the main road, Jennifer said, "This looks like a good place to dump a body."
And it was.
But a couple of minutes later, the truck stopped and we hopped out, fully alive.
We spent three hours with Salah, his wife Miriam, his daughter Abir, and his little son Mohammed. We ate tiny apricots and plums ("Organic!" Salah told us proudly), drank tea made from herbs in their yard, and talked about bedouins and love and politics and God. I helped Salah tie his grape vines to a trellis, and he showed me how he knew where to dig a well on his property.
Salah’s wife and son spoke no English, but his daughter spoke a little and we all figured out ways to connect. There were plenty of awkward moments and lots of "What are we doing?" glances between my wife and me and our girls. But as I told Eve when she asked why we'd agreed to go to some strange man's house, "When you're a pilgrim, you embrace the interruptions. God's often in them."
I didn’t realize it at the time, but the liturgical celebration of Pentecost began as the sun set that day, just as my wife took these photos:
Pentecost—the day the Spirit came down and united pilgrim seekers of God from across the world with a shared language, revealing himself in new and exciting ways. How apropos.
*
Oh—when Salah's uncle showed up to give us a ride back to the Bedoin camp, Jennifer noticed big photographic decals on the windows of his truck. It was a bit too dark to see them clearly, so Jen asked Abir, "Oh—who's that?"
"Saddam Hussein," Abir replied matter-of-factly.
Huh; sure enough.
Storied Family Camp
This Fall, I’m embarking with some incredible partners on a new adventure and you’re invited.
Storied Family Camp is a weekend retreat for families with kids between the ages of 3 and 18 that’s centered on one thing: leveraging the enchanted power of Story to raise resilient kids whose hearts are anchored to God.
If you’re a parent, you’ll hear from myself and my wife, author JL Gerhardt, about how to live a good story with your kids and how to tell a good story to your kids—one that draws them close to Yahweh and cultivates a family culture of faith and joy. It’ll be inspiring and instructive, and while you’re hanging out with us, your kids will be having fun with some stellar folks devoted to ministering to them while you learn.
And because this is family camp, so you’ll spend some quality time with your kids during the weekend as well (cool stuff like zip-lining, rock climbing, kayaking, rappelling, archery, and cave exploring).
The whole thing happens at a gorgeous spot on the Nueces River a couple of hours outside of San Antonio. There will be some powerful times of worship, great meals cooked for you, cabins to sleep in, and we’ll incorporate some Holy Ghost Stories magic with live musical accompaniment around a blazing campfire. How could we not?
Storied Family Camp happens October 13-15, and all the info is at the link below. Space is limited and spots are going quickly, so if this sounds like a way you’d like to invest in your family, now is the time to book your spot.
Nature, adventure, storytelling, worship, learning, family, and Him. This will be an epic weekend, and I’d love to see you there.
3 Cool Things
The Outfit - I love a smart movie. And one that manages to grip you while all taking place in one room with just a handful of actors (not even extras/etc)? Sign me up. Also, Mark Rylance is a master. I loved The Outfit.
Bugs are Gorgeous - When will creation stop giving me chills?? Beauty just drips from our Maker’s fingers and we miss so much of it. Very grateful for (and entirely wowed by) this Instagram account. Click over and I dare you to try not to hit ‘follow’.
Grilled Bread & Jam - Artisan sourdough loaf. Thick cut slice. Butter melted in a cast iron pan. Bread in the pan until it’s the color (including the dark graining) of acacia wood. Farmer’s market (or homemade) strawberry jam. Heaven.
That’s the latest! I hope “Bound & Determined” transports you. And let me know if you have questions about Storied Family Camp.
Gratefully,
Justin
I can't believe that happened. But I was there so I know it did.