Celebrating Independence in the Old Testament
Independence Day is a celebration held by just about every culture worldwide, in one form or another. From parades to fireworks to military air shows, people love to show their support for freedoms well earned. The customs associated with a country’s independence can be as unique as the people that practice them; in Israel, for example, there is the ceremonial lighting of twelve torches, one for each of the Tribes of Israel. The people of Mexico enjoy huge street parties full of brass and mariachi band performances with traditional folk dancing, and in Belgium, they hold the National Ball.
While these modern-day traditions create lasting memories for generations to enjoy, celebrating life’s freedoms is as ancient as the Book of Genesis. Numerous times throughout the Bible, the people of antiquity rejoiced over a battle granting them freedom, a kingdom that let them worship as they pleased, and even a miraculous safe passage through (yes, THROUGH) a major body of water.
So, get out your party poppers and join us as we make a joyful noise for four instances of freedom worth celebrating in the Old Testament!
Hagar and Ishmael – Genesis 21:8-21
Abraham was a man of unwavering faith, and because of this, God made him extraordinarily wealthy and influential. Even so, there were times when the heat and the desert dust got the best of him, and when Abraham (Abram) would complain to God about the things he did not have, God would patiently answer him through visions and dreams. On one such occasion, God had reassured Abraham that He had great rewards in store for him and that he would have a son. Already in his 80’s at the time, Abraham and his wife Sarah decided to act out of human impatience rather than wait on the Lord’s prophecy to be fulfilled, and Sarah gave Abraham her Egyptian slave Hagar to impregnate. When Abraham was 86, his son Ishmael was born, then 14 years later, God fulfilled His promise, and Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 and Abraham was 100 years old!
Although Sarah was to blame for leading Abraham astray and allowing him a son out of wedlock, Abraham adored his sons equally. Sarah became jealous of this and demanded Abraham send Ishmael and his mother away for fear of a tainted bloodline. Genesis 21:11-13 tells us, “This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”
God led Hagar and Ishmael to the Wilderness of Paran, an area stretching along the east side of the Red Sea starting from Jordan and Sinai. Ishmael grew up wild and free and became an extraordinary archer, eventually settling in modern-day Mecca. He would have 12 sons that formed the Ishmaelites, an ethnic stock from which modern Arabs and many Muslims originally trace their ancestry. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was an Ishmaelite through his forefather Adnan. Thus the major world religion Islam traces its origins back to Abraham’s first-born son Ishmael as well.
Israelites Escape Egypt – Exodus 14:15-30
During a time of famine, many Israelites were on a quest to find new territory and fertile lands to settle in, so they found themselves in Egypt. They had followed an Israelite named Joseph, who had become a high official in the Pharaoh’s court, but shortly after the Israelites arrived, Joseph was killed. A new king rose to power who knew nothing of Joseph or his work, and he was intimidated by how powerful the Israelites who resided among them had become. Fearing that the Israelites would outnumber the Egyptians, the new King demanded the Egyptians take the Israelites as their slaves. Brutal slave drivers were appointed to wear down the Israelites with laborious tasks, yet the more they were oppressed, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread. The King was so taken aback by this outcome that he demanded all newborn boys be killed as soon as they were born. When this plan failed, Pharoah gave new instructions to drown every infant Hebrew boy in the Nile, but one child named Moses escaped this fate.
Many years later, God came calling on Moses to reveal why he had been spared from a watery grave as a child. God gave Moses the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of milk and honey he had prepared for them. This would prove to be a nearly impossible task, but God knew Moses was up to the challenge of his destiny.
The Egyptians were a hardheaded bunch and had gotten quite relaxed in their ways since the Israelites did all of the heavy labor for them. So, it came as no surprise that they did not want to let the Israelites disappear into the wilderness in support of a God they knew nothing about.
Moses and his brother Aaron did as God advised and made God’s demands known to the Pharaoh, warning him that if he did not free the Israelites, God would unleash His wrath. After numerous plagues, miraculous signs, and even the death of every first-born Egyptian, God gave Moses one final command: take the Israelites and make a run for it.
The Pharoah had granted the Israelites release after God’s slaughter of Egyptians during Passover, but the Israelites had not made it very far before the King (Pharoah) changed his mind. Exodus 14:5-8 tells us, “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander.”
The Israelites were terrified, but Moses kept his promise to guide them safely. He had the Israelites gather at the banks of the Red Sea, and with one wave of his staff, the sea parted, and a dry trail became available for the fleeing Israelites. After the last one had crossed safely, and the Egyptians were in hot pursuit, God closed the passage and drowned every last Egyptian soldier! Could you imagine witnessing such an event? I, for one, would never doubt the power of the divine for as long as I lived.
Joshua and the Battle of Jericho – Joshua 6:1-27
Joshua held a high position within the military and was a strategic commander. He was also the son of Moses’ assistant and protégé, Nun, so it came as no surprise when God reached out to Joshua to fulfill what Moses had begun with the Israelites. God assured Joshua that “Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.” (Joshua 1:3-5)
Rallying his best officers, Joshua told them of his plan to cross the Jordan River and conquer the city of Jericho. Knowing that the people of Jericho heavily fortified the town, Joshua first sent in 2 spies to infiltrate the city and get a lay of the land. However, the spies were quickly discovered, so a prostitute named Rahab hid the spies on her roof until the coast was clear. She told the spies that everyone was afraid of them since they heard what Moses had done by parting the sea, and she was willing to help them escape unnoticed if they promised to protect her family when Joshua’s army returned. A deal was struck, and Rahab helped the men break away from the town and to a hiding spot in the forest where they remained for three days until the search for them had ceased.
Returning to camp, the spies informed Joshua of the best way to proceed, and with high expectations and under the protection from God, the Israelites marched to the banks of the Jordan River. They camped on the banks until officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.” They did as they were told, and much like the Red Sea crossing, the river dried up in an instant and allowed all of the people to make it safely to the other side before gushing through again.
Joshua was accustomed to using strategy and strength when it came to conquering new territories and lands, so it must have taken a HUGE leap of faith to instruct his army to take Jericho in the way the Lord commanded. Joshua was told to have his men march around the outside of the city once a day for six days. Seven priests would walk ahead, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day, the army would march around the town seven times with the priests blasting the horns. When the army heard one long horn blast, they were to shout as loud as they could.
Having complete confidence in his abilities as a leader, the men patiently completed each assigned task. Finally, on the seventh day, when the single horn blasted, every man present hollered and screamed with such force it created an earthquake, and the walls of Jericho fell around them. No bloodshed was necessary as the people inside were already terrified, and this display of power had them lining obediently and welcoming a new reign of power. Yet another incredible display of God’s prophecy was fulfilled that day, and another example of independence was granted with dependence!
Esther Defeats Haman – Esther 7:1-10
I have always been a fan of the “underdog takes all” philosophy, and the story of Esther is a perfect example. Her story began when she was orphaned as a child and adopted by her cousin Mordecai. Esther and Mordecai were of Jewish descent from the tribe of Benjamin, a tribe that had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. The pair found themselves hiding in the fortress of Susa, where Mordecai was a watchman.
King Xerxes ruled a territory that was comprised of 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. At that time, Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. He was a flamboyant and wealthy king who held huge celebrations for months at a time. On one such occasion, King Xerxes got a little tipsy from the wine and decided he wanted to show off his queen to some of the other royal gentlemen who were in attendance. When the queen (Queen Vashti) refused to come as requested, King Xerxes was embarrassed and angered. Not wanting any of the other women in the fortress to believe it was okay to behave in such a way, the king had Queen Vashti banished from the kingdom. Xerxes then set out to find a new queen who was more accommodating to his whims.
Esther was incredibly gorgeous, so when the king’s personal assistants set out to find beautiful young virgins to let King Xerxes choose from, Mordecai offered up his cousin but warned her to keep quiet about their lineage. Esther was different from the other girls and quickly found favor amongst the King’s assistant and, eventually, Xerxes himself. Two years after the selection process began, Esther became the next Queen of Susa.
As described in biblegateway.com, “Sometime later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. All the King’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for the King had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect.” Esther 3:1-3
Haman, being quite the arrogant man, demanded to know why Mordecai would not bow before him. When Haman discovered that Mordecai was a Jew and thus, bowed before no one but the Lord in Heaven, Haman devised a plot to have the king kill Mordecai and every Jew in the empire. After casting lots, Haman decided on March 7th of the following year for the mass execution. He went before the king and twisted the truth to make the Jews appear to be an evil and disobedient group of outsiders that had infiltrated the empire. Because their ways and customs were different, they should be eradicated. Haman further sweetened the deal by telling the king he would personally give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury once proof was given to him that all Jews were dead.
Haman was quite convincing, and King Xerxes agreed to the plan, signing off on the decree to kill the Jews and give their property to those that killed them. However, Haman did not know that Mordecai had once saved the king’s life by stopping an assassination attempt, nor did he know that Mordecai and Esther were related.
Mordecai was deeply distressed by the decree, and he reached out to Queen Esther for help. At first, she was hesitant to give up their secret, but Mordecai reminded her that if she did not ask for mercy from the king, she too would be rounded up when they came for the Jews. With this fact in consideration, Esther agreed to make an appeal for the lives of all the Jews in the empire.
Esther instructed Mordecai to gather all of the Jews of Susa and to fast and pray for three days while she did the same. Although it was against the law to visit the king unannounced, Esther resigned herself to go even if it meant death. When Esther entered the inner court of the palace, much to her surprise, the king summoned her over and asked her what she desired, telling her he would give her whatever she wished, even if it were half the kingdom. Esther told him she wanted to have a banquet and invite Haman, and then she would reveal her wish at the feast. Once the men were delightfully full, King Xerxes again asked what the Queen desired, and she replied, “I ask that you spare my life and the lives of my people. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us.” The king was taken aback and wanted to know who would do such a horrible thing, to which the Queen revealed it was Haman.
The King was furious when he realized Haman had tricked him, and he ordered Haman to be killed. Not only did Esther and her people survive and thrive, but Mordecai was honored and given a high position within the king’s court. King Xerxes delivered a new decree to trump the old one, stating that the Jews could use any means necessary to defend themselves from the attack originally ordered by Haman when the time came for their destruction. On March 7 and 8, when the enemies came to kill the Jews, they were prepared and killed 75,000 people and suffered minimal casualties themselves. They took no plunder but instead chose to celebrate their freedom on the third day in a holiday called The Festival of Purim, which is still an essential Jewish holiday even today.
As you can see, these are just a few of the incredible examples of people gaining and celebrating Independence. The journey is often long and hard and could be deadly at worst, but in the end, the people were always stronger and more deserving because of the struggle, and the celebrations they held in honor of the struggle proved they believed it was entirely worth the trouble.
