In part one (In part two (In part three (In part four (Then Tim dives into the story of the burning bush. God tells Moses to turn his staff into a snake ( snake (נחש) ). Many western readers see this story as some sort of magic trick that God is telling Moses to do. That's far from what's happening. Tim says the story is actually meant to portray Moses as a successful “son of man” who has power over the snake. This point is further emphasized when Moses and his brother Aaron go before Pharaoh to demand the release of the Hebrews. Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes, in Hebrew, a sea serpent. This is a different word than the previous word used for snake.Exodus "Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a sign,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a sea serpent (תנין).’" So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a sea serpent (תנין).Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into sea serpents (תנין). But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said."Tim says the point is Moses and Aaron becoming associated characters. They are humans who have power over the snake. Literally. They grab snakes and symbolically they prevail over Pharaoh. This theme is picked up by later biblical authors who see the symbolism and use the same word, “sea serpent,” to describe Israel’s enemies.Isaiah "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; [// the arm of Moses with the staff]Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago.Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, [= Israelite name for the god of Egypt]Who pierced the sea-monster (תנין/tanin)Was it not You who dried up the sea,The waters of the great deep;Who made the depths of the sea a pathwayFor the redeemed to cross over?So the ransomed of the Lord will returnAnd come with joyful shouting to Zion"Ezekiel “Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him,‘You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations,Yet you are like the monster (tanin) in the seas."Thank you to all of our supporters!Have a question about the Son of Man? Send it to us as we begin preparing for an upcoming Q+R episode.Show Produced By:Dan Gummel, Jon CollinsShow Music:Defender Instrumental, TentsWhere Peace and Rest are Found, Beautiful EulogyConquer, Beautiful EulogyMind Your Time, Me. So.Show Resources:Son of Man Video: https://bit.ly/2D3wD9oGerhard von Rad, Genesis: A CommentaryCrispin Fletcher-Louis, Jesus MonotheismRichard Bauckham, Living with Other Creatures Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.