Was the Passover more acceptable than UN sanctions?

[Masada]

what DOES judaism celebrate on passover

The Jews don't celebrate the killing of the first-born but being freed from Pharaoh's slavery, 'meeting' G-d and being 'given' Israel. Arguments to the contrary, to my mind, have to be born out of latent (or actual) anti-Semitism because that's a very common and oft repeated claim for that lot. Moreover, I can't actually think of another vector for that claim. This isn't to excuse the killing of the first-born which isn't a good thing however one spins it. However, having said that the majority of Christians (e.g. Lutherans, mainline Calvinists, Anglicans and Catholics) don't believe it actually happened. I can't speak for Judiasm but I don't think its much different there either; at least among Liberal currents of thought. Maimonides would be able to tell us more.

Furthermore, I'd be tempted to suggest that if we think the event didn't actually happen, that would go a long way towards rehabilitating G-d and taking the message as it was meant to be seen i.e. as a an allegory. I'm not going to go into what the allegorical point might be because that's open to debate and is debated. But we also need to remember that fundamentalists, of which CH is one, are recent arrivals in Christian thought. Prior to the 1900s they were, at best, a small (which hasn't changed all that much) and not particularly influential minority (which has changed). Now, I'm not passing judgement on CH's theological views but more contextualizing the issue and also pointing out that his views are still the minorities and thus to be taken with a grain of salt.

As to the issue of whether or not G-d hardened Pharaoh's heart and made him refuse that has a long theological history. I'm not a theologian and Plotinus would be able to shed more light on the matter in more detail but I'll give it a shot. The basic issue is this: if G-d did harden Pharaoh's heart why would he give him ten warnings? Implicit in this is also a question of whether or not Pharaoh had free will. Your reading, which is common to some Calvinists suggests he didn't. This is often used to support the notion that we don't have free will and that G-d has made his decisions which feeds into the argument for Predestination. I'm not going to say there's a Right Answer but I will say that your reading is contested, is one among many, and isn't widely held now even among Calvinists (including for instance Presbyterians after the Confession of 1967).

It also bears looking at what I wrote in my previous post for additional context because, by and large, people haven't bothered to do their reading. Whether or not that tips the scale is another matter entirely but it does cast doubt on just about everyone's knowledge of the subject (including mine). Whatever the case, I don't much care because I don't think it actually happened and I'm not all that interested in the OT (New Covenant and all that). Maimonides might have something to say about it, but it won't be 'LOL we drink egyptian baby blood each year' and frankly he might not care about it all that much either. The bigger story is G-d leading the Jews to Israel, establishing the Second Covenant and, to my mind, poking and prodding the hilariously reluctant Moshe to do his damned job like G-d wants him to do (which in of itself seems to be a good argument for free will). W/e.

anyway, what DOES judaism celebrate on passover if not the ten plagues? Only the tenth plague, then? Since "The spirit of the Lord" passes over the marked homes of the israelite slaves (hence the name passover) I simply assumed that that's exactly what gets celebrated.

This nonsense bears quoting in full. It's literally the only time I've ever seen blood libel being trotted out with a smile. Reading it made me physically ill.

 

[Puck Nutty]

You will notice that first Pharaoh Hardened his heart, so he was the one to first do it. So God was allowing the Pharaoh to do this so God could show himself to the Nation of Israel and the nations around them. The facts of what God did in this instance were still to bear fruit latter when they go the Canaan. Even after this horrible plague that caused massive loss of life, which caused the people of Egypt to give the Jews precious items and rush them out, even after they made that statement the Pharaoh went after the Jews and he died as a result of his attempts. He was stubborn to the end even after seeing such judgement place upon him and his nation. When you are warned about consequences of your action and then as a result of them you get punished, you only have yourself to blame for not taking heed of the warnings. There was plenty of warning of the coming judgement and he took no heed of it, so it is his fault that all these things happened to him.

Ezekiel 33:1-19 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

It's true that Pharaoh stuck by his guns initially (perhaps because he didn't believe Moses had God on his side). However, this doesn't change the fact that God took Pharaoh's free will away and proceeded to punish ALL of Egypt with more plagues, culminating in the mass murder of who knows how many people. People who had no say in what policies Pharaoh should or should not follow.

 

[Masada]

It's true that Pharaoh stuck by his guns initially (perhaps because he didn't believe Moses had God on his side). However, this doesn't change the fact that God took Pharaoh's free will away and proceeded to punish ALL of Egypt with more plagues, culminating in the mass murder of who knows how many people. People who had no say in what policies Pharaoh should or should not follow.

Most Christians don't read it that way. You reading is, in effect, the stock-standard Calvinist Predestination reading: e.g. that the Holy Spirit made Pharaoh's heart hard miraculously and that was that. But a closer reading of the passage suggests otherwise. For instance passages 8:15, 32 and 9:34 are all quite clearly say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, in fact the text outright says it.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and would not let the people go.

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned once more and hardened his heart, he and his officials.

Moreover, Ex. 7:14, 22, 8:19 and 9:7 all just say his heart grew or became hard(ened) which is rather different from G-d making it so.

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.

But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

And the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God!’ But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

Further a close reading of passages 7:22 and 8:19 make it clear that Pharaoh was acting under the influence of his magicians who through their own magic sought to minimize G-d's plagues. If we consider those it makes passages 4:21, 7:3; 9:12; 10:20, 27 look rather more like G-d going through motions he already knows he'll have to make because of Pharaoh's nature and/or attitude towards the Hebrews and not G-d killing stuff because he can.

 

[classical_hero]

It's true that Pharaoh stuck by his guns initially (perhaps because he didn't believe Moses had God on his side). However, this doesn't change the fact that God took Pharaoh's free will away and proceeded to punish ALL of Egypt with more plagues, culminating in the mass murder of who knows how many people. People who had no say in what policies Pharaoh should or should not follow.

Well basically God gave him an option to stop what he was doing and he did not. He did not repent of his action and of his sins and as a result of that God gave him up. Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

So when people ignore God he just allows them to do what they want and the end result is not pleasant.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

So when people ignore God he just allows them to do what they want and the end result is not pleasant

for their children.

Your mentality exactly points out the lunacy with regard to appointing blame and credit towards the divine. You're stumbling over yourself to shove the blame for the actions of God into the pharao's shoes. But whenever something nice happens, you're stumbling over yourself to credit God for those. The only distinguishing factor between the two seems to be: is it negative, not God, is it positive, God! It is quite something to observe you bending over backwards straining to keep God free of any blame in this one.

God seems to be able to do anything, no matter how paradoxical, but he couldn't find a solution which did not involve the murder of so many people. Or rather, those who came up with the story thought it was a good way to end the 10 curses and there's no divine inspiration anywhere to be found. Which is more logical than an all-powerful, omni-sentient being going: "I couldn't think of anything else". He couldn't have snapped his fingers and have all the Jews transported to some safe area because of one very simple, very obvious reason.

It would be the shortest, most boring story in the Bible.