Flax & Barley--Introduction

 

This is the process of how some of my Bible studies come into existence--

--Be actively working on a Bible study. 

--Get distracted by a verse/phrase/thought/idea while researching another part of the text of the active study.  

--Start making notes on the distracting verse/phrase/thought/idea so I don't forget. 

--Struggle to finish active study because all my thoughts are now wrapped up in what distracted me. 

--Power through original study and move to new study!!

The idea to learn about flax and barley came to me during our last study on Heaven's Royal Sacrifice

When I was reading in Exodus about the tabernacle, I came across these verses--

"The flax and the barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe and the flax was budding."

Exodus 9:31

This destruction of crops came from the 7th plague--hail. The description of these two plants and where they were in their lifecycle when they were destroyed is so helpful in dating the timeline of the 10 plagues.  Flax is usually in it's budding stage in Jan-Feb, and barley is ripe at the same time.  We know that Passover happened in the month of Abib/Nisan (It was called Abib originally, then changed to Nisan after the exile.) Abib/Nisan corresponds with modern-day April so we know that the 7th plague fits into the proper timeline.  

𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘

 Each of the plagues is a show of strength by Jehovah God against the gods that Egypt worshiped. (Squirrel alert....) Nut was the goddess of the sky, Isis and Seth presided over agriculture, and Shu over the atmosphere.* God, Almighty was victorious over these false gods in their own domain by bringing a hailstorm of epic proportions, never before seen in Egypt. (Exodus 9:18)

𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘

The loss of their flax crop would have been a low blow to the Egyptians because the flax plant is processed to make linen for clothing, bedding, burial fabric.    Linen was practical to wear because it was cool in a hot climate.  It was a favorite among royalty and nobility.  (God also clothes His priests in linen in the wilderness and beyond.)

𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘

Barley was also a very important crop because they would use it to feed their horses.  It wasn't a diet staple for humans, as any bread made from it was considered inferior to bread made with wheat.  (The wheat and the spelt--two grains that were necessary for human diet survived this plague according to verse 32, but then were destroyed in the plague of locusts in chapter 10.)

𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘

I hope you aren't tired of your AG lesson, because there is more to come!!  We will spend the next lesson studying flax--its uses, how it's processed, its symbolism--all through the lens of one Biblical account.  Then we will take a day and study barley--its uses, how its processed, its symbolism--all through one Biblical account.   Finally we will tie them together and realize that Flax & Barley are for us, too!!! 

*   Understanding the 10 plagues