The Book of Exodus Story Line 1

The Book of Exodus

Story Line 1 - Exodus: The Deliverance (1 -18) Israel in Egypt (1) The Early Moses (2 -4) Plagues (5 -11) Passover (12: 1 -13: 16) Exodus from Egypt (13: 17 -15: 21) The generally accepted date 1280 B. C Wilderness Journey (15: 22 -18: 27) of Israel's exodus from Egypt is

The Story The first half of Exodus is a narrative account of the Israelites' escape from Egyptian bondage and their journey to Mount Sinai This deliverance account includes the story of Moses, God's chosen leader. Moses mediated a series of disasters that culminated in the Israelites' release

Overcoming all obstacles, including a great expanse of sea, the Israelites made their way through the wilderness until they came to the mountain of God, where the terms of the covenant were revealed to them through Moses.

Israel in Egypt & The Early Moses Beginning with Jacob's clan the Hebrews lived in Egypt for many generations. After a time the government changed hands and the Egyptian Pharaoh, or king of Egypt, enslaved the Hebrews 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land. " 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew (1: 8 -12) The term pharaoh is derived from the Egyptian phrase "the great house. " It designates the highest office of Egypt and is not a personal name.

The Israelites were set to work building cities, making mud bricks. Pharaoh ordered that all male Hebrew infants to be killed , but one survived—Moses. Notice how their covenant blessing became their curse; they had become so numerous that the new ruler considered them a threat

Hard work of city building did not diminish the Hebrew population so the Egyptians initiated a policy of male infanticide The midwives who serviced the Hebrews secretly refused to cooperate The desperate Pharaoh then commanded that all Hebrew infant sons be drowned in the Nile

MOSES Was born to Amram and Jochebed from the tribe of Levi After they were no longer able to conceal Moses, they placed him in a reed basket waterproofed with tar and set him afloat in the Nile Meanwhile, Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe at the river.

MOSES When she discovered Moses she took him to court and raised him there as a virtual grandson of the Pharaoh. His birth mother was a wet nurse and told him of his true identity He rescued a Hebrew slave by killing his abusive Egyptian master. In danger of being exposed, Moses fled to Midian

Moses found refuge with Jethro, the priest of Midian. Moses eventually married one of his daughters and served as shepherd of his father-in-law's flocks Jethro is the name of Moses' father-in-law which means ‘Excellent’ or Reuel (means friend of God) Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush in Exodus 3: 1 -15 marks a turning point in Israel's history

The Burning Bush (3: 2 -4)

At the Burning bush, Moses learned the identity of the God who would deliver the Israelites from bondage Mount Sinai or Horeb Moses would be God’s mediator God sent Aaron with him

I Am, Ego Emi God who exists independently Unchangeable

I Am, Ego Emi Jesus Christ“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. ” I AM in Greek is Ego emi; is in the present indicative active form of the verb “to be. ” Meaning, what is true of His being before is true of Him today, that He has no change from eternity past to eternity future 6"For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (Malachi 3: 6).

St. Catherine's Monastery is located at the base of Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai. According to post-biblical tradition this is where Moses saw the burning bush and received the Law from the hand of God

The God of the Fathers (3: 4 -6) 6 Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. " And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God of the exodus is the God of the ancestors, thus connecting Israel's deliverance with the history of and promises to the ancestors

Land of Milk and Honey (3: 7 -8) God is a caring and compassionate God. He hates to see his people suffer and acts out of compassion Not only will he relieve their suffering, he will bring them to the land promised to the ancestors.

3: 13 - 4: 23 Having received the revelation of the divine name, as well as his mission, Moses went back to Egypt and presented God's demand to Pharaoh. "Let my people go!" Pharaoh refused to budge. Only after a devastating series of disasters did he allow them, indeed urge them, to leave Egypt.

Plagues (5 -11) Because Pharaoh refused to grant permission to leave, God sent the plagues The description of disasters is an example of graphic storytelling The story of the plagues has given rise to a variety of interpretations deriving from different perspectives

Plagues From the perspective of biblical history the plagues were intended to reveal God's power to break Egyptian resistance and were said to come from the finger of God

Plagues From a history of religions perspective the plagues may represent God's judgment on the gods of Egypt, including Ra’ the sun god who was attacked in the ninth plague From a literary perspective the plagues are arranged in three series of three disasters, with the tenth plague as the climax

Plagues gods. doc

Passover (12: 1 -13: 16) The Israelites avoided the devastating tenth plague because each family slaughtered a lamb as a substitute for its firstborn They painted blood from the lamb on the door frames of their homes, and when God saw this evidence of the sacrifice on a house, he "passed over" that house, sparing the firstborn son

Passover (12: 1 -13: 16) God mentioned this plague early on to the Pharaoh Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn. " (Exodus 4: 22 -23)

The avoidance ritual of the tenth plague developed into a ceremonial meal called the Passover this meal a roasted lamb was eaten along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) called matsot. Eating matsot symbolized the hurriedness of Israel's departure; the bread simply had no time to rise

The exodus story became so important to Israel's identity that the prescription for remembering it came to be contained within the tradition of the event itself. The yearly Passover celebration developed into one of Israel's most important festivals God asked the Israelites to consecrate every firstborn Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine. " (Exodus 13: 1)

Law of the Firstborn (14: 11 -16) 11 "And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD's. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Law of the Firstborn (14: 11 -16) 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What is this? ' that you shall say to him, "By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. ' 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt. "

Exodus from Egypt (13: 17 -15: 21) After leaving Egypt the Israelites fled into the Sinai peninsula Pharaoh had second thoughts about allowing them to depart so he mustered his chariotry and chased them. The Israelites took Joseph’s bones with them and God guided them all the way through with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire.

After a short time the Israelites were pinched between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea The Israelites, as was their tendency, blamed Moses for their predicament

When all hope seemed lost, by a divine act the Israelites escaped through the sea on dry ground and the army of Pharaoh drowned when they tried to follow It is the culmination of God's great work in delivering the Israelites from oppression and bondage and providing salvation.

Exodus 15 celebrates the victory over Pharaoh in a poetic song of triumph Moses and his sister Miriam led the people in a victory hymn to God This song is the origin of the first praise (ode) of the Coptic church's Mid-night Praise

Wilderness Journey (15: 22 -18: 27) COMPLAINERS After the escape from Egypt, Moses led the Israelites toward the burning bush site so that they too could meet God. Along the way they had numerous difficulties that tried Moses' leadership ability and patience, and tested the faith of the people. When they arrived at an oasis the water was undrinkable, so the people complained to Moses, who changed the bitter water to sweet. (Mara) When they lacked food, God rained down manna and quail.

When they came to Rephidim expecting to find water, they found none. The people again turned on Moses and blamed him for their predicament. God instructed Moses to strike a rock and water flowed.

Then the Amalekites fought the Israelites. Joshua led the counterattack, and the Israelites prevailed as long as Moses' arms were raised to God

Moses listens to his father-in law’s wise advice