Exodus Introduction
Introduction
The title Exodus is carried over from the title in the Greek Septuagint Bible, without translation. Exodus in Greek means “departure” or “a way out.” It is a word still seen on signs in Greece to this day for “exit.” The exit or departure referred to by this title is the miraculous escape of the Israelite tribes from what had become for them, long after the time of their favored ancestor Joseph, a situation of forced slave labor. A key verse in the first chapter (1.8) reports the shift in power to a Pharaoh who “knew not Joseph,” and who set the Israelites under cruel taskmasters to enforce their labors. It is possible that this power shift occurred when the Egyptians of the Eighteenth Dynasty regained control of the Nile Delta region from the interloping Hyksos rulers, a Semitic people who had invaded and gained control of the Delta between 1700 to about 1580 b.c.
The narrative of Exodus reports that God had heard the despairing outcry of the oppressed people, and began to work on their behalf through the leadership of Moses, an Israelite who had been raised in the royal court. Moses was forced to flee for his life after he killed one of the violent taskmasters. While hiding out in the Sinai region he encountered God in the numinous burning bush (3.2). With a promise of divine help, God instructed him to return to Egypt and demand of Pharaoh that he “let my people go” (5.1). After many false starts Moses finally won the freedom of his people and permission to leave Egypt and return to that land long ago promised to the Israelites' ancestor Abraham, a land none in this distant generation had ever seen. The Pharaoh grudgingly gave his approval for the Israelites' departure only after enduring a long series of devastating plagues. When he finally yielded, it happened suddenly just as the Israelites were celebrating Passover, which at that time was an agricultural festival at which sacrifices were made for the health of the flocks. But from that point on the meaning of Passover took on a radically new meaning for the Hebrew people—a festival of liberation and freedom, of an exodus from enslavement.
On the way to the Promised Land, God appeared to Moses at Mount Sinai, giving him the Ten Commandments and inaugurating with Moses and the people a covenant relationship with promises of mutual faithfulness between God and the people. Exodus concludes with lengthy instructions for constructing the ark of the testimony (covenant) and the moveable tabernacle (tent) for worship of God.
Outline
The Hebrew People Suffer in the Land of Egypt (1.1-22)
Moses' Birth, Early Life, and Call to Serve God (2.1—4.31)
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh and God Sends Ten Plagues (5.1—11.10)
The Passover and the Hurried Departure from Egypt (12.1—15.21)
Moses Leads the People through the Sea to Mount Sinai (15.22—18.27)
God Makes a Covenant with the People and Gives the Ten Commandments (19.1—24.18)
Instructions for the Religious Life of the People: The Tabernacle, Its Furnishings, and the Ark of the Covenant (25.1—40.38)
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Exodus Introduction: KJVAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Exodus Introduction
Introduction
The book of Exodus continues the story of God and the people of Israel. God formed the people of Israel to be a special nation. The nation of Israel would be a special part of his plan for the whole world.
Exodus is the story of Abraham and his family who came after him. These people moved to Egypt when there was a famine. They became slaves there. But God was still with them in Egypt. He chose a man named Moses to be their leader. God worked powerfully through Moses to bring these people out of Egypt. They traveled through the desert to Mount Sinai. Then God gave his laws to Moses. The Ten Commandments were part of the laws given. God also told the Israelites how they should worship him. The Israelites built a holy tent so God could live among them.
While the Israelites were at Mount Sinai, God repeated his special promise to them. God promised that he would be their God and that they would be his chosen people. This story of how God saved Israel became a pattern for how he will save people again.
The book of Leviticus follows Exodus. Leviticus continues the story of God and the people of Israel. Most of this part of the story takes place around Mount Sinai. God wanted his people to live holy lives. And he wanted them to be separate from the nations around them. God wanted Israel to be a new kind of people in the world. So God gave the Israelites laws and directions on how to live holy lives. These laws and commands also directed their worship. God gave these laws and commands to Moses. He wrote these rules, laws and commands so the people would remember to be faithful.
The book of Numbers follows Leviticus. It also continues the story of God and the people of Israel. God wanted his people to live holy lives. But they did not obey God’s laws and commands. So the Israelites had to wander in the desert for 40 years. They had to wait to enter the land God had promised them.
Numbers is the story of the Israelites in the desert. It is about their adventures during those 40 years. And it is about how God continued to provide for their needs. God was faithful to his special promise to them.
The book of Numbers brings together ideas from Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. Together these books tell the story of the beginning of God’s saving work in the world.
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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