#2a Book of Exodus Part of the series on the Flow of OT History
SLAVERY - God kept His promise to make Abraham into a great nation ... the family of 70 individuals who arrived in Egypt grew (Gen. 46:27 cf. Exo. 1:1-7). But this increase in the Jewish population made the Egyptians nervous that they would rise against them in the event of a war so they made the Israelites become slaves of the land to help build their cities (Exo. 1:10-11).
But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied (Exo. 1:12) … prompting the Egyptians to devise another scheme. First, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to carry out “all male newborn genocide”. But the plan did not succeed because the midwives feared God more than Pharaoh (Exo. 1:15-21). Then Pharaoh issued a new decree to his own people to cast all male newborn into the River Nile (Exo. 1:22).
CALLING OF MOSES - At this point, baby Moses was born. His parents decided to hide him but after three months they realized that they would be found out. So his mother put him in a waterproof basket and hid it among the reeds in the Nile (Exo. 2:1-4). The baby was found by Pharaoh’s daughter and at Miriam’s suggestion, the Pharaoh’s daughter hired Moses’ mother as his nursing nanny (Exo. 2:5-10).
This action of Pharaoh’s daughter (defying Pharaoh’s order to throw every Hebrew baby boy into the Nile) made it impossible for the Pharaoh to enforce his own decree thus saving all Hebrew baby boys.
After Moses was weaned and brought to Pharaoh’s daughter, he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. But Moses never lost sight of his identity as a Jew. So when one day he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Jew, he killed the taskmaster. And when Pharaoh heard of this and tried to kill him, Moses fled to Midian (Exo. 2:11-15).
Forty years later, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and called him to return to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let His people go (Exo. 3).
THE PASSOVER - However, the Pharaoh was unconvinced “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” (Exo. 5:2). But through a series of 10 plagues, Pharaoh was brought to his knees (Exo.7:14-10:29).
In the last plague, God sent an angel of death into every home to kill the firstborn of human and beast. However the Israelites were forewarned and told to smear blood of a one-year-old male lamb without defect on the top and sides of the door frame of their houses. Where the angel saw blood on the doorposts, he would “pass over” and not enter the house. That night, there was weeping and wailing in every house except those houses with blood on the doorposts (Exo. 11:1-12:36).
THE EXODUS - Finally, the Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt. Moses led the Israelites about 600,000 men excluding women and children and a mixed multitude out of Egypt (Exo. 12:37-38). The promise of a homeland was now to be fulfilled.
He guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a column of fire by night (Exo. 13:19-22). Soon Pharaoh changed his mind about letting the Israelites go and pursued them (Exo. 14:5-9). God divided the waters in the Red Sea – the waters piled up like walls on both sides – and the Israelites went through on dry ground (Exo. 14:19-22). The Egyptians followed them but were drowned when the walls of water went back to their places (Exo. 19:23-28).
GIVING OF THE LAW AT MOUNT SINAI - Two months after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mt Sinai. Moses went up the mountain alone to meet with God while the Israelites made camp at its foot (Exo. 19:1-2).
God told Moses to say to the people of Israel, “You have seen with your own eyes how I brought you out of the land of Egypt and what I did to the Egyptians when they tried to take you back into slavery. Now if you will obey my voice and do as I command, you shall be a special people unto me a holy nation.” (Exo. 19:3-6). When Moses came down, he told the Israelites what God had said and the people agreed to do all that the Lord would command (Exo. 19:7-8).
On the third day, God appeared on Mt Sinai; there was thunder and lightning flashes and a thick black cloud on the mountain. Then out of the smoke and fire, God spoke the Ten Commandments, loud and clear to the people (Exo. 19:16-20:17). Later, God gave the laws on two stone tablets (Exo. 32:15-19; 34:28-30).
CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE - God also gave Moses the instructions to build the Tabernacle so that He may live among the people (Exo. 25:8). God also established the sacrificial rituals and the priesthood through which a sinful people may approach the holy God (Leviticus).
The people brought their offerings and used them to begin building the Tabernacle (Exo. 35:4-9; 36:3-7). God enabled two craftsmen with the skills needed to design artistically with metals, wood and other materials (Exo. 31:1-11). After one year, the Tabernacle was completed. It had three distinct parts: the Outer Courtyard, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Then the cloud that led the Israelites moved into position above the Holy of Holies. It signified God’s presence in the midst of His people (Exo. 40:17-38).
Summary - The Book of Exodus tells us of the formation of a people of God by:
His mighty acts of REDEMPTION of the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 1-18)
His COVENANT with the Israelites at Mt Sinai (Exodus 19-24) and
His PRESENCE in the Tabernacle, dwelling among the Israelites (Exodus 25-40)