EXODUS (meaning "exit" or "going away
from"):
The beginning of 70 of Jacob's family in Egypt grew to a large
nation, filling the land of Goshen. So the Egyptians made slaves
of the Israelites (also called Hebrews). One of the sons of Jacob
was named Levi . Out of the family of Levi, at a time when
the Pharoah had tried to kill all Israeli babies, the baby Moses
was born. He was raised by Pharaoh's daughter. When Moses was
grown, he killed an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew. Moses
then had to leave Egypt to avoid being killed. Moses went to the
land of Midian, where he met Reuel (also called Jethro) and
married his daughter Zipporah.
BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3:2): An Angel of the Lord
appeared to Moses as "flames of fire from within a
bush." Then God told him to be the person to free the
Hebrews from Egypt. Moses begged to not be the person chosen as
this spokesman. The Lord insisted and told him to throw down his
staff (i.e, shepherd's rod) onto the ground -- at which point it
was turned into a snake. The Lord told Moses to put his hand into
his cloak (i.e, robe); it became "leprous, like snow"
and then became all right when put into the cloak and withdrawn
again. The Lord then told him that water would also be turned
into blood. These things would allow the people in Egypt to know
that Moses was indeed sent by God to them. Moses begged God
further, so God allowed Moses' brother Aaron to be the
spokesman to the people with Moses being the messenger from God.
Moses (80 years old) and Aaron (83 years old) went to Pharoah and
requested that the Hebrews be allowed to worship God for three
days in the wilderness. Pharoah did not allow this, so Moses and
Aaron had to demonstrate the power of God with miracles and
finally plagues, such as frogs, flies, hail, and locusts.
Finally, (Exodus 11) God told Moses that He would send the
"Destroyer" to kill the firstborn (i.e., oldest) sons
of all in Egypt, except for those oldest sons of the people of
Israel. The Hebrews were instructed by Moses to kill a lamb and
coat the sides and tops of their doorframes with the blood of the
lamb, so that the "Destroyer" would pass over their
home (Genesis 12:23) -- hence the celebration thereafter of the
Passover (celebrated forevermore, always around late March or
first of April by our calendar). Pharoah let the Hebrews go,
after their 430 years in Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph
with him out of Egypt. Pharoah went after them when he realized
that they were not coming back after their leaving to worship
their God. The sea opened up for the Hebrews and they walked on
dry ground, whereas it closed onto the following Egyptians,
killing the army of Pharoah. The time of the Exodus from Egypt
was around 1250 B.C.
Two months after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews arrived between Elim
and Mt. Sinai. The people griped about their condition, so God
provided them with "manna" ([Exodus 16:31]
meaning "what is it?") -- a bread-food that was white
and tasted like wafers made with honey; formed from dew on the
ground. At his father-in-law's suggestion, Moses appointed
"judges" to administer justice to the people.
TEN COMMANDMENTS : God issued His Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20):
God told Moses the laws that were to be applied to the people.
There were twelve tribes of Israel, and altars were
arranged to signify this. God instructed Moses on how to build a
Tabernacle and an Ark (Exodus 25:10: of acacia wood, 3 3/4 ft.
long, 2 1/4 ft. wide, 2 1/4 ft. high overlayed with gold (inside
and out) containing inside the stone tablets engraved with the
Ten Commandments). The Ark would be a place in the Holy of Holies
for God to reside. Aaron and his sons were designated as the
priests for God. The requirements for altars, incense, and
offerings were described to Moses by God. Moses first went to Mt.
Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and was there for 40 days
and 40 nights. Since Moses was gone so long, his brother, Aaron,
at the request of the people built a golden calf that they all
worshipped. Moses saw this and, in disgust, destroyed the stone
tablets of the Ten Commandments that God had given to him. He
then went back to Mt. Sinai for another 40 days and 40 nights and
made a contract (or Covenant) with
God to not destroy the people if they would obey the Ten
Commandments. God created the tablets again.