Exodus Story Line

Story Line

The opening (Exodus 1) describes how the Egyptians oppressed the descendants of Jacob, subjecting them to forced labor. Because this failed to curtail their growth, all male Hebrew infants were killed--all but one. When Moses was born (2) his parents hid him temporarily and then put him into a basket and set him afloat on the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter found Moses, had compassion on him, and raised him as her own in the royal court.
    When Moses became a man he rashly attempted to rescue some fellow Hebrews by killing their Egyptian task master. He fled Egypt and took refuge in the Sinai wilderness. There he married Zipporah and raised a family. While shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro, he met Yahweh at a burning bush (3-4). God told Moses to return to Egypt, which was not what he wanted to hear. However, back in Egypt he mediated Israel's deliverance from slavery and oppression. With a series of natural and supernatural disasters (5-11), Yahweh demonstrated his superior power. After celebrating the first Passover the Hebrews escaped into the Sinai wilderness (12-13). The Egyptian army pursued them and, just when it looked like the Hebrews were doomed, God miraculously opened a pathway through the Reed Sea. The Hebrews passed through safely, but the Egyptians were drowned when they tried to follow (14-15). Then Moses led the people to Mount Sinai (16-18) where earlier he had met Yahweh at the burning bush.
    At Mount Sinai Yahweh revealed the Law to the Hebrews and established an abiding covenant relationship with them (19-24). In addition to making this covenant he gave them instructions for building worship items and a portable shrine (25-31). Soon after the people agreed to the terms of the covenant they broke it by worshiping the golden calf instead of Yahweh (32-34). Though they deserved to be annihilated, God reestablished his covenant with them. Then, while still encamped at Mount Sinai, the Hebrews built a tabernacle as the residence for their God (35-40).