For Further Study

Sarna (1986) is a readable interpretation of the book of Exodus that relates it to historical and cultural factors, Hillers (1969) is a comprehensive treatment of covenant, Harrelson (1980) relates the Ethical Decalogue to human moral universals, and Redford (1992) is a detailed study of the historical relationships between Egypt and Israel.

 Chapter 3 Bibliography

Questions for Review

1. Summarize the Egyptian historical context for the exodus.
2. Where and when did God reveal his name to Moses and how was this related to the exodus?
3. What is the Passover and how is it related to the exodus from Egypt?
4. What different collections of biblical law are found in the book of Exodus and how do they differ?
5. What was the Tabernacle and what was its function?

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. The book of Exodus brings together two great human themes, namely, freedom from oppression and rule by law. What is the relationship between these two themes? Why was it important and what effect did it have that both were associated with Israel's supreme deity, and, in fact, came about through his initiative?
2. Why was it important for Israel to associate its entire legal and covenantal tradition with Moses and with God's appearing on Mount Sinai? What effect did this have on the authority of law and the nature of the covenant in Israel? How does this compare with the foundation of law and the grounding of authority in modern nation-states?
3. Describe the various ways God revealed his presence and made himself known in Exodus. In what ways was God visible and in what ways invisible? What does this imply about Israel's understanding of the nature of its God and life in his presence?
4. Exodus addresses the identity of God in major ways. What moments in the story bear on God's identity? How is God's identity revealed progressively? Is it also in some ways intentionally concealed? In what way is the identity of Israel dependent on the identity of God?

Chapter 3 Study Guide 

• Chapter summary
• Key terms linked to the glossary
• Concept questions with answer links
• Progress tests: true/false, multiple choice, matching, and identification