Exodus

GET UP... leave... take off—these words

sound good to those trapped or enslaved.

Some resist their marching orders, however,

preferring present surroundings to a new,

unknown environment. it’s not easy to trade

the comfortable security of the known for an

uncertain future. But what if God gives the

order to move? Will we follow his lead? Exo-

dus describes a series of God’s calls and the

responses of his people. Four hundred years had passed since Joseph moved his family to Egypt. These descendants of Abraham had now grown to over two million strong. To Egypt's new pharaoh, the Hebrews were foreigners, and their numbers were frightening. Pharaoh decided to make them slaves so they wouldn't upset his balance of power. As it turned out, that was his biggest mistake, for God then came to the rescue of his people. Through a series of strange events, a Hebrew boy named Moses became a prince in Pharaoh’s palace and then an outcast in a wilderness land. God visited Moses in the mysterious flames of a burning bush, and, after some discussion, Moses agreed to return to Egypt to lead God’s people out of slavery. Pharaoh was confronted, and through a cycle of plagues and promises made and broken, Israel was torn from his grasp. Mobilizing this mass of humanity was no easy task, but they marched out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness behind Moses and the pillars of cloud and fire. Despite continua! evidence of God's love and power, the people complained and began to yearn for their days in Egypt. God provided for their physical and spiritual needs with food anda place to worship, but he also judged their disobedience and unbelief. Then in the dramatic Sinai meeting with Moses, God gave his laws for right living. God led Moses and the nation of Israel, and he wants to lead us as well. Is he preparing you, like Moses, for a specific task? He will be with you; obey and follow. Is he delivering you from an enemy or a temptation? Trust him, and do what he says. Have you heard his clear moral directions? Read, study, and obey his Word. Is he calling you to true worship? Discover God's presence in yout life, in your home, and in the body of assembled believers. Exodus is the exciting story of God’s guidance. Read with the determination to follow God wherever he leads.

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When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God heard their cries and rescued them. We can be confident that God still hears the cries of his people. Just as he delivered the Israelites from their captors, he delivers us from sin, death, and evil.

After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites became quarrelsome and discontent. Like the Israelites, we find it easy to complain and be dissatisfied. Christians still have struggles, but we should never allow difficulties and unpleasant circumstances to turn us away from trusting God. God revealed his law to the Israelites at Sinai, Through the law, they learned more about what God is like and how he expected his peaple to live. The law is still instructional for us, for it exposes our sin and shows us God's standard for living.

🖼 Map, chart or picture (see the original page image) — text in this graphic: ee

🖼 Map, chart or picture (see the original page image) — text in this graphic: ee

KEY PLACES

IN EXODUS

rig" here that God commissioned him for

c iON OM é the job of leading the Hebrew people

LEBANON out of Egypt (2:15-4:31).

5 Baal-zephon Slavery was not to

last because God planned to deliver

his people. After choosing Moses

and Aaron to be his spokesmen

to Pharaoh, God worked a series

Mediterranean Sea “Galli of dramatic miracles in the land of

• Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the

Hebrews go (5:1—-12:33). When

finally freed, the entire nation set out

with the riches of Egypt (12:34-36).

One of their first stops was at Baal-

zephon (14:2), where Pharaoh, who

had changed his mind, chased the

Hebrews and trapped them against

the sea. But God parted the waters

and led the people through the sea

on dry land. When Pharaoh’s army

tried to pursue, the waters collapsed

around them, and they were drowned

(14:5-31).

6 Marah Moses now led the people

southward. The long trek across

the desert brought hot tempers and

parched throats for this mass of

.: “6; people. At Marah, the water they

• WILDERNES\ eae found was bitter, but God sweetened

“OF SINE" a it (15:22-25).

: 7 Elim As they continued their jour-

ney, the Hebrews (now called Israel-

ites) came to Elim, an oasis with

42 springs (15:27).

8 Wilderness af Sin Leaving Elim, the

people headed into the Wilderness of

Sin. Here the people became hungry,

ARABIA, so God provided them with manna

. that came from heaven and covered

a the ground each morning (16:1, 13-

15). The people ate this manna until

they entered the Promised Land.

9 Rephidim Moses led the people

Samariaje

LA

Jerusalem Madern names and boundaries are shown in gray. 1 Goshen This area was given to Jacob and his family when they to Rephidim where they found no water. But God miracumoved to Egypt (Genesis 47:5, 6). It became the Hebrews’ home- lously provided water from a rock (17:1, 5, 6). Here the land for 400 years and remained separate from the main Egyptian Israelites encountered their first test in battle: The Amacenters, for Egyptian culture looked down upon shepherds and iekites attacked and were defeated (17:9-13). Moses’ nomads. As the years passed, Jacob's family grew into a large father-in-law, Jethro, then arrived on the scene with some nation (1:7). sound advice on delegating responsibilities (18). 2, 3 Pithom and Rameses During the Israelites’ stay in the land 10 Mount Sinai God had previously appeared to Moses of Egypt, a pharaoh came to the throne who had no respect for on this mountain and commissioned him to lead Israel these descendants of Joseph and feared their large numbers. (3:1-10). Now Moses returned with the people God had He forced them into slavery in order to oppress and subdue them. asked him to lead. For almost a year the people camped Out of their slave labor, the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses at the foot of Mount Sinai. During this time God gave them were built (1:11). his Ten Commandments as well as other laws for right 4 Midian Moses, an Egyptian prince who was born a Hebrew, killed living. He also provided the blueprint for building the Taberan Egyptian and fled for his life to Midian. Here he became a shep- nacle (19—40). God was forging a holy nation, prepared

herd and married a woman named Zipporah. It was while he was to live for and serve him alone.