An Overview Of Exodus, A Book In The Old Testament
January 7th, 2009

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The book of Exodus describes a series of God’s calls and the responses of his people. The purpose for this book is to record the events of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and development as a nation. Exodus was written by Moses in the desert during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula. It was written approximately during the same time as the book of Genesis from 1450-1410 B.C. The book of Exodus is set in Egypt where God’s people, once highly favored in the land, are slaves. In this book, God prepares to set his people free. One special feature of the book of Exodus is that it relates more miracles than any other Old Testament book and is noted for containing the Ten Commandments.

At the beginning of the book of Exodus four hundred years had passed since Joseph moved his family to Egypt. These descendants of Abraham had now grown to over two million strong. Their power through numbers was frightening to the new Pharaoh and because of his fear of losing his kingdom; he chose to make them slaves so they would not upset his balance of power. This is the story of how God then came to the rescue of his people and set them free.

Beginning with his life as a young boy and prince in Pharaoh’s palace, an outcast in a desert land and then the man who helped to lead God’s people out of slavery, the story of Moses is included in the book of Exodus. The story of Moses culminates with God giving Moses the laws for right living. These laws are also known as the Ten Commandments.

There are 5 main themes throughout the book of Exodus.

Slavery â€" The Israelites were slaves for 400 years. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, oppressed them cruelly in an effort to keep himself in power.

Rescue/Redemption â€" God rescued Israel through the leader Moses and through mighty miracles. The Passover celebration was an annual reminder of the people’s escape from slavery.

Guidance â€" God guided Israel out of Egypt by using plagues, Moses’ heroic courage, the miracle of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments.

Ten Commandments â€" God’s law had three parts. The Ten Commandments were the first part, containing the absolutes of spiritual and moral life. The civil law was the second part, giving the people rules to manage their lives. The ceremonial law was the third part, showing them patterns for building the tabernacle and regular worship.

The Nation â€" God founded the nation of Israel to be the source of truth and salvation to the entire world. His relationship to his people was loving yet firm. The Israelites had no army, schools, governors, mayors, or police when they left Egypt. God had to instruct them in their constitutional laws and daily practices. He showed them how to worship and how to have national holidays.

Exodus begins with Israel in Egypt where the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. God heard their cries and rescued them. The next section of the book of Exodus is Israel in the desert. After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites became quarrelsome and discontent. The last section of the book is Israel at Sinai where 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 people to live. The key people in the book are Moses, Miriam, Pharaoh, and Pharaoh’s daughter, Jethro, Aaron, Joshua and Bezalel. The key places in the book of Exodus are Egypt, Goshen, Nile River, Midian, Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula and Mount Sinai.

The book of Exodus, the second book in the Bible, tells the story of how God led Moses and the nation of Israel. It is the exciting story of God’s guidance.

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