and the Exodus from Egypt
"Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand" - Genesis 41
The Old Testament - A Brief Overview
MosesNow the Bible turns its attention to Moses, who was born about 1500 BC. He was chosen to lead Israel out of slavery and give them God's laws. When the Book of Exodus begins, the Hebrews were living in Egypt and after time they grew in number and the new Pharaoh didn't remember Joseph and put them into slavery. The Hebrew slaves had been reproducing so fast that the king felt threatened by a potential revolt against his authority. He gave orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live. To save the infant Moses, his mother made a little vessel of papyrus waterproofed with asphalt and pitch. She placed Moses in the vessel, floating among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River.
By God's providence, Moses-- the child of a Hebrew slave-- was found and adopted by an Egyptian princess, the daughter of the Pharaoh himself. He was reared in the royal court as a prince of the Egyptians: "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds" (Acts 7:22). At the same time the Lord determined that Moses should be taught in his earliest years by his own mother. This meant that he was founded in the faith of his fathers, although he was reared as an Egyptian (Ex. 2:1-10).
Moses was educated in a civilization unsurpassed by any people at that time. His training was designed to prepare him for a high office, or even the throne of Egypt. He became familiar with life at Pharaoh's courts and the pomp and grandeur of Egyptian religious worship. He was schooled in the writing and literary ideas of the time. He witnessed the administration of justice. When he was 40 years old, Moses became angry at an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave; he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand (Ex. 2:12). When this became known, however, he feared for his own life and fled from Egypt to the desert land of Midian where he married a daughter of Jethro in agreement to tend Jethro's flocks.
After about 40 more years, God spoke to Moses from a bush that was on fire but didn't burn. God sent Moses back to Egypt to lead the Hebrews out of slavery, and into the land promised to Abraham. God demonstrated His power to Moses and revealed to Him His holy Name "YHVH" or "Yaweh" (Jehovah became a popular pronunciation in the 16th century through German translators although there is no "J" sound in the Hebrew).God anointed Aaron to go with Moses to be the spokesman and they persuaded the people of Israel to follow them but Pharaoh would not let them go. Then God sent 10 devastating plagues on the Egyptians, the last plague being the death of the firstborn in every home whose doors were not marked with blood.
- First Plague: Blood
God commanded the Israelites to celebrate yearly the "Passover", where
the death angel passed over the houses that had the blood of a lamb.
Exod 12:1-14 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 'And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 'Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 'And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 'Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. . . roasted in fire . . . 'You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.
'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD'S Passover. 'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 'Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations.After this Pharaoh finally gave in and agreed to let Israel go (and with all the wealth of Egypt), but as soon as they left, Pharaoh changed his mind. He sent his army after them where Israel was cornered against the Red Sea. God parted the waters and led them through on dry ground.
Exod 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Then the waters closed in on Pharaoh's armies:
Exod 14:28-29 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.The Israelites were guided by the mysterious Shekinah glory cloud that led them to Mount Sinai. On the way their faith was tested as they experienced intense heat, hunger, thirst, and war. God did many miracles including "manna", bread that fell from heaven.
Read The Bible
- 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
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- J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
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Table of Contents
The Story of the Bible
- The Old Testament
- Quick Summary
- About
- Divisions
- Timeline
- Charts
- Maps
- Creation
- Adam and Eve
- The Flood
- The Tower of Babel
- Abraham the First Hebrew
Isaac, Son of Promise
- Jacob and the 12 Tribes
- Joseph and Egypt
- Moses and the Exodus
- The Giving of the Law
- The Tabernacle
- The Wilderness Wanderings
- Joshua and the Promised Land
- The Judges
- Samuel the Prophet
- Saul, Israel's First King
- King David
- King Solomon
- The Divided Kingdom
- The Northern Kingdom of Israel
- The Southern Kingdom of Judah
- The Assyrian Captivity
- The Babylonian Captivity
- The Return From Babylon
- The Prophets
- The Messiah
- Conclusion
- Bibliography and Credits
Summary of the Old Testament Books
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- Samuel
- Kings
- Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
Read the Old Testament Stories
Bibliography Resources on the Old Testament
- A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Revised and Expanded by Archer, 508 Pages, Pub. 2007
- The Old Testament: A Historical, Theological, and Critical Introduction
- Introducing the Old Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey
- A Survey of the Old Testament
- An Introduction to the Old Testament: Second Edition
- Old Testament Theology
- A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised
Old Testament Charts to Help with the Study of the Bible
- Old Testament Books
- Old Testament Books in English Order
- Old Testament Books in Hebrew Order
- Old Testament Books - Hebrew Meanings
- Divisions of the Old Testament
- Timeline of the Pentateuch
- Adam and Eve, a Type of Christ and the Church
- The Table of Nations in Genesis 10
- Lifespans in Genesis
- The Lineage of Christ in Genesis
- The Family Tree of Esau
- The 12 Tribes of Israel
- Joseph, A Type of Christ
- The Encampment of Israel
- The Hebrew Calendar of Months
- The 7 Feasts and God's Calendar
- The Feasts and Festivals of Israel
- Scriptures and Procedures of the Feasts
- Chapters, Verses, and Words in the Old Testament
- Miracles in the Old Testament
- Parables in the Old Testament
- Gentile Nations in the Old Testament
- The Servant of the LORD, Israel and the Messiah
- The Distinction Between Kings and Chronicles
- The Judges who Delivered Israel
- The Royal House of David
- The Kings of Israel
- The Kings of Judah
- Chronology of Israel and Judah's Kings and Prophets
- Chronology of the Prophets
- Messages of the Prophets
- Kings of the Assyrian Empire
- Kings of the Babylonian Empire
- Kings of the Persian Empire
- Cuneiform Inscriptions with Names of Foreign Kings
Main Menu
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- The Samaritans
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Ancient Questions
- How did the ancient Greeks and Romans practice medicine and treat illnesses?
- What were the major contributions of ancient Babylon to mathematics and astronomy?
- How did the ancient Persians create and administer their vast empire?
- What were the cultural and artistic achievements of ancient India, particularly during the Gupta Empire?
- How did ancient civilizations like the Incas and Aztecs build their remarkable cities and structures?
- What were the major trade routes and trading practices of the ancient world?
- What was the role of slavery in ancient societies like Rome and Greece?
- How did the ancient Mayans develop their sophisticated calendar system?
- What were the key events and significance of the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece?
- What was life like for women in ancient Rome?
Bible Study Questions
- The Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV): Historical Significance, Translation Methodology, and Lasting Impact
- Exploring the English Standard Version (ESV): Its Aspects, Comparisons, Impact on Biblical Studies, and Church Use
- A Detailed Historical Analysis of Language Updates in the KJ21: Comparison with Other Versions
- A Detailed Historical Analysis of the American Standard Version (ASV): Comparison to the King James Version, Influence on Later Translations, and Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses
- A Detailed Historical Analysis of Amplifications in the Amplified Bible (AMP) and Its Comparison to Other Bible Translations
- Detailed Historical Analysis of the Amplified Bible Classic Edition (AMPC): Examples of Amplifications and Comparative Analysis with Other Bible Translations
- Theological Implications of the BRG Bible's Color-Coding System: A Comparative Analysis
- The Christian Standard Bible (CSB): An In-Depth Analysis
- The Geneva Bible: Theological Distinctives, Impact on English Literature, and Role in Bible Translation History
- Exploring the Common English Bible (CEB): Translation Methodology, Church Use, and Comparative Analysis
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