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Bible Survey Lesson 5: EXODUS 1-14

EXODUS 1

Israel Multiplies in Egypt – Exodus 1:1-22 NASB1995

“1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household:…(verse 22).”

EXODUS 14

Pharaoh in Pursuit – Exodus 14:1-31 NASB1995

“1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, …(verse 31).”

The Book of Exodus, written between 1440 and 1400 B.C., narrates the story of the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, led by Moses, and their journey to Mount Sinai, where they receive the Ten Commandments from God. It emphasizes themes of redemption, covenant, and the establishment of Israel as God’s chosen people, detailing significant events such as the plagues, the Passover, and the parting of the Red Sea.

The word “exodus” means departure. In God’s timing, the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt marked the end of a period of oppression for Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:13), and the beginning of the fulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham that his descendants would not only live in the Promised Land, but would also multiply and become a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3, 7). The purpose of the book may be expressed as tracing the rapid growth of Jacob’s descendants from Egypt to the establishment of the theocratic nation in their Promised Land.

Exodus begins where Genesis leaves off as God deals with His chosen people, the Jews. It traces the events from the time Israel entered Egypt as guests of Joseph, who was powerful in Egypt, until they were eventually delivered from the cruel bondage of slavery into which they had been brought by “…a new king…which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8).

Exodus Chapters 1-14 describe the conditions of oppression of the Jews under Pharaoh, the rise of Moses as their deliverer, the plagues God brought upon Egypt for the refusal of their leader to submit to Him, and the departure from Egypt. God’s sovereign and powerful hand is seen in the miracles of the plagues—ending with the plague of death of the firstborn and the institution of the first Passover—the deliverance of the Israelites, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egyptian army. 

The middle portion of Exodus is dedicated to the wandering in the wilderness and the miraculous provision by God for His people. But even though He gave them bread from heaven, sweet water from bitter, water from a rock, victory over those who would destroy them, His Law written on tablets of stone by His own hand, and His presence in the form of pillars of fire and cloud, the people continually grumbled and rebelled against Him. 

The last third of the Book of Exodus describes the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and the plan for the Tabernacle with its various sacrifices, altars, furniture, ceremonies, and forms of worship.

Old Testament Books of the Bible ~ Hebrew & Protestant