Genesis Through Joshua- Exodus: Divine Authorisation in Deliverance and Travelling

Purpose of the book:
To depict Moses as someone authorised by God to establish the law and worship regulations

Suggested structure of Exodus
1-18 Deliverance of Israel under Moses
19-24 The Covenant law under Moses
25-43 Covenant worship under Moses

The Basic Content of Exodus 5-18:27
2 sections:
· The deliverance from Egypt
· The travelling to mount Sinai

Deliverance from Egypt 5-15
1) Literary Structure
First encounter with Pharaoh
Deliverance under Moses
Last encounter with Pharaoh

2) Analysis of the deliverance
5-6
Moses is honest about his attitudes and the attitudes of the Israelites
Egyptians take away straw making the work harder.
5:2 = Pharaoh’s attitude to the Lord
6:9 Moses reports what God says to the Israelites but the Israelites disbelief the word of God

6:10-11 God re-commissions Moses to speak to Pharaoh
6:12 Moses loses vision

13:17-22
Israel begins travel
God guides with smoke and fire

14:29-31- God kills the Egyptians in the red sea

15- Celebration of the red sea
A display of hope and confidence in the Lord

The Israelites went from saying ‘Can God deliver us?’ in Egypt to ‘Yes God can deliver us’ after the red sea.

Message to the 2nd Generation:
The story affirms Moses divine authorisation. They should trust in Moses and God.

3) Deliverance through Miracles
1st miracle snakes
3 series of miracles happen with warnings at the Nile- 3 plagues each time.
1st series: Magicians of Pharaoh are put down compared with Moses’ miracles.
2nd series: A distinction between Israel and Egyptians becomes clear. The Egyptians are affected by the plagues.
3rd series: Remarkable distinction between Israel and the Egyptians.
Last miracle of the Passover

The plagues on Egypt show that God supported the authority of Moses on Israel.

4) The Passover Celebration
The Lord sends an angel to pass through the town and kill the first born so of the house that didn’t have blood sprinkled on the doorposts.

11:1-10 Commission, warning, refusal of Pharaoh
12:14-28 Moses speaks to the audience directly
12:43-51 direct instructions for the future (for the 2nd generation)
13:1-16 Commandment to consecrate the first born

Moses is telling the story of the Passover because in the story we see regulations for how the 2nd generation Israelites are to live.

The Travelling to Sinai 15-18
People doubt Moses leadership and wisdom. These stories vindicate the leadership of Moses.

15:23 The Israelites grumble against Moses and refuse to obey. Moses cries out to the Lord
15:25 the water becomes sweet by Moses actions.
The Lord tests them and then re-affirms that He is the God who heals. The Israelites doubt Moses. Moses leadership is vindicated by the miracle and God’s own words.

16:2-3 in the desert the community grumble again.
16:6-8 Moses and Aaron speak to the Israelites and promise that they will see the glory of the Lord. ‘You are not grumbling at us but against the Lord’.
16:13-14 Miracle of manna and quail.

17:2-4 the Israelites were without water. The people test the Lord through Moses.
17:5-6 the miracle takes place at the rock of Horeb.

17:8-16 When Moses hands grew tired the Israelites started losing against the Amalekites. When Moses arms were lifted the Israelites prevail.
17:14 this is an event to be remembered.

18:20-21 Moses is supposed to teach the law and establish officials to teach the law.

The original Israelites should believe in the Mosaic leadership because God worked through the hands of Moses.

We should follow Moses and Christ because their leadership was vindicated.

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