Exodus "Beginning to End"

Exodus is, of course, the story of Israel coming out of Egypt toward the promise land. It starts with the people being oppressed by the Egyptians and concludes with the tabernacle. It contains 40 chapters and covers about 216 years.

Exodus may be divided into three sections:

*Israel in Egypt (1-15)
*From the Red Sea to Sinai (16-18)
*Israel at Sinai (19-40)

Exodus means: a going forth or going out. The main characters are Moses, Aaron and Joshua.

It is not just a story of a trip across the wilderness. All the original heads of family have died. Their history is largely made up of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who is Israel. When, Jacob died there was no one leader to guide the people. It was left up to the family heads. As we will find, they went through a long period of slavery to the Egyptians. By referring back to Genesis, we know that it was about 400 years. So, in going from Genesis to Exodus we have spanned that 400 years and know only that they fell out of favor in Egypt because of a new king who did not know Joseph and that they were forced to serve the Egyptians with rigor.

So, not only is this a journey to the promise land, it is a time of preparation. A time when the people are organized from former slaves into a nation and fighting force. It also teaches us about redemption. It shows us our defilement and the need for constant cleansing in order to have a relationship with the Holy God. As in Genesis, Exodus ever points to Christ.

Remember the promise to Abraham and know that God does know how to take care of us.
Genesis 15:13-14 "And he said unto Abram (Abraham), Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance."

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.