Exodus and Redemption of Israelites Essay

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Exodus/Story Of Moses

Many scholars refer to the book of exodus as the bedrock of faith in Israel. The book links two key first encounters: the Israelites' Exodus from captivity in Egypt, and their reception of the covenant of God at Sinai. The Exodus of Israelites from Egypt is symbolic of the existence of Israel, primarily by the delivering power of God. And the covenant shaped the nation's relationship with God. This relationship or covenant entails both parties keeping promises, and also holding the key promise from Yahweh for a brighter future. The two foundational encounters -- the exodus and the reception of the covenant -- are the source of the identity of Israelites as a people delivered by God.

The exodus of Israelites from Egypt is also a key basis for the two main religions related to the Messiah -- Christianity and Judaism. In Christianity, the exodus is celebrated as Easter, where Christ represents the Passover lamb, while in Judaism it used to be and still is the festival of Passover, celebrating the liberty and freedom of Israelites. The name 'exodus of the book' comes from the Israelites' miraculous escape from captivity ("CHAPTER THREE Exodus: Deliverance and Covenant" Para 1&2).

The book of exodus is second after that of Genesis in the Bible, and it can be segmented into 2 main sections: chapters 1 to 18 on the traditions surrounding the people's departure from captivity, and the chapters 19 to 40 on the traditions linked to the revelation of God to the people on Mount Sinai ("CHAPTER THREE Exodus: Deliverance and Covenant" Para 1&2).

This paper seeks to assess the book of Exodus, in the perspective of the narrative on Moses by looking into the purpose, authorship of the text, the culture and traditions of the time, and many other elements that might have influenced the writing of the text, and how the covenant agreement is interpreted even in the modern world.

Text Authorship

It has been assumed since the compilation of the first Bible that Moses is the author of the book of Exodus, although the book doesn't explicitly assert that fact. Even though many biblical scholars look at Moses as a key player in the events recorded in the book, he is not seen as the only author of the book, in terms of authorship in the contemporary style. As with the book of Genesis, many historical Jewish sources name Moses as the most likely individual to have written the text. This assertion is supported by various factors. One is that Moses had been educated in the Egyptian royal house, and this experience gave him the ability to write the book. There are also several texts in the book itself that support the idea that Moses wrote the book (Swindoll, Para 1&2).

Many topographical details, conversations, narratives and events could only be in the book, if they were written by the individual who personally witnessed them. For instance, the scripture reads at one point that Moses then wrote what the Lord had said (Exodus 24:4 NIV). Even in the gospels, there was an occasion where Jesus quoted from Exodus 20:12 and also 21:17, saying that, "for Moses said," showing Christ's explicit confirmation of the author of the book. The name 'exodus' originates from the Septuagint, which derives the title from the book's main event, the deliverance of the people of God from captivity and/or slavery, and their exit from Egypt through the grace of God (Swindoll, Para 1&2).

Purpose of the Text and Message

The birth of Moses took place at a time when the wrongs being committed on the Israelites were at their worst, and the Hebrew kids were being slaughtered by their captors, the Egyptians. The Egyptians had set to make the lives of the Israelites difficult. They made them to toil huge fields and build pyramids for them. When Moses was born, the Egyptians - afraid that the Jews would outnumber them -- decided to murder all the boys born to the Jews. And, they also made them work harder, so as to break their resolve (Marshall, Para 6-8).

However, in the book of Exodus, we see Yahweh starting to fulfill the promises he had made to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Despite the Israelites having been held in captivity for many years, God delivered them to freedom in their own home. God then founded the nation of Israel as a theocratic one, based on the covenant He made with Israelites on Mount Sinai (Swindoll, Para 5).

The 10 plagues: their houses being passed over by the angel of death, the splitting of the Red Sea, the power of God's presence at the mountain, the issuing of the 10 commandments and placing them in the tabernacle, are the main events that form the basis of Judaism.

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These events also offer an important glimpse into the environment surrounding the writing of the text to a modern day reader of the scripture, and also enable the reader an overall understanding of God's plan of redemption. The number of times the authors of the other books of the Bible quote the book of Exodus, and even the references to the book made by Jesus, are testament to the significance of the book (Swindoll, Para 5).

The running theme in the book of Exodus is God's plan of redemption -- how He delivered the Israelites from captivity. After the delivery, God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments to help guide the people's relationship with Him. He also gave instructions on how sacrifices could be made, as an act of worship. Just as importantly, He also gave them instructions on how to construct the tabernacle and by extension, the Tent in which it was to be placed because He wished to live among His people, and to show His glory (Exodus 40:34-35). The Sinai Covenant, which was represented at first through the Decalogue, is the basis of the beliefs of Judaism. Through His law, God states that everything in Life relates to Him, and that nothing is not within His power (Swindoll, Para 6&7).

The first book of the Bible -- Genesis -- offers the situational context behind the delivery of the Israelites from captivity, while the third book, Leviticus, is more of a completion of the Mosaic covenant stipulation given in Exodus. This was in terms of the context of the structure and function of the worship that was to be performed in the tabernacle by the Levites, and also in terms of the righteousness that was to be upheld by the nation of Israel. Thus, it can be safe to say that the book of Exodus fits between that of Genesis and Leviticus, in both a logical and theological manner. The act of redeeming the Israelites from captivity in Egypt is God's fulfillment of one of the promises He had made to their ancestors, including Isaac and His father Abraham (DeCanio, Para 24).

The bringing of the people into a covenant agreement with Him is not only redemption of the whole nation of Israel, but also that of the individual people of Israel. The redemption, however, requires that the people of Israel should also be redeemed from sin so that Yahweh might live among them (DeCanio Para 25).

Exodus reveals how God made the Israelites special through the covenant, and by dwelling among them as their King. The book is also transitional in that it shows how God's promise to Abraham is fulfilled as His Law. Even though the promise God made to Abraham and later to Jacob is the basis of His relationship to the people, His Law also becomes the ground for either blessings or curses on the succeeding generations, depending on whether or not they obey the Law. For God to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham, in our lives, there is a need for us to be faithful to God; faith, which is determined by our obedience to His Laws (DeCanio, Para 26).

In the book of Exodus, (chapter 1) describes the way Egyptians mistreated the Israelites. And since their actions and forced labor did not stop the growth of the population of Israelites on their land, the Egyptians decided to murder all new-born male Israelites. However, they did not succeed in killing Moses. Upon the birth of Moses (2), his family hid him for some time and then hatched a plan to save him.

They put him on a basket and floated him down the River Nile, to a place that was frequently visited by Pharaoh's daughter. Pharaoh's daughter found the baby and took compassion upon it. She decided to raise the baby as her own. When Moses had grown and became an adult, he attempted to help some Jews who were being mistreated by their Egyptian masters, and in the process, killed the Egyptian. He decided to flee the royal court and Egypt, and hid in the Sinai desert. While in the wilderness, he met and married Zipporah, and had children….....

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