Exodus continues the story begun in Genesis and shows God fulfilling the promise made to Abraham. A family of seventy people multiplies in Egypt, but comes to live under harsh slavery.
In this scene of suffering, God raises up Moses, a man raised in the Egyptian palace and later exiled in the desert. At the burning bush, he receives the mission to confront Pharaoh and free God’s people.
The ten plagues show that the Lord is greater than any Egyptian power. On the night of the Passover, the blood of the lamb protects the Israelite families, and the people finally leave slavery bound for freedom.
The crossing of the Red Sea is the high point of the deliverance. God opens a path where there was no way out and rescues his people from the army pursuing them.
At Mount Sinai, God offers a covenant to Israel and gives the Ten Commandments. The law teaches how to live as God’s people, in holiness, justice and love for one’s neighbor.
Even after so many miracles, the people sin by worshiping a golden calf while Moses is still on the mountain. God burns with anger, but also forgives, revealing a character of patience and mercy.
The second half of the book details the construction of the tabernacle, the place where God would come to dwell visibly among his people. Every piece and every measurement points to the seriousness of approaching a holy God.
Exodus reveals a God who hears the cry of the oppressed, fulfills his promises and desires to dwell near those who trust him. This book is worth reading to know the God who sets free and still walks with his people today.