CHAPTER V

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

• In this chapter the central event is the departure
of Israel from Egypt.
• It is the continuation of Israel's history and
experiences during the time when Jacob's
descendants lived in Egypt.
• This book recounts the
oppression of the
chosen people by the
Egyptians and their
deliverance through
Moses.
• It is the central point in
the faith of Israel's history wherein; the prophets,
the legislations, the religious history, and the
liturgy of Israel are all permeated in relation to
this great event.
• The deliverance from slavery in Egypt was the
fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and his
descendants.
1. The Oppression of Israel

• In Egypt ca. 13"' cent B. C., the situation of the Hebrews is

an ideal background for the Biblical data found in the book
of Exodus.
• Exodus 1:8 tell us that a new king, who knew nothing of
Joseph came to power and let the Israelites be oppressed.
• The succeeding verses inform
us that the Hebrews were
forced to work to build the city of
Pharaoh and the building of
Phithom (Exod. 1: 11). At the time
of Rameses 11, the Hebrews were
forced to work in his buildings and
were not given enough food and
enough rest.
• The Hebrews experienced
many hardships as slaves
in Egypt. God somehow
allowed their misery to
happen to them.
• Remember, at the time of
Joseph, when they mingled with the Egyptians, most of the
people became unfaithful to God.
• They embraced the Egyptian culture and alluring
environment.
• So, aside from the unruly leaders in Egypt, the Israelites
somehow were reminded by God for being unfaithful and
allowed themselves to be enslaved by tile Egyptians.
• But God had not forgotten His promise to Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, and their descendants. God would choose a leader
among the Hebrews to lead and guide His people Israel.
2. The Birth and Call of Moses

• God heard the cry of His

people, Israel, in Egypt. He is now going
to rescue His people from the hands of their
oppressors.
• In Exodus 2: 1 - 10, God prepares a
leader to be borne and nurtured by
Pharaoh's daughter.
• This story tells us how the princess
rescued the baby boy.
• Here, the author wants to emphasize that the baby
boy was truly chosen by God to become the future
leader of Israel.
• After the princess adopted the baby boy and named
him Moses, He was reared and educated as an
Egyptian. However, his name means, “drawn out
from water.”
• When he grew up and became a man, with all his training
as a prince, God called him to lead his people out of
bondage 'in Egypt.
• God made Himself known to Moses at Mt, Sinai the
Mountain of God.
• God told Moses how he had seen
the sufferings of His people.
• He would rescue them now and
Moses would be His instrument
to free His people.
• Moses was hesitant to accept God's 'invitation to be the
leader of Israel until, God revealed His Holy Name to
Moses in Exodus 3:14, which says:
“I am who am…………sent me to you.”
• In Hebrew mentality, he who revealed his name
to someone gave himself to the person.
• Thus, if God revealed his name to Moses and
Israel it meant that God gave Himself to them.

• However, Moses was still hesitant to accept God's

mission.
• God then, made an assurance that He would be
visible to Him and gave Moses a sign to show to
the people. God also gave Aaron as Moses'
spokesman to Pharaoh.
• Aaron was the brother of Moses. He can speak
properly, unlike Moses.
3. The 10 Plagues in Egypt

• After Moses had received the

mission from God with Aaron
as his spokesman to Pharaoh,
he went back to Egypt.
• The people after hearing what
Moses had said, believed him.
• But Pharaoh would not allow the Israelites to
worship the true God in wilderness.
• So God, through Moses with Aaron sent the 10
plagues one after the other until the hardened
heart of Pharaoh was softened by God's plagues.
In Exodus 7:-11, the 10 plagues were the
following:

1. The water turned into blood (Nile River)

2. The frogs (multiplied so fast)
3. The gnats or mosquitos (pestered man and beasts)
4. The flies (brought diseases)
5. The pestilence (decomposed dead animals)
6. The bolls (Man and beasts were inflicted with boils
7. The hail (great hail destroyed plants and trees)
8. The locusts (ate every green leaf and plant)
9. The darkness (sandstorm which blinded everyone)
10. The death of the first born (the final plague)
• The author of the book of Exodus used these devices
as a signs of God's wrath to Egypt and Pharaoh for
not letting the Israelites go to worship the true God.
• Fortunately, all these plagues happened in
succession which forced the Pharaoh and the
Egyptians to free Israel.
4. The Celebration of the Passover Meal

• In Exodus 12:1-50, God through

Moses and Aaron, instructed the
people to celebrate and perform
the Passover Meal as a sign of
their deliverance from Egypt.
• Participation 'in this celebration would mean
"belongingness to God's chosen people."
• Whoever belonged to God's people would be spared
from harm and danger especially death of the first
born at that time.
• The meal had to be taken 'in readiness to go on a
journey, to freedom from slavery.
• The Passover Meal had three principal elements. They
were the following:

1. Sacrificing of the lamb.

2. Eating of the unleavened bread.
3. Offering of the first-born.

• The Passover meal celebration

was a memorial feast for God
passed over the houses of the
Israelites and led them out to
freedom from the hands of the
Egyptians.
• In the New Testament, the Church celebrates the
Passover meal figuring the sufferings and death of
Jesus.
• The blood of Jesus is the sacrificial lamb offered to
the Father for the expiation of men's sin. (I Peter 2:4)

1 Cor. 11:24-25, says,

“... This is my body that is for you...
Do this in remembrance of me...”

• Every time we celebrate the Mass, this is what we

recall, the saving acts of God through Jesus Christ,
His passion, death and resurrection.
5. The Sojourn of Israel in the Desert

• After the Pharaoh had experienced the anger of

God who gave the final plague, which brought
about the death of the first born of the Egyptians,
the Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to go.
• The people of God crossed the Red Sea and
reached the desert.
• They had a long journey ahead of that vast
desert.
• During their journey at daytime, God protected
His people from the heat of the sun by means of
a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire at night-time
(Exod. 13:21-22).
• The cloud and the fire during
the day and night were God's
symbol of His presence with
His people.
• However, because of the
vastness of the desert, the
people started to be discomforted
and murmured.
• They began to complain and literally pestered Moses.
The people clamored for so many requests.

• These quotations from the Book of Exodus, showed how

God giving them “manna” answered the discontented
people and “quails” for their food.
6. The Covenant at Mt Sinai

• The stories found in the Book of

Exodus should not be treated as
purely historical reports.
• The purpose of the book was to give a theological
explanation of the events.
• Here, the covenant at Mt. Sinai should be treated in the
same way.
• Moreover, the chosen people were considered the people
of the covenant established at Mt. Sinai.
• This covenant between God and Israel which was sealed at
the Mountain is called the Old Covenant.
• This idea of covenant pervades the entire Old Testament.
• This covenant would determine and guide the entire
people of God.
A. The Decalogue or 10 Commandments

• The Word “Decalogue” means “10 Commands.”

• In Exodus 20:1-17, which
particularly laid down the
10 Commands of God to
serve as guides in the
journey of God's people,
were reflections of the
people's sin and
unfaithfulness.
• In other words, the 10 Commandments were the reflection
of Israel's sins in relation to God. God reminded them not
to do them again.
Here are the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:1-17:

“I, Yahweh, am your God, who brought you out of the

land of Egypt, that place of slavery.”

1. You shall not have other

gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols
for yourselves.
2. You shall not take the name
of Yahweh, your god, in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the
Sabbath.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your
neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet your
neighbor's property.
• For the Israelites, they would be
more effective if the words will
be accompanied by a visible
symbol between God and the people.
• So, Moses built an altar and set up 12 pillars
to represent the 12 tribes of Israel and God.
• In the sealing of the covenant, blood was important.
• Based on the Hebrew mentality, blood symbolized the
“life” that comes from God.
• This is the reason why in the New Testament, Jesus
poured out His blood for the redemption of mankind to
symbolize that God shared His life for us.
• This act of Christ is the sign of the new covenant
satisfied by the blood of Christ Himself.
B. The Idolatry of Israel

• The author would like to tell us that the Israelites had been
doing already what God had mentioned here.
• In other words, the people were enticed by their neighbors, by
the people who mingled with them to worship false gods.
• In Exod. 20:4, for instance, the prohibition of images was
aimed against the making of the images of God.
• The races surrounding the chosen people used
pagan images in worshipping their pagan
gods, Baal.
• Baal was the Canaanites god for fertility or
good harvest.
• In addition to this, the text 'in Exod. 20:4, has a
different implication and meaning.
• The God of Israel is the true God who can not be
limited to a certain place or to an image made by
man.
• He is more than what man can perceive and
conceive.
• The Hebrews were fond of using anthropomorphic
language to speak about their intimate relationship
with God.
• The Yahwistic and Elohistic traditions were best
examples to illustrate this.