Comstock 1

Jessica Comstock

Dr. Sanchez

Old Testament Survey

28 September 2017

Exodus Summary

During the Israelite’s 400 years in Egypt, Joseph’s Pharaoh died, and the new Pharaoh,

threatened by the multiplying Israelites, made them slaves and murdered their sons. God saved

infant Moses: Pharaoh’s daughter found him and raised him in privilege. After murdering an

Egyptian however, he fled to Midian.

Calling Moses back to Egypt through the burning bush, God sent Moses and Aaron to the

Israelite leaders and to Pharaoh with signs, instructions to make sacrifices in the wilderness, and

the name of God: Yahweh. The people worshipped, but Pharaoh refused to lose their lucrative

slavework for three days. Thus began the cycle of God sending a plague and Pharaoh hardening

his heart, interjected with God’s promises to remember his covenant. The tenth plague, the

firstborns’ death, began the Passover tradition: remembering that the Lord passed over faithful

homes, spared their firstborns, and delivered them from Egypt. Pharaoh finally released the

people forever, but then pursued and overtook them at the Red Sea, where God’s pillar of fire

halted them. He divided the waters, led Israel across, and drowned all of Pharaoh’s army. After

their deliverance, the Israelites sang praise to Yahweh.

Three days into their wilderness journey, they grumbled upon finding no water. The Lord

answered Moses’ cry, providing water and then manna - enough for each day. They lacked trust,

Comstock 2
and God made them completely dependent on his power alone. Soon Jethro instructed Moses to

set up an effective, grounds-up judicial system.

Arriving at Mt. Sinai, Moses went up to God, who promised to keep Israel should they

keep the covenant. Moses relayed the information, consecrated the people, and went up again to

God, who descended on the mountaintop in fire. God promised Canaan again and gave Moses

the 10 commandments and other laws. Then Moses came down, wrote them down, and read

them to the people; they agreed, made sacrifices, and accepted the covenant. Moses returned to

the mountain with other priests and leaders, and they ate in the presence of God. Then Moses

continued on alone, and God gave him two tablets of the testimony, as well as instructions for

the Sabbath and for building and collecting the precious materials for each piece of the

tabernacle.

After 40 days, Moses returned to the people worshipping a golden calf (made by Aaron)

as an equal to Yahweh. Yahweh and Moses burned in righteous anger, but He spared their lives

and still promised Canaan.

Moses spoke regularly to God as a friend, and even saw His glory from behind. God

renewed the covenant. Finally, the people gave more of their wealth than was needed for the

construction of the tabernacle, and Bezalel and Oholiab created every piece exactly as

commanded by Yahweh. Moses consecrated the priests and the tabernacle’s furnishings exactly

as commanded, and the glory of the Lord entered the tent. His cloud’s presence or absence

directed the Israelites to journey on or remain.

 Comstock 3

Leviticus Summary

Moses relays more detailed laws that glorify God, separate his people and make them

holy, and often protect them from tragedy, in-fighting, and disease.

Leviticus opens with laws explaining the basics of burnt, grain, peace, sin, and guilt

offerings. He often provided different animals and amounts to sacrifice so that all Israelites, even

the poor, can make atonement for their sins. He also gave instructions on how to consecrate the

priests and how they should go about presenting the sacrifices (which parts of the animals, how

much grain they should keep, etc). God even consumes two of Aaron’s sons in fire because they

presented a sacrifice differently than God instructed.

Yahweh’s next set of laws deal with clean and unclean animals, bodily functions, and

diseases. It first separates mammals, sea life, birds, insects, and reptiles into clean and unclean

species to eat. No swarming thing or dead animal is clean, and if any are touched or eaten, the

person must wash their clothes and be unclean until evening. A woman after childbirth is unclean

for 33 days if the baby was male and 66 days if the baby was female. A person with suspiciously

colored hairs must see a priest, and if the hair is discolored, they must be quarantined for a week

and then check in with the priest for either further quarantine and release or for indefinite

quarantine until healing. After healing, Yahweh provides sanctifying instructions on how to

cleanse the leper, including health cleansings (like hair shaving) and soul cleansings (like the

guilt offering). Similar to the leper laws, God gives instructions for priestly inspections of moldy

houses and subsequent steps of quarantine, partial demolition, or total demolition. Bodily

Comstock 4
discharges also cause a man or woman to be unclean for a week, including a woman’s

menstruation.

Then God explains the rules for following the Day of Atonement every year, as well as

that they cannot sacrifice outside the tabernacle, they cannot eat blood, and they cannot partake

in incest, homosexuality, or beastiality. Yahweh intercedes his laws with a longer proclamation

of his holiness - the main reason why his people must be holy and not defile him. The laws then

continue in a strain of love laws, including do not steal, lie, oppress or mistreat, slander, be

unjust, or hate. Miscellaneous laws continue until God explains the punishments for certain sins,

which was usually death by stoning, fire, or exile (individual and as a nation).

Transitioning back to priests, God adds purifying laws to be kept especially by priests,

and provides more details on acceptable animals to sacrifice (no blemishes, disabilities, or

newborns). Then he gives specific instructions for festivals and the Sabbath of the people and

land. Yahweh gives merciful laws like the Year of Jubilee, restitution, and not making Israelites

slaves. He promises success to the obedient, death and exile to the disobedient, and forgiveness

to the repentant. Finally, Leviticus ends with fair valuations of people and land.
 Comstock 5

Numbers Summary

In Sinai, God commanded Moses to take a census by tribe of every 20+ year old male and

to arrange the camp according to tribe. God claimed all firstborn as His, but chose the Levites to

serve Him in the firstborns’ places. He instructed Israelites to make atonement via sacrifices,

regulated the Nazirite vow, and gave Moses a blessing for Aaron.

On the 12 days following the tabernacle’s consecration, each tribe offered the same vast

amount of riches. The Levites were cleansed for service in body and soul. God instructed to

celebrate Passover 1 month later if missed because of uncleanness and to march only when

God’s cloud left the tabernacle. Marching out from Sinai, they followed all God’s instruction.

Soon the Israelites complained about the monotony of the manna; their unfaithful craving

angered God. Even Moses disbelieved when God promised mass amounts of meat. God

delivered, and everyone who ate of the meat instead of God’s manna were killed. Later Miriam

and Aaron challenged Moses’ authority because they too were prophets, but God punished them,

explaining that He speaks directly to Moses but only through visions to them. Afterward Moses

sent spies into Canaan, but only Caleb and Joshua returned with honest news of Canaan’s

bounty; the rest feared the strong inhabitants more than God and distorted the report. So the

people rebelled against God’s command again, for which He promised to not allow their

generation in the Promised Land. For 40 years, they wandered the wilderness until their

generation died (except Caleb and Joshua). During this, Korah rebelled against Moses’ authority,

and God swallowed them in the earth.

Comstock 6
 God further explained the offering and purification rules for the Levites. In Meribah, the

Israelites found no water, so God instructed Moses to tell a rock to yield its water, but Moses did

not believe and struck the rock to make it flow. For this God banished Moses and Aaron from the

Promised Land. Aaron died on Mount Hor; Eleazar became high priest. Arad attacked Israel, but

God gave Israel victory against him, Sihon and Og. They next faced Balak, who summoned the

prophet Balaam to curse Israel. After numerous bribes, and a close call in taking the bribe,

Balaam ultimately only repeats God’s blessing on Israel and does not fully give in to temptation.

The Israelites began worshipping Baal because of their sexual immorality with Moabite

women, but Phineas, with God’s jealousy, stopped the plague by killing transgressors. Per God’s

instructions, Israel took a new census, gave inheritances to daughters of sonless fathers, replaced

Moses with Joshua, and gave special offerings according to the festival.

In Moses’ last campaign, the Israelites demolished the Midians. Afterward Reuben and

Gad requested to reside in Gilead instead of Canaan, which Moses allowed so long as they

fought for Israel in Canaan. Before entering Canaan, God instructed Israel of its borders, its

chiefs, its Levite and refuge cities, to drive out all inhabitants, and to destroy all Canaanite

worship.

Comstock 7

Deuteronomy Summary
 Before sending the 2nd generation Israelites into Canaan, Moses gives four parting

speeches. His first retold their journey: setting up leadership, their faithless refusal to enter

Canaan, and as punishment, their forty year wandering. After all the cursed died, God

commanded them to overtake the Amorites, and they defeated Sihon and Og. Then Moses

reiterated some key laws: love and glorify God through obedience, do not worship idols, and

establish cities of refuge. He emphasized the miracles and awesomeness of God.

His second speech recounts laws and lessons to bring into Canaan. Love God, do not

forget Him like in the Golden Calf incident, do not mix God’s holy people with Canaanites, do

not credit blessings to your own righteousness, and circumcise their hearts. If they love and serve

God, and teach their children, He will bless them. They should destroy all Canaanite places of

worship, and sacrifice only in God’s chosen place. They could eat clean meat anywhere, but all

sacrifices must have been eaten in the chosen place. God commands to stone a prophet or even

family members, or demolish a city forever, if they lead people away from Yahweh. He reiterates

clean versus unclean animals. He re-explains the rules for tithes, the Sabbatical Year, the

Passover, and Feasts in regards to the chosen place. They are to appoint just and impartial

judges. For worshipping, they will not use Asherah trees, pillars or blemished animals. They will

stone those who worship other gods, but only with at least two witnesses. When they appoint a

king, he will be completely dependent on God and His Law. Levites will live on offerings, and

have no tribal inheritance. Moses predicts a new prophet (Jesus) and warns of false, powerless

prophets. Miscellaneous laws ensue, including that Canaanite cities should be utterly

demolished, but

Comstock 8
outlying cities should be offered a peaceful takeover, and the women, children, and riches would

be spared. Subsequent laws enact justice, cleanness, safety, and generosity. Moses ends with

recounting Israel’s entrance and exit from Egypt as part of a firstfruits offering example, and

with God’s covenant to bless the upholders of the law.

Moses’ third speech primarily explained all the blessings for keepers of the law, and all

the curses for breakers of any law. His fourth and final speech renewed the covenant with every

person by recounting God’s wrath on past Israelite rebellion, and by promising forgiveness and

blessings to those who return to God and repent. God allows them to choose between life in

obedience or death in disobedience.

Moses then called on Joshua to replace him, and God commissioned him and filled him

with His Spirit. Moses wrote all the Law down and gave it to the priests to read to all Israelites

every seven years, and he wrote a song to teach and forever remind the Israelites that their curses

are God’s judgement for breaking His covenant. Moses blesses each tribe, especially Joseph’s.

God shows him the Promised Land from a mountaintop, and Moses passed.