Exodus

The Book of Exodus

This is the story of how the Israelites left Egypt, how they made their exodus, their departure, from Egypt. The Book of Exodus Chapter 1 After about 300 years, when the descendants of Jacob - the Israelites - had grown to a huge number, the Egyptians began to see the Israelites as a danger to Egypt. So they forced the Israelites into slavery and made their life miserable. The Egyptians forced the Israelites to make bricks and build cities. But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number. So the Egyptian king told the Israelite midwives to kill all new-born boys. But they midwives let the baby boys live - and God was pleased with the midwives and blessed them. Pharaoh then ordered all Israelite baby boys to be drowned in the river.	Chinese translation Someone like to do this please? john@china8.org add pics of stories + End of each book + prayers
Dear God, please stop people, especially children, from being used as slaves
Chapter 2 One Israelite mother who had a baby boy kept him hidden for three months. When she could no longer hide him she put him in a basket and placed the basket among reeds near a river bank. The basket was found by Pharaoh's daughter when she went to bathe in the river. She felt sorry for the baby and decided to keep it. The baby's sister saw all this happen and asked Pharaoh's daughter if she'd like a nurse for the baby. Pharaoh's daughter agreed, and so the baby's mother was paid by Pharaoh's daughter to be the baby's nurse. When the child was weaned, he was taken to Pharaoh's daughter who treated him like her own son. She named the baby Moses. When Moses became a man, he visited the Israelites and saw their hard life. He saw an Egyptian hit one of the Israelites so he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. But people found out; so did Pharaoh who decided to kill Moses. Moses then fled to the land of Midian. The priest of Midian had 7 daughters. One day when they drew water for their father's sheep they were driven away from the well by some shepherds. Moses protected them from the shepherds and helped them get water from the well. Their father, Jethro, was grateful to Moses and invited Moses for a meal. Moses then stayed with Jethro who gave him his daughter Zipporah for a wife.
Dear God, please protect all new-born babies, especially baby girls.
Chapter 3 The Israelites begged God to free them from slavery in Egypt. God heard their cry and called Moses to be the instrument of their freedom. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and said to him "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I have heard the prayers of my people in Egypt. I now send you to Pharaoh to win the freedom of my people". Moses asked what was God's name. God replied 'I Am who Am. Tell the people "I Am has sent me to you".'
Dear God, God of life, God of Abraham, we praise you Lord.
Chapter 4 Moses said to God "What if the people won't believe you sent me"? God said "Throw your staff onto the ground". When Moses threw his staff onto the ground, it became a snake. "Catch it by the tail" said God. When Moses caught it by the tail, it changed back into a staff. Moses said to God "I'm a poor speaker". God said "Aaron your older brother can be your mouthpiece. Now go back to Egypt. It's safe to go back now; the people who wanted to kill you are dead". Back in Egypt, Moses and Aaron gathered the Israelite leaders and told them all that God had said. The elders rejoiced that God was going to help them.
Dear God, God of Moses and Aaron, we praise you Lord
Chapter 5, 6 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said 'God says: let my people go into the desert to worship me".' Pharaoh not only refused to let them go; he also made their life more difficult by forcing them to gather their own straw for making bricks. The people complained to Moses and Aaron for having made their life more difficult. So Moses prayed to God for help and God said he would force Pharaoh to let the people go.
Dear God, please don't let me make life difficult for other people
Chapter 7 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again and let him see Aaron's staff change into a snake. When Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same thing Aaron's staff swallowed up the magicians' staffs. But Pharaoh's heart stayed stubborn and he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron. So God told Moses and Aaron to go the river the next morning and when they saw Pharaoh there Aaron struck the river with his staff and the river and all water throughout Egypt turned into blood. But Pharaoh still would not let the Israelites go
Dear God, please soften stubborn hearts that make life difficult for other people
Chapter 8 After seven days, God told Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh again, this time causing a plague of frogs to cover the land when Pharaoh again refused to let the people go. Then God got Aaron to strike the ground and the dust turned into mosquitoes which attacked people and animals throughout Egypt. But still Pharaoh would not let the people go. Next there was a plague of flies which afflicted every place except the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. Pharaoh then said the people could go and he asked Moses to pray for the flies to stop. But once the flies stopped Pharaoh changed his mind and would not let the people go
Dear God, please help all world leaders to listen to your voice
Chapter 9 Through Moses, God kept saying to Pharaoh "Let my people go to offer me worship". But Pharaoh kept refusing to let the people go. So God sent three more plagues: all the Egyptian's animals died, then all the Egyptians were covered with boils, then the land was hit by a fierce hailstorm. During the hailstorm, Pharaoh said the people could go. But as soon as the storm stopped, he changed his mind again
Dear God, please help us not to ignore your voice
Chapter 10 Pharaoh's advisers urged him to let the Israelites go. They said to him "How much longer is this affair going to go on? Let the Israelites go before Egypt is ruined". Pharaoh agreed to let the men go, but not the rest of the people. So God send two more plagues on the Egyptians: locusts which devoured all the plants and trees and then three days of total darkness, except in the land where the Israelites lived. But even after the above nine plagues, Pharaoh still wouldn't let the people go
Dear God, stubbornness can sometimes be a good thing, but please don't let me be stubborn if that will hurt other people
Chapter 11 One last time God sent Moses to Pharaoh, with this message: "Tonight at midnight, God's angel will pass through Egypt. All the first-born in the land of Egypt will die, all the first-born of humans and animals, except the first-born of the Israelites.
Dear God, please bless everyone in Egypt!
Chapter 12,13 God said to Moses and Aaron "From now on, this month is to be first month of your year. On the evening of the 14th day of this month each family must kill and eat a one year old male sheep or goat. Some of its blood must be put on your front door. You must eat it in a hurry, with a belt round your waist, sandals on your feet and a staff in your hand. This night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike every first-born of human and animal. But when I see the blood on your doors I shall PASS OVER your homes and you shall be unharmed. Each year you must remember this night. Each year you must observe this feast of the Passover. You also must consecrate all first-born to me". That night God indeed struck dead the first-born of all the Egyptians, from the son of Pharaoh to animals in the field. There was great mourning in Egypt and Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go. The Israelites now numbered about 600,000 men, having been in Egypt exactly 430 years. As the people travelled, God went before them in the form of a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night
Dear God, please help me understand the full meaning of the Passover story
Chapter 14 Not long after the Israelites left Egypt Pharaoh again changed his mind. He decided to catch the Israelites and make them return to Egypt. The Israelites were near the edge of the Red Sea when they saw the Egyptians approaching. The Israelites cried out in fear but Moses said to them "Do not be afraid. God will do the fighting for you". God then told Moses to stretch out his staff over the sea. After he did so, a strong wind blew all night and caused the waters to part. Then the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. The Egyptians gave chase and also went into the sea. When the Israelites had crossed to the other side Moses again stretched out his staff over the sea and this time the sea returned to its normal flow, drowning all the Egyptians. The people offered thanksgiving and praise to God - composing this famous prayer:
Dear God, please rescue people in trouble, just as you rescued the Israelites when they were in trouble
Chapter 15 "The Lord has covered himself in glory, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, he is my salvation. This is my God, I praise him The Lord is his name. Lord, when you blew over the waters, they piled high on two sides. Lord, only you are God, there is no other. Lord, you are our king for ever"
Dear God, you are my strength and my salvation
Chapter 16 As the Israelites traveled through the desert they began to complain about not having enough food. So God rained down bread, manna, from heaven in the form of a coating of dew which appeared on the ground each morning, as well as flocks of quails which came every evening. For forty years the Israelites ate manna and quails, bread and birds
Dear God, thank you for the food we have each day
Chapter 17 In one place where there was no water the people grumbled against Moses: "Give us water to drink or else we will die". Moses asked God for help and God told Moses to strike a large rock with his staff. When Moses did this, water flowed from the rock. In another place the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites. Moses prayed while Joshua led the people in battle. As long as Moses kept his arms raised up in prayer, the Israelites were winning; but when Moses let his arms down, the Amalekites started winning. So Aaron and Hur got Moses to sit on a rock and they supported his hands until sunset. Joshua and the people then won the battle
Dear God, please help us understand the power of prayer
Chapter 18 Moses father-in-law, Jethro heard about all that God had done for Moses and the Israelites, so he visited Moses in the desert. When Jethro saw how Moses was struggling to do so much administration by himself, Jethro suggested that Moses appoint men to help him: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Moses accepted this advice and appointed judges as Jethro suggested. These judges handled all small issues and referred only difficult cases to Moses
Chapter 19 The Israelites kept traveling and came to Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb). Through Moses God told the people to prepare themselves for a special revelation from Heaven. Three days later a thick cloud covered the mountain accompanied by lightning and thunder and a trumpet blast which grew louder and louder. God then called Moses to the top of the mountain and gave him "The Ten Commandments"
Chapter 20 The Ten Commandments given by God to Moses: 1: I am the Lord your God. Do not worship anyone or anything else. 2: Use my name with respect. Do not insult my name. 3: Make the Sabbath Day a holy day each week. 4: Honor your father and your mother. 5: Do not kill. 6: Do not commit adultery. 7: Do not steal. 8: Do not tell lies about other people. 9: Do not lust after someone else's wife. 10: Do not desire what belongs to someone else.
Chapter 21 Laws announced by Moses: "When you buy an Israelite slave, you may keep him for only six years. In the seventh year he is free to leave or stay. Put to death anyone who kills someone in cold blood, anyone who curses or strikes his father or mother. If someone injures another person, the compensation will be according to the formula eye for eye, tooth for tooth, burn for burn, injury for injury".
Chapter 22 Laws announced by Moses: "If a man seduces a virgin, he must marry her. A sorceress must be put to death. Anyone who has intercourse with an animal must die. Do not discriminate against foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Do not be harsh to widows and orphans. Do not demand interest if you make a loan to a poor person. Always remember you are a people consecrated to me".
Chapter 23 Laws announced by Moses: "Don't be unfair to anyone, friend or foe. Work for six days, then rest on the seventh day. Work your land for six years, then let the land rest and recover in the seventh year. Three times a year you must celebrate these special feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, the Feast of Ingathering. On these three feasts all men must present themselves before the Lord". God's promise: "I will send an angel before you to protect you and bring you to the land I have prepared for you. Eventually you will possess this special land and take it over from the peoples who live there now."
Chapter 24 God invited Moses, Aaron, Nadab and seventy other men to see him face to face. They saw God face to face and ate and drank in his presence. Under God's feet the ground was like a pure blue jewel. God then invited Moses to go up the mountain. A cloud covered the mountain and for six days the glory of the Lord settled on the mountain. On the seventh day God spoke with Moses inside the cloud. Moses stayed on the mountain for about 40 days
Chapter 25 God said to Moses: "Build me a temple so that I may live among the people. Let everyone follow the promptings of their heart in making contributions for the building of the temple. Make a sacred chest (ark) to hold the stone tablets on which are the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod and some manna. Also make a table for the bread of offering, and a golden lamp-stand"
Chapter 26, 27 God said to Moses: "Make a tent to cover the temple. Make the tent's support frames of acacia wood. Make a veil of purple, violet and red behind which to put the sacred chest. Make an altar out of acacia wood. Make altar vessels out of bronze. Make a sacred courtyard to go around the temple. Place a sacred flame outside the veil and keep the flame burning from night till morning"
Chapter 28, 29 God said to Moses: "Your brother Aaron and his sons will be priests in my service. Make sacred vestments for them: breastpiece, ephod, robe, tunic, turban and sash You must anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve me as priests.
Chapter 30 God said to Moses: "Every morning offer one lamb as a sacrifice for the people. Every evening offer another lamb as a sacrifice for the people. I will meet the people of Israel in the place consecrated to my glory. I will remain with the people of Israel and be their God. They will know that it is I who brought them out of Egypt".
Chapter 31 God said to Moses: "The Israelites must make the sabbath a holy day each week, because the sabbath is a sign between you and me. Do not do any ordinary work on the sabbath. Work for six days, then rest on the sabbath. Consecrate the sabbath to me". God's words were inscribed on two stone tablets.
Chapter 32 Moses stayed on the mountain about 40 days. During this time the people told Aaron to make them a god out of gold. Aaron made a golden cafe and the people worshipped it. On the mountain, God said to Moses "Go down now, because the people have been unfaithful to me. I will punish them, but of you I will make a great nation". Moses pleaded with God not to punish all the people. When Moses, carrying the two tablets, came down the mountain he saw the people partying before the golden calf. He threw down the tablets and broke them. He smashed the golden calf. The men of the tribe of Levi were then commissioned to go through the camp and kill many men. About 3,000 men were killed
Chapter 33 The Israelites continued their journey through the desert. When the people camped anywhere, Moses would put the Sacred Tent outside, some distance from the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, the pillar of cloud came down on the Tent and God spoke with Moses face to face, just like friends speak to each other. The Israelites would go out to the Tent for Moses to consult God for them.
Chapter 34 Again Moses went up the mountain and stood before God. God described himself: "I am the Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness". When Moses came down from the mountain the skin on his face was radiant after speaking with God.
Chapter 35 Moses encouraged the Israelites to give willingly and generously in building the Tent of Meeting. Everyone whose heart was moved to help brought their gifts for the Lord.
Chapter 36 The Israelites were so generous towards building the Tent that Moses was told by the craftsmen: "The people are bringing more than is needed for the Lord's Tent". The skilled workers made the tabernacle, the framework and the veil for the Tent of Meeting
Chapter 37, 38 The skilled workers next made the ark, then the table for the bread offerings, then the lamp-stand and the altar of incense. Next they made the altar of sacrifice, the bronze basin and the courtyard with its special curtains.
Chapter 39 Skilled workers now made the high priest's vestments: his ephod, his breastpiece, his robe. Vestments were also made for the ordinary priests. When everything for the whole Tent was finished, Moses examined all the work. He saw what a good job the workers had done. Moses then blessed all the workers.
Chapter 40 God said to Moses: "On the first day of the first month, consecrate and start using the Tent of Meeting. Use chrism to anoint all the furnishings. Anoint Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests". Moses did everything that God asked. Then a cloud covered the Tent and the glory of God filled the sacred site. At every stage of their journey in the desert, the Israelites would continue their march whenever the cloud rose from the sacred site. A fire shone within the cloud at night. This has been the story of how the Israelites left Egypt, how they made their exodus from Egypt. The Book of Exodus