Bible Study Of The Book Of Exodus
The second book of the Bible is Exodus. After reading the stories of Genesis and understanding the beginning of God’s work in the world, the reader of the Bible encounters God’s people in Egypt. The book of Exodus is about how God brings His people out of slavery after the death of Joseph. It also tells the story of the lamb who would be slain for God’s people in the event of the Passover. This story would eventually play out in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This article will walk you through the book of Exodus so you can read through it with your family and watch how God provides for His people.
Overview: Exodus begins with the Israelites in Goshen, a small town in Egypt They become enslaved to the Egyptians, but God raises up Moses to lead them out of slavery and into the land that He had promised to Abraham in Genesis. In this book, we see God’s faithfulness to His promises that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We see His faithfulness to Moses and the people of Israel as He brings His people out of slavery, leads and provides for them in the desert, and establishes the law and system by which they can relate to Him properly.
Where Exodus fits in the whole story of the Bible: Exodus is the second book of the Bible and provides an account of how God has delivered His people from slavery, established them as a nation, led them through the wilderness by providing for them, and established a law for them to rightly relate to him and each other. Many well known Bible stories are in the book of Exodus, and it gives us an idea of how the Israelite people came to be as well as establishes a baseline for the rest of the Old Testament and the religious context in which the Jewish nation was established. As part of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament), Exodus gives stories that the Israelite people have told for centuries. One of the major themes of Exodus is redemption, and the narrative shows how God redeems His people from slavery and buys them back through the sacrifice of a lamb, ultimately leading them out of the hands of the Egyptians and on their way to the promised land.
Foundational stories in Genesis (and where to find them):
- Israel becomes slaves: Chapter 1
- Birth and early life of Moses: Chapters 2-4
- Plagues against Egypt: Chapter 5-11
- Passover and Deliverance from Egypt: Chapters 12
- Crossing the Red Sea: Chapter 13-14
- God provides manna and quail for His people: Chapter 16
- Moses strikes the rock: Chapter 17
- Ten Commandments: Chapter 20
- Plans for the tabernacle: Chapters 25-31
- Golden Calf: Chapters 32-35
- Construction of the tabernacle: Chapters 36-40
If you’re leading your family through the Bible, a trip to Exodus gives you a great idea of God’s love for His people and how He provides for them as well as His faithfulness in leading them to where they need to go, despite their failings.
