Exodus

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Old Testament (Tanakh)

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Exodus is the second book in the Torah, or Books of Moses. Exodus in Hebrew is called Shemot.

Exodus means 'going out' in Hebrew. It is about how the Hebrew people were led out of Egypt by God. Moses, their leader, hears God's words and in turn tells to the Israelites. Exodus ends with God's laws and his instructions on how to build a holy ark called the Ark of the Covenant.

[change] Account

Exodus starts with the birth of Moses, and how the Hebrew people were made slaves by a new Pharaoh of Egypt when they lived there. The Pharaoh made the Hebrews work for them very hard. Moses, who was brought up by an Egyptian princess, later killed a Egyptian slave-driver. He escaped from Eygpt and lived away from his people in Midian for Jethro, his father-in-law.

One day, while Moses was tending his flocks, God appeared in a burning bush to Moses and instructs him to lead the Israelites out of Eygpt. As Moses had no confidence in doing this task, God gives him his brother Aaron to help him. Aaron was a good talker and helped Moses speak to the Pharaoh.

When he returned to Egypt, Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but the Pharaoh refused. Through God's power, Moses causes ten plagues to come on Egypt.

The last plague was the death of all the firstborns in Egypt. Only the Israelites' firstborns were spared, as they have the blood of a young lamb on their door when this happened. The Pharaoh finally decided to let the Israelites go.

While the Israelites were crossing the Red Sea, the Pharaoh changed his mind and decided to pursue them with his troops. God caused all Pharaoh's troops to die while the Israelites pass safely as Moses parts the Sea with his staff by God's power.

Later, at Mount Sinai, Moses receives the law and the Ten Commandments from God. The Israelites, however, sinned against God by worshipping an idol (a golden calf). Moses breaks the first two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments in anger. God later gives him another two. He also instructs Moses how to build the Ark of the Covenant.