Exodus (meaning "exit" or "going away from"):
The beginning of 70 of Jacob's family in Egypt grew to a large nation, filling the land of Goshen. So the Egyptians made slaves of the Israelites (also called Hebrews). One of the sons of Jacob was named Levi . Out of the family of Levi, at a time when the Pharoah had tried to kill all Israeli babies, the baby Moses was born. He was raised by Pharaoh's daughter. When Moses was grown, he killed an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew. Moses then had to leave Egypt to avoid being killed. Moses went to the land of Midian, where he met Reuel (also called Jethro) and married his daughter Zipporah.
Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2):
An Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as "flames of fire from within a bush." Then God told him to be the person to free the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses begged to not be the person chosen as this spokesman. The Lord insisted and told him to throw down his staff (i.e, shepherd's rod) onto the ground -- at which point it was turned into a snake. The Lord told Moses to put his hand into his cloak (i.e, robe); it became "leprous, like snow" and then became all right when put into the cloak and withdrawn again. The Lord then told him that water would also be turned into blood. These things would allow the people in Egypt to know that Moses was indeed sent by God to them. Moses begged God further, so God allowed Moses' brother Aaron to be the spokesman to the people with Moses being the messenger from God.
Moses (80 years old) and Aaron (83 years old) went to Pharaoh and requested that the Hebrews be allowed to worship God for three days in the wilderness. Pharoah did not allow this, so Moses and Aaron had to demonstrate the power of God with miracles and finally plagues, such as frogs, flies, hail, and locusts. Finally, (Exodus 11) God told Moses that He would send the "Destroyer" to kill the firstborn (i.e., oldest) sons of all in Egypt, except for those oldest sons of the people of Israel. The Hebrews were instructed by Moses to kill a lamb and coat the sides and tops of their doorframes with the blood of the lamb, so that the "Destroyer" would pass over their home (Exodus 12:23) -- hence the celebration thereafter of the Passover (celebrated forevermore, always around late March or first of April by our calendar). Pharaoh let the Hebrews go, after their 430 years in Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him out of Egypt. Pharaoh went after them when he realized that they were not coming back after their leaving to worship their God. The sea opened up for the Hebrews and they walked on dry ground, whereas it closed onto the following Egyptians, killing the army of Pharaoh. The time of the Exodus from Egypt was around 1250 B.C.
Two months after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews arrived between Elim and Mt. Sinai. The people griped about their condition, so God provided them with "manna" ([Exodus 16:31] meaning "what is it?") -- a bread-food that was white and tasted like wafers made with honey; formed from dew on the ground. At his father-in-law's suggestion, Moses appointed "judges" to administer justice to the people.
TEN COMMANDMENTS : God issued His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20):
Exodus 20:3: (1) You shall have no other gods before Me.
Exodus 20:4: (2) You shall not make for yourself an idol...
Exodus 20:7: (3) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God...
Exodus 20:8: (4) Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work...
Exodus 20:12: (5) Honor your father and your mother...
Exodus 20:13: (6) You shall not murder.
Exodus 20:14: (7) You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:15: (8) You shall not steal.
Exodus 20:16: (9) You shall not give false testimony (i.e., not lie)...
Exodus 20:17:(10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house.... or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
God told Moses the laws that were to be applied to the people. There were twelve tribes of Israel, and altars were arranged to signify this. God instructed Moses on how to build a Tabernacle and an Ark (Exodus 25:10: of acacia wood, 3 3/4 ft. long, 2 1/4 ft. wide, 2 1/4 ft. high overlaid with gold (inside and out) containing inside the stone tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments). The Ark would be a place in the Holy of Holies for God to reside. Aaron and his sons were designated as the priests for God. The requirements for altars, incense, and offerings were described to Moses by God. Moses first went to Mt. Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and was there for 40 days and 40 nights. Since Moses was gone so long, his brother, Aaron, at the request of the people built a golden calf that they all worshipped. Moses saw this and, in disgust, destroyed the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments that God had given to him. He then went back to Mt. Sinai for another 40 days and 40 nights and made a contract (or Covenant) with God to not destroy the people if they would obey the Ten Commandments. God created the tablets again.