William Bresnahan
Eric Brighton
Joe Dickmann
John Fischer
THE EXODUS HISTORICAL NOVEL
Exodus 1:1-4:17 Plight of the Hebrews, Call of Moses
Jacob's Descendants in Egypt. The following is a list of names of Israel's son who, accompanied by their households, migrated with Jacob into Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Naphrali, Gad, and Asher. There were a total of seventy direct descendants.
Joseph, his brothers, and that whole generation died. Still, the Israelite population grew. They became so numerous that Egypt was filled with them.
The Oppression. A new pharaoh came to power who knew nothing about Joseph. He saw the Israelites as a threat. He ordered for the Israelites to be oppressed through forced labor. However, the more the Israelites were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians reduced to cruel slavery.
Command to the Midwives. Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives, "When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women and see them giving birth, if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, she may live." But out of their fear of God the midwives ignored Pharaoh and let the Hebrew boys live. Eventually Pharaoh ordered all his subjects to throw every Hebrew boy into the river.
Birth and Adoption of Moses. A man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son. The mother hid her son for three months. When she couldn't hide any more she took a papyrus basket, covered it with bitumen and pitch to make it waterproof, and putting the child in it she placed it in a river. The child's sister hid nearby to see what would happen.
Pharaoh's daughter came to bathe in the river. When she noticed the basket she sent one of her servants to get it. When Pharaoh's daughter looked in the basket she found a baby boy who was crying. She realized it was a Hebrew child. Seeing all this the baby's sister came out of hiding and asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse it. The Pharaoh's daughter said yes and the sister returned with the baby's own mother. The baby's mother was told to nurse the baby. Later, when the child grew Pharaoh's daughter adopted the boy and called him Moses.
Moses' Flight to Midian. On one occasion after Moses had grown up, he visited the Hebrews and saw their oppression. He came across an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Seeing this, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day Moses saw two Hebrews fighting with each other. He asked one of the Hebrews why they were fighting. But the Hebrew replied, "Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking about killing me as you killed the Egyptian." Then Moses became afraid and thought that someone must have known of his killing of the Egyptian.
Pharaoh heard of the affair and planned to put Moses to death but Moses fled to the land of Midian. One day while he was sitting by a well seven daughters of a priest came to get water for their sheep, but some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses defended the women and watered their flock. When they returned home early they told their father about what happened. Their father invited Moses to live with them and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. She had a son who was named Gershom.
The Burning Bush. A long time passed and Pharaoh died. Still the Israelites were oppressed. God saw their suffering and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...
Meanwhile Moses was tending a flock. While leading the flock across the desert he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the Lord appeared in the form of a burning bush. Though the bush was on fire it didn't burn. Moses decided to go get a closer look.
The Call of Moses. The Lord saw Moses and said, "Moses! Moses! Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." God told Moses how he saw his people suffering. He told Moses he was going to send him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses asked God why he should go. God assured him that he would be with him. God replied, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations."
The Lord then told Moses to gather the elders of the Israelites and them: the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up and out of slavery into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
God then said that He knew Pharaoh wouldn't let the Hebrews go without being forced, so He would cause bad things to happen in Egypt. "After that," God said, "he will send you away." God even said that the Egyptians would pay the Israelites to leave.
Confirmation of Moses' Mission. Moses still objected to what the Lord told him. Moses questioned God about what he would do if the Israelites didn't believe him. God told Moses to put his staff on the ground and when Moses did the staff became a snake. The Lord then told Moses to pick the snake up and when he did it became a staff again. God said this was to prove that everything was true.
As another sign God told Moses to put his hand on his chest. Moses did and when he pulled it away it was leprous. Then God said to put his hand to his chest again and it returned to normal. Finally, if the Israelites wouldn't accept those two signs Moses was to take water from a river and pour it on dry land and water would turn to blood.
Aaron's Office as Assistant. Moses told the Lord that he was never a very good speaker. The Lord then said he would instruct Moses on what to say and how to speak. Still, Moses asked that God send someone else. The Lord became angry and told Moses that his brother Aaron was on his way to meet Moses. Since Aaron was a good speaker God told Moses to tell Aaron what to say and he would speak for Moses and God would teach the two of them what to do.
Exodus 4:18-10:29 Moses and the Pharaoh
Moses' Return to Egypt. Moses returned to Egypt to see if his relatives were still living. Moses took his wife and his sons, and began their trip back to Egypt, riding on a donkey. Moses carried the staff of God with him. While on his journey the Lord appeared and said to Moses, "On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. I will make him obstinate, however, so that he will not let the people go. So you shall say to Pharaoh: Thus says the Lord. Israel is my son, my first-born. Hence I tell you: Let my son go, that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, I warn you, I will kill your son, your first-born."
One night during the journey the Lord came upon them at an inn and would have killed Moses but Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son's foreskin saving Moses.
The Lord told Aaron to go into the desert to meet Moses. He did and they greeted and Moses told him why the Lord has sent him. Aaron then went and gathered all the elders of the Israelites and told them everything the Lord told Moses, and Aaron performed the signs before the people. The people believed and they bowed down in worship toward the Lord.
Pharaoh's Obduracy. Moses and Aaron then went to the Pharaoh and told him to let his people go so they could celebrate a feast to him in the desert. The Pharaoh then increased their quota per day. They could not meet the quota and they were beaten and Moses went to the Lord and asked him, "Lord, why do you treat these people so badly? And why do you send me on such a mission.
Then the Lord answered Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. Force by my mighty hand, he will send them away; compelled by my outstretched arm, he will drive them from his land."
The Lord then told Moses to go and tell the Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites leave his land. Moses then told the Lord that if the Israelites won't listen to him how ever will the Pharaoh listen to him because of his poor speaking ability. Still the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions about both the Israelites and the Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. The Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt but Moses protested that there was no way that the Pharaoh would listen to him because of his poor speaking ability. The Lord told him that his brother Aaron would act as the speaker. The Lord told Moses to relay everything that the Lord tells Moses to do to Aaron. The Lord said to Moses, "Your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave his land. Yet I will make Pharaoh so obstinate that, despite the many signs and wonders that I will work in the land of Egypt, he will not listen to you. Therefore I will lay my hand on Egypt and by great acts of judgment I will bring the hosts of my people, the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt, so that the Egyptians may learn that I am the Lord, as I stretch out my hand against Egypt and lead the Israelites out of their midst."
Moses and Aaron did as the Lord told them.
The Staff Turned into a Snake. The Lord told him that if the Pharaoh asks to see a sign for Moses to throw his staff down on the ground and it would be turned into a snake. Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh and did as the Lord told them. Pharaoh then summoned his wise men and sorcerers and each one threw down their staffs and they changed into snakes. But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs. Pharaoh was obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the Lord said would happen.
First Plague: Water Turned into Blood. The Lord told Moses and Aaron to go to the river bank holding in their hand the staff that turned into a serpent. The Lord then warned the Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that unless he lets the Israelites go to worship him in the desert he will strike the water of the river and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the river will die, and the river will become so polluted that the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water. The Lord then told Aaron to raise the staff and strike the waters of the river in full view of Pharaoh and his servants, and he did and all the water was changed into blood. The fish died and the river was so polluted that the Egyptians could not drink the water. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt. But the Egyptian magicians did the same by their magic arts so the Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
Second Plague: the Frogs. Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river. The Lord then warned the Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that unless he lets the Israelites go to worship him in the desert he will send a plague of frogs over all his territory. The river will be flooded with frogs. They will come in your palace, into your bedroom, onto your bed, into the houses of your servants, and your subjects, even into your ovens and your kneading bowls. Then Aaron stretch out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same by their magic arts.
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron told them that if they will remove the frogs from Egypt he will let the people go to offer sacrifice to the Lord. Moses and Aaron fulfilled their side of the promise and heaps and heaps of the frogs were gathered up, and there was a smell in the land. But when Pharaoh saw there was a respite, he became obdurate and would not listen to them.
Third Plague: the Gnats. The Lord then told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may be turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt. Aaron did as the Lord told him. Though the magicians tried to create gnats by their magic arts, they could not do so. The Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
Fourth Plague: the Flies. The Lord then warned the Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that unless he lets the Israelites go to worship him in the desert he will send a swarm of flies upon him and his servants and his subjects and his houses. But there shall be no flies in Goshen where my people dwell. Thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants; throughout Egypt the land was infested with flies. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron told them that if they will remove the flies from Egypt he will let the people go to offer sacrifice to the Lord as long as they do not go too far away and that they pray for him. So Moses left and prayed to the Lord to lift the flies and the Lord did so. Not one remained. But once more the Pharaoh became obdurate and would not let the people go.
Fifth Plague: the Pestilence. The Lord then warned the Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that unless he lets the Israelites go to worship him in the desert he will afflict all the Pharaoh's livestock in his field-his horses, donkeys, camels, herds and flocks-with a very severe pestilence. But the Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that none belonging to the Israelites will die. On the next day all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one beast belonging to the Israelites had died, but the Pharaoh still remained obdurate and would not let the people go.
Sixth Plague: the Boils. Moses and Aaron did as the Lord told them. They took soot from a furnace and stood before the Pharaoh. Moses scattered it toward the sky, and it caused festering boils on man and beast. But the Lord made Pharaoh obstinate, and he would not listen to them.
Seventh Plague: the Hail. The Lord then warned the Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that unless he lets the Israelites go to worship him in the desert the Lord will hurl a fierce hail down upon him tomorrow. Whatever man or beast remains in the fields and is not brought to shelter shall die when the hail comes upon them.
The next day Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, that hail may fall upon the entire land of Egypt, on man and beast and every growing thing in the land of Egypt. The fierce hail did come. Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky and hail and peals of thunder were sent by the Lord. Lightning flashed toward the earth, and the Lord rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. It struck down every man and beast that was in the open throughout the land of Egypt; it beat down every growing thing and splintered every tree in the fields. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron told them that if they will remove the hail from Egypt he will let the people go to offer sacrifice to the Lord. So Moses left and prayed to the Lord to lift the flies and the Lord did so. But the Pharaoh, seeing that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, then again became obdurate and would not let the Israelites go.
Eight Plague: the Locusts. The Lord told Moses and Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind blowing over the land all that day and all that night. At dawn the east wind brought the locusts. They swarmed over the whole land of Egypt and settled down on every part of it. Never before had there been such a fierce swarm of locusts, nor will there ever be. They covered the surface of the whole land, till it was black with them. They ate up all the vegetation in the land and the fruit of the trees the hail had spared. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant throughout the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron told them that if they will remove the locusts from Egypt he will let the people go to offer sacrifice to the Lord. So Moses left and prayed to the Lord to lift the locusts and a west wind came and took up the locusts and hurled them into the Red Sea. But though not a single locust remained within the confines of Egypt, the Pharaoh again became obdurate and would not let the Israelites go.
Ninth Plague: the Darkness.
The Lord told Moses and Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, that over the land of Egypt there may be such intense darkness that one can feel it. It came for three days. Men could not see one another, nor could they move from where they were, for three days. But the Israelites had light where they dwelt. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron told them that if they will remove the darkness from Egypt he will let the people go to offer sacrifice to the Lord. Moses said they can not leave anything behind and the Pharaoh then became obstinate and he would not let them go.
10:30-14:31 Exodus
In this story God tells Moses about the Final Plague. This Plague is death to the first born son of the Egyptians and the Israelites. But God tells the Israelites that if the slaughter a year old male lamb and place the blood on the door way that he would "Passover" them and save them from the plague. The plague comes and kills all the first born males except for the Israelites who had put the blood above their doors. So in the middle of the night Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them to take their people and leave. God also set a Passover regulation: they shall only eat unleavened bread for 7 days after Passover. After that everyone packed up and left. The Egyptians then regretted letting them go and went after them. By this time the Israelites quickly followed into the empty Sea bed to the other side. Just as the last Israelites crossed Moses closed up the water killing all the Egyptians that followed them.
15:22-20:21 Sinai Experience
After the Red Sea had engulfed Pharaoh and his army, Moses and the Israelites continued from the Red Sea to Marah, where the water was not fit to drink. The people became angry at Moses. They asked him, "What are we to drink?" Moses prayed to the Lord, who showed him a piece of wood and told him to throw it into the water. When Moses did this, the water became pure. The Lord told the people that if they kept His commandments, he would be their healer. They continued on to Elim, where they found twelve springs.
Upon leaving Elim, the Israelites came to the desert of Sin. The people had nothing to eat, and again they complained to Moses. The lord told Moses that He would rain down manna from heaven for the people to eat. He said that on the sixth day, they should gather twice as much manna as they did on the other days, so that they could have enough to eat on the Sabbath as well. Moses told this to the Israelites, who went out and collected manna for six days, but then disobeyed and went to collect manna on the seventh day. The Lord scolded them for disobeying his command not for anyone to collect manna on the Sabbath. From that time on, the people obeyed.
The Israelites journeyed from the desert of Sin and camped at Rephidim. They could find no water to drink, so they demanded that Moses give them water. Moses became scared for his life and asked the Lord what he should do with the angry people. The Lord instructed him to stand before the Israelites and strike the rock of Horeb with his staff. When Moses did this, water flowed from the rock.
While the Israelites were still in Rephidim, Amalek came to wage war with them, so Moses told Joshua to form an army. Moses then went with Aaron and Hur to the top of a hill and held up his staff. As long as he held up his staff, the Israelites had the advantage in the fight. So Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands and the Israelites won the battle.
Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, brought Zipporah and her two sons to Moses in the desert. Moses recounted to Jethro all that happened since the Israelites had left Egypt. Then Jethro made a sacrifice to God and ate with Moses, Aaron, and the elders of the people.
The next day, the people came to Moses to consult with God. Jethro realized how many Israelites there were, and he pointed out to Moses that he would wear himself out trying to serve all the people. Jethro proposed a plan in which Moses would be the people's representative to God, but would also have selected just men to act as judges for smaller groups. Moses used this plan, and appointed men to make decisions in minor cases, while he himself decided on important issues. Then Jethro returned to Midian.
After three months of traveling away from Egypt, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai. Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord instructed Moses to tell the people that if they would keep His covenant, they would be His chosen people. Moses told this to the Israelites, who agreed to obey the Lord. Then the Lord told Moses to have the people sanctify themselves, because He was going to come before them. Moses went down to the people, and they sanctified themselves to prepare for the Lord.
On the day that the Lord was to appear, there was thunder and lightning, and the Lord came down in a heavy cloud. Moses led the people out to meet God. The Lord then summoned Moses and Aaron to the top of the mountain, but instructed the Israelites to stay at the base of the mountain and not touch it.
Then God gave Moses The Ten Commandments:
"I am your God. You shall not have idols or worship false gods.
"You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.
"Keep holy the sabbath day. No work shall be done by anyone on the sabbath.
"Honor your father and mother.
"You shall not kill.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house, his wife, or any of his possessions."
All the people of Israel trembled at the Lord's manifestation. Moses told them not to be afraid, but the people still kept their distance from the mountain where God was.
24:1-25, 32:1-34, 35 Covenant with Israel
Ratification of the Covenant. Moses was told that he, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel should come up the mountain to the Lord. They were all to worship at a distance but Moses was to come close to God.
Moses told the people what the Lord had told him and the people said that they would do whatever the Lord wants them to do. Moses then wrote down all that God told him and in the morning he built an altar at the bottom of the mountain along with twelve pillars. Next, Moses sacrifice young bulls to the Lord. He took half the blood and put in large bowls and the other half he splashed on the altar. Moses sprinkled the blood in the bowls on the people as a symbol of their covenant with God.
Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, and they saw God.
Moses on the Mountain. The Lord told Moses to come up with him on the mountain and He would give Moses the Ten Commandments. Moses set out with Joshua, his aide, and went up to the mountain of God. The rest of the group stayed behind. After Moses went up a cloud descended on Mount Sinai for six days. The glory of God settled on the mountain. On the seventh day God called Moses to him. Moses went up on the mountain and stayed there for forty days and forty nights.
The Golden Calf. The people realized Moses' delay in returning from the mountain. They asked Aaron to give them a God to worship. Aaron had all the people remove their gold jewelry and bring it to him where he fashioned it into a golden calf. The Israelites worshipped the calf as their God. Seeing this, Aaron built an altar and proclaimed, "Tomorrow is a feast of the Lord." The next day the people offered sacrifices to God and ate and drank.
God told Moses to go to his people because they had become depraved. Moses was to let God alone while his wrath consumed the people. But Moses asked why he should consume his own people, so God relented.
Moses then went down with two tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. When Moses saw what was going on at the camp he threw the tablets at the calf. Moses asked Aaron why he led the Israelites into sin. Aaron replied by explaining what happened while Moses was on the mountain. Moses told all the people that anyone who was for the Lord should come to him and all the Levites rallied to him. He then told the Levites to kill the rest of the people and the Levites did so.
The Atonement. The next day Moses said that the people had committed a great sin. Moses went to God and asked for atonement for the Israelites' sins. God then said he would punish the Israelites for their sins.
Sabbath Regulations. Moses assembled the Israelites and told them that God wanted work to only be done for six days. The seventh day was to be sacred as the Sabbath. Anyone who worked on the Sabbath was to be put to death. Not even a fire was to be lit.
Collection of Materials. Moses continued to tell the Israelites of what God wanted. Everyone was to give, as a contribution to the Lord, gold, silver, bronze; violet, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine clothes and goat hair; rams' skins dyed red, and tahash skins; acacia wood; oil for lights; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; onyx stones and other gems.
Call for Artisans. Every artisan was to make the Dwelling; with its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its columns, and its pedestals; the ark, with its poles, the propitiatory, and the curtain veil; the talde, with its poles and all its appurtenances, and the showbread; the lamp stand, with its appurtenances, the lamps, and the oil for the light; the altar of incense, with its poles; the anointing oils, and the fragrant incense; the entrance curtain for the entrance of the Dwelling; the altar of holocausts, with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its appurtenances; the layer, with its base; the hangings of the court, with their columns and pedestals; the curtain for the entrance of the court; the tent pegs for the Dwelling and for the court, with their ropes; the service cloths for use in the sanctuary; the sacred vestments for Aaron, and the vestments worn by his sons.
The Contribution. When all the Israelites had left Moses, everyone brought a contribution to God for the construction of the meeting tent, for all its services and for the sacred vestments. Men and women brought various items made of gold. Anyone who had any of the items God asked for brought them.
The Artisans. Moses told the Israelites that God gave Bezalel and Oholiab the skills of engraving, embroidering, the making of cloth, the making of yarn and fine linen thread, weaving, and all other arts and crafts.