Exodus, the second book of the Bible, takes its name from a Greek word meaning "going out" or "departure". It tells the story of how God rescued the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, and came to live among them. The exodus is the great rescue story of the Old Testament, and it shapes how the rest of the Bible understands salvation.
From Genesis to Exodus
Genesis ends with Jacob's family — around seventy people — living comfortably in Egypt under Joseph's protection. Exodus begins centuries later. The family has grown into a great nation, but "there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph" (Exodus 1:8, KJV). Fearing the Israelites, Pharaoh enslaved them and ordered their baby boys to be killed.
The structure of Exodus
Exodus can be divided into three main parts:
| Chapters | Theme | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1–18 | Rescue from slavery | Egypt to the wilderness |
| 19–24 | Covenant and law | Mount Sinai |
| 25–40 | Presence — the tabernacle | Mount Sinai |
Part 1: Rescue (chapters 1–18)
The birth and call of Moses
To save her baby, a Hebrew mother placed him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own, naming him Moses. As an adult, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave and fled to Midian, where he lived as a shepherd for forty years.
At the burning bush on Mount Horeb, God called Moses to return and lead his people out of Egypt. When Moses asked God's name, God replied, "I AM THAT I AM" (3:14) — revealing himself as the eternal, self-existent God who keeps his promises.
The plagues and the Passover
Pharaoh refused to let the people go. God sent ten plagues on Egypt, ending with the death of the firstborn. Israelite families who marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb were "passed over". This was the first Passover. See the ten plagues and the Passover explained.
Crossing the Red Sea
Pharaoh finally let the people go, then changed his mind and chased them. God opened a path through the sea; Israel crossed on dry ground, and the Egyptian army was drowned. Moses and Miriam led the people in a song of praise (Exodus 15).
Into the wilderness
God guided his people with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He provided manna from heaven, quail and water from the rock. Yet the people often grumbled and doubted.
Part 2: Covenant (chapters 19–24)
At Mount Sinai, God made a covenant with Israel:
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people… And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." (Exodus 19:5–6, KJV)
God gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and further laws about justice, worship and daily life. Notice that the commandments begin with what God has already done: "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt" (20:2). Rescue comes first; obedience is the response.
Part 3: Presence (chapters 25–40)
God gave detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, a portable tent where his presence would dwell among his people. But before it was built, the people made a golden calf and worshipped it (chapter 32) — a terrible breach of the covenant. Moses pleaded for the people, and God renewed the covenant, revealing himself as "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (34:6).
The book ends with the tabernacle completed and "the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle" (40:34). God now lived among his people.
Key themes
- God hears the cry of the oppressed (3:7).
- God is powerful over the greatest empire of the day.
- Salvation comes by grace — through the blood of the Passover lamb.
- God's law shows his people how to live as his holy nation.
- God's presence is the greatest blessing of all.
Exodus and Jesus
The New Testament often describes Jesus' work in exodus terms. Jesus is "our passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7). He spoke of his coming death as his "decease" — literally his exodus — in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). John says the Word "dwelt among us" (John 1:14), using a word linked to the tabernacle. Through Jesus, God brings his people out of slavery to sin and into freedom.
Continue with the ten plagues of Egypt, or read the Pentateuch explained.