The Exodus
Biblical history recounts the circumstances that brought the Hebrew people to Egypt many centuries ago. Joseph, son of the patriarch Israel, had risen to power there and arranged for their arrival during a great famine. But as they increased in number and might, Egyptian rulers enslaved them.
After the Israelites had spent some four hundred years in bondage, Moses was directed by God to lead them to freedom in what is known as the Exodus. But leaving captivity was fraught with seemingly insurmountable obstacles—and divine help met each need. God dissolved Pharaoh’s resistance with ten dire plagues. God’s pillars of fire and cloud guided the refugees through an unfamiliar wilderness. At the Red or Reed Sea, God provided a remarkable escape from the pursuing Egyptian army.
Despite these demonstrations of spiritual power, the Exodus was also known for complaints and apostasy. Perhaps the most egregious instance was the people’s descent into idolatry during Moses’ sojourn on Mount Sinai while receiving the Ten Commandments. Other protests sprang from hunger and thirst and were answered by God’s supply of manna and quail—as well as water from rocks.
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