Exodus(a summary)part 3
Faced with a stretch of water ahead and the Pharaoh with his army behind them, the people turned on Moses.
After praying to the Lord for guidance, Moses instructed them to stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.
After saying this, he stretched his rod over the sea which then split apart enabling them to cross, following after Moses.
Their pursuers, in attempting to follow were utterly destroyed by the sea which returned and engulfed them.
Victorious, the Hebrews were led in praise to God by Moses and Miriam, before they moved on into the wilderness.
Led by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night the people began their 'exodus'.
Their journey was to include many experiences, but initially they headed towards Sinai, as they entered into the wilderness,
for there, as foretold when he encountered the Lord at the burning bush, Moses was to serve the Lord.
Even before they reached Sinai, the people began to grumble about their lack of food and drink.
This was to be a feature of the behaviour of the children of Israel throughout their journey.
In response, God showed His power by sweetening a bitter lake and by providing 'manna' as their food and drink.
Indeed the manna was to continue throughout their journey, an adequate amount for each being provided daily.
The arrival at Sinai was to be a watershed moment, not only for the Israelites, but subsequently for the world.
On arrival they saw the power of God manifested in the rumbling mountain as He spoke, instructing them in the Law.
whilst Moses was collecting these commandments however, the people doubted and disbelieved, and so it continues in today's world
As they awaited for Moses to return, they created and fashioned a ‘golden calf’ bowing down to it, rather than obeying the Lord.
This was accompanied by depraved behaviour which caused Moses to smash the stone tablets on which God Himself had inscribed His Law
After chastising and punishing them for their iniquity, Moses returned up the mountain where he wrote the Law as dictated by God
The children of Israel were then instructed in what the Lord required of them to worship according to the Law.
This included the Tabernacle a sacred place, where sacrifice and ritual demonstrated the holiness of their God
To ensure this, extremely detailed instructions are Passed on to aeople from the Lord by Moses.
The measurements and construction of the Tabernacle, the altars and utensils as well as the institution of the priesthood are given.
The craftsmen required are also identified by the Lord and consecrated for their tasks by Moses.
With this, the text of the book of Exodus comes to an end, the events of their journey being described in the book of .Numbers.
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