(2/2) 1250 B.C.E Moses leads Exodus

The Night of Passover

That night, Moses instructed his people to wipe lamb's blood upon the doorways of their houses. He told them to eat the lamb and be ready to depart thereafter. The Lord, Moses said, would not bring death to their houses. Seeing the lamb's blood, God would pass over their homes.

Pharoah woke that evening to the sounds of great cries. There was not a home in Egypt where someone was not dead. Even his own son died. Finally, after ten plagues, Pharoah set the Hebrews free.

That very night, after over four hundred years captivity, the Hebrew people journeyed on foot from Raameses to Succoth.

Crossing the Sea of Reeds

God guided the Israelites as they traveled. By day, the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud. By night, a pillar of fire protected them. But it was not long before Pharoah's anger rose against his former captives. He took his army and his best armored chariots to retrieve the Hebrews. Camping beside theSea of Reeds, the Israelites saw the Egyptians marching upon them. Frightened and bitter, they asked their leader if they had escaped to the wilderness only to die. But Moses reassured them.

Moses turned in prayer to God, and God answered:

"Why do you cry to me? Tell your people to go forward. Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it. And the children of Israel will go through the middle of the sea."

So Moses stretched out his hand and a strong wind blew all night. The sea divided, and the Israelites walked into the middle of it, a wall of water on either side.

The Egyptians followed, but God made the wheels of the chariots get stuck in the muddy sea bottom, slowing them down.

And when the Hebrews had crossed the Sea, God told Moses to stretch his hand over the waters again. As he did, the Sea collapsed on the pursuing Egyptians, drowning them all.

The Ten Commandments

For three months they traveled the desert. They passed through the wilderness of Shur, through Marah and Elim, the wilderness of Zin, and Rephidim. Though they were weary and the land was parched, God always provided. Finally, they came to Sinai and camped before the mountain.

Moses went up Mt. Sinai to talk with the Lord. God told him to prepare his people for a special treasure. Moses told his followers to prepare themselves with prayer, that in three days the Lord would appear on the mountain.

When the third day came, a thick cloud with thunder and lightning lay on the mountain. A trumpet called so loudly that the people trembled. Moses led them to the foot of the mountain. Then, God called the prophet to the top and delivered to him the Ten Commandments:

"I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me, you shall not make for yourself a graven image . . . you shall not bow down to them and worship them. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor your father and mother. You shall not murder. 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 . . . or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

For forty days and forty nights, Moses stayed upon Mount Sinai listening to God's instructions. God told Moses laws regarding criminal behavior, destruction or theft of property, proper treatment of other people, and celebrating the Sabbath and other holidays. In addition, God instructed Moses to build a special Ark to carry the tablets of the Ten Commandments, and a holy Sanctuary, called the Tabernacle, to house the Ark and in which to make offerings of grain, fruit, and animal sacrifices to God.

The Making of the Golden Calf

Now, while Moses was upon the mountain, his people grew uneasy. Though they had been led out of Egypt, though they had witnessed miracles, they felt insecure without their leader. They turned to Aaron and begged him to make them a god so that they might not be alone.

Aaron told them to gather all their gold jewelry. Then, he melted it down and sculptured a golden calf and built an altar before it. The Israelites made offerings to the idol and celebrated.

Seeing this, God grew very angry.

"I will destroy them," God said to Moses, "and make a great nation of you alone."

But Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the Israelites, and God listened. Moses descended the mountain. He looked angrily upon his people who were dancing and singing before the golden calf. In fury, he hurled the stone tablets from his hands, and they broke at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf and burned it. He ground it into a powder, sprinkled it in water, and made the people drink. The children of Israel mourned in shame.

Again, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai to ask forgiveness for his people. God granted them permission to continue their journey through the wilderness. God told him to make two more tablets of stone and return in the morning, and the words would again be written upon them. Moses did so and remained again forty days and nights. Though punishment came upon the guilty, God promised to have mercy and lead the Israelites into Canaan, driving out all the inhabitants of the land.

After forty years of traveling the desert wilderness, Moses finally delivered the children of Israel to the O River Jordan, bordering the land of Canaan. Their entire journey can be seen on the map titled Traditional route of the Exodus.

It was at the River Jordan, at one hundred and twenty years of age, that Moses completed his work. God told Moses he would not go into Canaan. After freeing the Hebrew slaves and leading them through the desert, it was time for him to die. He climbed Mt. Nebo, near Jericho, and God showed him the land the Israelites would inherit. The children of Israel wept for their great leader.