Similarities Between Genesis And Exodus

The Old Testament is an ancient religious text that is the basis for three widely practiced religions. The first two chapters of the book, Genesis and Exodus, include a multitude of religious stories such as the creation story and an explanation of God’s relationship to his chosen people the Israelites. In the stories of Genesis and Exodus, God is a vengeful character because of his actions during the story of Adam and Eve, the story of Noah, and the Israelite’s flight from Egypt. The first example of God’s vengeful nature appears in the story of Adam and Eve. The punishments handed out by God in this story are rather harsh. This quote, “I will greatly increase your pain in childbirth. You will bring forth children in pain.” illustrates just how brutal God was willing to be with his punishments (“Complete Jewish Bible”). As part of Adam’s punishment, God said, “The ground is cursed on your
This story depicts the brutalization of Egypt at the hands of God for the enslavement of the Israelites. In particular, this story is intriguing because of God’s strong desire to make Egypt an example of why not to disrespect him. There are points in the story where Pharaoh almost decides to let the Israelites leave, however, “Adonai made Pharaoh hardhearted, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el go.” (“Complete Jewish Bible”). With a brutal sense of malice, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart time after time, throwing Egypt into a greater state of turmoil with each plague. Once the Pharaoh finally decides to let the Israelites leave, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart one final time. After which, he sends out his army to pursue the Israelites and God drowns his army in the sea. It is reasonable to wonder why God went to such immense lengths to bring Egypt to the brink of destruction. However, it is clear that God did this to send a message that vengeance waits for those who would defy