Towey: What Happens In The Book Of Exodus

In this essay I am going to explore what happens in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. I will also go on to further explain why this event is so significant for the Jewish people. This helps to explain why what happened in Exodus is still remembered and celebrated by those of Jewish faith today all over the world and why it is described as the most significant event in Jewish history.
In an introduction to Christian theology, Towey discusses the importance of the Exodus “The subsequent account of the Exodus from Egypt by the Hebrews is arguably the focal point of all Jewish history” [Towey: 2013: 42] The book of Exodus begins with the new leadership in Egypt, Pharaoh who feels threatened as the Israelites have come in multitude and are
increasing in number and size. Pharaoh felt how power was being threatened so this resulted in him declaring that all the boys had to be killed and girls could live “Throw every new-born boy into the river but let all the girls live” [ EX 1:22] A woman of Levi who had married a descendent of Levi resisted this request by Pharaoh and attempted to save her new born Son so she sent him down the river Nile in papryus basket; fortunately he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh who was bathing in the river.
She nursed him and brought him up making him a prince. She named him Moses as she said she drew him out of the water.
As Moses grew up he saw how the Israelites were being treated as they were forced in to slavery “digging clay, making bricks, doing various kinds of field-work” [EX 1:13]. Yahweh had also seen this taking place when Moses had an encounter with the angel of Yahweh who appeared to him in a flame blazing form in a bush. Moses was puzzled as the bush was not being burnt up, he was greeted by
God who asked Moses to ‘So now I am sending you to Pharaoh for you to bring my people the Israelites of out Egypt” [EX 3:10] He spoke, “I shall bring you out of the misery of Egypt…to a country flowing with milk and honey [ EX 3:17]. God asked Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask him to free the Israelites from slavery. Yahweh didn’t believe that Pharaoh would listen to him but Yahweh reassures him that he will be with him and will guide him. Moses went to talk to Pharaoh asking him to release his people; however Pharaoh would not let the people go. This angered God and led him to send the ten plagues. In an introduction to Christian theology, Towey describes the plagues as “Disastrous as the plagues intensify with flies, livestock, deaths, boils, hail, famine, locusts and darkness leading ultimately to the threat to the Egyptians first born” (EX 11:5) In order for the Egyptians to avoid the death of their first born child a special ritual had to be performed. This involved painting the blood of a sacrificed animal on the door frame so that the angel of death passed over them; this is known as the Passover and is important for the Jewish people as it is a festival still celebrated today with the sedar meal. This celebration involves Jewish families sharing a meal celebrating their faith and aims to carry the importance of the story of exodus to future generations.
In an attempt to rescue the Israelites, Yahweh preceded the Israelites in a form of a pillar through day and night when they escaped from Egypt and went out in to the reed sea. With the help of Yahweh Moses miraculously parted the sea and created a pathway through it in order to enable to Israelites to escape and go to the desert which is where they stayed for 40 days and 40 nights. God watched over them and protected them. The Egyptians fled to follow them too however, the sea washed them away. Moses leads the Israelites to Mount Sinai known as horeb. This is where Moses makes a covenant with God on behalf of the people. This covenant is a promise or contract, a gift of oneself to another. God gives Moses the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets, these are a contract that Moses brings back to the people who promised to follow it.
Exodus is important for the Jewish people as it is described as one of the most significant events in Jewish history and is part of the torah which commands Jews to remember this event every day and retell the story in depth when they celebrate Passover.
Exodus is important for Jews as it shows Gods identity as well as his power, wisdom, goodness and mercy. It also shows the relationship between God and his people helping readers to understand how God will always be with us just like he guided the Israelites and was with them. In ‘Introducing the Old Testament’ Coggins describes the Exodus as “pictured as a deliverance from oppression” (Coggins 2001, p.96) This is why the Jews see the Exodus as important as it helps to show who God really is as he is seen to be on the side of the weak and oppressed when he recognises the way the Israelites are being treated and appears to Moses to help to free them. Exodus is important for the Jewish people as it is the first time that Israel is defined as a tribe and shows God as mighty and omnipotent as he has the power to bring the Israelites out of slavery and take them to
Egypt. Exodus is important for the Jewish people because it is here that God gives the rules and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai for all of the chosen people. The Jewish people see these as guidelines to live by and they are still part of society today e.g. you shall not kill [ EX 20:13] this is part of the law today and if the rule is broken it results in a punishment. Jews today also follow other commandments such as “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” [EX 20:8] Today Jews follow this commandment by not working on the Sabbath day and spending time within the family home following laws and customs. They follow these commandments as a covenant was made and they believe this will help them to achieve salvation with God.
In a discussion on Exodus and emancipation Chelst and Kenneth show how The Exodus is still celebrated and remembered by Jewish people today “The exodus from Egypt is recalled in the Jewish liturgy that is recited twice daily, morning and evening .The grace after meals also contains a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the exodus” [Chelst and Kenneth 2009:167] Jewish people today celebrate the feast of Passover in early spring which lasts over seven days. The Jews celebrate Passover as a family; they clean their houses to remove any traces of chametz and use special plates and cutlery which are kept especially for this feast. Blessings, psalms, songs and questions and the story of what happened in Exodus are read from the Haggadah to accompany the festive meal. They relive the event through the eating of unleavened bread which represents no time in the escape from Egypt to let it rise. Bitter herbs are eaten to symbolise the bitter times as slaves, salt water represents the tears of slaves, the lamb bone reminds Jews of the final evening of the Exodus in Egypt, the mixed fruit helps Jews to remember the mortar used by the slaves when making the bricks, the parsley is eaten as a spring vegetable and a sign of new life and the roasted egg is symbolic of a new life after Egypt.
Today In modern society the authority of the Exodus has been questioned as there have been concerns with the historical origins and the likelihood of these events happening. Questions such as when did it happen? Who was pharaoh, and where there is evidence of the ten plagues? have been raised. However, the book of Exodus is described as a turning point in Jewish history and is important for Jews in order to remember the suffering of their ancestors and they believe it should be celebrated to be passed on through the generations as it shows how their ancestors were freed from slavery and the importance of God in their lives.