Topical Bible: God: Delivering the Israelites

◄ God: Delivering the Israelites ►

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The deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt is a central narrative in the Bible, showcasing God's power, faithfulness, and covenantal love. This event is foundational to the identity of Israel as God's chosen people and is commemorated annually in the Jewish festival of Passover.

Background and Context

The account of the Israelites' deliverance begins in the Book of Exodus. The Israelites, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had settled in Egypt during a time of famine. Over time, they grew numerous and became enslaved by a Pharaoh who did not remember Joseph, the son of Jacob, who had once been a savior to Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14).

God's Call to Moses

God's plan for deliverance is set into motion with the calling of Moses. While tending sheep in Midian, Moses encounters God in the form of a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire. God reveals His name, "I AM WHO I AM," and commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:14). Despite Moses' initial reluctance, God assures him of His presence and power, providing signs and appointing Aaron, Moses' brother, as his spokesperson (Exodus 4:10-16).

The Plagues and Pharaoh's Resistance

Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh with God's command: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me" (Exodus 9:1). Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and he refuses, prompting God to send a series of ten plagues upon Egypt. These plagues demonstrate God's supremacy over the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh himself. The plagues include turning the Nile into blood, infestations of frogs, gnats, and flies, the death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally, the death of the firstborn (Exodus 7-12).

The Passover and the Exodus

The final plague, the death of the firstborn, leads to the institution of the Passover. God instructs the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood, so the angel of death would "pass over" their homes (Exodus 12:13). This act of faith and obedience spares the Israelites and compels Pharaoh to release them. The Israelites leave Egypt in haste, taking with them the wealth of the Egyptians, as God had promised (Exodus 12:35-36).

Crossing the Red Sea

Pharaoh's change of heart leads him to pursue the Israelites with his army. Trapped between the Red Sea and the approaching Egyptians, the Israelites cry out to God. In a miraculous display of divine power, God parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. When the Egyptians follow, the waters return, drowning Pharaoh's army (Exodus 14:21-28). This event is celebrated in the Song of Moses, a hymn of praise for God's deliverance (Exodus 15:1-18).

The Wilderness Journey

Following their escape, the Israelites begin their journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Despite their frequent complaints and lack of faith, God provides for their needs with manna, quail, and water from a rock (Exodus 16-17). At Mount Sinai, God establishes His covenant with Israel, giving them the Ten Commandments and other laws to guide their relationship with Him and each other (Exodus 19-20).

Significance in Scripture

The deliverance of the Israelites is a testament to God's faithfulness to His promises and His power to save. It serves as a paradigm of salvation, foreshadowing the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ. The Exodus narrative is frequently referenced throughout Scripture as a reminder of God's mighty acts and His enduring covenant with His people (Deuteronomy 7:8, Psalm 136:11-12, Isaiah 63:11-14).

The account of God delivering the Israelites is a profound demonstration of His sovereignty, mercy, and commitment to His covenant, forming a cornerstone of biblical theology and faith.

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Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
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Exodus 11:3
And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.
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Exodus 13:18
But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
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Acts 7:34-36
I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you into Egypt.
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Library

How God Works in the Hearts of Men.
... ways; 1. By deserting them; 2. By delivering them over ... Satan as the minister of his
anger, God both directs ... the Amorites, did not give the Israelites a passage ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 how god works.htm

Prayer Essential to God
... golden calf, when God purposed to destroy the Israelites because of ... God's hand was
held fast by the interceding of Moses, the ... Moses was set on delivering Israel ...
/.../bounds/the weapon of prayer/i prayer essential to god.htm

On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God ...
... company with the army of Achish, against the Israelites, or by ... (Hebrews 1:14; Psalm
91:11.) (ii.) A delivering up to ... or to the power of Satan, "the god of this ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 9 on the righteousness.htm

On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God
... him from destroying his own countrymen, the Israelites, and from ... (Hebrews 1:14; Psalm
91:11.) A Delivering Up to ... lastly to the power of Satan, "the god of this ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 10 on the righteousness.htm

Jonathan's Brave Deed
... Saul picked out three thousand men from the Israelites. ... is nothing that can keep
Jehovah from delivering his people ... quaked, so that it produced a God-sent panic ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/jonathans brave deed.htm

Exodus
... bounty of their God, manifested in delivering them from ... Moses, asserting that the
fathers knew the God of Israel ... In one source, eg (J), the Israelites dwell by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

A Plain Description of the Essence and Attributes of God, Out of ...
... he promised them in graciously delivering their seed ... And for this cause Moses calls
God first Jehovah ... which was pronounced upon the Israelites' deliverance, to ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/a plain description of the.htm

Book 3 Footnotes
... or accompany the oracle, without itself delivering that oracle ... to be their authentic
guides, God gave them ... was evidently to preserve the Israelites from the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 3 footnotes.htm

In the Creation of the World, and all Things in It, the True God ...
... to the third heaven, so far from delivering any thing of ... in their office they are
vicegerents of God, the supreme ... to guard the camp of the Israelites; and as ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 in the creation.htm

How no one Can be Continually Intent Upon that Highest Good.
... For who, when "delivering the poor from the hand of them ... is good for me to cling
to God, and to ... kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites," [2254] ie ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter v how no one.htm