After the excitement of the escape from Egypt, what could the remainder of Exodus possibly deliver in terms of drama? Moses and his people will roam the deserts for 40 years complaining about God and winding him up, discovering the ten commandments on the way, but, for all this, there is a distinct absence of action penetrating the remaining 26 chapters of the book of Exodus.
This is the kind of section of the Old Testament that gives the bible a bad name. Loaded with lists and repeated details about laws and robes, its an onslaught of tedium very lightly peppered with flashpoints. Its a foreboding task revisiting such dull matter, but the show must go on.
The journey of Exodus comprises of: Red Desert, Desert of Shur, Elim, Desert of Sin, Rephidim, Desert of Sinai, Mount Horeb.
The Tests.
The first thing that happens when the Israelites escape Egypt is that they sing a song, then they realise they haven't got any water. "What are we to Drink?"(15:24) they grumble. But God tells them to persevere and they arrive at Elim to discover springs and palm trees. On the fifteenth day, they are in the Desert of Sin where they start to complain again saying, 'If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt!'(16:3). Then God sends down manna: 'It was like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey,'(16:31). The Israelites then put the manna in jars and 'ate the manna for forty years.'(16:35).
The Israelites have a brief and successful war with the Amalekites
(17:8-16) 'As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hand, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady til sunset.'(17:10-13)Following these tests, the gang soon arrive at Mount Sinai.
'On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.
Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood t the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire.'(19: 16-18)Here we are told the Ten Commandments:
1. No other Gods than me
2. Don't make images of God or bow to any other gods
3. Do not misuse the name of God
4. Keep the Sabbath holy
5. Honour your ma and pa
6. Do not murder
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No lying
10. Do not covet your neighbours ass.
Then the lists and details of rules about how everything from how to sell your daughter into slavery to how to borrow an animal are all mapped out. The ones that stand out for me are:
21: 23-24 "If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, foot for foot."
22:18 "Do not allow a sorceress to live"
22:19 "Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death."
22:21 and 23:9 "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt."
The Land:
God says, 'I will establish your borders from the Red Sea, to the Mediterranean Sea, and the the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you.'(23:31)
These illuminating rulings aside, Exodus then takes a turn for the worse with an in depth description of details of how to construct a Tabernacle, Ark, Lampstand, Priestly Garments, etc. 26:2 "All the curtains are to be the same size - twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide." The list of how to build the materials needed for ritual are repeated from 25-31 and 35-40.
Moses takes all of God's orders during a Christ-like 40 day/night stint up on Mount Sinai and then comes down to deliver the news to the people baring a 'radiant face.' By the end of the book, they have an establish rubric of rules and legislation and a good solid Tabernacle to accompany them on their journey. The Israelites are well prepared. Next is Leviticus, which is more Moses, and looks like it contains a lot of details about how to be a priest.
In summary: The woes of travel test the Israelites. God and Moses manifest great leadership on Mount Sinai and the legislation of Judeo-Christianity begins to build.
