We are about to begin our study of the book of Exodus and are glad you chose to come along with us. Here we will meet Moses, the author of the first five books of the Bible.

In Genesis we saw the birth of the earth and of mankind. In Exodus will see the birth of the nation Israel. In Genesis we saw a family of 70 persons go down to and establish itself in Egypt. In Exodus we find this family multiplied many times and becoming God's chosen nation to carry his Word and promises to the world. In Genesis we saw the fall of mankind from his high estate in the garden of Eden, and his continued decline after God's judgment in the flood and salvation of the race through Noah and the Ark. In the book of Exodus we will continue to follow man's lack of faith in general and his continued inclination to sin.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 001)  Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 002)  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 003)  Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 004)  Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 005)  And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 006)  And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 007)  And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 008)  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 009)  And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 010)  Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 011)  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 012)  But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 013)  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 014)  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 015)  And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 016)  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 017)  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 018)  And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 019)  And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 020)  Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 021)  And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 022)  And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. 

This chapter contains much information in a short amount of space. It records the birth of Moses and the efforts made to keep him alive. By divine intervention Pharaoh's daughter finds Moses and chooses to raise him as her son. When this princess of Egypt expresses the need of someone to care for the baby Moses' mother is chosen. It's interesting to note that Pharaoh's daughter, not his mother, named him.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 001)  And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 002)  And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 003)  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 004)  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 005)  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 006)  And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 007)  Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 008)  And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 009)  And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 010)  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 

Versus 11 and 12 tell us that Moses starts off this part of the story as a murderer. Most people , overlook this point, but it doesn't appear to me to be a very good start. While he lived in royalty as a son of Pharaoh's daughter, with all its rights and privileges and wealth, he knows his origins as a Hebrew and has a great deal of sympathy for his brothers. He soon finds out that his actions have been witnessed. Pharaoh has found out and Moses flees. He has spent the first 40 years of his life in the royal environment but now finds himself in the desert acting as a shepherd.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 011)  And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 012)  And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 013)  And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 014)  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 015)  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 016)  Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 017)  And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 018)  And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 019)  And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 020)  And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 

Verse 21 records the marriage of Moses to Zipporah and the next verse tells us of the birth of Moses first son.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 021)  And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 

The rest of the chapter tells us of the king of Egypt died and the Israelites are suffering under their burdens. God hears their cries.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 022)  And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 023)  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 024)  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 025)  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. 

The first verse of this chapter tells us that the name of Moses father-in-law is Jethro and that he is a priest of Midian.

While Moses is tending Jethro's sheep in the desert he sees a burning bush that is not consumed. The story is simple and direct. Moses immediately begins to look for excuses to avoid the task that God is assigning to him. Verse 14 God tells Moses that when people ask them who sent him he is to use God's holy name I am. We have noted this name in previous studies and if you've missed it we suggest you look under the little door titled I am.

(chpt:  3 Vs: 001)  Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 002)  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 003)  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 

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