1. Make a short summary of the main message of the Book of Exodus in line
with the Chosen People's entry into the Promised Land. (20 points)
The chapter III of this presentation speaks about the liberation of Jacob’s
descendants—now called Israelites—from slavery in Egypt to the Promised
Land. At the beginning of the Book of Exodus, we discover that the Israelites
are in slavery in Egypt. God hears their cries and calls Moses to lead the
people out of slavery. But Pharaoh, the Egyptian leader who is also seen by
his people as a god, has a hard heart. In a contest of wills between “gods,”
Yahweh proves his might over Pharaoh by sending terrible ten plagues upon
the Egyptians. The Israelites’ escape from Egypt and journey to the Holy Land
is called the Exodus.
Their journey lasted for forty years. The first lap is from Egypt to the foot of
Mount Sinai. And the second lap is from Mouth Sinai to the Promised Land. On
the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites stop at Mount Sinai. There the key
event in Jewish salvation history occurs. In a dramatic theophany (appearance
of God), God extends the Covenant he made with Abraham to all the Israelites.
He gives Moses the Law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, which the
people must obey as a sign of their commitment to the Covenant.
During the Exodus the people frequently complain and lose their faith in
God. As a consequence they must wander in the desert for forty years, and
only their children will be able to enter the Promised Land (with two exceptions,
Joshua and Caleb).
The book of Exodus is the story of God rescuing the children of Israel from
Egypt and forging a special relationship with them. God always keeps His
promises. He has power to make them, and He has power to fulfill them. Some
doubt this fact. The initial company of Israelites who departed from Egypt did
so with reluctance. Bad as things were in Egypt, the known seemed better than
the unknown to those who lacked faith. During their forty years of desert
wandering, the children of Israel alternately blessed and cursed the name of
God. When He showed them miracles, they humbled themselves. When the
tests and rigors of desert life became difficult, they hardened their hearts in
anger and resentment. They forgot His power and trembled in fear at the
thought of facing the Canaanites. In so doing, they lost their privilege to enter
the land of promise.
The entire book is about God hearing Israel’s cries for help, rescuing
them from their oppressors, and making them his own. Like the rest of the
Torah, covenant is a big theme here. God makes a solemn, binding agreement
with the people of Israel, establishing himself as their god and them as his
people. This relationship comes with certain expectations, with benefits for the
Israelites if they uphold their end of the agreement, and consequences if they
do not. Toward the beginning of the book, the cries of Israel rise up to God,
who hears them and remembers his promises to Abraham back in Genesis. In
the middle of the book, God meets Israel in the wilderness: he is high atop a
mountain, and they are on the plain below. God is closer to the people, but still
a ways off. However, by the end of the book, God is dwelling in the middle of
Israel’s camp in the wilderness. Moses believes that it is God’s presence
among the people that sets Israel apart from every other nation in the world
(Exod 33:16).
2. As a child of God, cite a particular way on how the exodus experience relate
to your journey today? (20 points)
Life is a journey, as the cliché goes. And in this journey, we are constantly
faced with struggles, sins, and even defeat. The book of Exodus paints a
wonderful picture of who this God is. From the Israelite’s captivity, to liberation,
to the wilderness experience, to the Promised Land, we get to know this God.
Clearly, our God is a compassionate God who is actively involved in the affairs
of His people. Exodus shows us how He was moved when He heard the cries
of His people. He was their Savior for he came down to rescue His people. It is
a remarkable fact that God Himself led the Israelites out of Egypt, then
eventually to the Promised Land. As a child of God, the particular way on how
the exodus experience relate to my journey today are: First, we were once
slaves to sin, but God heard our cries and was moved with compassion. Then
He came down to rescue us. We all have our wilderness. It is where the Lord
shapes us and conforms us to His. But in our journey, His provides and
protects us, and His presence stays with us until we get to the Promised Land.
Second, today all of us experience struggles and changes due to the
pandemic. There are times I feel so sad and alone because I can’t see those
people who are close to my heart and it is painful to see them suffering as well.
The exodus story demonstrates hope in the way that Joseph never gave up
getting out of jail. The way God and Moses demonstrate hope is very important
because without this hope, Moses would have given up on God and the world
today would be different. This story shows us that you should never give up
and that there is always hope in the world. Third, at some point of my life I have
experienced trials that weakened myself, mentally and emotionally which
made me unproductive but praying made me stronger and helped me to to be
more focused. The exodus story demonstrates resilience through Moses
leaving Egypt and getting his act back together quickly to team up with God
and deliver the ten plagues of Egypt. The way it demonstrates resilience is
because he was all beaten up and had no place to live until God spoke to him.
After God had spoken to him, he grew confidence and became resilient and
pressured the Pharaoh into letting his people go. This tells us that no matter
how hard you are beaten, you can get up again and go for it. Lastly, we all
know that the vaccine for the virus is not yet available. Today, I realized that
we don’t have to worry too much because nothing is impossible in God. He can
do anything. The exodus story demonstrates hope, justice, love and resilience.
The Lord will fight for us, and we shall hold our peace and remain at rest.