About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible
is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard
for modern English readers to understand. In this study, you will find
notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible.
We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read
the verses in their KJV form.
The book of Exodus was written by Moses. The word "exodus" means to
"go out" or "leave". This book is about the Israelites leaving Egypt
and going back to Canaan. Exodus begins about 350 after Joseph died. The
date that the Israelites leave Egypt is about 1445 B.C. (1, 445 years
before Jesus Christ was born).
Exodus 3
Moses and the burning bush
Moses took care of his father-in-law's
sheep. Reuel had another name. He was also named Jethro. Moses was watching
the sheep one day near the mountain called Horeb.
[1] 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.
Moses saw something strange. There was a fire in a bush. But the
bush itself was not burning. He was very curious about it.
[2] 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.
[3] And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great
sight, why the bush is not burnt.
God was in the bush. He called to Moses. Moses answered him. God
told Moses to take off his shoes because it was holy ground.
[4] And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.
And he said, Here am I.
[5] And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes
from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
God said that he was the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob. Moses hid his face. He was afraid to look at God.
[6] Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face;
for he was afraid to look upon God.
God told Moses that He had heard the Israelites' cries and prayers.
He had seen the Egyptians treating them badly. He was going to take them
out of Egypt and take them back to Canaan. The other groups of people
living in Canaan at that time were the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Hivites, and the Jebusites.
[7] And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of
my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their
taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
[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 unto a good land
and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of
the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites,
and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
[9] Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel
is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians
oppress them.
God said he would send Moses to Pharoah so that he could take the
Israelites out of Egypt.
[10] Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh,
that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Moses was not sure that he could do what God asked. He didn't feel that
he was good enough.
[11] And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I
should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of
Israel out of Egypt?
God told Moses that He would be with him and would help him. After
Moses took the Israelites out of Egypt, the would worship and serve God.
[12] And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this
shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought
forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses was worried about what the Israelites would say. He said that the
Israelites would ask him who sent him to help them. Moses was asking
God what His name was. God said, "I AM THAT I AM," and told Moses to tell
the Israelites that I AM had sent him to help them. The Israelites
would then know that God lived always. They would know he was the same God
who helped their fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers.
[13] And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the
children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers
hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what
shall I say unto them?
[14] And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said,
Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto
you.
God told Moses what to say to the Israelites. He should tell them
that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob had sent
him.
[15] And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:
this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
God told Moses to have a meeting with the elders of Israel. The elders
were the older men who were leaders of the Israelites. In the meeting, Moses
was to tell them that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob had seen that they were slaves in Egypt. God wanted them to know
that He would be taking them back to Canaan. God said that Canaan was a
land "flowing with milk and honey". That means it was a very good land
and things would grow well there.
[16] Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say
unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and
seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
[17] And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction
of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites,
and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing
with milk and honey.
After he met with the elders, Moses and the
elders were supposed to go to the Pharoah. God wanted them to ask Pharoah
to let them go away for 3 days to make a sacrifice.
[18] And they shall hearken to thy voice: and
thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt,
and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us:
and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness,
that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
God knew that the Pharoah would say no. He would not let them leave. God
would force Pharoah to let them leave.
[19] And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you
go, no, not by a mighty hand.
[20] And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with
all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he
will let you go.
God told Moses that when the Israelites left Egypt, they would take
many valuable things with them.
[21] And I will give this people favour in the sight of the
Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not
go empty:
[22] But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of
her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold,
and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters;
and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
Exodus 4
Moses asks more questions
Moses said that the Israelites might not believe that God really spoke
to him. God gave Moses two miracles to show the Israelites that he was
telling the truth. For the first miracle, God told Moses to throw down the
rod (stick) that he was holding. When the rod hit the ground, it became
a snake. Then God told Moses to pick up the snake. When Moses picked it
up, it became a rod again.
[1] And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe
me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared
unto thee.
[2] And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand?
And he said, A rod.
[3] And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on
the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
[4] And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and
take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became
a rod in his hand:
[5] That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared
unto thee.
For the second miracle, God told Moses to put his hand in his shirt.
When he took his hand out again, it was white and had a skin disease called
leprosy. God told him to put his hand in his shirt again. When he took
his hand out the second time, it was normal.
[6] And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine
hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took
it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
[7] And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And
he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom,
and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
God said that if the Israelites didn't believe the first miracle (the
rod and the snake), they would believe the second miracle (the hand with
the skin disease).
[8] And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee,
neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe
the voice of the latter sign.
God said that if the Israelites did not believe the first two miracles,
Moses could show them a third miracle. For the third miracles, God told
Moses to take some water out of the river. When he poured the water on the
dry land, the water would change into blood.
[9] And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also
these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take
of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water
which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Moses told God that he had a speech disability. He felt that he could
not talk well enough to do what God was asking him to do.
[10] And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent,
neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but
I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
God reminded Moses that He made everyone, including people who had speech
disabilities and people who were deaf and blind.
[11] And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth?
or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not
I the LORD?
God told Moses that He would help him and teach him what to say.
[12] Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and
teach thee what thou shalt say.
Moses wanted God to send someone else. God was angry at Moses for hesitating.
God said that Aaron, Moses' brother, would help him. Aaron would do the
talking for Moses.
[13] And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand
of him whom thou wilt send.
[14] And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses,
and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak
well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth
thee, he will be glad in his heart.
[15] And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his
mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach
you what ye shall do.
[16] And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he
shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt
be to him instead of God.
God told Moses to take the rod (stick) and do the miracles when it was
time.
[17] And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith
thou shalt do signs.
Moses told his father-in-law that he needed to go back to Egypt. Jethro
said he could go.
[18] And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law,
and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren
which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said
to Moses, Go in peace.