4 Israel Becomes a People Exodus and Wilderness C H A P T E R 61 Timeline 1500 B.C.E. Beginning of the Late Bronze Age 1305 B.C.E. Beginning of the reign of Pharaoh Seti 1290 B.C.E. Beginning of the reign of Ramses II 1280 B.C.E. Possible date of the Exodus from Egypt 1250 B.C.E. Frequent guess for date of Israelite entrance into the Promised Land 1224 B.C.E. Mernerptah’s invasion of Palestine 1200 B.C.E. Beginning of the Iron Age Chapter Outline I. The Book of Israel’s Beginnings II. Moses: Birth and Wilderness Years III. Moses: The Struggle with the Pharaoh IV. The Exodus Event V. Sinai and the Giving of the Law VI. After Mount Sinai VII. Themes in the Pentateuch The Old Testament Story, Ninth Edition, by John Tullock and Mark McEntire. Published by Pearson Learning Solution s. Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc. J O H N S O N , O L I V I A 9 1 1 0 62 Chapter 4 • Israel Becomes a People CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter covers a vast amount of biblical material: the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. What holds all of this material together is the gigantic figure of Moses, who is born in Exodus 2 and dies in Deuteronomy 34. The first part of the book of Exodus will tell the story of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. After this, the forging of the Israelites as a people appears in four movements that alternate in form and content. Exodus 14–18 will tell the initial story of the Israelites in the wilderness, leading up to their arrival at Mount Sinai. A large, diverse collection of legal material then fills the vast majority of Exodus 19 through Numbers 9 (including the entire book of Leviticus). A second collection of wilderness narratives is found in Numbers 10–36, with smaller pieces of legal material within it. Finally, most of the book of Deuteronomy contains legal material presented by Moses to the Israelites in Moab as they wait to enter the Promised Land. Thus, the whole story presents an alternating pattern: wilderness– law–wilderness–law. This pattern highlights the contrast between the threat of death and disorder and the promise of life and order contained in Mosaic law. The Literary Structure of Exodus The book of Exodus, because of its varied and composite nature, does not have an easily discernible overall design. Many attempts to determine a structure for the book of Exodus have focused upon place and movement. The book would then fall into sections such as 1:1–12:36 The Israelites in Egypt 12:37–18:27 The Israelites in the Wilderness 19:1–40:30 The Israelites at Sinai On the other hand, based upon literary form, Exodus falls roughly into two halves: the story of the departure from Egypt (1–18) and the reception of the law at Mount Sinai (19–40). The situation is more complex than either of these simple outlines, though. There is legal material in the first half of the book, and there is narrative material in the second half. The relationship between the book of ...

1. 4 Israel Becomes a People
Exodus and Wilderness
C H A P T E R
61
Timeline
1500 B.C.E. Beginning of the Late Bronze Age
1305 B.C.E. Beginning of the reign of Pharaoh Seti
1290 B.C.E. Beginning of the reign of Ramses II
1280 B.C.E. Possible date of the Exodus from Egypt
1250 B.C.E. Frequent guess for date of Israelite entrance into
the Promised Land
1224 B.C.E. Mernerptah’s invasion of Palestine
1200 B.C.E. Beginning of the Iron Age
Chapter Outline
I. The Book of Israel’s Beginnings
II. Moses: Birth and Wilderness Years
III. Moses: The Struggle with the Pharaoh
IV. The Exodus Event
V. Sinai and the Giving of the Law
VI. After Mount Sinai

2. VII. Themes in the Pentateuch
The Old Testament Story, Ninth Edition, by John Tullock and
Mark McEntire. Published by Pearson Learning
Solution
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Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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62 Chapter 4 • Israel Becomes a People
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
This chapter covers a vast amount of biblical material: the
books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. What holds all of this material together is the
gigantic figure of Moses, who is
born in Exodus 2 and dies in Deuteronomy 34. The first part of
the book of Exodus will tell the
story of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. After this,
the forging of the Israelites as a people
appears in four movements that alternate in form and content.
Exodus 14–18 will tell the initial
story of the Israelites in the wilderness, leading up to their
arrival at Mount Sinai. A large,

4. diverse collection of legal material then fills the vast majority
of Exodus 19 through Numbers 9
(including the entire book of Leviticus). A second collection of
wilderness narratives is found in
Numbers 10–36, with smaller pieces of legal material within it.
Finally, most of the book of
Deuteronomy contains legal material presented by Moses to the
Israelites in Moab as they wait to
enter the Promised Land. Thus, the whole story presents an
alternating pattern: wilderness–
law–wilderness–law. This pattern highlights the contrast
between the threat of death and disorder
and the promise of life and order contained in Mosaic law.
The Literary Structure of Exodus
The book of Exodus, because of its varied and composite nature,
does not have an easily discernible
overall design. Many attempts to determine a structure for the
book of Exodus have focused upon
place and movement. The book would then fall into sections
such as
1:1–12:36 The Israelites in Egypt

5. 12:37–18:27 The Israelites in the Wilderness
19:1–40:30 The Israelites at Sinai
On the other hand, based upon literary form, Exodus falls
roughly into two halves: the story of the
departure from Egypt (1–18) and the reception of the law at
Mount Sinai (19–40). The situation is
more complex than either of these simple outlines, though.
There is legal material in the first half of
the book, and there is narrative material in the second half. The
relationship between the book of
Exodus and the book of Leviticus, which follows it, also
complicates the issue. There is a strong sense
of continuity between the second half of Exodus and Leviticus,
just as there is continuity between
Genesis and the first half of Exodus. Thus, this second book of
the Bible tends to get pulled apart
from both ends. If there is a sense of unity and literary design to
the book, then the feeling of move-
ment and the mixture of literary forms indicate that it should
probably be based upon transitions and
points of connection. The structure proposed here is less certain
and less defined than that proposed
earlier for the book of Genesis, but it may point to a way to

6. view the book of Exodus as a whole.
Rather than understanding the beginning of the legal material in
Exodus as a break or division,
it may be more helpful to view it as a transitional center. The
giving of the Ten Commandments in
20:1–21 may function as a pivotal point in the story. Until the
end of chapter 19, the people of Israel
are moving toward God with Moses in the lead (19:17). The
experience of receiving the Ten
Commandments convinces the people that they want no part in
direct contact with God, but want
Moses to act as an intermediary (20:18–21). The stories of the
first half of the book of Exodus (slavery,
calling of Moses, plagues, wilderness travels) are centered on
the Passover legislation, in which Moses
receives instructions from God and passes them on to the people
(12:1–27). Everything operates
according to plan, and God liberates the Israelites. The legal
material in the second half of the book is
centered on the golden calf episode in chapters 32 to 34. This
set of stories illustrates the danger of
The Old Testament Story, Ninth Edition, by John Tullock and
Mark McEntire. Published by Pearson Learning