Purpose. At this point Old Testament history changes from that of the
family, given in individual biographies and family records, to that of
the nation, chosen for the divine purposes. The divine will is no
longer revealed to a few leaders but to the whole people. It begins
with the cruel bondage of Israel in Egypt, traces the remarkable
events of their delivery and ends with a complete establishment of the
dispensation of the Law. The aim seems to be to give an account of the
first stage in the fulfillment of the promises made by God to the
Patriarchs with reference to the place and growth of the Israelites.

Contents. Two distinct sections are usually given by students: the
historical, included in chapters 1-19 and the legislative, comprising
chapters 20-40. The first section records: the need of deliverance;
the birth, training and call of the deliverer; the contest with
Pharaoh; the deliverance and march through the wilderness to Sinai.
The second gives the consecration of the nation and the covenant upon
which it was to become a nation. The laws were such as to cover all
the needs of a primitive people, both moral, ceremonial and civic with
directions for the establishment of the Priesthood and Sanctuary.

Exodus and Science, Scientific research has gone far toward
establishing the truthfulness of the Exodus record, but has brought to
light nothing that in any way discounts it. It has shown who the
Pharaoh of the oppression and Exodus was (Rameses. II, the Pharaoh of
the oppression and Merenpth II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus.) and has
discovered Succoth. It has shown that writing was used long before the
Exodus and has discovered documents written before that period. It has
thus confirmed the condition of things narrated in the Bible.

Analysis.