The Israelites were the descendants of Jacob/Israel. The word "Israelite" or
"Hebrew" means any person who can trace his ancestry back to
Jacob/Israel.
Before the Book of Exodus began, Jacob/Israel's family
relocated to Egypt. The Book of Exodus picks up some years after Genesis ended.
Jacob and his sons were now dead. They had left behind descendants. The
descendants of Jacob/Israel were called "Israelites" or
"Hebrews".
The Israelites were separated into twelve groups. Each
group was a tribe made up of descendants of one of Jacob's sons, and the
tribe was named after that son. So there were twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. And
all of them were subdivisions of the Israelites.
Years later, Egypt had a new pharaoh, who didn't know Jacob's nuclear family. He
saw that the Israelites were too numerous, and could be a threat. So he made a
law that the Israelites were to be slaves. (1:8-10)
They
remained slaves for years. When Moses was an adult, and was living in Midian,
the Israelites prayed to God for help. God heard them. He sent Moses back to
Egypt to meet with Aaron and convince the pharaoh to release the Israelites. He
did so. Moses and Aaron gathered the Israelites, and Aaron told them that God would lead them to
freedom. (chapters 1-6)
After much threatening, the pharaoh still
wouldn't release them. Finally God warned the Israelites "On the tenth day
of this month, during that night, I will pass through Egypt, and smite all the
first-born, both man and beast. But put lamb's blood around your doors. This
will be a sign. When I see the blood around your doors, I will pass over your
house, and no harm will come to you. This day shall be a memorial day for you.
You shall keep it as a feast to God, and shall observe it forever." They do
as God says. (chapters 7-12)
That night at midnight, God smote all the first-born in
the land of Egypt, both man and beast. Finally the pharaoh agreed to release the
Israelites. The Israelites left Egypt. They left in haste, because they were
afraid that the Egyptians would kill them for revenge. They took Joseph's bones with them.
They traveled from
Raamses to Succoth, then to Etham, and finally to the western shore of the Red
Sea. (chapters 12-14)
The pharaoh changed his mind. He and some soldiers
chased the Israelites, intending to bring them back to Egypt. They caught up to
the Israelites at the Red Sea. The Israelites were trapped by the Egyptian
soldiers on one side and by the Red Sea on the other.
God had Moses stretch his hand over the sea. The waters
of the sea divided, and form a strip of land in the middle. The Israelites walked
through the sea. The Egyptians chased them. When the Israelites reached the other
side of the sea, the waters came back, and drowned the Egyptians. (chapter 14)
The Israelites sang to God. Then they continued on to
Shur, then to Marah, then to Elim and then to the wilderness of Sin, near Mt.
Sinai. Now they were hungry. God fed them by making bread rain from the sky.
This bread was called manna. They would have manna to eat until they reached the
boarder of Canaan. (chapter 15-16)
They moved to Rephidim, to a side of a mountain called
Mt. Sinai. (But at this point, it was
called Mt. Horeb.) Now they were thirsty. So God
brought water out of a rock. While still at Rephidim, soldiers from Amalek
fought with the Israelites. God helped Israel win. Moses predicted that they will have more trouble with Amalek.
(chapter 17)
Jethro noticed how Moses was the judge whenever there
was a dispute. He told Moses
"You and the people with you will wear yourselves out. You can't do it
alone." He helped Moses arrange a council of judges to decide matters.
(chapter 18)
The Israelites came to the wilderness of Sinai, and to
a mountain called Mt. Sinai. Moses went up the mountain, and spoke with God.
God told him "You shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Later, God spoke to the Israelites, and gave them his ten commandments.
(chapters 19-20)
Moses went up the mountain again. God told him various rules for the people.
(chapters 21-23)
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of the elders of
Israel went up Mt. Sinai and met God. God told Moses "Come back up later,
and I will give you tables of stone with more instructions." (chapter 24)
Moses went back up, and God told Moses to have the Israelites construct a
moveable tabernacle for worship. He assigned Bezaleel (also called Bezalel) and Aholiab
(also called Oholiab) to do the construction. He gave
Moses two tablets of stone, on which were written the instructions. (chapters 25-31)
Moses had been up on the mountain for a long time. The
Israelites told Aaron "We don't know what happened to Moses. Create a god
for us." Aaron made a statue of a golden calf. The Israelites worshiped it.
God told Moses what the Israelites were doing.
"Leave me alone, so that my wrath will burn against them. I will consume
them. But of you I will make a great nation. Moses pleaded "Don't. The
Egyptians will say that you brought them out of Egypt to kill them. Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised to multiply their descendants and give
them the land of Canaan." God agreed.
Moses went down the mountain, and destroyed the golden calf. He
asked "Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me." The Levites came to him.
They were made priests. Moses made them kill 3000 of the Israelites. God
sent a plague to punish the people. (chapter 32)
Moses went up Mt.
Sinai again. God told him "The Israelites
shall have the land of Canaan. The people who live in the land now will be
driven out. Don't make any deals with them. Tear down their altars and pillars."
(chapter 34)
The Israelites constructed the tabernacle, its furniture, and
the priests' garments. Now
the Israelites had their own movable tabernacle for worship. Whenever the cloud
of God was descended on the tabernacle, they would hold services. If the cloud is
not descended on it, they would travel. They would continue this throughout their
journeys. (chapters 35-40)