Israelites Journey

It does not take a Bible scholar to understand that one of the most significant people groups throughout history has been the Israelites. According to Biblical narrative, Israel is significant. An understanding of who the Israelites are and where they came from is necessary to understand the Bibles redemptive narrative. This paper will seek to provide insight as to how the Israelites came about and who they are.

Only twelve men amongst the people had actually seen the land or its army. Yet, the Israelites were willing to return to slavery in Egypt rather than claim their Promised Land at the risk of an unknown future they believed could end in death. God had shown up in their lives so many times and in such miraculous ways. They knew without question

I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to

Liberation Theologian, Gustavo Gutiérrez linked creation with the exodus as one continual event to explain God’s salvific nature. The link reveals God’s continual involvement in human history, not a God outside of human history. Gutiérrez argues that God sets the Israelites free from their oppression because God desires a more just world. Similarly, James Cone links God’s election of the Israelites with the exodus to explain liberation from oppression. According to Cone the link between election and the exodus is inseparable and serves as a major consideration in Cone’s definition of theology. Cone argues God continues active involvement in human history through the prophets in the Old Testament. The major difference between Gutiérrez and

As Moses grows he becomes aware of his lineage and takes notice to how oppressed his people are in Egypt. While leading a flock out on the side of a mountain the angel of Jehovah appears in a flame and a bush begins to burn. The bush does not erupt into ash and Moses is awestruck. God calls to Moses and begins to relay him his destiny. God says “I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians… and unto a land flowing with milk and honey”

The significance of the separating of the Red Sea is that this one occasion is the last demonstration of God delivering his people from slavery in Egypt. The migration from Egypt and the separating of the red sea is the single most prominent demonstration of salvation in the Old Testament, and it is consistently reviewed to represent God's saving force. This occasion helped the Hebrew individuals find for themselves that their God was the most capable being and would dependably lead

Abraham was called by God to depart from home and migrate to a new land and receive greatness among the nations in return. The fulfillment of these promises became the stimulus for the people’s response of worship and thanksgiving. At Hebron, Abraham constructed the first alter to Yahweh in thanksgiving for the promise of land as seen in Genesis 13:18. Worship was also offered to Yahweh after Abraham defeated the four kings as found in Genesis 14: 17-24. Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High, administered the worship. Prior to the Exodus, the basic elements of Israel’s worship included the practice theophany, also known as an appearance from God, the utilization of an alter to make sacrifices, and a sacrament utilizing bread and wine that is commonly referred to as a cultic celebration. After the Exodus, the worship of Israel became more formalized, characterized by the Mosaic institutions and regulations. The commitment to the law of the covenant became the central figure of Israelite worship. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt embodied the essence of Yahweh’s relationship with humanity. The Song of Moses, as seen in Exodus 15, reveals God’s faithfulness. Despite the murmurings through the desert wanderings, the Israelites learned to know Yahweh as the ultimate provider. The desert experience in later worship became symbolic of God’s provision and care, as seen in Deuteronomy 8: 1- 20. Because of Yahweh’s faithfulness, the Israelites strived for covenant relationship with Yahweh. Yahweh’s instructions for the building and arrangement of the tabernacle and the details pertaining to the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the worship service were very specific . Many chapters of the Pentateuch are dedicated to the details of the tabernacles construction. The tent of meeting illustrated the mobility of Yahweh. Unlike the pagan gods, deities that were limited to

“Who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Holy Bible: Holman Bible). God tells Moses that he will bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. (Holy Bible: Holman Bible) Even though Moses is scared, he knows that God will not leave him.

The assertion that the Israelites began their story with the Exodus comes from their deliverance from slavery as they were lead out of Egypt by Moses. As this event was a momentous event in their history, it was to be commemorated. Tullock & McEntire state “the Exodus event made Israel aware of Itself as a people…and united them” (2012) 4. Thus, as historians gathered together significant events memories and traditions, the explanation and origin of their existence would be

Years have past Moses is an adult now and he looks into his roots and realizes that he is a Hebrew. And one day he sees an elderly Israelite being mercilessly beaten by an Egyptian and he intervinds and accidently kills the Egyptian man. So Moses runs a away to the Midian, a small town where he meets a priest named Jethro. Meets a woman who turns out to be Jethro’s daughter. He now starts his new life as shepherd and he during his daily duties and he notices something on Mount Horeb. There is a bush on fire, but it was not burning at all. So Moses went over to the burning bush to investigate “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.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 forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” So God discuss his plan with Moses to bring the Israelites to Canaan “to a land flowing with milk and honey” and send Moses back towards Egypt to

The Israelites Finally Go into the Promised Land. After the death of Moses, God charged Joshua with the responsibility of leading the Israelites into the promised land. Three times God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. God also tells him to obey, study, and meditate on the law. Joshua sent out two spies to Jericho and they stayed in the house of Rahab the prostitute. She hid them from soldiers looking for them and helped them escape. She believed that God was the true god and asked to be in God’s favor and protection. The spies came back to Joshua and told him all that had happened and told him to conquer the land. The Israelites crossed the Jordan river with the ark of the covenant leading them, showing how God actively leads them. When they crossed the Jordan with the ark, the priests stood on dry ground in the middle of the river and there they made a memorial to show where God had shown his power and dried up a river. In the promised

God promised the Israelites that he would see them through the Jericho Wall, and finally arrived to the Land of Cannon, with the guidance of Joshua (Joshua 5:13-12:24). Joshua was obedient to the will of God, and being a faithful leader to the Israelites. The Israelites had much faith in God for God lead them through many battles and conquered all the towns they traveled through. Joshua dies at the age of 110, leaving the Israelites without a leader (Judges 2:8). The Israelites asked God “which tribe will go into Cannon and attack the men”, for God answered to them “the tribe of Judah” (Judges 1:1,2). The Israelites generation grew older and younger generation came to be to the point they were totally disobedient to God. The younger generation

While reading Exodus 17:1-7, one will begin to understand the fear and anxiety God’s people have been developing throughout their journey in the “wilderness of Sin.” This account of the Israelite’s, presents us with an opportunity to give a voice of our fears in abandonment. It also presents a visual on how the many ways God responds to us when we are in need, or for lack of a better term, thirsty in the wilderness.

God has continually sought out man throughout history, and He continues to draw them out today. The Israelites were called out to be a witness to what God had done for them during the Old Testament time period. The writings of the Israelites Major and Minor Prophets that we use in our Christian Old Testament bears witness to the events in Israelite history, which testify to their walk with the Lord. One of the earliest writings considered part of the law “Torah” is Exodus. The DTIB divides Exodus in two main parts. Part one is the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Part two Yahweh gives the law (Torah) which would enable His children (Israel) to realize their vocation (page 211 DTIB).

The book of Joshua describe the story of a military general who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua had never questioned God’s will for him and his people. Therefore, God has made him one of the most successful leader which we can take example of. There are a lot of aspects to apply in our lives in becoming an effective leader.