An end to oppression

ntro: At this point in the story, Israel is not yet a nation They are a slave people – their identity is tied to Egypt – oppressed and exploited, they cried out for relief • Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, has heard them ◦ he has stepped into the world to rescue them • at first he sent a request to Pharaoh to release them to him ◦ but Pharaoh responded by tightening his grip on his slaves – now God has launched an assault on Egypt; the infamous plagues • the first few plagues were annoying, the next were painful ◦ we observe this increase in magnitude and danger • preparing Pharaoh for the worst, God reveals his purpose: to spread my fame throughout the earth Robert Alter points out, “The Exodus story is conceived as an establishing of the credentials of the God of Israel for all humankind.” ◦ of course, the story is more than Yahweh making his name known to the world ◦ the primary theme of Exodus is a complete salvation (“complete” is not only out of, but is also into– i.e., a fuller, richer life and a better place in life)