Riverside Reading Plan

God establishes two perpetual observances: the consecration of every firstborn and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, both designed to memorialize the exodus for future generations. Moses takes Joseph's bones as promised centuries earlier, and God leads the people with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Rather than taking the direct route to Canaan, God leads them toward the Red Sea.

God institutes the Passover as both immediate protection from the tenth plague and perpetual memorial of Israel's deliverance. The devastating death of Egypt's firstborn finally breaks Pharaoh's resistance, and he urgently sends Israel away with Egyptian gifts. After 430 years in Egypt, the Israelites—now numbering about 600,000 men plus women and children—begin their exodus.

God announces the final plague—the death of Egypt's firstborn—which will compel Pharaoh to drive Israel out. Moses, now highly regarded by Egyptian officials, warns Pharaoh of the coming judgment with justified anger. Israel is instructed to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold articles, fulfilling God's promise that they would not leave empty-handed.

Locusts devour whatever vegetation survived the hail, followed by three days of oppressive darkness that paralyzes Egyptian society. Pharaoh's negotiation attempts reveal his increasing desperation, yet his heart remains hardened. The stage is set for the final and most devastating plague as Pharaoh warns Moses he will die if he appears before him again.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues—livestock disease, boils, and devastating hail—increasingly demonstrate God's sovereignty and Pharaoh's powerlessness. God explains to Pharaoh that He could have destroyed Egypt completely but has preserved him to display divine power throughout the earth. Some Egyptians now fear God's word enough to bring their livestock and servants inside before the hail strikes.

Three more plagues—frogs, gnats, and flies—demonstrate God's power over Egypt's gods and establish a distinction between Egyptians and Israelites. Pharaoh begins a pattern of false repentance, promising release during plagues but reneging once relief comes. The Egyptian magicians acknowledge divine power at work, declaring, "This is the finger of God."

Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh with divine authority, turning Aaron's staff into a serpent that consumes the Egyptian magicians' serpents. The first plague strikes as the Nile turns to blood, rendering Egypt's water source undrinkable for seven days. Despite this display of power, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, setting the stage for escalating confrontations.

God reaffirms His covenant promises to Moses, revealing Himself by the name YHWH and promising deliverance through mighty acts of judgment. A genealogy of the first three tribes of Israel establishes Moses and Aaron's Levitical lineage and their divine authority. Despite God's reassurances, the Israelites, crushed by harsh slavery, cannot embrace the message of hope.

Moses and Aaron's first confrontation with Pharaoh ends in disaster as Pharaoh not only refuses to let Israel go but increases their labor by requiring them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same quota of bricks. The people turn against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of making their situation worse rather than better.

Despite receiving miraculous signs to validate his divine commission, Moses objects to his calling based on his speaking abilities. God appoints Aaron as Moses' spokesman, and Moses returns to Egypt with his family after a mysterious nighttime encounter with God. Moses and Aaron gather Israel's elders, who believe and worship when they hear of God's plan for deliverance.