As the people of Israel agree to a covenant with God, Moses makes his way up Mt. Sinai and is in the presence of God for 40 days and 40 nights.

God has prepared the Promised Land for His people. The issue now is whether or not the Israelites are a prepared people.

Following the Ten Commandments, God gives the Book of the Covenant - laws about how to live in the day-to-day as a member of God's covenant family.

In creating a new community, God puts in place a covenant - but this is more than a covenant with the Israelites. This covenant would be foundational for much of the Bible.

The narrative comes to a screeching halt at Mount Sinai. God's desire is to be with His people but we often stand far back because His presence is so powerful. But the invitation is the same - come and meet God.

As word spreads about Yahweh, the nations have taken notice. Amalek responds with an attack against the people of God while Jethro responds with worship. 

In the third of this sort of account, the Israelites have again run out of water. Their complaints have crossed the line and have now become a way to test God. 

One month into their freedom, the Israelites find themselves without food and longing for the days of slavery when at least they had food to eat. While out of Egypt, God still has work to do to get the Egypt out of them.

After three days of wandering in the wilderness with no water, the Israelites finally reach a breaking point when they find water - only to find that it is undrinkable. But it was there - in their suffering & hopelessness - that God revealed more of who He is to them. 

After crossing the sea, the Israelites worship Yahweh with songs. The lyrics are powerfully imaginative and evoke emotion. What can we learn about our worship from their songs of victory?