KEY PLACES IN EXODUS

0. Key Places in Exodus          

1. Goshen
    
a) This area was given to Jacob and his family when they moved to Egypt (Genesis 47:5-6). It became the Hebrews' homeland for 400 years and remained separate from the main Egyptian centers, for Egyptian culture looked down upon shepherds and nomads. As the years passed, Jacob's family grew into a large nation (Exodus 1:7).

2,3. Pithom and Rameses
    
a) After 400 years, a pharaoh came to the throne who had no respect for these descendants of Joseph and feared their large numbers. He forced them into slavery in order to oppress and subdue them. Out of their slave labor, the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses were built (Exodus 1:11).

4. Midian
    
a) Moses, an Egyptian prince who was born a Hebrew, killed an Egyptian and fled for his life to Midian. Here he became a shepherd and married a woman named Zipporah. It was while he was here that God commissioned him for the job of leading the Hebrew people out of Egypt (Exodus 2:15-4:31).

5. Baal Zephon
    
a) Slavery was not to last because God planned to deliver his people. After choosing Moses and Aaron to be his spokesmen to Pharaoh, God worked a series of dramatic miracles in the land of Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go (Exodus 5:1-12:33). When finally freed, the entire nation set out with the riches of Egypt (Exodus 12:34-36). One of their first stops was at Baal Zephon (Exodus 14:1), where Pharaoh, who had changed his mind, chased the Hebrews and trapped them against the Red Sea. But God parted the waters and led the people through the sea on dry land. When Pharaoh's army tried to pursue, the waters collapsed around them, and they were drowned (Exodus 14:5-31).

6. Marah
    
a) Moses now led the people southward. The long trek across the desert brought hot temperatures and parched throats for this mass of people. At Marah, the water they found was bitter, but God sweetened it (Exodus 15:22-25).

7. Elim
    
a) As they continued their journey, the Hebrews (now called Israelites) came to Elim, an oasis with 12 springs (Exodus 15:27).

8. Desert of Sin
    
a) Leaving Elim, the people headed into the Desert of Sin. Here the people became hungry, so God provided them with manna that came from heaven and covered the ground each morning (Exodus 16:1,13-15). The people ate this manna until they entered the promised land.

9. Rephidim
    
a) Moses led the people to Rephidim where they found no water. But God miraculously provided water from a rock (Exodus 17:1,5,6). Here the Israelites encountered their first test in battle: the Amalekites attacked and were defeated (Exodus 17:9-13). Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, then arrived on the scene with some sound advice on delegating responsibilities (Exodus 18:1-27).

10. Mount Sinai
    
a) God had previously appeared to Moses on this mountain and commissioned him to lead Israel (Exodus 3:1,2). Now Moses returned with the people God had asked him to lead. For almost a year the people camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. During this time God gave them his Ten Commandments as well as other laws for right living. He also provided the blueprint for building the tabernacle (Exodus 19-40). God was forging a holy nation, prepared to live for and serve him alone.