Audio Version read by Kathy Bird
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JOSEPH, the eleventh son of Jacob is sold to a merchant caravan by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt! Because God gives Joseph the power to interpret dreams, the Pharaoh makes him an advisor or lord of his household and a ruler throughout the land of Egypt. The great famine that Joseph told the Pharaoh about comes over the land but because Joseph has stored a great abundance of food, Egypt has more than enough! Jacob, who is living in the land of Canaan, sends his sons to Egypt to buy food. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and has all his family brought to Egypt. (Found in Genesis, Chapter 37 & 39 through Chapter 50) MOSES After the death of Joseph, a new Pharaoh comes into power who didn't know Joseph, but he is concerned about how fast the Jewish population is growing. Worried about the safety of his kingdom, he puts the Israelites into bondage and tries to control their population by putting to death their male newborn. Pharaoh's daughter finds the newborn baby, Moses, floating in a reed basket when she comes to the Nile river to bathe. The Jewish mother of Moses put him there because she was afraid they would kill him. She is near by when Pharaoh's daughter is looking for someone to nurse the baby and without knowing it, arranges for Moses' mother to take care of the baby for her. When Moses is older, Pharaoh's daughter adopts him as her son. When Moses is grown, he visits the places where the Israelites are working for the Egyptians and sees an Egyptian guard striking a Israelite. He becomes angry and kills the guard. The Pharaoh hears of the situation and tries to kill Moses, but Moses flees to the wilderness of a place called Midian. Moses finds a home with a priest that has seven daughters and marries one of his daughters name Zipporah and she bares him a son named Gershom. Moses is taking care of a flock of sheep belonging to his father-in-law near the mountain of Horeb when he sees a bush that is burning but not being destroyed. God speaks to Moses from the bush and tells him that Pharaoh is dead but a new Pharaoh is still holding the Israelites in bondage and He has heard their cry for help. God tells Moses to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh to free his people so they may go the land God has waiting for them. Then God tells Moses that he must lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land! MOSES GOES TO EGYPT with his Levite brother Aaron and tells Pharaoh to let the Israelites go on a three day journey to sacrifice to the Lord God of Israel or he would punish them. Pharaoh refuses to let them go and makes the Israelites work harder because of what Moses and Aaron said. The Israelites begin to resent Moses and Aaron. Moses again confronts Pharaoh for the release of the Israelites and turns his staff into a snake. The Pharaoh has his magicians turn their staffs into snakes but Moses' snake swallows their snakes, yet the Pharaoh would still not listen because his heart was hardened. GOD BRINGS THE TEN PLAGUES UPON THE PHARAOH and Egypt using Moses and Aaron to give Pharaoh the opportunity to let the Israelites leave Egypt after each plague. These were the plagues: 1. God turns all the water (drinking water) in the river to blood. 2. God sends plague of frogs to swarm over the territory. 3. God sends the plague of Gnats. 4. God sends the plague of flies. 5. God sends the plague of disease that would kill all the Egyptian animals but not harm the Israelite animals. 6. God sends the plague of boils on man and beast. 7. God sends the plague of hail that destroys any man or animal, plant or tree left in the open. 8. God sends the plague of locust to eat any food that is left. 9. God brings the plague of darkness, so dark that people can not see one another for three days. 10. God is finished appealing to the Pharaoh and brings on the plague of the death of all the first born. It is for this plague that the celebration of Passover is started. All the Israelites are instructed to apply lamb's blood around the doorway of every house they live so that death will pass over them. God uses the ten plagues; the last being the death of all first born children to make the Pharaoh agree to free the Israelites, then Moses leads them out of Egypt to the Red Sea. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened and in one last effort to kill the Israelites, he leads his armies out to the Red Sea. God opens up the Red Sea and makes a path for the Israelites to cross over. Pharaoh sends his army to pursue the Israelites. God closes the sea and Pharaoh's army drowns! (Found in the book of Exodus, Chapter 1 through Chapter 19) |