Odysseus And Exodus

The big picture of the Bible is God’s plan to redeem his fallen creation. Everything that is in the Bible leads up to God’s plan of redemption for his fallen creation, the sinners, us. In Genesis God creates the heavens and the earth. He also creates the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve are disobedient to God’s commands and are cast out of Eden and cursed to die. God then destroys the world with the flood. He calls upon Abraham to be the seed of salvation in this new world and promises his family a future of greatness. In Exodus it tells the story of the Israelites and how they become free from the slavery of the pharaoh. God has chosen the Israelites to be his people and that is why he frees them. The Israelites are led by

Moses is given the Ten Commandments by God on Mount Sinai. In Leviticus Moses leads the Israelites in building the Tabernacle based on God’s instructions. God then instructs the Israelites how he wants certain things to be done. Leviticus is mostly focused on the rituals and practices rather than the beliefs. In Numbers the Israelites are on their journey to the Promised Land and there are some that complain and question the authority of Moses and Aaron. The ones that complained and questioned are destroyed by God. When they finally get to Canaan the Israelites discover that it is not as they had thought and refuse to take possession of it and God condemns them to death until a new generation comes to take over the task. In Deuteronomy there are three sermons that Moses gives to the Israelites right before they get to the Promised Land. The first sermon is about their forty years of wandering and how they have led up to this moment and ends with the Law of Moses, the second sermon

Joshua occurs in two parts. The first part tells of the campaigns of the Israelites in the north, central, and south parts of Canaan and the defeat of their enemies. The second part tells of the division of the land amongst the twelve tribes. Joshua also pleads for the observance of God’s law in this newly established land. In Judges the biblical judges are spoken of and how people are unfaithful to God and he delivers them into the hands of their enemies, the people repent and beg God for mercy, God sends them mercy with a leader or judge, and that judge saves them and they prosper but the people will be unfaithful again and the cycle starts again. In Ruth it tells of her acceptance of God and the Israelites. The book of Samuel starts with his birth and God’s call to him. Samuel appointed Saul as Israel’s first king but he proved unworthy of the position and God chose David to replace him. David and the kings that came after him were promised and everlasting dynasty from God. In the book of Kings it tells of the history of ancient Israel and Judah from David’s death to the release of his successor. It ends with the Deuteronomistic