Exodus
Together the two parts of Exodus—Israel in Egypt and in Sinai—form one of the master narratives of the Bible. The first part pits against each other two opposite responses to YHWH’s self-revelation: while Moses yields to God’s will, Pharaoh consistently resists manifestations of God’s presence and power. The second part introduces three elements of Israel’s formation as a people. The gift of manna establishes a godly food economy. The treatment of covenant provides theological reflection on divine sovereignty, divine dangerousness, the goodness of creation, and the problem of slavery. Finally, the instructions for the building of the tabernacle and its completion show Israel’s initial resistance to God’s commands and their eventual obedience; it also provides a humanizing counterpoint to Israel’s slave labor in Egypt.