Exodus, a movement of the people.

As we move into the second book of the Tanakh, or Old Testament, we have more than a movement of people.

We have a flurry of new individuals, ideas, and we see God's miraculous work through ancient Israelite's eyes.

But how can we be moved? How can we learn to see God's orchestrations and work and become a part of them?

We discussed that and much more in today's episode of Abide, a Maxwell Institute podcast.

My name is Joseph Stewart. I'm the public communication specialist of the Neil A. Maxwell

Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University.

Christian Heel is a research fellow at the Institute, and each week we discuss the week's block of reading from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Come Follow Me curriculum. We aren't here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block, so as to help fulfill the Maxwell Institute's mission, to inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and engage the world of religious

ideas. Today we are joined by one of our research assistants, Derek Baker, an ancient near-eastern

studies major emphasizing Greek at BYU from St. George, Utah. After Derek graduates, he plans to

become a high school history teacher. Welcome, Derek. Thank you for having me. Happy to be here.

It is our pleasure.

Christian, what is going on in Exodus chapters 1 through 6?

So some consider the book of Exodus to be the most important book in the Bible. It's certainly

a book filled with wonders and terrors, but what makes Exodus so important is that it gives us the master narrative

of God rescuing his people and leading them to a promised land. This narrative has shaped

Jewish identity for millennia and has inspired oppressed and aspiring people in countless

other situations. Exodus also contains a compelling narrative of the making of a profit,

introduces us to the importance of law and the divine economy, and gives us a template for temple worship.

The book is easily described in outline. It's the story of the enslavement and liberation of the people of Israel from Egypt,

Chapter 1 through 15, their journey to Sinai, the end of chapter 15 through 17,

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