Brief Summary
This video animates the biblical story of Moses, from his birth and escape from Pharaoh's decree to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It covers the Israelites' oppression, Moses' divine calling, the ten plagues, the Passover, and the parting of the Red Sea.
- The Israelites were fruitful and increased abundantly in Egypt, but a new Pharaoh arose who oppressed them.
- Moses was born during this time and was saved from Pharaoh's decree by being placed in a basket on the Nile River.
- God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, and Moses performed miracles to convince Pharaoh to let them go.
- Pharaoh refused, so God sent ten plagues upon Egypt.
- After the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go.
- As the Israelites were leaving, Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them, but God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground and drowning the Egyptian army.
Oppression of the Israelites
The Israelites in Egypt grew exceedingly mighty, causing the new Pharaoh to fear their strength. To prevent them from joining forces with Egypt's enemies, the Egyptians forced the Israelites into harsh labor, making bricks and working in the fields without mercy. Despite the oppression, the Israelites continued to multiply, intensifying the Egyptians' fear. Pharaoh then commanded that all newborn Hebrew boys be thrown into the river, while the girls were allowed to live.
Birth and Rescue of Moses
During this time, a man from the family of Levi, Amram, married Yied and had a son. Seeing the baby's beauty, the mother hid him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she made a basket, waterproofed it with tar, placed the baby inside, and set it afloat on the Nile River. The baby's sister watched from a distance to see what would happen. Pharaoh's daughter found the baby in the basket and, taking pity on him, decided to raise him as her own. The baby's sister offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, leading to the baby's own mother being hired as his nurse.
Moses' Early Life and Flight to Midian
The child grew and was brought to Pharaoh's daughter, who named him Moses, meaning "because I drew him out of the water." As Moses grew older, he witnessed the suffering of his people. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man and, in a fit of rage, killed the Egyptian. The next day, when Moses tried to intervene in a fight between two Hebrew men, one of them questioned his authority and threatened to reveal his crime. Fearing for his life, Moses fled to Midian, where he became a shepherd and married Zapora, the daughter of a priest, with whom he had a son named Gersham.
God's Call to Moses
After a long time, the king of Egypt died, but the Israelites continued to suffer under harsh labor. Their cries for help reached God, who remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. One day, while Moses was tending his father-in-law's sheep, he came to Mount Horeb and saw a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. God called to him from the bush, identifying himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God revealed that he had seen the suffering of his people in Egypt and had come to deliver them, sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses' Reluctance and God's Reassurance
Moses expressed his unworthiness and questioned how he could convince the Israelites that God had sent him. God assured him of his presence and gave him the sign of turning a rod into a serpent and back, as well as making his hand leprous and then restoring it. Moses still hesitated, citing his lack of eloquence, but God promised to teach him what to say. When Moses continued to resist, God appointed his brother Aaron to speak on his behalf, instructing Moses to perform the signs with the rod.
Confronting Pharaoh and the Initial Miracles
Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with God's request to let the Israelites go to hold a feast in the wilderness. Pharaoh refused, declaring that he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go. Moses and Aaron pleaded again, but Pharaoh hardened his heart and increased the workload of the Hebrew slaves by demanding the same number of bricks without providing straw. Following God's command, Aaron turned his rod into a serpent before Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's magicians replicated the feat, but Aaron's rod swallowed their rods, yet Pharaoh's heart remained hardened.
The Ten Plagues: Water to Blood, Frogs, and Gnats
The Lord instructed Moses and Aaron to warn Pharaoh that the waters of the Nile would turn to blood if he refused to let the Israelites go. When Pharaoh remained unyielding, Aaron struck the river with his rod, turning all the waters of Egypt to blood, killing the fish, and making the water undrinkable. Despite The Magicians replicating this sign, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. God then sent a plague of frogs that infested all of Egypt, but after Pharaoh begged Moses to intercede and the frogs were removed, Pharaoh hardened his heart again. Next, Aaron struck the dust with his rod, turning it into lice that infested all of Egypt, but Pharaoh's heart remained hardened.
The Ten Plagues: Flies, Livestock, Boils, Hail, and Locusts
God sent swarms of flies that filled Egypt, except for Goan, prompting Pharaoh to relent temporarily and request moses' intercession, but once the Flies were removed Pharaoh hardened his heart. Then God sent a severe pestilence that killed all the livestock of Egypt but spared the livestock of the Israelites, yet Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. Moses and Aaron scattered ashes, causing painful boils on all Egyptians and their animals, but Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. God sent a devastating hail storm, which struck Egypt except for go, leading pharaoh to confess his sin and promis to release the Israelites, but once the storm ceased he and his servants hardened their hearts. God sent a devastating plague of locusts to cover Egypt, consuming all remaining crops, causing pharaoh to briefly repent and request relief, but after the locusts were removed Pharaoh's heart was hardened again.
The Ten Plagues: Darkness and the Final Confrontation
God sent a palpable Darkness over Egypt for 3 Days leading pharaoh to offer a compromise on the Israelites departure, but Moses refused the offer insisting on taking all their livestock and Pharaoh's heart remained hardened resulting in a final confrontation where he threatened Moses with death if he returned.
The Passover and the Exodus
God announced one final plague: the death of the firstborn. He instructed Moses and Aaron to prepare the Israelites for the Passover. Each household was to sacrifice a blemish-free lamb, spread its blood on their doorposts, and eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, dressed and ready to leave in haste. This act would mark the Israelites' homes for God to pass over during the plague. At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's son to the firstborn of the captives and livestock.
The Exodus and the Parting of the Red Sea
After the tenth plague, Pharaoh urgently told Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt with the Israelites, taking their flocks and herds. The Egyptians, fearing further calamity, hastened their departure and gave them silver, gold, and clothing. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Suo, marking the end of 430 years of sojourn in Egypt. God led them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. God instructed Moses to camp by the Red Sea, knowing Pharaoh would pursue them. As the Egyptians closed in, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to part, creating a path of dry land. The Israelites crossed the sea, with the waters forming walls on either side. The pursuing Egyptians were drowned when Moses stretched out his hand again, and the waters returned to their full depth. The Israelites witnessed the destruction of the Egyptian army and were filled with awe and belief in the Lord and his servant Moses.
