Why was the Exodus important to the Israelites?

Answer 1

The Exodus is something for which we Jews remain eternally grateful to God. It is one of the reasons given for our observance of God's commands.
1) It was the fulfillment of one of God's promises to Abraham (see Genesis ch.15).
2) It demonstrated God's involvement in this world and in the workings of history.
3) It showed that God's covenant with the Forefathers was still in effect.
4) It was the main preparation for the Giving of the Torah at Sinai several weeks later.
5) It made the Israelites into a distinct nation.
6) In the Exodus, God did miracles for which we remain grateful to this day.

After the Israelites left, Egypt was in turmoil for decades. Though Israel was later harassed (Judges ch.3,6 and 10) by its smaller neighbors (Ammon, Moab, Midian), not a peep was heard from Egypt for four hundred years. Egypt's turmoil is also borne out by the Ipuwer papyrus, which mentions a number of the Plagues ("Pestilence is throughout the land....the river is blood, death is not scarce...there is no food...neither fruit nor herbs can be found...barley has perished...all is ruin...the statues are burned") (Professor John van Seters, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology no. 50). The plagues were also described by ancient historians, including Herodotus and Diodorus. The Exodus is mentioned by Strabo, Berosus, Artapanus, Numenius, Justin, and Tacitus.

Answer 2

Because:

1) we are all Jewish by adoption of Jesus. Those were the spiritual ancestors of Christians as well as blood Israelis.

2) there is a spiritual type of exodus in our release from enslavement to sin - Egypt is symbolic of sin and slavery both.

3) had the Israelis not left Egypt, there would be NO laws binding God and humans in contract to serve and provide, respectively. Thus, no Judaism OR Christianity! The 10 Commandments came after the Exodus.

Answer 3

A:

The story of the Exodus from Egypt was important in giving the Hebrew people an explanation of their origins before founding their new kingdoms. It allowed them to forget their real origins and forge an identity separate from the peoples who surrounded them.

Nearly all scholars say there was no Exodus from Egypt as described in The Bible, so the Exodus was not important in a historical sense. The Israelites were actually Canaanites who migrated peacefully away from the region of the rich coastal cities into the hitherto sparsely populated hinterland. They chose to forget their past and did not want to feel part of the Canaanite culture.

Answer 4

The Exodus is something for which we Jews remain eternally grateful to God. It is one of the reasons given for our observance of God's commands.1) It was the fulfillment of one of God's promises to Abraham (see Genesis ch.15).

2) It demonstrated God's involvement in this world and in the workings of history.

3) It showed that God's covenant with the Forefathers was still in effect.

4) It was the main preparation for the Giving of the Torah at Sinai several weeks later.

5) It made the Israelites into a distinct nation.

6) In the Exodus, God did miracles for which we remain grateful to this day.

See also the Related Links.

Link: Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Link: Timeline

Link: The Exodus

Answer 5

The Bible presents the Exodus from Egypt as important because the Israelites became free from their enslavement. To scholars, almost all of whom believe the Exodus from Egypt never really occurred, the Exodus story was important to Israelites because it gave them a history.

Archaeologists say that the archaeological evidence shows that the Israelites were rural Canaanites who migrated peacefully from the region of the rich coastal cities into the hitherto sparsely populated hinterland. Long after they had forgotten their true origins, the Israelites wanted a glorious past, separate from their Canaanite brothers whom they had come to despise, and the archaeological evidence does not fit that desire.

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/bible/the-book-of-exodus

Answer 6

Exodus is a key text for the Jews as it contains the Ten commandments.

Answer 7

It marked the transition of the Jews from an extended family to a distinct nation, and it showed that God would miraculously shape the events of history at will.

Answer 8

because this story tells the story of their cruelty in Egypt

Answer 9

Festival of liberation from physical bondage and an realization from a family based grouping to a full nation with a land ( of Israel) and constitution (the laws of Moses ie the Torah)

Answer 10

It marked the Israelites' transition from a family into a nation; and it was the prologue to the Giving of the Torah.