Mosaic Worship and the Exodus

After the Exodus the worship of Israel became more formalized, characterized by the Mosaic institutions and regulations. The commitment to the law of the covenant became the central feature of Israelite worship. Worship forms became more formalized in the book of Exodus. Yahweh's active intervention in Israel's history is characterized in the contest with Pharaoh. The deliverance from Egypt embodied the essence of Yahweh's relationship with his people; the "Song of Moses" (Exod. 15) enshrined deep-seated truths. One of Israel's great festivals looks back to this experience of liberation. The remembrance of the Passover incorporates Jews of every generation as actual participants in the Mosaic exodus. Despite their murmurings through the desert wanderings, the Israelites learned to know Yahweh as he provided food for them and called them his own. The desert experience in later worship became symbolic of God's provision and care (Deut. 8:1-20). God's instructions for the building and…