Exodus, the Law and the Prophets
What this domain tests
This section examines the Exodus as the foundational saving event, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the prophetic call to covenant faithfulness. You should connect narrative, law and prophecy.
Core rules and concepts
- Exodus: Moses' call at the burning bush (Ex 3), the plagues, Passover (Ex 12), the crossing of the sea, Sinai, the Decalogue (Ex 20; Deut 5), and the golden calf.
- The Law (Torah) includes moral, ceremonial and judicial material. Jews count 613 mitzvot; Catholics often distinguish the Decalogue as the moral core, while ceremonial and judicial laws served Israel's covenant life.
- Prophets are not mainly fortune-tellers. They are covenant messengers who denounce idolatry, injustice and empty ritual, and call for repentance. Amos 5:24 ('let justice roll down') is a classic example.
- Jeremiah 31:31-34 promises a new covenant written on the heart, a key link to the New Testament.
Worked example
Exodus 20:8-11 commands Sabbath rest. Reasoning: first, the command is grounded in creation (God rested) and in Israel's liberation from Egypt (Deut 5:15). Second, it protects workers, slaves and animals, so it is social and theological, not merely ritual. Third, the prophets apply the same logic when they condemn exploitation. This shows how law and prophecy share a covenant framework.
Traps
Calling the Old Testament Law 'legalism' without nuance; treating prophets as predictors of Jesus only; ignoring the Deuteronomic version of the Decalogue; mixing up the Sinai and Exodus chronologies.