What you need to know about the Book of Exodus:
The Israelites have flourished in Egypt and Pharaoh begins to fear an uprising, so he orders the midwives to kill all male Israelites as they are born, but the midwives lie to Pharaoh saying they cannot because the Israelite women bear their children before the midwives arrive. Pharaoh orders all male Israelite babies to be drowned in the river Nile. Moses' aunt sets him afloat on the river in a basket where he is found by Pharaoh's daughter.
Moses is raised to adulthood in Pharaoh's household. One day Moses sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite slave and seeing no one about, kills him and hides his body in the sand. Moses' crime is discovered and he flees Egypt, living in exile until he is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Israelites.
Moses returns and asks Pharaoh to let the slaves go to worship in the desert, but Pharaoh refuses. God makes Pharaoh obstinate and Moses unleashes God's power on the Egyptian people through the ten plagues: water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. Pharaoh at last releases the Israelites but he pursues them to the shores of the Red Sea. God parts the waters of the Red Sea so the Israelites can pass through it. Pharaoh's army follows and is drowned when God sends the sea crashing back down.
The Israelites move through the desert in search of the Promised Land of Milk and Honey afraid they may die of starvation and thirst. God sends Manna to sustain the people. The Israelites encounter the nation of Amalek and fight a battle with them. As long as Moses keeps his hands high the battle goes in favor of the Israelites. Amalek is obliterated from all memory, according to God's wishes.
When the Israelites reach Mt. Sinai, Moses goes up the mountain to commune with God. While he is away the people make a golden calf and worship it as an idol. In his wrath, God tells Moses he will destroy all the Israelites and build a new nation; but Moses pleads with him not to destroy his people. God calls the Levites to rise up against their kinsmen and kill those especially guilty of idol worship. Moses goes back up the mountain and receives from God complex guidelines for law and worship, including the Ten Commandments.
