183 passages · Salvation
God tells Noah to build an ark of specified size and design, promises a covenant, and instructs him to bring his family and pairs of animals with food aboard. Noah obeys.
God makes a covenant never again to destroy all life by flood and sets the rainbow in the clouds as a sign of it.
God says he brought Abram to give him the land. When Abram asks how he will know, God has him prepare animals, which Abram cuts in halves and guards from birds of prey.
In a deep sleep, Abram is told his descendants will be enslaved four hundred years, then leave with possessions. A flaming torch passes between the animal halves, and God promises the land from Egypt's river to the Euphrates.
God appears, calls himself God Almighty, and tells Abram to walk blamelessly. He renames him Abraham, promises many nations and kings, an everlasting covenant, and the land of Canaan.
God commands every male in Abraham's household to be circumcised at eight days old as the sign of the covenant. Any male who is not is cut off from his people.
Abraham obeys that very day, circumcising Ishmael, aged thirteen, himself at ninety-nine, and every male in his household.
As the men leave, the Lord reflects that he has chosen Abraham to teach his household justice. He says the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and he will go see for himself.
Abimelech asks Abraham to swear fair dealing. After settling a dispute over a well, they make a covenant with seven ewe lambs as witness, and the place is named Beersheba.
The angel calls again, saying God swears by himself to bless Abraham and multiply his descendants like the stars because he obeyed. All nations will be blessed through his offspring.
During a famine Isaac goes to Gerar. God tells him not to go to Egypt but to stay in the land, and repeats to him the promises made to Abraham of land, many descendants, and blessing for all nations.
At Beersheba God reassures Isaac, who builds an altar. Abimelech comes seeking a peace agreement, having seen that God is with Isaac, and they swear an oath and share a feast.
On the road to Haran, Jacob sleeps with a stone for a pillow and dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels on it. God stands above and promises him the land, many descendants, blessing to all families, and His presence.
Laban proposes a covenant, and they build a mound of stones as a witness, agreeing not to harm each other and not to mistreat Laban's daughters. After a meal, Laban blesses his family and returns home.
God appears again to Jacob at Bethel, confirming his new name, Israel, and telling him that a nation and kings will come from him and that the land promised to Abraham and Isaac will be his descendants'.
On the way to Egypt, Jacob offers sacrifices, and God reassures him in a vision: do not fear, God will make him a great nation there and bring his descendants back.
Years later the king of Egypt dies, but Israel still groans under slavery. God hears their cry and remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
At a lodging place the LORD confronts Moses and is about to kill him. Zipporah circumcises her son and touches Moses' feet with the foreskin, and the LORD lets him alone.
God says Pharaoh will let them go by his mighty hand. He explains that he revealed himself as the LORD, recalls his covenant, and promises to redeem Israel and give them the land.
The LORD sets rules for the Passover meal. It is eaten in one house, with no bones broken, and the foreigner may join only if his household is circumcised, and the same law applies to native and foreigner.
Israel camps before Sinai and the LORD tells Moses to remind them how he carried them on eagles' wings. If they obey his covenant they will be his treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and they answer that they will do all he says.
God promises to send terror and the hornet ahead of them and drive nations out little by little. He sets borders for the land and warns Israel not to make covenants with them or their gods.
The LORD summons Moses and leaders to worship from a distance. Moses relays the laws, the people promise to obey, and Moses writes them down, builds an altar, offers sacrifices, reads the Book of the Covenant and sprinkles blood on the people.
Moses, Aaron, his sons and seventy elders go up and see the God of Israel above a pavement like sapphire. God does not harm them, and they eat and drink in his presence.
God tells the Israelites to keep the Sabbath as a sign between him and them across generations. Work is for six days, the seventh is holy rest, mirroring God's rest after creating the heavens and earth.
When God finishes speaking with Moses on Sinai, he gives him two stone tablets of the Testimony, written by the finger of God.
God promises wonders and driving out the peoples of Canaan. He commands Israel not to make treaties with them, to destroy their altars, and to worship no other god or make molten idols.
God tells Moses to write down these words. Moses stays forty days and nights without food or water, and writes the Ten Commandments on the tablets.
Grain offerings must not contain leaven or honey when burned on the altar, though such items may be brought as firstfruits. Every grain offering is to be seasoned with the salt of the covenant.
God forbids idols, calls for Sabbath keeping, and promises rain, harvests, peace, victory, and his own presence among a people who keep his commands. He reminds them that he freed them from slavery in Egypt.