The link above is to a website that breaks down and explains various passages of scripture. The main section that I found to be helpful in relating to this week's topic of the Old Testament is under the heading "Themes and Theology." Although the author of the synopsis retains that Moses is most likely the author of the Pentateuch, he does mention that the passage of Exodus (1-20) uses the name Yahweh and thus indirectly points to the possibility of the JEDP theory. The author of the website describes the significance of the passage as God revealing Himself to His people with an emphasis on His attributes of "justice, truthfulness, mercy, faithfulness, and holiness." The author also introduces the notion of God as all-powerful through His utter destruction of the Egyptians.
I found this picture online that I thought did a good job of depicting this scene in a way that it might have actually taken place at the time. Considering the dominant themes detailed in the link above, I thought that the picture also highlighted the power and majesty of God's work in the lives of the Israelites. It also occurred to me that this picture could be an example of Theophany (God physically presenting Himself to people). It may be a stretch but the physical manifestation of God as an enormous column of fire could be considered a tangible way for the Israelites to view God.
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