Exodus

Reading Scripture Together

The Book of Exodus continues the narrative established in Genesis and brings forth new key figures and themes that are important in Christianity. We see the continuation of the covenants from Genesis and how God orchestrates events to bring Israel, his chosen people, out from bondage in Egypt, into the promised land. This article will cover the main themes and topics discussed in our Bible studies to see how God fulfills his promises to the patriarchs in making their descendants a great nation.

Continuation of the Covenants

The opening sentences serve as a connection between the books of Genesis and Exodus, picking up where we left off with the sons of Jacob in Egypt. Oppression by a new pharaoh has arisen, and the people of Israel are forced into slavery. Their enslavement is cruel under the rule of this pharaoh, with him going so far as to order the slaughter of all firstborn Hebrew sons.

Despite this cruelty endured by the Israelites, God has his own plan for bringing them out of captivity. He is not absent, he is not turning away, and he is not sitting idly by. “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Issac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” (Exodus 2:23–25). God is still sovereign over these events despite the Israelites’ situation. This section reminds the readers that the offspring of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob will not be defined by their years of slavery, but by their covenant relationship with the God who has heard their cries, saw and knew their affliction, and remembered his promises.

God reveals himself to Moses through a burning bush to call Moses into his covenantal role. God identifies himself as Yahweh, his covenantal name meaning “I AM WHO I AM.” This divine name suggests nuanced meanings about the character of God. God is self-existent and therefore not dependent on anything else for his own existence. God is the creator and sustainer of all that exists. God is immutable in his being and character and, thus, is not in the process of becoming something different from who he is. God is eternal in his existence. This is the God above all the other gods that were worshiped at that time, the name above all names, and the One who will set the Israelites—his chosen people—free.

This mighty, eternal, everlasting, and powerful God has chosen Israel as his covenant people. He reminds them that He is the God of their fathers Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and reestablishes the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. Despite their current condition in which they appear to have little value in the eyes of the Egyptians, they are God’s special people. By this we are reminded that it is God who is in charge, and his decisions are not dependent on the strivings of man.

The Law

Following the completion of the plagues and Pharoah releasing the Israelites into the wilderness, God establishes his covenant with Israel, stating that they will be his treasured possession. He calls Israel to be faithful to His covenant through the establishment of the law, namely the Ten Commandments (a.k.a. the Decalogue). These divine decrees are positioned as universal, core principles which frame and define God’s revelation of a good, beautiful, and obedient life. As he leads them out of slavery, God graciously gives his wandering people the Ten Commandments to help them live out a life in true freedom.

The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts: The first four pronounce and describe our duty to God, and the next six describe our duty to man (Matthew 22:36–40). These are revealed directly by the Lord to the people of Israel and are inscribed by His very finger on stone tablets never to be erased, written on both sides, and completely filled, leaving no room for additions.

These commandments are not only established here but are later restated by Moses in the book of Deuteronomy and frequently referenced in New Testament writings. In fact, Jesus himself talks about some of these commandments in his Sermon on the Mount. Some have argued that Jesus’ preaching on the Ten Commandments in Matthew negates its teaching when in reality he is strengthening them. On the fifth commandment, he says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus elevates the commandments in the New Testament to convey that not only do our actions condemn us but our hearts do as well. The commandments actually become more strict under the New Covenant, further highlighting the need for perfection for it to be upheld.

It should be noted that the Ten Commandments are distinct and different than the Book of the Covenant. These were rules written down by Moses, pertaining to case decisions that rest upon prior precedents. These rules apply to the specific social context of the Israelites of the day. “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep”. (Exodus 22:1). The Ten Commandments are permanent whereas the laws of the Book of the Covenant are specific to that particular context.

Covenantal Doubt

Despite God asking for obedience from His people, they rebel against him. Almost immediately after the confirmation of the covenant and bestowing of the Ten Commandments, the Israelites created for themselves a false idol in the Golden Calf incident. In their impatience for Moses to return from the mountain, they break the covenant by worshiping an idol with offerings and feasts.

This event is in direct disobedience to the commands given by God, more specifically the second commandment. It conveys the disbelief the Israelites have, but also the doubt they possess when it comes to the promises of God. In fact, they have continued to groan and grumble against Moses and God since the beginning of the book. They grumble when Moses attempts to free them from Pharaoh, but Pharoah makes them work harder. They complain when they don’t have food or water in the wilderness, even with God’s provision of manna from the sky and water from rocks. They create their own solutions in their impatience through the Golden Calf.

Each of these incidents is the product of the Israelites failing to believe in the covenant promises that God has given. They look to their own circumstances rather than relying on the God that has brought them out of slavery and towards the promised land, continuing the promise from Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. In their doubt, they sin and rebel and grumble against the one who has brought them through so much.

In the midst of their complaining, however, God is still merciful, God is still compassionate, and God is still merciful. Following Moses’ intercession for the people, God doesn’t destroy the people for their disobedience and says, “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy”. (Exodus 33:19). It is because God has chosen to show His mercy that the people are forgiven, not based on anything Moses or the Israelites do to earn favor. Their doubt is forgiven and thus God continues to provide instruction for Him to dwell in their presence.

Gospel Shadow’s

There are numerous allusions to the Gospel message within the narrative of Exodus. The first of which is the need for deliverance and liberation. The Israelites are in the face of death, slavery, and heavy burdens. They cry out to God and He hears their prayers. In the same way, mankind is slaves to sin due to the sin of Adam. We can do no good on our own and need rescue from the depths of our depravity. In our fundamental need for a savior, we cry out to God for the forgiveness of sins and to deliver us from the evil that besets us.

In this same manner of our state of being in need of a savior, God provides a Deliverer. The Israelites receive Moses through whom God chooses to accomplish his work and set the Israelites free. Despite Moses’ initial reluctance to step into leadership, he grows in maturity and provides for the people of Israel based on the sole nourishment of God. Likewise, God has given people Jesus Christ. The greatest deliver and the greater Moses. He provides deliverance from the bondages of sin and brings us into right relationship with God the Father.

On the note of salvation, we observed the use of bloodshed in Genesis to cover the sins of Adam and Eve following their disobedience. In the Book of Exodus, we see the blood of the Passover lamb utilized as an escape from judgment. God could have easily destroyed all firstborn children in Egypt, but yet instead reminded them that they are not exempt from judgment but covered by the blood of the lamb. Similarly, Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb, the lamb that was slain and whose blood was poured out for our sins.

In light of this identity, new birth comes forth. The Israelites escape from the Egyptians and are led into the Red Sea where Moses divides the sea so that they may pass. As they emerge, they are given a new identity broken from the bondages of their slavery and led into the wilderness where Moses and the Lord guide them to the land flowing with milk and honey. Baptism is the sign of the new identity in the New Covenant, symbolizing new birth in the Kingdom of God.