The Book of Exodus narrates the liberation of the Israelite people from Egyptian bondage and their wanderings through the desert up to Mount Sinai. The Book of Exodus is part of the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. This narrative is the Bible’s second book and it was named Exodus because it narrates the liberation of the Israelite people from Egyptian bondage and their wanderings through the desert up to Mount Sinai.
The Book of Exodus reveals our journey through life, our personal struggle during the journey, our battle against oppressive forces, our moment of liberation, our earthly wilderness experience, and our heavenly destination. Exodus tells its readers that we all live in human bondage so great that sometimes we cannot liberate ourselves. We all need a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to set us free and give us direction during the most confusing and difficult periods of the journey. Exodus reveals the art and science of spiritual warfare by revealing the strategies, operations, and tactics for fighting the giants that prevent us from entering our promised land. We all seek to reach a promise land, but there are always giants standing in the way to prevent us from obtaining life’s prize. Exodus shows readers how to defeat those giants in every area of the battle.
MOSES FIGURE
Exodus reveals the importance of having a Moses like personality in our lives. We all need a teacher, counselor, motivator, inspirater, and candle-stick-maker to guide us through the dark wilderness of life so we can reach our promised land. This Moses figure has been found in persons such as Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. The Book of Exodus discusses the history beginning with Joseph’s death in Egypt, who was the preferred son of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob, and the creation by the Israelites of the Tabernacle at Sinai. The first 15 chapters tells readers about the Israelites’ subjugation and oppression by their Egyptian task masters following Joseph’s death, it discusses the birth and preservation of Moses from slaughter, it reveals God’s selection of Moses to guide the children of Israel out of Egypt, it demonstrates God’s judgment on Egypt with the 10 plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, and of God’s deliverance of the Israelites both from the land of Egypt and from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea.
MT. SINAI
The foremost actions that happen in the Book of Exodus occur at Mt. Sinai, where the Israelites have set up camp following their traveling for several months in the wilderness. These events are the offering and making of a covenant between God and the Israelites, including the reciting by Moses of the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, which are the terms of the covenant; the breaking and renewing of the covenant; and the building of the Tabernacle, into which are placed various sacred furnishings, among them the ark of the covenant, according to Dr. Grant Jeffrey. Furthermore, the liberation from Egyptian bondage has always been of innermost importance to Judaism and to the Jewish people, who have celebrated this history yearly since its occurrence in 1450 BC. However, even more than their exodus experience, the Jewish community celebrate the making of the agreement between God and the Israelites at Sinai, which has been an exceptionally crucial event facilitating the development of Judaism, according to Dr. Grant Jeffrey.
THE BOOK OF EXODUS
The word “Exodus” means “a going out”. This book records the great numerical growth of the Israelites during their slavery in Egypt. It introduces Moses and records the plagues God brought upon Egypt to secure His people’s release from slavery. After this, the people are given the Law at Mount Sinai. The book concludes with a description of the making of the Tabernacle. This is the second book of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Jewish Scriptures. Between the close of Genesis and the opening of Exodus 350 years intervene. Between the going down of Jacob to Egypt and the commencement of the persecution, 115 years passed by. One has said that this “silence of 350 years is awful in its grandeur, like the loneliness of Sinai in the mount of the Lord.” Exodus is the sequel to Genesis. Genesis illustrates our failure as human beings under every test and in every condition; but Exodus shows us God hastening to man’s rescue, to man’s redemption, coming forth to emancipate and enrich. The key verses are Exodus 3:6, which gives God’s declaration, and Exodus 12:23, which reveal how it was accomplished. Exodus is the book of redemption. We should notice how the book opens and closes. The book begins in darkness and gloom, but ends in glory; it commences by telling us how God came down in grace to deliver an enslaved population and ends by declaring how God came down in glory to dwell in the midst of a redeemed people.
When God commanded Noah to construct the ark, the design was drawn and a pattern made for human salvation. Our salvation was the design of God before the formation of the universe and the pattern for our salvation we find in the Book of Exodus. Exodus is the historical illustration of the outworking of Divine Grace in the redemption and recovery of man by God to Himself by Messiah Yeshua, who is at once our great Apostle (Moses) and High Priest (Aaron). The story of Exodus is repeated in every soul that seeks deliverance from the enmeshing and enervating influence of this universe. We study Exodus in order to see God’s manner of delivering sinful humanity, and His gracious and glorious purposes in rescuing him.
SUMMARY OF THE EXODUS CHAPTERS
The Book of Exodus contains two main divisions, and five sections. Chapters 1 to 19 is primarily narrative, while chapters 19 to 40 appears to be legislative. Chapters 1 and 2 reveal the bondage and sad condition of the Israelite population, whom God eventually redeemed. The early chapters show the major historical events involving the birth of Moses, adoption of Moses, renunciation of Moses, flight of Moses, and the marriage of Moses. Elements of the life of Moses forecast the future life of Yeshua because Moses is a type of Messiah Yeshua. The chapters discuss Israel’s awful suffering and how this experience disturbed them, purified them, unified them, and disenchanted them. Chapters 3 to 15 focus on redemption. The chapters show that God comes down in grace to deliver Israel, and we see how redemption was accomplished primarily by blood. The major events in these chapters discuss reveal the call of Moses, Moses life in Egypt, conflicts with Pharaoh, and Israel emancipated. These chapters show life of Moses. During the first 40 years Moses’ life, the prophet though himself to be somebody of great significance. During the second 40 years of Moses’ life, the prophet believe himself to be nobody and very insignificant. During the final 40 years of Moses’ life, the prophet learns what God can do with small people, like himself. Chapters 15-19 focus on education. These chapters reveal the spiritual education of Israel. All their experiences were designed to teach them absolute dependence upon God. Chapters 19 to 23 focus on consecration. These chapters teach that the redeemed must do the will of their Redeemer and must consecrate themselves to His service. This section records God giving of the moral law, but today He writes His law upon the fleshy tables of redeemed hea
RELATED SOURCES
Biblical Mysteries; Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D; 2000. The Bible; Jim Bell and Stan Cambell; 1999. The Complete Guide to the Bible; Stephen M. Miller; 2007. The Hand Writing of God; Dr. Grant Jeffrey; 2000. The Signature of God; Dr. Grant Jeffrey; 2010. The Septuagint With Apocrypha: English; Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton; 1851.