BHB002
Exodus
"The Book of redemption."
Key verse
Ex.3:8 "So I have come down to rescue them...."
Key Theme
"Redeemed by the blood of the lamb".
Key word:
"Redeem".
This book teaches us how God delivers an oppressed people from the clutches of an enslaving nation. The major theme of Redemption is to be found almost in evey chapter. The meaning of the word "Exodus" is "departure or a way out."
When Moses led the children of Israel from captivity out of Egypt, it has been estimated that 2.5 million people followed him. There was a moment the cries of the people where met with the miracle of diliverance and liberation from the bondage of an enslaving people.
Outline of Book.
Egyptian Captivity ch.1-12.
Captivity in Egypt ch.1.
Moses the deliverer. ch.2-4.
Battles with Pharoah ch.5-11.
The Passover. ch.12.
Wilderness captivity ch 13-18.
The exodus from Egypt. ch.13:1-15:21.
Sinai journey. ch.15:22-17:16.
Jethro. ch.18.
Israel recieves the law at Sinai. ch.19-40.
Recieving the law. ch.19-20.
Ceremonial and social laws. ch.21-23.
The covenant ratified. ch.24.
Instructing concerning the Tabernacle and Priesthood. ch.25-31.
Golden cow. ch 32.
Covenant renewed. ch.33-34.
The building of the Tabernacle and the institution of the Priesthood. ch.35-40.
Themes
The book of Exodus deals with three areas of the Hebrew people`s experiences,
- Captivity (Chapters1-12.)
In the first six chapters of the book of Exodus, the writter describes graphically the conditions under which the Hebrew people were held in captivity. Hundreds of years after the death of Joseph, a new Egyptian Pharoah, part of the great 18th Dynasty of Egypt came to power. His power is easily described as oppressive causing great suffering to the enslaved Hebrew people.
The Hebrew people were enslaved to their masters day and night as Pithom and Raamses were built. Their hardship was increased by an order from the Pharoah to destroy by drowning every male Israelite child. Thankfully the Hebrew midwives disobeyed the Pharoah`s decree and Moses was rescued from a watery grave by one of the 59 daughters of Ramasees the 2nd. So Moses is delivered from death by the very family whose leader had decreed his death.
Later we see Moses fleeing from the Pharoah`s wrath after he had discovered that Moses had killed an Egyptian soldier who was oppressing a Hebrew slave. While in Midian God spoke to Moses in the burning bush and called him to his service to be the deliverer of the enslaved Hebrew people from the clutches of the Egyptian oppressors.
- Deliverance (Chapters 7-18.)
With great power Moses returned to face Pharoah and demonstrated his God given power through miracleous signs culminating in the death of the first born male in the Egyptian households.The first born in the Hewbrew homes were saved by shedding the blood of a lamb and smeering it on the door posts of their homes. This was the first of many signs of how God would ultimately bring salvation to the world.
The Hebrew people believed God, followed his instructions and where delivered not only from death but unto life, freedom and liberty. Many more miracles were to follow as the Hebrew people where led from the land of slavery by Moses to a land flowing with "milk and honey."
The nation`s journey away from the land of slavery was guided by a pillar of fire and smoke.
- Security (Chapters 19-40.)
In these chapters we have a clear picture of God delivering his people into the place of security so that in obedience to Him, the nation would find and experience the blessings and benefits of guidance and continual deliverance from their enemies.
To make this a reality God gives the nation of Israel moral, civil and ceremonial law so that they would not sin against him again and find His perfect way of living in a God honouring way. The way of Redemption is at the core of this teaching and time should be given to understand this special revelation by God not only to his people Israel but also to the world.
Two major themes dominate this book are,
- The Redemption of a nation, by way of the Passover.
- The Deliverance of a people from Egypt to Canaan.
All of this was made possible by the shedding of the blood of the Lamb and through the direct intervention of God in human afairs to bring deliverance to His chosen people, Israel. The book of Exodus is a very important document giving important information into the sacrifical system, the development of the priesthood, and of course the law of Moses. In may ways it provides a superstructure for the rest of the Old Testament writtings to build.
Exodus also provides many "types and protraits" of the coming Messiah who in Himself would fulfill all that the book and the law reveal. This Messianic figure who would be revealed as the Christ in the New Testament is to be seen in Moses albeit as a pale shadow of the messiah but in many of the events of this book clealy identified.
- Moses is depicted in his life and ministry as a Type of Christ. (Deuteronomy 18:15). "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him."
- The Passover depicts Christ as the passover lamb. (John 1:29,36, 1 Corinthians 5:7). " Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world."
- The Feasts, in all of the feasts that Israel celebrated and there are seven, Christ`s ministry in some way is revealed through them.
- Death to the old ways and new life in God`s gracious guidance is seen in Israel`s deliverance from Egypt to Canaan depicting deliverance from sin represented by life in Egypt into salvation and hope in Christ as depicted as Israel entered the promise land.
- The miracles of mana and water in the wilderness represents Christ as he suggests that He is the bread of life and the water that he gives causes those who drink to never thirst again. John`s gospel 6:31-35,48-63.
- The Tabernacle reflects the redemption that would be found in Jesus Christ.
- The high Priest foreshadows the perfect one who through his death and resurrection would become the final and perfect High Priest. (Hebrews 4:14-16; 9:11-12,24-28).
The Title.
The Hebrew title for the book of Exodus is " we`elleh shemoth " when translated means "these are the names." Exodus as an hitorical document is very much connected to the book of Genesis as this title reveals. Exodus means to depart, to leave one place for another.
Author.
While schollars of various theological backgrounds are devided on the authorship of the first five books of the Bible, some have suggested that a series of authors can be recognised in the text these have been classified as J, E, P, D.
External and Internal evidence would suggests that Moses may well have been the author of these writtings. The weight of Biblical support for Moses as author of these books is recorded in 1 Kings 2:3, Ezra 6:18, Daniel 9:11, Malachi 4:4. In the New Testament period John 1:45, and Paul in Romans 10:5 suggest that Moses " describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law."
Internally there are parts of the book of Exodus which are attributed to Moses as the author, Exodus 15; 17:8-14; 20:1-17;24:4,7,12;31:18;34:1-27. The author of the bools of Exodus had to be an eye witness to all the event both large and small that had taken place in the life of the nation. The author was most assuredly aquanted with the customs and general knowledge of the Egyptian world plus a clear understanding of the wilderness. So Moses would be the obvious candidate for authorship.
Date.
If as generally accepted that the Exodus was about 1445 B.C. then it could be assumed that the book of Exodus was written by Moses during their passage through the wilderness and as that took some 40 years a date of about 1405 B.C. could be a realistic date to place on this document.
The historical events which happened in the book of Exodus from Joseph to Moses in the wilderness cover a period of about 431 years. Obviously Moses was privy to information and stories conveyed by the "oral tradition" prior to his life and ministry as a leader of the Hebrew nation.