‘Thoughts'
EXODUS
Author: Moses
Central Character: Moses
Key Thought: Deliverance and birth of Israel .
God foretold the history of the nation of Israel 's birth, its delivery, and the punishment of the nation that burdened them to Abraham, note:
Genesis 15:13-14 “Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
The book of Genesis would begin to close with the family of Jacob coming to Egypt as God said, note:
Genesis 46:3 “So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt , for I will make of you a great nation there.”
The book of Exodus opens where this leaves off, note:
Exodus 1:1 “Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt ; each man and his household came with Jacob:”
They would then fulfill the rest of God's statement to Abraham by suffering in servitude and then being delivered by the hand of God. The Greek title for the book describes this theme of delivery from bondage. The remainder of the book describes the pilgrimage of Israel as a newborn nation divinely led and protected by God. It would also describe their limited success and many failures; and would become a type of instructional tool for New Testament writers ( I Corinthians 10:1-11; Hebrews 3; etc… ).
Additional points of interest to Christians:
• Moses deliverance = a type of Christ.• The exodus would be symbolic of the abandonment of sinful life.• The Passover lamb = a type of Christ as the Lamb of God.• The opening of the Red Sea as a type of hindrance removed by Christ.• The pillar of cloud and fire as a type of divine presence with believers.• The song of Moses as a type of spiritual victory.• The manna as a type of Christ as the bread of life ( John 6:32 -40 ).• The structure of the tabernacle (ordinances, garments, priesthood, etc…) as a type of Christ and His church. Etc…
The Law: The Law of Moses is an important image in the book of Exodus. The giving of the law is a written record of God's provision for His people. The law is not a burden; rather, it is God's declaration of the people's proper response to His presence to insure that it would remain. It was because they were to be a separate people unto God (a holy nation), that they received specific instructions indicating their responsibilities in this relationship.