Exodus Overview
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Introduction
Exodus is one of the best known stories in the Bible. You have seen it in movies. Who can forget the 10 commandments played by Charles Heston. There he is playing Moses. That’s a beard I can only dream of. I remember growing up watching the Prince of Egypt. It’s a classic. They certainly don’t make Biblical themed kids movies anymore. The Exodus is the most significant event in the Old Testament. It is without doubt the central event every Israelite knows. And we Christians know the Exodus. It’s like when you think of Australia you think of Anzac Day. a friend was telling me he went to the Dawn service at 6am in Watsonia and boy was there a big crowd. It struck my mate young people were there. not only were they there, they had come together not scrolling their phones and paid attention to what was going on. They know this is significant, ANZAC Day. In a similar way, when you think of God’s people you think of the Exodus. Why? It’s in the word. The word Exodus comes from the Greek word Exodos which means to escape. To depart, to flee to move out of. It’s the key event when God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt.
Friends, there’s no other book in the OT that brings you up into the story of God. It’s a story about God. Not, God can work miracles in your life if you believe. No no, in Exodus God reveals himself. he says I am who I am. i will be who i will be. He rescues his people. This is a God who is merciful gracious God slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. It’s an epic story about our God.
So for term 2 we are studying the second half of Exodus. But this morning we are briefly zooming out. We are looking at things from a great height. What is this book teaching us as Christian’s? What’s is it’s purpose?
I’ll be doing a bit of a fly through surveying some passages but here’s what I want you to learn this morning
Here it is: God is sovereign as he works to save his special people for his glory. You can find those three points in your outlines.
Firstly
1. God is sovereign.
God is in control. He is sovereign. He works out his plans and purposes. He is not a God who winds the clock up and just let time run its course. No. He is actively working out his plans and purposes. We see this so clearly in Exodus. most clearly in the two main characters of this book; Moses and Pharaoh. God is completely sovereign in their lives.
First, let’s look at Moses life.
To set context, chapter 1 after Joseph died, his memory faded. he was Egypt’s prime minister. The new king of Egypt did not like the Israelites. The Israelites grew in number. He was afraid they would overpower the Egyptians. So he takes advantage of the situation. He uses the Israelites as cheap labor. They become slaves in the Egyptian construction industry. And they are oppressed. It’s horrible. The king even instructed his servants to kill the young Israelite baby boys. Can you imagine that? These are dark times for God’s people. And they cry out to God. And God Chapter 2 verse 24 listen to what he does
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Friends God remembers his covenant. He is a promise maker. A promise keeper. God made a promise to Abraham of LOB – land offspring and blessing. it’s the big promise of the Old Testament in Genesis 12:1-3. But at this point his promise looks like it is in danger.
It’s in this context God shows he is sovereign. What does he do? He brings Moses into the world. Moses is raised by Pharaoh’s own daughter. Of all people. The irony there. God’s fingerprints is all over this story. But Moses life takes a turn for the worse, because remember in Chapter 2 he murdered an Egyptian. Moses had to flee for his life. Moses goes to the Midians. He gets married. He settles down. He has children. And he may have thought that’s it. God has preserved my life. That’s my lot.
But God has a sovereign plan.
He called Moses in chapters 3 and 4. Did you remember what happened? He calls Moses from a burning bush. God reveals his name to him. God calls Moses to speak to Pharaoh and lead his people out. It was all God work.
But things got worse before they got better. Because remember when he confronted Pharaoh in chapter 5 what happened afterwards? Did Pharaoh say yeah alright you can take everyone and go worship God? No. Of course not. the Israelite's were forced to work with less materials. The quota was the same. So the Israelite's grumbled. You can make stink in front of the Egyptians they complained to Moses.
But this did not deter God. God is absolutely in control.
So he sends Moses to confront Pharaoh again and again and again. Let my people go! And he sent 10 plagues in Egypt. Pharaoh had 10 chances to let God’s people go. Until Chapter 11 there is the warning of the plague of death on the firstborn. This was the last straw for Pharaoh. In chapter 12 God explains the Passover that remembers this key event. The Israelite's were to remember this event every year. When God rescued them. They were to teach and remember with their families about what God did at the Passover every year at the same time. He passed over their houses. He did not kill the firstborn of those with blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their homes.
God works mightily. His people leave the land. But it’s not the end. Notice God’s sovereign work at the climax of the Exodus. Look at chapter 14:23
The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic,
clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.”
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained.
But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
Exodus 14:31
Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
God is sovereign, even the wheels of Pharaoh’s chariots get stuck in the mud and come off. God works sovereignly through Moses. Nothing can stop him from his plans. It’s not hard to see how God is in absolute control.
But Moses is not the only one we see God work. He shows he is sovereign through Pharaoh’s life. Pharaoh sets himself up against God. Remember Egypt was the economic superpower of the day. Pharaoh had it all. Power. Money. Military strength. The Israelites had nothing but everything because they had God. the egyptians had it all but nothing at all because they did not have god. But God is sovereign over them both. God worked in raising Pharaoh. He is the one who humbles even kings throughout the Bible. What does Paul say in Acts 17:26
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
God exalts and humbles kings. God is sovereign. He raises up Pharaoh. He puts him in a position of King. Now here’s the hard bit. God puts in position of authority. But he also hardens his heart. Yes, Pharaoh hardens his own heart. We see that a few times during the plagues. He was responsible for his actions. He did not want to let God’s people go. But at the same time God hardens his heart. Look at 4:21 this is the key verse. It is God’s purpose to harden Pharaoh’s heart
And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
This is hard stuff. It’s not easy to understand. But we are dealing with God. And this book of Exodus really makes you wrestle. God is so in control, sovereign over all things. He raises up Kings. He brings them down. You got to have a big big view of God.
God is not passive. He is completely sovereign. The circumstances do not deter god. that’s the story of the whole bible. There are so many unlikely twists in the Bible. Abraham and Sarai have a son at almost 100 years old. Joseph is a slave who becomes the Prime Minister in Egypt. David is the young farmer boy who slays the Giant Goliath. See, even when it looks unlikely, God’s purposes will work out. We see it in Moses life. We see it in Pharaoh’s life. God is sovereign. even in the unlikeliest circumstances. Why? What’s the purpose of all this? So that we will trust God. See his promises and obey him. See he is in absolute control and trust him. Our world looks bleak. churches are smaller. the world is quickly turning against Christians, will you trust God is sovereign? He is still working out his purposes to bring people to Christ? That’s what God is doing. saving his people.
That’s my point 2.
2. God saves his special people.
God works sovereignly to save his special people.
Notice right away, God does not deal with people equally. We see this is in the Old Testament. He chooses the Israelites of all people. He is certainly fair. He is just. The fact is he did not have to choose any nation. He did not have to save anyone. What does Romans 3:23 say?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
But he does graciously choose to show mercy to this little nation. No body deserves God to save them. But God made a promise to Abraham. That’s his grace.
So that’s why in Exodus he distinguishes his people from the Egyptians.
You see this in all the plagues. In the plague of flies God says I’ll send swarms of flies on you Pharaoh and your servants and your people, and into your houses. But Exodus 8:22
But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
And it’s not just the Israelites from Egyptians. But he distinguishes the Israelites from all people of the earth. God saved them worship Him. They do this by following his commands. He gives them his law. He makes a covenant with Israel. We find this in chapters 19-31. Look at verse 19:4 what a gracious God
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
God gives them the law to be distinct from the nations. They were to live as his holy people. Keep his good commands. These laws reflected his character. Righteous. People loved. Justice done. responsibility taken. Property protected. Compassion shown. The God who gives these laws says Ex 22:27 I am compassionate.
These are God’s covenant people. he saved them first to be his special people. set apart. Distinct. Like him. God made his people visibly holy by obeying these laws.
But of course, their hearts are wicked. They sin immediately. You see them disobey God in chapter 32. God gave Moses instructions about the law. He was up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. And right there and then his people made a big mistake. They made a great idol. A golden calf. It’s ironic. because right at the very time God is giving the tablets of the 10 commandments, this is a high point of their covenant relationship, his people were busy committed idolatry. It’s like committing adultery on your honeymoon. Horrible.
Moses comes down the mountain. His anger burns, waxed hot. He throws the tablets to the ground. It smashes into pieces. And he takes steps to punish the people. 3000 were executed, the Lord struck them with a plague. That day God distinguished who really were his people and those who just appeared to follow him. notice what Moses says he defends them, he stands as their mediator. Exodus 32:30-32
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”
Moses shows his humility. He thinks of others before himself. The covenant is renewed in chapter 34. God is gracious. The Israel’s are stiff necked but God still keeps his promise. The people then obeyed the Lord’s instructions and in 35-40 as they build the tabernacle. They do it perfectly. This is the place where God will dwell with his people.
And of course this is what it meant at its heart to be God’s special people. It’s this. God dwells with his people. Where they went. he went in the tabernacle. This tabernacle was God’s place. It symbolised his presence with them. So they must be faithful to him alone.
Friends God works sovereignly to save his special covenant people. he distingiushes them from the Egyptians, from all nations, he gives them the law and he dwells with them.
That’s what the book teaches us.
And third point. Why is he doing all of this? He does it all for his own glory.
3. God works for his glory.
This is what God is showing us in Exodus. It’s about him. We are not the ultimate purpose of creation. Our lives is not about us. my little plot of land. My little treasures. My family. My entertainment. No no, His glory is. His glory is the purpose of creation. Don’t miss the point. The whole book of Exodus is about God’s fame. His glory.
Why does God call Moses to rescue the Israelites?
I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
He wants them to know He is their God. He rescued them out of Egypt to worship him.
Why does God raise Pharaoh up? he could have wiped him out with one blow.
But look at Exodus 9:16
But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
He shows Pharaoh that He is God. His name will be proclaimed in all the earth. He brings Pharaoh down for his glory.
And then the climax of all this battle he makes it crystal clear
Exodus 14:4 (ESV)
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
And then down to verses 17 to 18 he confirms it again with the Israelites.
Exodus 14:17–18 (ESV)
And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
He does all this for his glory. He is God. he deserves the glory because there is no other God but him. He is the creator. the ruler. the one who sends the plagues, the one who made it all. the one who saves his people. This is why Moses sings in chapter 15:11
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
I’ve shown you many verses but do you see the point of it all? God works for his glory. He puts his people in Egypt this superpower to show his glory for all the earth to see. God is greater than other gods. We think of glory and we want to knock down tall toppies. it’s selfish. Because God is God. He is God. Pharaoh is not. We are not. God is perfect and holy and loving. He deserves glory. God works sovereignly to save a special people so we would know that about him. We would see his power. His majesty. His glory.
God works sovereignly to save his people for his glory.
As we conclude this overview, this is not just a book about the Israelites. It’s a book for us followers of Jesus. God’s saved Israel in the Exodus. This was God’s greatest act of salvation. But it was a picture of what God will do in the future. Because his people do not keep the law. God’s people continue to sin. over and over and over again. They rejected God. But God keeps his promises. He is the God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, verse 7 of Exodus 34
Exodus 34:7 (ESV)
keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
How could do this be? How could he forgive wickedness and sin and leave the guilty unpunished? The book of Exodus doesn’t answer this question. But as God progressively reveals himself, we see in that John does. John shows us Jesus is this great rescuer of his people. For you remember in John 19 in Jesus death on the cross. When Jesus had given up his spirit on the cross. The soldiers planned to break his leg bones. help him to die quicker. But when they came to him, they found he was already dead. So they didn’t need to break his legs. John writes in John 19:36
For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
What scripture might be fulfilled? Well Exodus 12:46 he’s talking about the passover Exodus 12:46
It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
That’s what the Evangelist John had in mind when he wrote that. John knew that Christ was our Passover lamb. Jesus is the one sacrifice so that God’s rightful judgment passes over us. he was slain for us. God’s wrath passes over us. Jesus has taken our sins upon himself, if we trust in Christ and repent that wrath has been taken by Christ. This is God’s greatest rescue for all people by faith. Jesus rescues us from our greatest need. sin and judgment. He died in our place so we might live for God’s glory forever. This was to the ultimate end of the glory of God.
so his creation you and I may see him and know him and praise him and love him. God is sovereign. he is in control of everything. even now. He is on about saving a people by trusting in Jesus, he does all this for his glory. Let’s pray.