I Have Come Down to Deliver My People: Exodus

Introduction:

The book links Genesis with the rest of the Old Testament.

If we were to read only Genesis, we would ask, “What happened next? Were the promises of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ever fulfilled?”

Exodus helps us answer these questions. It tells us that Abraham’s descendants became a great nation in Egypt and then were delivered out of bondage by God.

They became His people, governed by His laws.

On the other hand, if we were to read only the historical books (Joshua-Esther) or the writings of the prophets, we would wonder, “Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why were they often condemned by the prophets? Why did God care so much about them?”

Exodus answers these questions by proclaiming that these were the people whom God delivered out of Egypt.

In this way, Exodus bridges the gap between the patriarchs and the prophets.

Discussion:

The Purpose of the Book:

It proclaims Israel’s redemption:

Exodus relates how God made Abraham’s seed into a great nation, delivered the people from Egyptian bondage, and came to dwell among them.

As it opens, the Israelites are depicted as an enslaved people, but by the end of the book, Israel is portrayed as a people delivered by God who are ready for Him to dwell in the tabernacle.

The last paragraph of the book says, “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

It records the covenant: .

This covenant served as the basis for all of God’s dealing with Israel from the point forward. The rest of the covenant is to be understood in terms of this covenant.

Consider , read with me the words of the covenant: “And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You 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, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.””

According to verse 8, the people responded, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do!”

This is the covenant : God said the Israel will be His people if Israel would do His will. Israel agreed to those terms.

The covenant found here is so important that the rest of the Old Testament is to be understood on the basis of this agreement.

Old Testament history reveals that, as long as Israel kept the covenant by obeying God, He faithfully blessed Israel.

When Israel disobeyed, which happened frequently, then God punished Israel.

It contains the law of God:

Since the making of the covenant and the giving of the Law, the book reminds Israel that responsibilities came with their deliverance.

Israel accepted those responsibilities when the people agreed to the terms of the covenant. The responsibilities themselves are spelled out in the Law given by God through Moses at Sinai.

It reveals an everlasting message: ; ; ; .

Israel’s redemption from bondage is a type of redemption of all men in Christ.

The Exodus is a type of our deliverance from sin, just as states, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.”

In Genesis there are human efforts, sin, and failure. As for Exodus, there is divine power, deliverance, and triumph.

In Exodus, God provided physical redemption, under the cover of the blood of the lamb, as He delivered them from bondage and death in Egypt.

This is a type of our redemption in Christ, “who is our passover” ().

We are delivered from the bondage of sin and spiritual death “through His blood” (), “as a lamb without blemish and without spot” ().

Understanding the book the Book:

In the English Bible, the name “Exodus” is from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek version of the Hebrew Bible. The Greek word for “Exodus,” which is found in 19:1, means “departure.” Therefore, the book is named after its major event.

The book is a part of a larger whole. It follows, without a break, the events recorded in Genesis.

The Hebrew text of Exodus begins with a conjunction, “And these are the names,” indicating that the book was intended to be a continuation of Genesis.

The events written are from the birth of Moses to the erection of the tabernacle at Sinai, about 80 years (B.C. 1571-1490).

From the death of Joseph to Sinai is a time of about 200 years.

It is written by Moses, who is the main character, probably near the close of the forty years’ wandering in the wilderness.

Three major divisions of the book of Exodus:

Redemption: The Lord Delivers His People (1-18).

Covenant: The Lord Claims His People (19-24).

Worship: The Lord Dwells with His People (25-40).

The Key Verses: , , , , .

, “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.”

This is God’s declaration to Moses that He would deliver His people.

Two things motivated God to began executing His plan to deliver His people. One was compassion for the suffering of His people. He said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people” in verse 7.

But also, God had promised to deliver the people out of Egyp and bring them to Canaan (Genesis 15:13-16).

, “ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt.”

This identity of the One who called Moses and sent Him to deliver the Israelites.

Representation of God’s eternal nature. The One Who was, and Is, and Is to come. The Great I AM! The self existing One.

, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’”

This is the names of their Deliverer and Redeemer.

, “For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.”

This is how the deliverance was accomplished, the Passover.

Those who were within the houses that had the lamb’s blood on the door frames would be safe throughout the nigh.

God would “pass through” to kill the first born of Egypt, but would “pass over” the first born of Israel.

The Lord would prevent the “destroyer” from passing through the homes of His faithful.

, “‘You 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, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.””

This is agreement between God and the Israelites.

He was not entering into a covenant relationship with Israel because of Israel’s righteousness. In fact, since Israel had left Egypt, the people had frequently proved themselves to be faithless, forgetful, and ungrateful.

By grace, God had chosen Israel because of the promises made to the patriarchs, especially the promises to Abraham.

The covenant was based on God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel- on what God had done for Israel, not one what Israel had done or promised to do for God.

God Revealed in the Book:

The Sovereignty of God:

He is the supreme ruler over all nature, as seen in the 10 plagues.

He had the power over Pharaoh; therefore, He had power over all kings and nations.

He had the right to choose Israel as His own people.

He had the ability to defend and care for His people.

“You shall know that I am the Lord”- , , , , , , …etc.

One of the main aims of the Bible is to make God known to man, in order that we may know our relationship to God and glorify Him in our lives.

Repeatedly God said that the ten plagues and other miracles were for the purpose of causing both Israel and the Egyptians to “know that the Lord is God.”

Later, He said that the manna and quail were designed to show Israel the glory of Jehovah, so “you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt” and that “I am the Lord your God” (,)

Christ In Exodus:

Christ is our Passover- ; ; ; ; .

The Paschal Lamb’s bones were not broke ().

Not one of Christ’s bones was broken on the cross (; ).

By His blood, we are delivered from the bondage of sin ().

Christ is the Anti-Type of Moses- ; ; : ; ; : ; ; ;; .

The great prophet of whom Moses prophesied (; ).

He fulfilled Moses’ law (), and gave a new law of grace and truth (; ; ).

Moses delivered God’s house, while Christ delivered His own ().

Christ is the greater than Moses () and His law is superior to the Law of Moses ().

Lessons for Us Today:

God Cares and Provides for His people:

It is seen throughout this book.

God’s pity for Israel in their suffering in Egypt, for which human help is insufficient, and God hears their cry and calls Moses to deliver them (1:8-7:7).

God’s power is shown by the ten plagues upon Egypt (7:8-13:13).

The love of God is shown in His institution of the passover and His guidance of the children of Israel to Mount Sinai (13:17-18:27).

The grace of God provided directions for building the tabernacle, where He would dwell in their midst (25-31).

The patience of God is seen in His renewal of the covenant, after Israel’s apostasy in the worship of the golden calf (32-25:3).

The glory of God was shown in the building, erection, and dedication of the tabernacle, or tent meeting, when His glory filled it (35:4-40).

Pattern of Redemption: ; ; ; .

Israel’s deliverance from bondage became a type of redemption of all men from the bondage of sin.

God brought Israel out of Egypt that He might bring them into the promised land ().

Through Christ, He brings us out of darkness into the kingdom of Christ (; ).

Christ is our deliverer, captain, shepherd, redeemer, sin offering, passover, high priest, apostle, prophet, and smitten rock.

The deliverance of Israel was like our redemption in that it was through the power of God, with strict obedience of man, by means of a deliverer, under the cover of blood, and required passing through water (1 Cor. 10:1-2).

Conclusion: