The Book of Exodus – Part Two

If you missed the previous post, you may read it here: The Book of Exodus – Part One

Followers of Jesus Christ must read the Bible. It is a challenge for many, but it is a spiritual necessity. One of the best ways to read the Bible is to read books of the Bible. Biblical books have a unified message, and the message of each book fits together to communicate the overall message of the whole Bible, which is God’s redemptive work through the person and work of Jesus Christ. One of the purposes of this blog is to help people read and understand the books of the Bible. Therefore we want to help you read and understand the book of Exodus, which is the second book of the Bible.

This is the second of three articles on the biblical book of Exodus. In the first article, we made the case that the book has two main sections. The first section consists of chapters 1-18, dealing with God’s rescue of his people from Egyptian bondage. In the first half of the book, we find many well-known epic stories telling of the passion of the Lord for his people and his power in redeeming them. His purpose in delivering them from Pharaoh and the Egyptians was to fulfill his covenant promises to Abraham but also to magnify his own glory. At the end of the first half of the book, we found the children of Israel arriving at Mount Sinai under the Lord’s leadership. In the second half of the book (chapters 19-40), which is the focus of this article, we find the people of God camped at the mountain to receive the covenant from God. This last half of the book, like the first, has three sections, Covenant Law (19:1-31:18), Covenant Breach (32:1-34:35), and Covenant Worship (35:1-40:38).

Covenant at Sinai (19-40)

1. Covenant Law (19:1-31:18)

In the second part of the book of Exodus, the Children of Israel arrive at Mount Sinai and camp there for a year (they are at Sinai from Exodus 19 through all of Leviticus and through Numbers 10:10). There are three significant happenings in these chapters. The first is Covenant Law. Moses goes up on Mount Sinai, where the Lord gives him the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments. The Law given to Israel by Moses was covenant instructions and stipulations for living with a holy God. In the Law, God gave Moses detailed instructions on covenant living and worship. The covenant is confirmed by a solemn ceremony in chapter 24. The detailed instruction concerning the Tabernacle is given in chapters 25-31. Moses leaves the mountain with the two tablets of testimony written by the hand of God.

The covenant law of God delivered by Moses will be the bedrock of Israel’s life and worship until it is all fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The covenant law is summed up in ten commandments and fleshed out in over 600 other commands. The profound impact of the law cannot be overstated. It shaped the culture and perspective of God’s people and their interaction with his plan of redemption for over 1000 years. Yet, for all this, they did not keep it by obeying its stipulations and found themselves often under the judgment of God. But most telling is that when the one who gave the law and would fulfill the law came to live among them, they did not recognize him and put him to death. This section on covenant law is one of the more difficult parts of the Bible for modern people to read, understand and apply to life. If you still have trouble understanding it after several readings, the use of a study Bible or commentary may be helpful in this section.

There are five episodes in this section:

1. Arrival at Mt. Sinai (19:1-25): The people of Israel arrive at Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord. He gives a call to obedience for maintaining a covenant relationship. The people agree. The Lord is holy, but the people are unholy and cannot come into his presence. The Lord calls Moses to the top of the mountain to receive the covenant law.
2. The Ten Commandments (20:1-26): The Ten Commandments are the foundation for the covenant relationship between the Lord and his people. They can be understood in two sections. The first four relate to the community’s relationship with the Lord. The last six relate to the community’s relationship with one another. The awesome appearance of the Lord at the giving of the Ten Commandments shows the serious nature of the commandments and the covenant they establish.
3. Laws for Society (21:1-23:33): The Ten Commandments lay out the basic structure of the covenant relationship, but the Lord gives commands to flesh out the everyday ramifications of the Ten Commandments. These laws deal with the personal interactions of the people, paying special attention to the weak and vulnerable.
4. Covenant Confirmed (24:1-18): The leadership of the people are invited to come up the mountain to participate in a covenant confirmation meal. This was a solemn and awesome ceremony. Moses was then invited to come up further to the top of the mountain to receive the tablets of stones.
5. Laws for the Tabernacle (25:1-31:18): Moses is back on the mountain to receive instructions on the design and construction of the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a mobile, portable sanctuary for the worship of the Lord as the people make their way to the Promised Land. The tabernacle is critical to the life and worship of the covenant people. It is the place of sacrifice to bring atonement and the place of the Lord’s presence with the people. The tabernacle is a holy place, and it is set apart unto God. Worship is the fundamental response of people to the Lord. True worship of the holy God must be done in the way prescribed by the Lord himself.

2. Covenant Breach (32:1-34:35)

The second significant happening in these chapters is Covenant Breach. While Moses is on the mountain receiving the Law from the Lord, the people down below break the covenant they had just made with the Lord. They pressured Aaron to construct them a golden calf idol to worship. Upon returning to the people, Moses was furious and smashed the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments that the Lord had written with his own hand (symbolizing the breaking of the covenant). The Lord brought judgment upon the people, and Moses interceded for them.

There are seven episodes in this section:

1. Golden Calf Idolatry (32:1-6): Fallen, sinful people gravitate towards idolatry. The human heart is deeply wicked. Even Aaron, in weakness, is led astray. Idolatry is a recurring problem throughout the history of Israel.
2. God’s Anger & Moses’ Prayer (32:7-14): The Lord’s white-hot wrath is raised against his people. After all his grace, love, provision, and guidance, they rebel and turn their backs on him. Moses intercedes for the people in terms of the Abrahamic covenant, and the Lord relents.
3. Moses’ Anger & God’s Judgment (32:15-35): When Moses sees the people’s wickedness, he burns with righteous indignation. He breaks the tablets of stone, symbolizing the covenant breach of the people. God judged the people through the Levites and a plague he sent upon the people.
4. Command to Leave Sinai Without Divine Presence (33:1-6): The Lord commands Moses and the people to depart to the land of Canaan promised in the Abrahamic covenant, but without his presence.
5. The Promise of Experience of Divine Glory (33:12-23): Moses needed the reassurance of God’s presence, so the Lord promised that his presence would go with him. In the power of that moment, Moses asks the Lord to show him his glory. The Lord agrees to show Moses all his glory with some limitations.
6. The Tent of Meeting (33:7-11): This is a parenthetical explanation of the relationship of the Lord with Moses and through Moses to the people. Things had changed because of the covenant breach, but the Lord is gracious and will restore his people.
7. New Tablets & Covenant Renewal (34:1-35): The Lord instructs Moses to construct two new stone tablets and meet him on the mountain in the morning. There the Lord revealed his glory to Moses in such a way that will reverberate throughout all of Scripture. This filled Moses with awe and worship. The Lord renewed the covenant with Israel. Moses came down from the mountain with his face aglow from the presence of the Lord.

3. Covenant Worship (35:1-40:38)

The third significant happening is the beginning of Covenant Worship.

The Lord gave Moses detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle

and its furnishings. In chapters 25-31, the detailed commands to build the tabernacle are given, while here in chapters 35-40, the fulfillment of the command to build is carried out. After the Tabernacle was constructed, the glory of the Lord filled the place so that Moses could no longer enter. The Lord accepts the work of Moses and his people.

There are seven episodes in this section:

1. Moses Assembles the People (35:1-36:7): Moses assembles the people to give them instructions for the building of the tabernacle. He first reminds them of the importance of the holy Sabbath. Moses calls for donations of the necessary materials and skilled workers.
2. The People Construct the Tabernacle (36:8-38:20): The people begin constructing the various parts of the tabernacle, such as the curtains, the frame, the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering, the bronze basin and the courtyard.
3. A Record of the Materials Used (38:21-31): Moses commanded that a record be made of the materials used in the tabernacle. This record reveals the generous giving of the people for the building of the tabernacle.
4. The People Make the Priestly Garments (39:1-31): The priestly garments used in the service of the tabernacle are made by skilled craftsmen.
5. The People Bring the Completed Work to Moses (39:32-43): Once all the work was completed on the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priestly garments just as the Lord had commanded, they brought their work to Moses.
6. Moses Assembles the Tabernacle (40:1-33): The Lord commanded Moses to erect the tabernacle on the first day of the first month in the second year. So Moses obeyed the Lord.
7. The Glory of the Lord Fills the Tabernacle (40:34-38): When Moses finished the work, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle so that Moses was unable to enter. The cloud was over the tabernacle by day and the fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey led by the Lord.

In the last half of the book of Exodus, we see a glorious vision of the majestic Lord God. He is a holy God, which means that he is unique and different from any person or any other thing in all creation. In fact, all creation is the work of his hands. He is the awesome creator of all things. His holiness also calls for worship. It calls for all people to revere him and to bow down to him, recognizing his greatness and goodness. Holiness also requires that all people obey his will. God reveals himself and his holy, righteous, and goodwill. People must respond to his will in humble obedience. God knows that all people are sinful and have a tendency to disobey him. Because of this, he made provisions for forgiveness and atonement in his law through the sacrificial system of offerings. This sacrificial system points forward to Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of himself on the cross of our sins. God provides everything for people to have a relationship with him. Through his steadfast love and amazing grace, we can know him, love him and serve him for his glory and our blessing.

The Book of Exodus – Part Three