If you missed the previous posts, you may read them at the following links: The Book of Exodus – Part One, The Book of Exodus – Part Two
The biblical book of Exodus tells the powerful story of the Lord’s redeeming love of his people who greatly suffer from Egyptian bondage, and after he rescues them from oppression in Egypt, he leads them into the desert to receive his covenant law and worship him as his people. This story is a very important part of the larger story of the whole Bible in which God rescues his broken, fallen, and sinful people by the atoning sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. In the book of Exodus, we find numerous themes that thread their way through the story and give it a deeper and fuller meaning. But there are a few of these themes that are central to the story of Exodus and to the plan of God for salvation that the book leads the reader towards. These major themes connect Exodus with the first book, Genesis, and the rest of the Bible.
Divine Nature:
We know and experience God through his nature, what he is like. The nature of God is not something we can guess at or assume but is revealed to us by God in the Bible. Throughout the Bible, we see the awesome nature of God, but especially so in the book of Exodus. In this book, God is revealed as the LORD God Almighty, awesome in power, holiness, and goodness. People must bow in his presence and worship him. The Lord is mighty to save but is also awe-inspiring in his justice and wrath. He will not be trifled with or treated in a casual or unholy way. He is compassionate and merciful to those who humble themselves in repentance but fearful to those who reject him in rebellion. He is the great I AM, the self-existing one, the creator, and sovereign over all things.
Redemption:
Redemption is a core teaching in the Bible. So much of what the Bible relates to this idea of redemption. God’s grand purpose in the world is to redeem the world. This central biblical theme of redemption emerges from the story of Exodus as the Lord redeems his people from Egyptian slavery. Redemption is the release of someone or something from bondage by someone who is able to pay the redemption price. The redemption price is not only money or other property but also power. The Lord’s merciful power overcomes the evil power of Pharaoh to redeem his people from their bondage. Pharaoh and Egypt can be a type or symbol of sin and Satan and all that keeps people in bondage. The idea of bondage has great theological and spiritual significance and refers to the lack of freedom to achieve one’s divine purpose. Bondage affects all people. The theme of Redemption finds its greatest fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus delivers us from our bondage by his redemptive death for our sins. He is our redeemer.
Covenant:
Remarkably, the Bible is a story. That may not seem to be something to take special note of, but it does highlight the fact that the Bible is not merely a book of inspirational stories, a theology handbook, or a random collection of quotable life principles, but a story. The Bible is the story of God’s work in the world to bring salvation to people. The way the biblical story is told and structured is through a series of covenants that God made with certain people and groups. A covenant is a relationship of grace in which God enters with people where he makes promises and responsibilities ensue. The first redemptive covenant in the Bible is the covenant with Abraham, though there were other covenants prior to that. We see in the book of Exodus that the Lord confirms and deepens his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the covenant with the children of Israel through Moses. The core of the covenant is the Ten Commandments (literally, the ten words – Exodus 34:28) given at Mount Sinai. Within the covenant, we find blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The covenant law contains the details of God’s will for the children of Israel. But also, the covenant, again, establishes a relationship between the Lord and his people. The covenant God made with Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai shaped the religious life and practices until the coming of Messiah Jesus.
Divine Presence:
In all his covenants, God promises to be with his people and bless them. This is seen in the Mosaic covenant in many ways. The presence of the Lord with his people is first initiated by his presence with Moses at the burning bush. Early in the book of Exodus, the Lord hears the cries and sees the oppression of the children of Israel and responded to their needs with promises of rescue. In this context, he calls Moses at the burning bush. Then he is with his people in a special way in the Passover. The tenth plague on Egypt, which is the final and most devastating plague, the death of the firstborn, is the means by which the Lord is with his people, passing over every house under the blood. After they leave Egypt, the Lord is with his people guiding them with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night and by parting the Red Sea to rescue them from Pharaoh’s army. But the Lord is, most importantly, with his people in the tabernacle. In fact, the closer one gets to the most holy place in the tabernacle, the closer they are to the Lord’s presence. The layout of the tabernacle and the layout of the camp with the tabernacle at the center of the camp, and in the procession as they travel from place to place, shows the central significance of the tabernacle as the holy presence of the Lord with his people. The tabernacle is also the place of sacrificial atonement, which is the way that people can enter the presence of the holy Lord. All this we find in the tabernacle points forward to the presence of God in Jesus Christ. The tabernacle points toward Jesus, and Jesus is the fulfillment of the tabernacle. He is God with us to save us from our sins.
Divine Faithfulness:
The Lord is faithful to his covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) by rescuing the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and leading them to the promised land, the land he promised in his covenant with Abraham. The Lord made further promises to the children of Israel in the covenant relationship he made with them through Moses. Along the way from Egypt to Mount Sinai and at Sinai, the Lord was always faithful to his promises even though his people were often unfaithful to him. Divine faithfulness is an important feature of the relationship God’s people have with him. The Lord makes promises to those who know him, and he is always faithful to keep those promises. Jeremiah cries out in the book of Lamentations, which is a mournful lament over the destruction, death, and misery of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, “Great is your faithfulness!”
Human Sinfulness:
The book of Exodus often demonstrates, and with great clarity, the basic sinfulness of all people. It is a theme that weaves its way through the entire Bible. In spite of all that the Lord does for his people, they continuously rebel against him and disobey him. These actions are not merely disconnected acts of sin but a deep-seated proclivity towards sinfulness. People are fallen and broken spiritually and morally. People are totally unable to save themselves from this situation. It is only through the redemptive mercy of God in Jesus Christ that people are rescued from the consequences of their sinfulness. This great truth is beautifully seen in the Passover. In the Passover, the Lord passes over those who are covered by the blood of the passover lamb. Jesus is the fulfillment of the passover lamb. It was John the baptist who said, “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
In the book of Exodus, God reveals himself, his plan of redemption, and the need of all people for that redemption. He also reveals how the redeemed must live in reverent obedience to the will and way of God. In this way, the book is a great resource for believers in Jesus Christ for their growth in the faith. The book speaks in a powerful and beautiful way about the needs of people. The three posts on the book of Exodus on this blog can be used as a study guide for this amazing part of God’s Word. Each episode holds great and life-changing truths waiting to be discovered and applied to life.