Exodus Introduction (Part 2)

This is part 2 of an introduction to Exodus. Last time, (find it here) we divided Exodus into three parts - Israel's deliverance from Egypt (1:1-13:16), their descent to Sinai (13:17-18:27) and their dedication to God (19:1-40:38). We looked at the first section at a historical level, a personal level, and a Christological level.  Now we'll go over these same levels in the last two sections.

THEIR DESCENT TO SINAI (13:17-18:27)

The Historical Level

A possible location of Mount Sinai / Horeb

As if Israel’s grand exit from Egypt wasn’t enough, God continues to make it plain that He will care for them as they travel for three months from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai.  Most commentators identify the location of the burning bush at Mount Sinai, which means Moses is taking people along the path that he just took when he came to confront Pharaoh. 

Praise God that the journey we’re on has been trod before and that the path God call us to has been paved by countless other Christians, not to mention our great captain and leader Jesus Christ.  

Israel's journey to Mount Sinai was nonetheless a difficult time of testing.  But at each trial God miraculously saves His people.  These great acts of redemption would have been awesome to have witnessed.

The Personal Level

We can often think that if we were there,
we would be superheroes of the faith.

I can easily think that if I was there and saw those spectacular acts, then all battles with doubt would be won and I would become a superhero of the faith.

Not so.  As you read through this section, remember Paul’s admonition about these events to the Corinthians - “These things were our examples” (1 Cor. 10:6). The Israelites were believers (Ex. 4:31 and 14:31).  They were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb.  They had seen God work, believed in Him and yet they still struggled.  We are just like them! God provides in some miraculous way and then we quickly forget about it when a new problem comes along.  We question His goodness, His ability, His willingness to protect us in the present.  Allow the Lord to convict of your own shortcomings and doubt and realize that you need a bigger perspective in trials.. 

Chapter 15 provides us with a great illustration of God's purposes in trials.  At Marah Israel complains about the bitter watter.  What did they think?  God had miraculously saved them Egypt, killed their enemies, and then would let the whole plan go to pot because He forgot the water there was bitter?  We read “There He proved them” (15:25).  He was teaching them that “man does not live by bread only but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3). This is really seen at their next stop. “And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters,” (15:27).  God wanted them stop at Marah, right before they could see the twelve wells and seventy palm trees.  Provision is easy for God.  But He has something greater in mind than our comfort – our character. 

The Christological Level

The Gathering of Manna, c. 1460-1470.
It looked nothing likes this.

But there's something even more profound in the way God leads His people.  From these events we read something of God's style.  Everyone has their own style.  If you’ve made it this far in the blog, you probably don’t mind mine.  In fact, if you read enough of my material you would be able to identify if an anonymous work was from the pen of Bruce Henning or not.  When the Lord Jesus steps on the scene, we should think “This style seems strangely familiar.  I’ve seen this guy’s work before.”  God has a way of doing things and much of the way He does things in Exodus is repeated in His great salvific act in Jesus Christ.

Here’s an example.  The people complain that there is no food.  Unasked for, God miraculously and graciously sends down bread to sustain them .  There were no preconditions.  No coaxing.  He saw their need and sent the life giving bread.  All they had to do was go out and get it. 

In Jesus' day, the Jews mixed up the story and said that Moses gave them bread.  The Lord corrected them – “Moses did not give you that bread, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. . .I am the bread of life.  He that comes to me will never hunger and he that believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:32, 33, 35). 

We were perishing.  Unasked for, God miraculously and graciously sent us His son to provide us with life.  No preconditions.  No coaxing.  All a person has to do was go get it.  The difference is that the manna only lasted one day (twice on Fridays) and so a person had to gather it six times a week.  One “dose” of Jesus Christ, however, and a person has life forever.

THEIR DEDICATION TO GOD (19:1-40:38)

The Historical Level 

After Israel actually gets to Mount Sinai, we enter into the next major division of Exodus.  In fact, it's the next major division of the Pentateuch.  We divide “The law of Moses” (Luke 24:44) into five sections – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  But these five books one big story.  Genesis 1:1-Exodus 18:27 is the first part of the story.  It sets the stage for the central act.  The next section (Exodus 19:1 - Numbers 10:11) is the main unit – God giving the law to His people at Sinai.  Moses (the author, see intro to Genesis for discussion) feared that the nation would forget the Lord and disregard the covenant when he died (see Deut. 31:27-29).  In Genesis 1:1 – Exodus 18:27 Moses stresses

 * who Jehovah is

 * where the nation of Israel comes from

 * what the Lord has done for them.

In this central section (Ex. 19:1 – Numb. 10:11), Moses spells out for them their obligations to God as they live under His rule in His kingdom in the land He gave them.

Is this your nation's flag?

We’re in a much different situation today.  We are not Israel.  We are the new man, the church (Eph. 2:15).  We are not under the law. We are under grace (Rom. 6:14).  America is not a theocracy, nor is it the promised land.  SO, the appearance of a rule in this section does not mean that it is binding on us as believers in this age.

In my long-gone days of teaching, I had several different classes.  I had one set of rules for first hour and another for fifth hour.  Let’s say I wrote each class’ rules on a different poster-board and put them on the wall.  The first hour students would be free to look at the fifth hour poster.  But the rules they found there were not binding on them as such.  What makes a rule obligatory for them is its presence on the first hour poster. 

We could even take this a step farther.  Much of the two posters would be the same.  My personality does not change that drastically from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  But there would also be differences in the posters because I would have different purposes and expectations for the different classes.  God’s character does not change, so of course we see much repetition in His standards for the church and standards for Israel.  But insofar as the nature and purposes of the church and Israel are different, we can expect to see different commands.    

The Personal Level

Could just anyone waltz into the tabernacle?
Maybe we should rethink some of our signs.

If the commands in this section are not binding as such, what should our attitude be toward them?  We should be interested in them primarily in their reflection of God’s character.  For example, God carefully and precisely instructs Moses how He is to be approached and worshipped.  He is a holy God and we must come to Him on His terms or the result will be disastrous.

We can go to the New Testament for some legitimate application.  God cares about the way we approach Him.  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  We have to come through Him for salvation.  Once believers, we must come only through Jesus Christ in worship.  “To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever” (Rom. 16:27).  God will accept nothing else. 

Many a well-intentioned new year’s resolution is broken while going through this section.  Remember, it is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16).  Remember, it communicates much about the character of God.  Pray that God will show more of who He is as you read the Old Testament law. 

The Christological Level

That’s not to say that all the details of the law are needless for us to study.  There is much for the diligent student to learn concerning the coming Messiah.  God has “hidden” truth there for us to unearth and when we do so we finds much about the precious Savior (this at least is how the New Testament writers saw it – see Heb. 8:5, 9:9). 

Some details clearly prefigure Christ and we know that because of the New Testament. 

-        -   The veil speaks of the flesh of Christ (Heb. 10:20).  It was torn that access to God might be opened. 

-        -   The mercy seat speaks of the sacrifice of Christ (Rom. 3:25).  God mercifully communes with His people there. 

Some details very likely prefigure Christ, but are not revealed in the New Testament. 

-          - There is one entrance to the tabernacle.  Jesus is the one way to God (John 14:6). 

-          - The brass altar was necessary to take away sin.  Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). 

-          -  A person had to be cleansed in the laver before approaching God.  If Christ does not wash us with his constant forgiveness, we can have no part with Him (John 13:8). 

-         -  The tabernacle was all gold on the inside and hearty unattractive seal skin on the outside.  All the beauty of Christ was on the inside (Isaiah 53:2).

Some details remind us of Christ, but we can’t really assign them the place of a “type.”  A type is a God-ordained picture of Christ (see Heb. 8:5 – the Holy Spirit thus showing).  To label a detail as a means we are certain God gave us this detail to foreshadow something later.  The dimensions of the tabernacle, the number and material of the sockets, etc. might remind us of a Christological truth if we have good imaginations.  But that’s different than saying we know the reason God ordained those things in the law. 

We talked about seeing Christ in the journey to Mount Sinai and also seeing Him in the details of the law.  Feel free to comment about shadows of Christ that particularly strike you.  (Okay, that was a blatant hint at one of my favorites)