Exodus is the second book of the bible. It is in a sense a sequel to Genesis. It picks up the story, but with a bit of a twist. Genesis set forth God’s plan for restoring mankind after Adam and Eve’s fall. It told the story of an expanding covenant. God’s promise is extended first to Noah (a family), then Abraham (a tribe), and then Jacob or Israel (a nation). Genesis ends with the nation of Israel prospering in Egypt thanks to the privilege won for them by Joseph. All is right and God’s blessing is upon them. 

Exodus then opens with a plot twist. “Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, rose to power in Egypt.” (Exodus 1: 8) Israel is thrust from its place of honor and enslaved. Where is God’s blessing? 

You see over the 400 years which have taken place since the end of Genesis, the nation of Israel has prospered and multiplied. So much so that the new king fears they will conquer Egypt from the inside. 

“See! The Israelite people have multiplied and become more numerous than we are! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave the land.” (Exodus 1: 9-10)

In Exodus, we will see that God’s plan of restoration was not completed in Genesis. The story of Exodus is both the story of Israel’s immediate deliverance from the hands of the Egyptians and the next step in the restoration of man’s heart after the fall. 

Here are a few key themes which may help you explore Exodus. 

Moses: The Type of One to Come

The central figure of Exodus is Moses. Moses’ backstory is outlined in Exodus 2-6. More than a deliverer, Moses prefigures Christ leading St. Paul to proclaim, “Therefore, holy “brothers,” sharing in a heavenly calling, reflect on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was “faithful in [all] his house.” (Hebrews 3:1-2). Moses is the first true high priest who would prepare the way for the ultimate high priest. Moses just like Jesus would have to escape a slaughter of the first born. Like Jesus, he would deliver God’s people from bondage.  Both will be transfigured on a mountain. Even the description of Moses in the book of Numbers “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) calls to mind Jesus’s own description of himself, “I am meek and humble of heart.” (Matthew 11:29)

The One True God: A God beyond all other Gods

Exodus 7-18 recounts the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Moses confronts Pharoah, but even mores so the One True God confronts the Gods of Egypt. The entire story centers on the contrast between work and worship. Unfortunately, this can be easily be missed in translation as the story hinges on the Hebrew word “Avad”. Avad has two meanings and can be translated as work (service), or worship. Hence, the confrontation focuses on whom Israel will serve. Will they serve (work) as slaves for Pharoah or will they serve (worship) the One True God. 

“So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn. I said to you: Let my son go, that he may serve me.” (Exodus 4:23-23)

Pharaoh answered, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has come to meet us. Let us go a three days’ journey in the wilderness, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God, so that he does not strike us with the plague or the sword.” The king of Egypt answered them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you make the people neglect their work? Off to your labors!” (Exodus 5:2-4)

Thus, Pharoah responds by increasing the labors of Israel. And so, the contrast is set. Who will Israel serve? 

However, this is not the only confrontation. The plagues themselves pit the One True God against the God’s of Egypt. Each of the ten plagues is associated with a different Egyptian God. Thereby, the Lord demonstrates his dominion over the God’s of Egypt. The question of service looms large in this confrontation as well. Whom will Israel worship? Yahweh or the God’s of Egypt, whom as we see later, they have almost certainly been worshiping here in Egypt. 

Exodus also poses an important question to us. Whom will we serve? We may not be tempted to serve pagan Gods, but do we become slaves to our own work or do we make time for worship.

The Law and Mercy

The final chapters of Exodus 19-40 present an expansion of the covenant and giving of the Law. During these events, Israel shows the depth of struggle between service to Egypt and worship of the Lord. Israel worships the golden calf and immediately breaks the new covenant. However, Moses intervenes (much like our Lord Jesus) and God settles in a sanctuary amidst His people. The giving of the Law is thus situated in the context of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. This is fitting for God’s mercy is the source of both the exodus and His law. 

In this is another important lesson for us. Many view the commandments as prohibiting their freedom. However, the commandments express God’s mercy and those who live by them flourish thanks to the mercy of God. In the end, we do not so much break the commandments as break ourselves against them.