Introduction

Open your Bibles, please, to the book of Exodus. We want to say some introductory things about this book. Always when we begin the study of any book, we are interested in the name and the reason for the name. The book of Exodus has two names. The Greeks called it one thing and the Hebrews called it another. The Greeks called it "Exodus"; it is called "Exodus" in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. It comes from two Greek words, one meaning "out" and the other meaning "way." This gives a very literal name for the book, "The Way Out," and that is exactly what the book of Exodus is. It is God's provision for the children of Israel--the way out of Egypt.

The Hebrews did not call it "The Exodus"; they called it "The Names." The reason they called it "The Names" is that with each of the books in the Old Testament they followed a custom of giving it a name that is in the first few words of the first verse. You will notice in the first verse of Exodus, chapter 1, the phrase, "Now these are the names." So that is what the Hebrews call this book: "The Names." We would not know a great deal about it if we depended on that title.

The Bible itself refers to this book as "The Book of Moses." The first five books of the Bible are referred to as "The Books of Moses", and there are no divisions made such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The Lord Jesus Christ, for example, when He referred to the book of Exodus, did not refer to it as "The Book of Exodus." He referred to it as "The Book of Moses," because Moses was the author of the book. The reason we are absolutely sure that the author was Moses is that there were numerous occasions in the Word of God when the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles referred to this book as authored by Moses.

Moses was a most unusual man. He is mentioned 700 times in the Bible, a unique distinction, indeed. He could be considered one of the greatest commanders this world has ever seen. He took such a group of people as the Israelites and whipped them into an army that could make in a land a conquest that would put other generals to shame. He was the greatest legislator this world has ever seen; all the jurisprudence which our world knows is based upon the law of Moses, the Decalogue, more familiarly known to us as the Ten Commandments. Moses was one of the greatest poets this world has ever known. Much of the acclaimed poetry of the world cannot begin to compare with some of the poems and some of the psalms which were written by Moses. And Moses was a giant with God. He was one of the greatest spiritual leaders this world has ever seen.

Historically considered, the book of Exodus finds its introduction in the book of Genesis. Turn back with me, please, to chapter 15 of the book of Genesis and notice what is presented to us from a historical standpoint:

GENESIS 15

Abram had fallen into a deep sleep when God discussed with him the covenant which He was going to make with him. Then He said to him in verse 13, "Here is something you need to know, Abram. Your seed, your descendants, shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they shall serve there." In the last chapter of the book of Genesis, Jacob and his sons and his children went into the land of Egypt that they might be nourished in the land of Goshen by Joseph their brother, whom God had permitted to be sold into the land of Egypt that that very thing might come to pass.

They lived in the land of Egypt about thirty years without any real problems. Joseph took care of them and did wonderful things for them. When Joseph died, their hearts were filled with great fear because they did not know what might happen.

This is the historical introduction to the book of Exodus. They were afflicted in the land of Egypt for 400 years. Why was it that they spent 400 years in the land of Egypt before God led them out and into the promised land? There were several reasons.

One of the reasons is given here in verse 16 of chapter 15, where we read:

GENESIS 15

The land of Canaan belonged to the Amorites; and for God to say to the Israelites, "I am going to give you the land of Canaan," seemed terribly unfair. What right did God have to uproot one people and give the land to another people? On the face of it there is nothing fair and honest about that, but God explained what He meant: "By the time I give it to you Israelites," He said, "the Amorites, because of their wickedness, will have forfeited all rights to the land of Canaan." The Israelites had to wait 400 years until the iniquity of the Amorites was full.

Historically speaking, the book of Exodus is the beginning of God's promise to the fourth generation of the descendants of Abraham when he led them out of the land of Egypt into the land of Canaan. Spiritually speaking, or doctrinally speaking, the theme of the book of Exodus is redemption.

When we say that, spiritually speaking, the book of Exodus has for its theme redemption, we are not referring only to the initial stages of salvation; we are referring to the complete story of redemption--the redemption of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until they were settled in the tabernacle worshiping God. The redemption of Israel is a picture of the spiritual redemption provided by Jesus Christ for all who will trust Christ as Savior.

The New Testament recognizes this truth. There are a number of passages in the New Testament where the book of Exodus is used as a basis for the teaching of spiritual truth, and we will notice I Corinthians, chapter 5. By way of giving you the background, this chapter deals with the sin of immorality in the church of Corinth. No one seemed to be greatly concerned about it. The apostle was suggesting that it ought to be dealt with. He said, "If you are careless about this, that carelessness will grow, and the first thing you know, your testimony will be ruined." So he says in verse 6:

I CORINTHIANS 5

If you will think a moment or two about these two verses, you will realize that the Passover observed by the Israelites before they left the land of Egypt becomes an illustration of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, making it imperative for us to live our Christian experience with the leaven of malice and envy and wickedness purged out of our lives just as every Israelite removed the leaven from his house when he was ready to observe the Passover.

Now we read I Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 1:

I CORINTHIANS 10

In the book of Exodus, a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night were used by God to guide the children of Israel forward into the promised land. So Paul is suggesting that all the Israelites were under the cloud and, of course, they all passed through the sea. You will remember that when the children of Israel stood by the Red Sea and God miraculously rolled the waters back and they went through on dry ground, we read that all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Here baptism is used as a badge of identification. Just as water baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ, we are told that these individuals were identified with Moses by virtue of the fact that they crossed over the sea.

In verse 3, "they did all eat of the same spiritual meat"; that is, God provided their food for them. In verse 4, "They did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ."

Shortly after they passed through the sea, the children of Israel had no water to drink, and God directed Moses' attention to a rock which he was able to smite, and from the rock there came water that quenched their thirst. So Paul is saying, "That rock in the wilderness is a perfect illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ." What that rock was able to do for these thirsty Israelites, the Lord Jesus Christ is able to do for us.

In verse 5, in this parallel we go out of the land of Egypt into the wilderness, and we read that with many of them God was not well pleased and that they were overthrown in the wilderness. That is, they died in the wilderness. They did not get to the promised land because God was displeased with them. Notice verse 6:

I CORINTHIANS 10

That is a reference, of course, to what happened at the foot of Sinai while Moses was on the mountain receiving the laws from God.

I CORINTHIANS 10

You will remember that a plague of fiery serpents was sent among them because they did test, or tempt, or make light of, the power of God.

I CORINTHIANS 10

Turn, please, to the book of Hebrews, chapter 9. We told you that our study of the book of Exodus would include a detailed study of the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a literal building, the appointed place of worship for the Israelites; but it also had a spiritual message, as is evident in this chapter, where we read:

HEBREWS 9

When we study the tabernacle, you will discover that what he is talking about here is a building of cloth that was called a tent. Part of it had in it the first pieces of furniture mentioned here--the candlestick and the table of shewbread. The second room, separated from the first by a veil, was called the Holiest of all; and it had in it the golden censer and the ark of the covenant, overlaid round about with gold.

The ark of the covenant was a chest-like piece of furniture, and in that chest we are told there was a golden cup that had some of the manna that God rained down from the heavens during the wilderness journey and Aaron's rod that budded. When Aaron was chosen as high priest, we will learn in the book of Exodus, his rod, which was just an ordinary stick, was miraculously enlivened; it put forth buds. The sticks of the others could not do that. That rod was placed in the ark of the covenant.

In the last part of verse 4, we find that in the ark of the covenant there were the two tables of stone upon which were written the ten commandments. Over the ark of the covenant on each side were the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat. In verse 6, when these things were thus ordained, the high priest went first into the tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second part went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of his people.

Through verse 7, we have been reading about history. We said that the book of Exodus has a spiritual message, a doctrinal, theological message, to convey. In verse 8, Paul tells us what the message of the tabernacle was. He speaks of the Holy Ghost. This signifies that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

HEBREWS 9

A better word here is "fleshly," because it does not mean that they were evil; it means that they were related to the flesh. They were material: "Fleshly ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation."

The word "reformation" does not mean the reformation of Martin Luther. It means the beginning of a new age--the Age of Grace.

HEBREWS 9

Paul tells us here that the tabernacle was to be a symbol of our approach to God and our spiritual sustenance after we have been born again.

Go back with me to the book of Exodus, chapter 15. Here we find a song which Moses wrote and which he and the people sang when they crossed the Red Sea. In this chapter, you will find in one verse an outline of the book of Exodus. Every book in the Bible has an outline or a key verse which will explain the book. This is the outline, we are told, that the Spirit followed when he gave the material contained in the book. If you find that outline, then the book falls naturally into divisions, and you are better able to understand it. Let us read the chapter so that you will view the verse in its proper setting:

EXODUS 15

This is the song of Moses which he sang upon the deliverance of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.

In verse 13, you will find a three-point outline of the book of Exodus:

EXODUS 15

The first point is "led forth." The second point is "guided." The third point is "holy habitation." Those indicate the three divisions of the book of Exodus, and if you want three words which will help you remember them, you might use the word "deliverance," "direction," and "dedication."

As we pursue the study of the book, we will find that the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt is described in the first fourteen chapters of the book. The second point of the outline is built around the word "guided," for which we have used the word "direction" for the sake of alliteration. In chapters 15-18, we find the amazing direction of God through the wilderness and in chapters 18-24, the direction of God for His people from a spiritual standpoint. So, in chapters 15-24, we have presented God's direction for His people materially and spiritually.

The third point in the outline, "holy habitation," begins with chapter 26 and concludes with chapter 40. Here we find the description of the tabernacle which was dedicated to the service of God and the welfare of His people. It is called in verse 13 the "holy habitation," and for it I suggested the word "dedication," again for the sake of alliteration.

So you see how easy it is to remember the subject matter of the book of Exodus on the basis of this verse. In the first fifteen chapters we have presented to us the story of how God led forth His people. In chapters 16-24, we have the story of how God directed His people. In chapters 25-40, we have a description of the holy habitation which God built for His people.