Introduction to Exodus

Exodus means "going out." The book has three main themes.

Liberation (1-18). This section describes Jehovah's victory over the gods of Egypt and the deliverance of His people from bondage. The emphasis is on the hand of God. (See 3:20; 7:4-5; 9:3, 15; 13:3, 9, 14, 16.) The Exodus is a picture of the redemp­tion we have through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-21).

John 1:29 (NIV) ²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) ⁷ Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Peter 1:18-21 (NIV) ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Separation (19-24). God and Israel entered into covenant relationship at Sinai. God gave them His law that they might be separated from the other nations and devoted wholly to Him. The emphasis is on the holiness of God. While God's peo­ple today are not obligated to obey all these precepts, the ba­sic principles are timeless and apply to holy living today.

Habitation (25-40). God had walked with His people in Genesis, but now He wanted to dwell with them. The emphasis is on the house of God and the priests who ministered there. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains how the tabernacle ministry foreshadowed the work of Jesus Christ and His present ministry in heaven as High Priest. Today, God's people are His temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 2:20-22).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) ¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Ephesians 2:20-22 (NIV) ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.