Study of Exodus
By Jessica Brown
Overview & Introduction
Exodus itself means “exit” or “departure”, and covers primarily, the exit from Egypt of the Jewish people.
Major Segments
Exodus can be divided into three segments. Each segment features a different physical location, different varieties of repeated words
| Segment | Reference | Theme | Major Repetitions |
|
1
|
Ex. 1-12 | Israel In Egypt | Pharaoh, heart, staff, sign/miracle |
|
2
|
Ex. 13-18 | Israel in Wilderness | (above+) firstborn, test, grumble (synonyms), bread, manna, sabbath |
|
3
|
Ex. 19-40 | Israel at Sinai | law, tabernacle/tent/tent of meeting |
Major Reptetitions
Here are some of the major repetitions that echo throughout the entire book of Exodus:
- slave(s) / bondage
- cry
- deliver(ed)
- Mount Sinai / Horeb / Mountain of God
- die / death
- holy
- the Lord (I) commanded
- covenant
- cloud
- test(ed)
- law
- tabernacle / tent / tent of meeting
Big Picture Ideas
Shadow of Things To Come
Although you can’t draw this conclusion just from reaching Exodus, as you read the new testament, you discover the physical practices God lays out in Exodus correspond to a spritual counterpart in the new testament:
| O.T. Physical Practice | Text | N.T. Spiritual Counterpart |
| Animal Sacrifices | 1 Cor 5:7 | Jesus the Lamb |
| Ten Commandments | Gal 6:2 | Law of Christ |
| Sabbath Day | Heb 4:1-9 | Eternal rest in heaven |
| Incense | Rev 5:8 | Prayer |
| Candles | Rev 1:20 | Christians are Light |
| Physical Sanctuary | 1 Cor 6:19 | Our Bodies are a Temple |
| Holy Water | Acts 22:16 | Water Baptism |
| Altar | Phil 4:18 | Self Sacrifice |
| Separate Priesthood | Rev 1:6 | Every Christian is Priest |
| Priestly Garments | Rev 19:8 | Clothed by Deeds |
| Physical Music: Harp | Eph 5:19 | Spiritual Music: Heart |
| Mandatory Tithing of 10% | 2 Cor 9:7 | Freewill Giving |
Faith
Throughout much of Exodus we see a contrast between the faith of the Hebrews and various Hebrew characters, and the lack of faith of the Egyptians.
| Character | Mindset (Cause…) | Action (Effect…) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Faith… | Moses’s Parents | Were not afraid of the King’s edict | Hid baby Moses for 3 months |
| Moses | Looked to the reward | Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter | |
| Considered the reproach of Christ greater than the riches & treasures of Egypt | Chose to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, rather than the passing pleasures of sin | ||
| Did not fear the wrath of the King | Left Egypt | ||
| Saw Him who is unseen | Endured | ||
| Feared God/Believed God would protect them against the death of their firstborns | Kept the passover and sprinkled blood | ||
| Hebrews | Trusted God | Passed through the Red Sea as if it were on dry land | |
| Lacking Faith | Egyptians | Had no faith in God | Attempted to cross the Red Sea but were drowned |
Application: In what situation is God calling you to step out in faith and trust Him? What promises of God are you trusting?
Lessons to Learn
Pay attention throughout Exodus for how this applies to your own life:
- Truths about God that cause me to worship Him
- Leadership lessons learned from Moses
- Miscellaneous “Lessons for Life”
“Mark every place that the word cry is used in the Word of God and you are going to see that when God hears the cry of people, even though they are ungodly, God comes to their rescue because He is God.” (Kay Arthur)