EXODUS

The book of Exodus focuses on how God brings his people back to himself again and again.

Guiding them out of slavery in Egypt, ordaining the Passover feast as a visible demonstration of his promises, providing the gift of the law and furnishing guidelines for worship at the tabernacle-all of these prefigure what Jesus would do as our redeemer and Passover Lamb (Hebrews 9:22-28).

God’s law was a gift to lead us to Jesus (see Galatians 3:23-24). Even the intricate details of the tabernacle and the sacrificial system point us to the way that Jesus sets us free from sin when we accept him both as the sacrifice for our sins and our great high priest.

By recounting the failures of the Israelites and Gods continual love for them, Exodus illustrated how imperfect people can know the God who loves them perfectly and cares for them completely.

In Exodus, as later in the Gospel record of Jesus’ sacrifice, God went to astonishing lengths to reach the ones he loved.

Why did the first born of Egypt have to die in the final Plague? (Exodus 12:29)
- This tragedy was necessary in order to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites (God’s people) from slavery. This event becomes a very important part of the Bibles them of redemption, which refers to buying back or exchanging one life for another. The first born among Israelites (God’s people) were spared because their families had offered lambs as their redemption.
Why was so much blood needed for worship? (Exodus 29:11-21)
- A just and Holy God could never ignore sin. But God allowed a substitute to take the place of the sinner. Anything less than blood would have devalued sin in the eyes of the people. In the new testament Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb, removing the need for continual animal sacrifices.

A Bush That Wouldn’t Burn Up

God apparently takes delight in the creative and the unusual. From a bush burning in the desert-burning, but not burning up-he showed himself to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3). The “angel of the Lord” (possibly Jesus himself; see the Chart below) appeared the called to Moses.

When Moses asked His name, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” and instructed Moses to tell the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you” (Verse 14). This was God’s way of saying, “I exist, and I am and always will be with you.”

In the New Testament Jesus would declare, “Before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58).

It is no wonder that many people wanted to stone Jesus because of this proclamation: They understood that he was claiming to be equal with God, the great I AM of the Old Testament.

God’s Anger Passed Over

The Passover is considered one of the Holiest days on the Hebrew calendar. It commemorates the time when the angel of death “passed over” the homes of the Israelites on which lambs blood had been applied to the doorframes (Exodus 12).

On that dreadful night when the firstborn of every Egyptian family died, the Israelites were spared because they were literally ” under the blood”. On that same night every Israelite family ate a hurried meal of roasted lamb, bitter herbs and bread without yeast.

God directed them to celebrate this meal on an annual basis as the feast of unleavened bread, in order to remind them of their relationship with Him. In the New Testament Jesus is referred to as “our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7), and John the Baptist called him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

In Revelation Jesus appeared as the Lamb who looked as if he had been slain and as the only One worthy of our full devotion (Revelation 5:6-14).

The Angel Of The Lord

Angel of the Lord	Activity or Attitude	Jesus
Genesis 16:7,13	Called “Lord”	John 20:28
Genesis 48:15-16	Called “God”	Hebrews 1:8
Exodus 3:2-14	“I AM”	John 8:58
Exodus 23:20-23	Sent from God	John 5:30; 6:38
Joshua 5:13-15	Commander of the Lord’s army	Revelation 19:1-14
Judges 13:15-18	Name is “Wonderful”	Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 63:9	Redeemed his own	Ephesians 5:25

When the “angel of the Lord” appears in the Bible, He is identified with God and yet distinguished from Him. He is also referred to as “the angel of His presence” (Isaiah 63:9).

The same statements that are made about the nature, character, mission and activities of the angel of the Lord are stated in Jesus.

The “angel of the Lord” is thought by many to be God the Son, appearing in human history before Jesus came to earth as a man.