The word Exodus means ‘way out’ or ‘departure.’ This second book of the Torah is initially about the deliverance of God’s people from slavery to the Egyptians. As such it pictures for us our deliverance from sin, Satan and a world that is under God’s judgement. God declares to Pharaoh, through Moses, that he is to ‘Let my people go that they may worship me.’ Much of the rest of Exodus is about how the old covenant people of God would approach him in worship. This is why so much is about the Tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices. These are rich in symbolism and foreshadow important truths about how we now approach God under the new covenant. There is also much about the Law and its place in establishing Israel as a nation. Understood within the various stages of God’s unfolding plan, the Law is also there to make us aware of our sinfulness and so lead us to Christ.

Deliverance

Moses is sovereignly protected, raised up and trained to become God’s man for bringing deliverance to his people. As such he points to Jesus. Through him, God brings the judgement of the plagues on Pharaoh. Judgement is not just about condemnation but separation. God causes there to be a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, and makes his people great in Egypt. Although we are saved from the world, we still live in the world, and God can help us to prosper in the world.

The last curse is the death of the firstborn. This prefigures Christ as the only Son of God, the firstborn. He is also, of course, our Passover Lamb. He is the Lamb of God, both in his sinless life (without defect) and his substitutionary death. When God saw the blood on the doorposts, he passed over the Israelites. When we put our faith in Christ’s blood, poured out for our forgiveness, we escape God’s judgement.

There is also deliverance from our spiritual enemy. Passing through the Red Sea is a picture of our baptism that cuts us off from those enemies of our soul that would pursue us, just as the Israelites were cut off from the Egyptians. God shows that he is well able to deliver us from the enemy. Realising what is taking place at our baptism is a key to success in Christian living.

God also institutes special annual festivals to help the people remember what he has done for them. They represent stages of their journey but they also picture important stages and aspects of our life in Christ.

The people are still rebellious and stubborn at times and God shows both judgement and mercy. Moses also learns to be the shepherd-leader and is an example of the shepherding, or pastoral, ministry. He is also a picture of Christ, the good and great shepherd.

Law

Moses returns to the Mountain (Horeb or Sinai) where God had first called him to lead his people. The image of the mountain recurs throughout Scripture and often signifies the place of God’s presence and encounter with him. The experience of God’s presence among people is a key theme in Exodus and throughout the whole Bible. We will return to it repeatedly in the Bible Tour.

The people must see Moses meeting with God up the mountain but they are also given the sense of God’s holiness and awesome majesty, as they are not allowed to approach the mountain themselves on pain of death. It is from here that they know God has spoken to Moses, made his covenant with him and given him the Law. The Law in all its aspects – its moral instructions, civil (social) laws and those about worship ceremonies – helps organise and establish Israel as a nation. The Law also gives us insight into some general moral principles that reflect God’s will and character. It puts in place something whose purpose in the unfolding plan of God is to show us that we are sinners and that we need saving.

Worship

Central to the worship of Israel are offerings made to God through sacrifice and the shedding of blood. This develops the theme of salvation through substitutionary death. ‘Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.’ This of course is all pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The best commentary on all of this is the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. We also find there an explanation of the spiritual significance of the Tabernacle and all its parts. It is full of symbol and significance, and the key truth is that, whereas then no one but the high priest could go into the Most Holy Place once a year, now we can go right through continually into the Presence of God in the heavenly tabernacle. A second aspect of their worship is the idea of the priesthood. Jesus is of course our great high priest who mediates between us and God. But under the new covenant, we are now all priests, able to go right into the presence of God. We need no human mediator now that Christ has made the way open!

One final key thing about the construction of the Tabernacle, its design and furnishings, and even the priests’ clothing, is that they have to be made according to the instructions God gives on the mountain. Everything to do with our worship, our spiritual life, and the Church must be according to God’s directions.

There is an excellent overview of Exodus from The Bible Project here and here.