Exodus: Key Themes, Covenant, and Theological Insights

Exodus

the way out

Deliverance

Relief - The Exodus

Covenant

Relationship - The Sinai Covenant

Presence

God's relationship with Israel

Religion

The Tabernacle

Purpose

To explain how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt and how God delivered them from Egyptian oppression

Message

The Exodus is the primary redemptive event of the OT

Establishment

The judgment of the oppressor nation Egypt

Direction

The direction of Israel as God's special possession among all peoples

Moses

Born in Egypt, the Son of Hebrew Slaves from the tribe of Levi

Nile

Placed in a basket and put in the Nile river for protection against Pharaoh's daughter

Decree

Decree to kill male Hebrew babies

Pharaoh's Daughter

Discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and named Moses

Egyptian

Killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew

Zipporah

Married Zipporah, daughter of priest of Midian

Gershom

Had a child named Gershom

Place

Horeb = 'the mountain of God'

Revelation

'Burning bush' = a theophany

Name

Yahweh = 'I am who I am'

Commission

'I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt'

Adequacy

Question of adequacy - 'Who am I?' (3:11)

Authority

Question of authority - 'What is your name?' (3:13)

Credibility

Question of credibility - 'They will not believe me' (4:1)

Eloquence

Question of eloquence - 'I can't speak' (4:10)

Excuse

Lesson - You cannot out excuse God!

Cosmic Struggle

battle between the true God Yahweh and false gods of the Egyptians

Amun-Ra

Pharaoh - representative of sun god

Khonsu

Pharaoh's oldest son - representative of moon god

Nature

Selectivity

Morality

God deserves to be worshipped

Intensity

Progressively worse

Timing

By God's will and Moses' command

Literary Structure

formal literary device

Continuous Progression

First nine plagues in a series grouped into three sets of three

Pattern of Events

and promises by Pharaoh

Key Theme

"By this you will know that I am the Lord"

Three Formulas

1) God hardened Pharaoh's heart; 2) Pharaoh hardened own heart; or 3) heart "was hardened"

Chazaq

"to be strong" - Yahweh subject or passive voice used

Kavad

"to be heavy" - used with Pharaoh as subject

Kashah

"to be hard" - One time Yahweh is subject

Hebrew Theology

of no secondary causes

Literary Device

to show need for another plague

Modern Theology

of predestination

Divine Confirmation

of human intent

Firstborn

Context - The Tenth Plague and Significance of 'firstborn'

Plague

Reflects God's judgment upon Egypt for Pharaoh's massacre of Hebrew boys.

Passover

Celebration commemorating Yahweh's deliverance of His people from bondage in Egypt.

Unleavened Bread

Accompanied the Passover as a reminder of the great haste in which the Israelites departed Egypt.

Lord's Supper

Foreshadows the New Testament and institution of the Lord's Supper.

DATE OF THE EXODUS

Disputed evidence regarding the timing of the Exodus.

The Early Date

(c.a. 1458 BC) Eighteenth Egyptian Dynasty.

Pharaoh of Oppression

Thutmose III (1504-1450).

Pharaoh of Exodus

Amenophis II (1450-1425).

The Late Date

(c.a. 1250 BC) Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty.

Pharaohs of Oppression

Ramses I (1320-1318) and Seti I (1318-1304).

Biblical Evidence

Evidence from the Bible regarding the Exodus.

Cities of Pithom

Built as mentioned in Exodus 1:11.

Israel in Egypt

Israel was in Egypt for 430 years as stated in Exodus 12:40.

Canaan Occupation

Israel occupied Canaan for 30 years before the judgeship of Jephthah according to Judges 11:26.

Temple Construction

Temple built 480 years after Exodus as per 1 Kings 6:1.

Extra-biblical Evidence

Evidence outside the Bible regarding the Exodus.

Merneptah Stela

Indicates Israel may have been an established nation (c.a. 1220).

Amarna Tablets

Speaks of the 'Habiru', possibly the Hebrews (c.a. 1400).

Dream Stela of Thutmose IV

Indicates he was not a legal heir to the throne, possibly due to the plague.

Archaeological Evidence

Evidence from towns in Canaan, e.g., Jericho and Hazor.

Gulf of Suez

Geographical location related to the Exodus.

Lake Menzalch

Geographical location considered during the Exodus.

Lake Sirbonis

Geographical location near the mouth of the Nile.

Bitter Lakes Region

Area with marshy, 'shallow' lakes.

Three Possible Routes

Routes taken during the Exodus.

Northern Route

Described as the 'way of the land of the Philistines' (13:17).

Central Route

Route associated with an active volcano (19:16-25).

Southern Route

Described as the 'way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea' (13:18).

NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT

Exodus 12:37 states 600,000 men (excluding women and children).

Logistics of Moving

Challenges of moving a large group during the Exodus.

Hebrew Midwives

Only two Hebrew midwives mentioned in Exodus 1:15ff.

Word for 'thousand'

Can also mean a chief, fighting company, or unit.

600 Companies

Composed of 20-50 individuals, suggesting tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands.

MOSAIC Covenant

Called the 'Sinai' or 'Mosaic' Covenant.

Conditional Covenant

'If' - covenant conditional, i.e., requires obedience.

Own Possession

'own possession' - personal property of God.

Privilege and Responsibility

Privilege as well as responsibility - special possession among all peoples, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.

Ten Words

Exodus 20 - Ten Words, Ten Commandments, or Decalogue.

Covenant Exam

Exodus 20:23-23:33 - Covenant Exam or NextpleProject.

Suzerain-Vassal Structure

Structure based on ANE Suzerain-Vassal treaty - vassal (lesser king) had to obey stipulations in order to guarantee protection from suzerain (greater king).

Preamble

Identifies parties involved in the covenant.

Prologue

Background of relationship of parties involved in covenant.

Stipulations

Rules of law based on contractual relationship.

Sanctions

Blessings and Curses for obeying/disobeying covenant.

Witnesses

Parties who can testify to the covenant obedience.

Documentation

Preservation of the covenant.

Covenant Ceremony

Highpoint of Covenant Relationship.

Covenant Meal

Fulfillment of Exodus 3:12 - Picture of worship of God through a covenant meal.

Tabernacle

Exodus 25-40 will focus on the Tabernacle, i.e., the dwelling place for God among His people.

Unholy People

Leviticus will answer how it is possible for an unholy people to survive living with a holy God.

Lord's Command

Built at Lord's command from a pattern shown to Moses.

Offerings

Built from offerings of people.

God's Presence

Localization of God's presence with Israel and a visual symbol that He was their God.

Fellowship

Means by which a sinful people could maintain fellowship with their holy Lord.

Golden Calf Incident

Covenant Breach - Golden Calf Incident.