Key words/phrases:- unprecedented beginning, ...
God continues with His plan to redeem the world, which He started through Abraham (Genesis 12). Here He is in the process of raising a group of people (now known as Israelites) who would represent Him & partner with Him, on earth, in this plan. These people are supposed to be among the first to be redeemed (/ have salvation). However, we will see this journey won't be smooth. God's chosen people are sinful. Sin of these people will complicate things and create hindrances in the journey (i.e., Exodus 32). However, God remains faithful and that is what keeps the great plan, to redeem the world, moving forward. From this whole journey, we learn a lot about how God pursues relationships with people and how people respond (and how they are should "actually" respond) - This is one of the big aspects of life that we learn from Bible, and this in turn is one of the big reasons why God gave us Bible.
An Unprecedented And Unexpected Beginning
The Book Of Exodus starts (Exodus 1:8) with something unprecedented and very unexpected. God allowing great suffering and great evil on His own people (as a whole group), via Pharaoh in Egypt. And this is not a judgement due to sins (like the one in 2 Kings 17 ). And, yes, this is the first time we see God's people being persecuted as a whole group (heard of the phrase "Church persecution"?!).
But as always God was in full control (not Pharaoh). His plan to redeem the world (which He kicked off via Abraham in Genesis 12) from the Fall of Genesis 3 was still in full progress, without any interruption. It seems this greatly unexpected and unusual phase of great suffering & evil was just a piece of that plan - quite bewildering to understand why & how. Yes, many times we do not understand why God does things the way He does, also because His ways are not our ways. Sometimes we mis-understand God's ways and start doubting - "maybe there is no God", or "God has given up on me / us", etc. - as the Israelites may have been doing so here, while they were going through great suffering and evil. The Israelites, then, just needed to walk by faith and not by sight. (Read more on suffering:- https://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2017/01/on-suffering.html)
Some Parallels With The Overall Story Of Redemption
To me, the journey in the Book Of Exodus reminds of key aspects in the overall story of redemption:-
- In the early Chapters, we see God's people suffering, persecuted, and under bondage / oppression. They could not have saved themselves. In the broad sense, we also are always suffering and are in some kind of bondage / oppression (say, of some spiritual kind) here on earth in our earthly bodies, since the days of "The Fall (Genesis 3)". We are all under the severe curse of the "The Fall" (Genesis 3), from which we are all seeking freedom, and we are unable to save / free ourselves from it. In that light, Paul encourages us in Romans 8:19-22, as we seek freedom from all our sufferings and bondages / oppression (i.e., as in Revelation 21:4 "... there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain ... "):- "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ". In both cases (Israelites in Exodus and people under the curse of "the fall"), God saves alone.
- After the Israelites are rescued and freed from slavery in Egypt, they embark on a new journey through wilderness (Exodus 14 onwards). They were on the way to promised land. Likewise, after a Christian is "saved", a Christian does not directly end up in heaven (the new "promised land"). The saved Christian has to still spend some time on earth as an "ambassador of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10). This journey through earth can be seen as "wilderness" compared to what is in store in the "promised land" or "new heaven / new earth" (Revelation 21). God led the Israelites through the journey in wilderness. Today Holy Spirit is leading the Church through these end times.
MISC Take Homes
- The Book describes some of the very key moments of history. One being, giving of "Ten Commandments" and other laws and justice terms. These laws primarily reflect the holy & just aspect of God. At the same times, these laws send people to hell, as no one is able to keep the laws - God's standards are so high and impossible to meet. Because of these laws and justice terms, Jesus had to come and die at the cross, so that people may not end up in hell because of these laws.
- God starts to reveal His very high standards (moral standards, etc), which people will fail to keep (as the journey through the Old Testament will show throughout & conclusively), which in turn will point to the need for Jesus's death & sacrifice at the cross. God starts revealing "what" He deserves from people, which people will fail to keep up with, and hence the need for Jesus's death & sacrifice at the cross. So, finally, also taking into consideration Jesus's death & sacrifice at the cross, we learn that even though God has very high standards and deserves very high returns from us, He, out of GREAT / ENORMOUS love, compassion, and mercy on us does not enforce on us His high standards and deserved expectations, the way He could and He should. Instead Jesus meets all the high standards that God sets for people to meet, and hence is declared perfectly righteous in the eyes of God. Hence anyone who has received Jesus as his / her Savior, the righteousness of Jesus is imputed in that person by God. As a result, that person need not keep the "ceremonial" aspects of God's high standards, as they are fulfilled in Jesus (See commentary of Exodus 21, to recall "ceremonial", "moral", "justice" aspects of God's high standards). That person is still called to obey the "moral" aspects of laws. But, when that person fails to keep a moral law, that person can seek & receive forgiveness (from the "justice" aspect of God's high standards). because of Jesus's sacrifice at the cross, if the person has a heart of repentance. So, at the end of the day, the "saved" person has moved from the realm of the old testament period (/ old covenant), when any person lived under the "burden" of law (as they would fail to keep the laws, and hence be headed to Hell), to the time of new testament (/ new covenant) , where the "saved" person now lives in the "restful" arms of Jesus (Matthew 11:28), and is headed to heaven with full eternal security (John 10:28).
- Here God is primarily revealing His Holy & Just aspects. (i.e., see answer to "Why would God KILL people who would come near to Him (Exodus 19:21)? Sounds very harsh & unloving? " in Exodus 19 commentary). Note people are yet to know another super-important aspect of God - that He would die for them, so that He can forgive their sins! That will be a game-changer. That will lead people to love & follow God primarily out of love instead of fear (Yes, by the end of Exodus, I suspect Israelites followed God primarily out of fear - so many "do's" and "don'ts" were given out to them by God, along with severe punishments at times on disobedience)
- We must always try to see / perceive life through God's eyes. We see a great illustration of this in Exodus 32. There, what may have seemed to many a simple and innocuous thing (worshiping a golden calf), was quite offensive and deserving of great judgment, in God's eyes. Three thousand ended up being killed, because of that ultra-offensive act of idol worshiping.
- Parts of Exodus double down on the fact that God deserves our best. In-fact we are all made for God, and have a specific purpose in His Kingdom.
- Tabernacle - Then, Tabernacle - Today
- Tabernacle marks another pivotal landmark in the history of humanity - God coming down from heaven to live among His people (in Tabernacle), for the first time since "The Fall". Down the line, a stationary "Temple" building will replace this portable Tabernacle. Further down the line, Jesus will replace the "Temple" building (John 2:19), which will be eventually destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2). Jesus will also replace the high priest of the Tabernacle / Temple. Since, today Church is referred to as Body Of Jesus, one can say Church is the "Temple" on earth, in today's time. Today, God - The Holy Spirit - dwells in the Church.
- God always wanted to be in the midst of His people, also as a guide onto future. Yes God does not want to be aloof from our lives, but at the center of our lives. He also wants to be the leader of our lives.
- In Exodus, we start to see so many "do's" and "don'ts" given out by God, to His people, along with severe punishments at times on disobedience (i.e., , Exodus 19:20, Exodus 32, Exodus 30:20-21, ). All these, also reminds me that we should never take for granted the enormous freedom and such an easy access to God we have, TODAY, because of what Jesus did on the cross.
MISC
- Again, we see - there is something very serious called "God's timing" and God often makes his people "wait". Abraham waited long, till he had Isaac. The great promises of God to him unfolded very slowly in his eyes/our eyes for perfectly in God's timings. Joseph waited more than 20 years for his dreams of glory to be fulfilled (Genesis 37:7, Genesis 42:6). Here Israelites as a nation were slaves for decades - and NOT because of their sins. Then, even after being freed, they had to wander & wait in wilderness for 40 years before they could reach their "promised land". For more on "waiting" in God's Kingdom, read http://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2016/12/so-how-shall-we-wait.html
- We noted in the review of Genesis, that we see God's people in great dangers frequently (i.e. Abraham fears for life in Egypt - Genesis 15:10-10, Abraham battles with armies - Genesis 14, Isaac was about to be murdered - Genesis 22:10, Jacob's life was in danger - Genesis 27:41, Jacob was entrapped by Laban - Genesis 29-31, Dinah was raped - Genesis 34:2, Jacob's family get into serious trouble with Shechemites - Genesis 34, Joseph's is about to be killed and eventually sold as a slave and latter imprisoned - Genesis 37:12-36, Genesis 39, great famine endangers Jacob's family - Genesis 42). God's people are being tested continuously. These trends continue here in Exodus, as we see God's people in great oppression in Egypt, and then they are wandering in wilderness, where there are dangers of being starved (i.e., 16:3) or being attacked (i.e., Exodus 17:8-15). On this trend, I would repeat what I wrote in the review of Genesis:- "What we also see, they richly experience God and His power during their trials ... "As if" it is actually a very good place to be in, when you are hit with serious trials & sufferings. As then, also, you are very much dependent on God - again a very good place to be in! Remember how Paul boasts about his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)! "
- Towards "Finding God's will" From The Life of Moses
Read answer to "From the story of Moses, so far, what all do you learn towards “finding God’s plan for your life”? " in Chapter 3 commentary.
- God Brings Judgement On Egypt
Important questions from Exodus 5-11, commentaries:- "Reflect on the judgments God has sent on people groups, because of their sins, so far in the Bible. Compare the Egyptians here and the subjects of those past judgements. How and when does God bring judgement in TODAY's time?"
Quoting from the commentary:- "We have seen judgement on unrepentant people groups in Noah's time (Genesis 6-7), Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), Sodam & Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29). There were judgments on individuals too, such as Cain - Genesis 4. And now again judgment is coming on Egyptians. The commonality between the people groups in the judgments, reported in the book of Genesis, and the Egyptians here is that all these people went far far away from God and His righteous ways, without repenting in due time. ... Even today, you never know how and when God can judge someone because of their unrepentant sin(s). Apart from this we know for sure two extremely severe judgments are coming on the unrepentant:- (1) The Great Tribulation, (2) The final Judgement.
- At The End Of The Day God is Our Sustain-er and Provider
Quoting from the commentary of Exodus 15:22-17:-
"(2 - 'Bitter water made sweet'), (3, 'Bread from Heaven'), (4, 'Water from the rock') to me signify that at the end of the day God sustains us (we are dependent on Him daily; God provides). We need to acknowledge that daily and strive to be like that daily. We are to continue to seek "bread from heaven", daily, as Jesus asked us to pray "Our Father in heaven ... Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11)! Now, in America today, bread is very easy to find. Even if you are homeless, you may find it easily, say in some soup kitchen around. Even in such a situation, Americans should pray "Our Father in heaven ... Give us today our daily bread"! As, we should never take for granted, even a seemingly small & trivial blessing. We should be thankful and grateful, always, for all blessings big or small (James 1:17 ".. all good gifts are from heaven ...", 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ".. Give thanks always ..." ). (2), (3), (4) also signifies God's unfailing faithfulness to His people."
- By the end of Exodus, were Israelites following their God out of fear or love?
By the end of Exodus, I suspect Israelites followed God primarily out of GREAT fear - so many "do's" and "don'ts" were given out to them by God, along with severe punishments at times on disobedience (i.e., , Exodus 19:20, Exodus 32, Exodus 30:20-21, ). At this point of history, they are yet to know that this same very scary / fearful / strict God would also die for them!! God has been revealing Himself, not in one shot, but piece by piece, in His timings. Thousands of years latter, people will know also how greatly & deeply God loves people, through His Son Jesus and His great sacrificial act at the CROSS (i.e., John 3:16, Romans 8:32, etc). Then it is to become very clear why people should follow God out of GREAT love and not fear.
MISC HIGHLIGHTS
- Quoting from Chapter 4 commentary:- "Here, I can say, the Pharaoh's army represented crushing / gruesome death and great fear. But our God is a fear crushing God and also the only One who overcomes death. That is what we see here. Lift up all your daily fears to our great and mighty fear crushing & death overcoming God! "
- Note the very interesting discussion on "Here it seems God cares a lot about outer beauty & earthly riches (i.e., gold, silver, etc)? What does it tell about God’s character? How much should we care about them in our lives? Should not have these riches been instead used to take care of the poor?", in Exodus 25-27 commentary.