Exodus

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Joseph’s words are fulfilled in Exodus when the children of Israel are brought up out of the land of Egypt through the Red Sea and into the wilderness. (Numbers covers the remaining thirty-eight years of their forty years’ wandering in the wilderness, bringing them to the Jordan, while Deuteronomy records the last words of Moses before they entered the land of Canaan.) Although Moses saw the promised land from the top of Mount Pisgah, he never entered it.
While this gives us a broad outline of the historic events of these books, we would lose very much if that were all we saw. The Old Testament is full of vitally important moral instruction for believers today. These Scriptures were “a shadow of good things to come” (Heb. 10:11For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (Hebrews 10:1)), examples or types for us (1 Cor. 10:66Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (1 Corinthians 10:6)), “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:1111Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)).
In Exodus we have redemption and, as a result, relationship to Jehovah, the Redeemer. In Genesis we read of Elohim, the Creator, the One with whom man has to do (Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)). God introduces himself to Abraham as El Shaddai, God Almighty (Gen. 17:11And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1)). In Exodus however, we have, “I AM THAT I AM” (Ex. 3:1414And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)). This is Jehovah, the Eternal One—a name that speaks of relationship—and it was by this name that Israel was to know God. “I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people, and will be your God; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah your God, am he who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Ex. 6:6-76Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:6‑7) JND).
Exodus may be divided as follows: 1. Israel in Egypt (ch. 1-6). 2. The ten plagues of Egypt (ch. 7-12). 3. The exodus—from the Passover to the Red Sea (ch. 12-14). 4. The song of redemption (ch. 15). 5. The Red Sea to Mt. Sinai (ch. 16-19). 6. The law and the pattern for the Tabernacle (ch. 20-40).
The Rea Sea is a picture to us of Christ’s death and resurrection. It typifies the deliverance of the believer from the power of Satan and the world. In salvation we are not merely safe from wrath to come, but have complete victory over the power of sin (Rom. 6:17-1817But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17‑18)). The Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians upon the seashore (Ex. 14:3030Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. (Exodus 14:30)).
The Tabernacle
As soon as we have a people redeemed in the Old Testament, we have the thought of God dwelling in the midst of His people. God could not dwell with them in Egypt, a land of idolatry; he must separate them from such a scene for Himself.
The tabernacle (or tent of meeting) was constructed according to the pattern given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It consisted first of a court, and, within the court, the tabernacle itself. The tabernacle was divided into two parts: the Holy place and, separated by a veil, the Holy of Holies, where was the Ark of the Covenant. It was from within the Holy of Holies that Jehovah was looked upon as dwelling in the midst of His redeemed people. “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Ex. 25:88And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8)). As the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, the tabernacle formed the center of their encampments (Numbers 2).
Such a building must be built according to God’s specifications: “According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it” (Ex. 25:99According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. (Exodus 25:9)). No detail was insignificant and nothing was left to the ingenuity of Moses. We find in the New Testament that the things made were “patterns of things in the heavens” (Heb. 9:2323It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23)). The tabernacle, its furnishings, and the many instruments were figures of the true. In them we see Christ shadowed—His person and His work.