The Hebrew title of this book (we'elleh shemot) originated from the ancient practice of naming a Bible book after its first word or words. "Now these are the names of"is the translation of the first two Hebrew words.
"The Hebrew title of the Book of Exodus, therefore, was to remind us that Exodus is the sequel to Genesis and that one of its purposes is to continue the history of God's people as well as elaborate further on the great themes so nobly introduced in Genesis."1
Exodus cannot stand alone. It would not make much sense without Genesis. The very first word of the book, translated "now,"is a conjunction that means "and."
The English title "Exodus"is a transliteration of the Greek word exodosfrom the Septuagint translation meaning "exit,""way out,"or "departure."The Septuagint translators gave the book this title because of the major event in it, namely, the Israelites' departure from Egypt.
"The exodus is the most significant historical and theological event of the Old Testament . . ."2
Moses, who lived from about 1525 to 1405 B.C., wrote Exodus. He could have written it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit any time after the events recorded (after about 1444 B.C.). He may have written it during the year the Israelites camped at the base of Mt. Sinai. He may have done so during the 38-year period of wandering in the wilderness following the Israelites' failure to enter the land from Kadesh Barnea (cf. Num. 13-14; ca. 1443-1405 B.C.). On the other hand he may have written it on the plains of Moab just before his death (cf. 16:35).3
Exodus embraces about 431 years of history, from the arrival of Jacob and his family in Egypt (ca. 1876 B.C.) to the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai (ca. 1445 B.C.). However 1:1-7 is a review of Jacob's family. If we eliminate this section, the narrative resumes the story of the Israelites where Genesis ends, after the death of Joseph. About 364 years elapsed between the death of Joseph and the building of the tabernacle. The bulk of the book (chs. 3-40) deals with only two of these years, the year before and the year after the Exodus from Egypt. The Exodus event is clearly the focus of this book.
The Israelites lived in Egypt 430 years (12:40). Genesis 15:13 has the round number 400 years as the time of Israel's oppression in Egypt.4
"The purpose of the Book of Exodus is to celebrate God's gracious deliverance of His chosen people Israel from Egyptian slavery to the freedom of covenant relationship and fellowship with Him."5
"No other biblical book surfaces elsewhere in the OT as frequently as the Book of Exodus does; in the NT only the Books of Psalms and Isaiah are cited more, and that for the fairly obvious reasons of liturgy and messianism."6
The great contribution of this book is the revelation that Yahweh is the sovereign God who provides deliverance for man from the slavery in which he finds himself.
The major teaching of Exodus is primarily threefold.
1. The sovereignty of God.
2. The salvation of man.
3. The methods by which the sovereign God affects man's salvation.
First, Exodus teaches the sovereignty of God.
In Genesis we learned that the only way we can realize the purpose for which God created us is through faith in a trustworthy God that expresses itself in obedience.
In Exodus we learn that the God with whom we can have a relationship is not only trustworthy but sovereign. This realization should produce within us the double effect of worship and obedience.
Sovereignty is the attribute of God that expresses the fact that Yahweh is the ultimate ruler of the universe. There is no one higher in authority than He. As sovereign, He has all power. Sovereignty does not refer to how God rules, the method by which He governs. In particular, it does not imply that God controls every detail of life immediately (directly). God exercises His sovereignty by allowing human beings certain freedoms. He does not control us like puppets on strings but as a father controls his children. We have limited freedom.
We can see God's sovereignty clearly in His superiority over all the so-called gods of Egypt. He displayed His great power in all of His activity that resulted in the liberation of the Israelites and His adoption of them as His people. Scripture teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. No one has been able to explain this mystery adequately (cf. Job).
Second, Exodus teaches the salvation of man.
In Genesis we saw the need for salvation (i.e., the Fall and the repeated failures of man).
In Exodus, God revealed the method of salvation and explained the consequences of salvation initially.
Exodus teaches that God provides salvation for man. Man does not provide it for himself. It also reveals that man appropriates what God has provided by faith.
Two activities become prominent as major expressions of faith in Exodus: worship and obedience. Worship and obedience are the Godward and the manward expressions of faith respectively.
Worship consists of putting God at the center of life (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). Worship was to characterize the Israelites nationally and personally. God illustrated the importance of placing Him at the center of life by locating the ark of the covenant in the center of the tabernacle. He further did so by placing the tabernacle in the center of the Israelite camp.
Obedience consists of arranging all the parts of life in proper relation to God who is at the center. If something in life does not orient toward God properly, there is disobedience. In this way Exodus deepens the revelation concerning obedience that God has given us in Genesis.
Third, Exodus teaches the methods by which the sovereign God affects man's salvation.
God's method of dealing with the human race generally (outside Israel) was by creating a pattern, namely, the nation of Israel. God created the nation of Israel so that He could demonstrate through Israel for all other nations and peoples to see how glorious it can be to live under God's government. God's election of Israel was not the selection of a pet that God would favor at the expense of all others. It was the construction of a pattern. Israel was to be a demonstration to all the world of how wonderful life can be under the rule of Yahweh (cf. 19:5-6).
God's method of dealing with Israel was by revealing a person, namely, Himself. In many revelations to the Israelites, God sought to deepen their understanding of and appreciation for Himself and His will. The special privilege of receiving the revelation was a blessing to them and should have resulted in their being a blessing to the whole world. Israel was to do this by demonstrating how good it is to live under God's kingship. Some of the most important revelations occur in the following passages: 3:4-16; 6:2-8; 19:3-6; 20:1-7; 24:1, 9-11; 34:5-8; and 40:34-35. They are not all different, but God intended them to have the cumulative effect of deepening the Israelites' concept of God. They came to the people like waves beating on the shore. All the details of the Mosaic Code, which begins in Exodus and continues through Numbers, reinforce the main point of this revelation, which is the character of God.
God's method of dealing with individuals was by providing opportunities, choices.
We can see this most easily in God's dealing with the two major characters in Exodus, Moses and Pharaoh. God's method of dealing with both men was the same, but their responses were different and consequently so were their fates.
Pharaoh was a strong, wise leader who acted wholly by sight rather than by faith in Yahweh. He is typical of people of the world. God's method of dealing with him was to give him opportunities to make the right choices and so experience the blessing of God. Pharaoh chose not to trust God, and his disobedience resulted in personal tragedy for himself and national tragedy for Egypt.
Moses on the other hand was also a strong, wise leader, but he acted by faith rather than by sight (Heb. 11:27). God's method of dealing with him in Exodus was the same. He gave him opportunities to make the right choices and so experience God's blessing. Moses chose to trust and obey God, and his life is a story of personal triumph and national triumph for Israel.
In both cases God patiently worked with these representative individuals and gently encouraged them to do His will. Moses developed into a noble character because he chose to submit to God's government even though he was faulty, failing, and fearful. Pharaoh was a more admirable person in many respects, but he sank into destruction because he chose to refuse to submit to God's government (authoritative rule).
Exodus teaches that individuals are personally responsible under God, and their choices determine their destinies. There is ample New Testament evidence for this in John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 20:31; et al. Divine sovereignty does not negate human responsibility.
If we look at the record of God's activity in Exodus, we see progress. The unbelief of His enemies does not frustrate Him. His ultimate purposes for Israel came to fruition.
However if we look at the record of man's activity in this book, we see failure. Even Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites who trusted God constantly failed. We observed this in the lives of the characters in Genesis as well.
While man constantly falls short of what God requires, human failure does not frustrate God's ultimate purposes. This proves that God is indeed sovereign.
I. The liberation of Israel 1:1-15:21
A. God's preparation of Israel and Moses chs. 1-4
1. The growth of Jacob's family 1:1-7
2. The Israelites' bondage in Egypt 1:8-22
3. Moses' birth and education 2:1-10
4. Moses' flight from Egypt to Midian 2:11-15
5. Moses' life in Midian 2:16-25
6. Moses' call 3:1-4:18
7. Moses' return to Egypt 4:19-31
B. God's demonstrations of His sovereignty chs. 5-11
1. Pharaoh's response to Moses and Aaron's initial request 5:1-6:1
2. Moses and Aaron's equipment as God's messengers 6:2-7:7
3. The attestation of Moses and Aaron's divine mission 7:8-13
4. The first three plagues 7:14-8:19
5. The fourth, fifth, and sixth plagues 8:20-9:12
6. The seventh, eight, and ninth plagues 9:13-10:29
7. The proclamation of the tenth plague ch. 11
C. God's redemption of His people 12:1-13:16
1. The consecration of Israel as the covenant nation 12:1-28
2. The death of the first-born and the release of Israel 12:29-36
3. The exodus of Israel out of Egypt 12:37-42
4. Regulations concerning the Passover 12:43-51
5. The sanctification of the first-born 13:1-16
D. God's completion of Israel's liberation 13:17-15:21
1. The journey from Succoth to Etham 13:17-22
2. Israel's passage through the Red Sea ch. 14
3. Israel's song of deliverance 15:1-21
II. The adoption of Israel 15:22-40:38
A. God's preparatory instruction of Israel 15:22-18:27
1. Events in the wilderness of Shur 15:22-27
2. Quails and manna in the wilderness of Sin ch. 16
3. The lack of water at Rephidim 17:1-7
4. The hostility of the Amalekites 17:18-36
5. The friendliness of Jethro the Midianite ch. 18
B. The establishment of the Mosaic Covenant 19:1-24:11
1. Preparation for the Covenant ch. 19
2. The Ten Commandments 20:1-17
3. The response of the Israelites 20:18-21
4. The stipulations of the Book of the Covenant 20:22-23:33
5. The ratification of the Covenant 24:1-11
C. Directions regarding God's dwelling among His people 24:12-31:18
1. The revelation of these directions 24:12-18
2. Contributions for the construction of the sanctuary 25:1-9
3. The tabernacle furnishings 25:10-41
4. The tabernacle structure ch. 26
5. The tabernacle courtyard 27:1-19
6. The investiture of the priests 27:20-28:43
7. The consecration of the priests 29:1-37
8. The service of the priests 29:38-30:38
9. The builders of the tabernacle 31:1-11
10. The sign of the Sabbath 31:12-18
D. The breaking and renewing of the covenant chs. 32-34
1. The failure of Israel ch. 32
2. The re-establishment of fellowship ch. 33
3. The renewal of the covenant ch. 34
E. The construction and dedication of the objects used in Israel's worship chs. 35-40
1. Preparations for construction 35:1-36:7
2. Execution of the work 36:8-39:43
3. The erection and consecration of the tabernacle ch. 40
In an interesting and original chart of Exodus, Ted Grove suggested the following structural outline of Exodus.8
I. Israel's liberation chs. 1-18
A. Israel's affliction (Israel is Egypt's possession) 1:1-2:14
B. Deliverance 2:15-18:27
Ted saw the following chiastic structure in this section.
AMidian: Moses' commission 2:15-4:28
BEnemy: Egypt defeated 4:29-15:21
CWater: bitter to sweet and 12 springs 15:22-27
DFood: manna and quail ch. 16
C'Water: out of rock 17:1-7
B'Enemy: Amalek defeated 17:8-16
A'Midian: Moses accepts wisdom ch. 18
II. Israel's adoption chs. 19-40
A. Covenant delivered 19:1-24:11
B. Sanctuary planned 24:12-31:18
C. Covenant broken ch. 32
D. Covenant renewed chs. 33-34
E. Sanctuary's construction 35:1-40:33
F. Covenant sealed (Israel is God's possession) 40:34-38
Ted also saw a chiasm in this part of the book.
ACovenant delivered 19:1-24:11
BTabernacle planned 24:12-27:21
CPriestly instructions chs. 28-30
DCraftsmen's direction 31:1-11
ESabbath instructions 31:12-18
FCovenant broken ch. 32
F'Covenant renewed chs. 33-34
E'Sabbath reminded 35:1-3
D'Craftsmen and construction 35:4-38:31
C'Priests prepared ch. 39
B'Tabernacle completed 40:1-33
A'Covenant sealed 40:34-38
The center of the first chiasm is the manna. The center of the second chiasm is the tablets of the Law. These were the two items God instructed Moses to preserve in the ark of the covenant.
Ted saw the key verse of the book as 34:9.
