Exodus E-Book

Matthew Newkirk

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Knowing the Bible
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 111

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on each and every page of the Bible. The book of Exodus recounts the single most important event in Israel's history: their escape from slavery in the land of Egypt. Tracing their journey across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and eventually to Mount Sinai, this foundational Old Testament text highlights the supreme faithfulness and mercy of God in contrast to Israel's consistent grumbling, rebellion, and sin—showing us that God is a God who saves sinners.

Leseprobe

EXODUS

A 12-WEEK STUDY

Matthew R. Newkirk

Knowing the Bible: Exodus, A 12-Week Study

Copyright © 2015 by Crossway

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Some content used in this study guide has been adapted from the ESV Study Bible (Crossway), copyright 2008 by Crossway, pages 139–208. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design: Simplicated Studio

First printing 2015

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4306-7 EPub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4309-8 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4307-4 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4308-1

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

TABLEOF CONTENTS

  Series Preface: J. I. Packer and Lane T. DennisWeek   1: OverviewWeek   2: Israel’s Oppression and Moses’ Early Life (1:1–2:25)Week   3: Moses’ Call and Preparation (3:1–7:7)Week   4: The Plagues against Egypt (7:8–11:10)Week   5: Passover and Exodus (12:1–13:16)Week   6: Deliverance at the Red Sea (13:17–15:21)Week   7: Journey to Sinai (15:22–18:27)Week   8: Covenant Law at Sinai (19:1–24:18)Week   9: Instructions for Building the Tabernacle (25:1–31:18)Week 10: Covenant Violation, Intercession, and Renewal (32:1–34:35)Week 11: Construction of the Tabernacle (35:1–40:38)Week 12: Summary and Conclusion

SERIES PREFACE

KNOWING THE BIBLE, as the series title indicates, was created to help readers know and understand the meaning, the message, and the God of the Bible. Each volume in the series consists of 12 units that progressively take the reader through a clear, concise study of that book of the Bible. In this way, any given volume can fruitfully be used in a 12-week format either in group study, such as in a church-based context, or in individual study. Of course, these 12 studies could be completed in fewer or more than 12 weeks, as convenient, depending on the context in which they are used.

Each study unit gives an overview of the text at hand before digging into it with a series of questions for reflection or discussion. The unit then concludes by highlighting the gospel of grace in each passage (“Gospel Glimpses”), identifying whole-Bible themes that occur in the passage (“Whole-Bible Connections”), and pinpointing Christian doctrines that are affirmed in the passage (“Theological Soundings”).

The final component to each unit is a section for reflecting on personal and practical implications from the passage at hand. The layout provides space for recording responses to the questions proposed, and we think readers need to do this to get the full benefit of the exercise. The series also includes definitions of key words. These definitions are indicated by a note number in the text and are found at the end of each chapter.

Lastly, for help in understanding the Bible in this deeper way, we urge readers to use the ESV Bible and the ESV Study Bible, which are available in various print and digital formats, including online editions at www.esvbible.org. The Knowing the Bible series is also available online. Additional 12-week studies covering each book of the Bible will be added as they become available.

May the Lord greatly bless your study as you seek to know him through knowing his Word.

J. I. Packer Lane T. Dennis

WEEK 1: OVERVIEW

Getting Acquainted

The book of Exodus received its name because it records Israel’s departure (Greek exodos) from Egypt. The book recounts how God graciously delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, traces their journey through the wilderness, and describes in detail the covenant1 God made with them at Mount Sinai. In telling this story, Exodus highlights the supreme faithfulness and mercy of God, and contrasts this with Israel’s repetitive grumbling, rebellion, and sin. In so doing, this book presents a condensed picture of the gospel. Simply put, Exodus shows us that God saves sinners.

After showcasing his power and glory in freeing Israel from slavery, God gathers Israel to the foot of Mount Sinai where he communicates his will to them through the law. The instructions of the law include both requirements for how Israel is to live (chs. 20–24) and directives for how God is to be worshiped (chs. 25–31). Although Israel continues to demonstrate idolatrous tendencies, God shows himself to be supremely merciful and faithful (chs. 32–34). The book ends with Israel constructing the tabernacle2 according to God’s specifications, and God descending to dwell with them (chs. 35–40). (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 139–144; also online at www.esvbible.org.)

Placing It in the Larger Story

Whereas Genesis records God’s promise that Abraham would become a great nation (Gen. 12:2), Exodus describes the fulfillment of that promise (Ex. 1:6–7). Moreover, God’s covenant with the patriarchs,3 in which he promised to give their descendants the land of Canaan (Gen. 15:18; 26:3; 35:12), is the reason God delivers Israel from Egypt (Ex. 2:24).

Although God gives Israel the law and comes to dwell in their midst, ultimately Israel will not be faithful to their covenant with him. Only in Jesus do we find a faithful Israelite who keeps God’s law while simultaneously embodying God’s presence with his people (John 1:14).

Key Verse

“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples” (Ex. 19:4–5a).

Date and Historical Background

In the Gospels, Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6 and ascribes authorship to Moses (Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37). In Exodus, one verse in particular narrows down when Moses finalized the book. Exodus 16:35 says, “The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” This verse suggests that Moses did not finalize the book of Exodus until after the forty years in the desert, when Israel had reached the border of Canaan. This reveals that the original audience of Exodus was the second generation of Israel, camped on the plains of Moab, waiting to enter the Promised Land.

Outline

 I. Exodus from Egypt (1:1–18:27)

A. Israel in Egypt (1:1–11:10)

1. Israel’s oppression and Moses’ early life (1:1–2:25)

2. Moses’ call and preparation (3:1–7:7)

3. The plagues against Egypt (7:8–11:10)

B. From Egypt to Sinai (12:1–18:27)

1. Passover and exodus (12:1–13:16)

2. Deliverance at the Red Sea (13:17–15:21)

3. Journey to Sinai (15:22–18:27)

II. Covenant at Sinai (19:1–40:38)

A. Covenant law at Sinai (19:1–24:18)

1. Covenant preparation (19:1–25)

2. Covenant law (20:1–23:33)

3. Covenant confirmation (24:1–18)

B. Divine Presence with Israel (25:1–40:38)

1. Instructions for building the tabernacle (25:1–31:18)

2. Covenant violation, intercession, and renewal (32:1–34:35)

3. Construction of the tabernacle (35:1–40:38)

As You Get Started

What is your present understanding of the events in Exodus as they relate to God’s plan of salvation? How would you summarize the teaching of the book as a whole?

How do you understand Exodus’s contribution to Christian theology? From your current knowledge of Exodus, what does it teach us about God, humanity, sin, salvation, and other doctrines?

What has perplexed you about Exodus? What questions do you hope to see answered through this study of Exodus?

As You Finish This Unit . . .

Ask God to open your heart and mind as you begin this study of Exodus. Also, take a few minutes and look back through this first unit of study to see what the Lord may be teaching you—and perhaps to highlight or underline anything that jumps out so you can review it later.

Definitions

1Covenant – A binding agreement between two parties, typically involving a formal statement of their relationship, a list of stipulations and obligations for both parties, a list of witnesses to the agreement, and a list of curses for unfaithfulness and blessings for faithfulness to the agreement.

2Tabernacle – The tent where God dwelled on earth and communed with his people as Israel’s divine king.

3Patriarchs – The earliest ancestors of Israel, primarily Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

WEEK 2: ISRAEL’S OPPRESSION AND MOSES’ EARLY LIFE

Exodus 1:1–2:25

The Place of the Passage

The first two chapters of Exodus set the stage for the rest of the book. As Israel expands into a great nation, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:2), Pharaoh oppresses them and seeks to curtail their growth. The birth of Moses is presented as the climactic, ironic reversal of Pharaoh’s oppressive attempts, hinting that Moses will be a key means by which God will rescue his people. The notice at the end of chapter 2, that “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Ex. 2:24), prepares us to see God act further on his promises to the patriarchs and bring Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

The Big Picture

Although Pharaoh oppresses Israel, God’s promises of Israel’s growth and deliverance from Egypt begin to take shape.

Reflection and Discussion

Read through the whole passage for this study, Exodus 1:1–2:25. Then review the shorter passages below and write your answers to the following questions. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 145–147; also available online at www.esvbible.org.)

1. Israel’s Multiplication (1:1–7)

In Genesis, God created humanity in his “image” (Gen. 1:26–27), which means that humans were designed to serve as God’s royal representatives on earth. In the ancient world, the presence of a king’s “image” (usually a statue) represented the reign and authority of that king. God then commanded humanity to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (v. 28), which shows that they were to represent God’s kingship to the ends of the earth. In light of this, what does Exodus 1:7 imply about Israel’s purpose as a nation? How does Exodus 19:5–6 elaborate upon this idea?

2. Israel’s Oppression (1:8–22)

The theme of Israel “multiplying” continues in Exodus 1:8–22, though now this multiplication occurs in the context of oppression. The Hebrew men are presented here as unstoppably reproductive despite oppressive working conditions (vv. 8–14), and the Hebrew women are unstoppably reproductive due to the midwives’ disobedience of Pharaoh’s oppressive decree concerning childbirth (vv. 15–22). Given the background of Genesis 1:28 for Exodus 1:7, how might Genesis 3:16–17 shed light on what is going on here?

In this passage we see that God’s covenant promises for his people are ironically accomplished in the midst of oppression. What are some other biblical examples of this?

In Exodus 1:16 and 1:22, Pharaoh specifies that each Hebrew “son” (and not simply “boy”) must be killed. Read ahead in Exodus 4:22–23. Against whom is Pharaoh setting himself up here in chapter 1? What might this imply about those who oppose the church today?

3. Moses’ Birth (2:1–10)

The Hebrew word for the “basket” in which Moses is placed (Ex. 2:3) occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament only to describe Noah’s “ark” (Genesis 6–9). In what other ways does Noah’s life foreshadow Moses’ life?

Exodus 1:8–22 presented two ironic reversals of Pharaoh’s decrees. What ironies do you see in Exodus 2:5–9? Through this pattern, how is Moses presented in the story of his birth?

The name “Moses” seems to be related to the Egyptian word for “son” (e.g., Pharaoh Thutmose), but it also sounds like the Hebrew verb meaning “to draw out” (Ex. 2:10). Given Pharaoh’s decree in 1:22, what is ironic about this double meaning of Moses’ name?

4. Moses’ Flight (2:11–25)