BOB – Exodus

by Stephen Rodgers

EXODUS IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“God delivers His people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt.”

TITLE

The English title “Exodus” comes from the Greek word (exodos) meaning “going out,” whereas the Hebrew title is derived from the books’s very first word (Šemot), translated “names.”  (Ex 1:1)  The Greek title gives us a glimpse of the major event/theme of the book, whereas the Hebrew title implies that this book was to be accepted as the obvious sequel to Genesis.

As previously mentioned, it is sometimes referred to as the “Second Book of Moses.”

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Both Jewish and Christian traditions attribute the five books of the Pentateuch primarily to Moses.  Unlike Genesis which attests to Mosaic authorship indirectly, Exodus lays direct claims (Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:4,27-29).

Furthermore, both the OT (Num 33:2; Jos 8:31; 1Ki 2:3; 2Ki 14:6; Ezr 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11,13; Mal 4:4) and the NT (Matt 8:4;Mk 12:26; Lk 16:29; 24:27, 44; Jn 5:46; 7:22; Ac 15:1; Ro 10:19; 1Co 9:9; 2Co 3:15) credit Moses as the author of the Pentateuch.

For more information, see the “Author and Composition” section of the Pentateuch article.

The original audience were the post-Exodus Israelites and their succeeding generations, who likely read Exodus in order to understand the great saga surrounding their national origin (Ex 12:25-27).

DATE

Depending on whether one subscribes to an early (ca. 1,446 BC) or late (ca. 1,260 BC) date of the Exodus would determine the time during which Exodus was written (after the Exodus but prior to Moses’ death). (It should be noted that while good arguments have been put forth in favor of both dates, the majority of scholars surveyed for this series tended to favor an early date).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Assuming an early date for the Exodus, Moses would have likely grown up in the courts of Pharaohs Thutmose I and II and Queen Hatshepsut during his first 40 years (Acts 7:22-23).  He would have been in exile during the reign of Thutmose III (Acts 7:30) and returned to Egypt early in the reign of Amenhotep II.  Given such experiences, Moses was uniquely suited to represent his people before the Egyptian monarchy as well as guide them through the wilderness of the Sinai peninsula.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

In broad terms, Exodus deals with four particular themes: 1) Moses, 2) Redemption, 3) Covenant, and 4) Tabernacle.  More specifically, one could say that the book deals with the story of how God raised up his servant Moses (1) to liberate his people from Egyptian bondage (2) and bring them into a covenant with Him (3) and to erect within Israel God’s royal tent (4).  Hopefully that reminds you of another story/theme of how God raised up His greatest Servant and Mediator to liberate His people from bondage to sin and bring them into a covenant with Him and to ultimately re-establish His presence among them.

In this and many other ways (preserved at birth, a sojourn in Egypt resulting in a “coming out,” etc.), Christ is seen as the true and greater Moses, and the Exodus is seen as the precursor for an even greater redemption story. In some ways, the passing through the Red Sea and the provision in the wilderness foreshadow both baptism and communion as well. For more on types, you might want to revisit the OT article.

LITERARY FEATURES

Exodus should be understood overall as falling within the genre of historical narrative. However, it specifically employs the genre of adventure story. It features a cruel villain (Pharaoh), an unlikely hero (Moses), overwhelming disasters (the plagues), a spectacular deliverance (the Red Sea), a mountaintop experience (where Moses received the 10 Commandments), and a grand finale (God Himself descending to fill the tabernacle). Along the way there are twists and turns, setbacks and delays, magic and sorcery, feasts and festivals, music and dancing, and many close encounters with God.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

As mentioned briefly above, the date of the Exodus has been the topic of some debate, although most scholars tend to favor the earlier date rather than the later one.  What has also been the topic of significant debate is the route of the Exodus.  Three possibilities tend to come up more often then the rest: a northern route called the “way of the land of the Philistines” (Ex 13:17, which the Bible specifically denies), a middle route across Sinai to Beersheba, and a southern route along the west coast of Sinai.  Most conservative scholars tend to favor the southern route.

Furthermore, the typological significance of the tabernacle has been the subject of much discussion and debate.  While some authors and scholars have gone to great lengths to link furniture and building materials to Christ.  It is likely that while the tabernacle has some typological significance, much of the detail regarding structure and ornamentation was intended to describe function and beauty rather than hidden meaning and symbolism.

OBJECTIONS

Exodus has attracted two broad categories of objections: objections to possibility and objections to content.

  • Until the last century or so, some skeptics rejected Mosaic authorship (and therefore the claims of Exodus) because they believed that Semitic writing systems had not been devised  at the time he was alive.  Not only has archaeological evidence dispelled that objection, but certain internal linguistic evidence (specifically the third-person singular feminine pronoun and a number of Egyptian loanwords) indicates both early composition and Egyptian influence.
  • Objections to content tend to revolve around the absence of evidence in ancient Egyptian records supporting the events described in the book: the plagues, the Exodus, and the defeat of the army at the Red Sea.  However, it should be pointed out that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and given the fact that ancient Egyptian historiography did not permit the recording of their pharaoh’s embarrassments and defeats, such gaps are to be expected.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Exodus 3:14
  • Exodus 8:1
  • Exodus 12:13
  • Exodus 20:3 (The 1st Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:4 (The 2nd Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:7 (The 3rd Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:8 (The 4th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:12 (The 5th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:13 (The 6th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:14 (The 7th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:15 (The 8th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:16 (The 9th Commandment)
  • Exodus 20:17 (The 10th Commandment)

DID YOU KNOW?

Forgive me as I spend a little time rehashing something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

It has been suggested (and personally I believe) that the 10 plagues of Egypt were specifically designed by God to illustrate His supremacy over representative members of the Egyptian pantheon of gods.  Recall with me for a moment that the Bible makes it clear that whenever you encounter a material idol, said idol is backed by either nothing or something.  Sometimes a log is just a log, and an Old Testament prophet made it clear that when confronted with such vacuous worship, holy ridicule is a wholly appropriate response (Isa 44:16-17).  But while all non-existent gods are false, not all false gods are non-existent.  Sometimes a log is not just a log, and a New Testament prophet made it clear that while they may have supernatural realities behind them (1 Cor 10:20), said supernatural realities do not occupy the top of the supernatural food chain (1 Cor 8:4-6).

Remember that the spiritual realities behind the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians of Egypt were not non-existent.  After all, did not their staffs become serpents (Ex 7:11-12)?  Did they not also turn water to blood (Ex 7:22)? Obviously something was enabling their abilities, and while the Bible doesn’t reveal what went on behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that something made a point of being somewhere else when the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob came to town.

I know this is long, but consider the 10 plagues and what they represented:

  1. Water to Blood – Triumph over Hapi
  2. Frogs – Triumph over Heqt/Heket
  3. Lice – Triumph over Kheper/Khepri or Geb
  4. Flies – Triumph over Kheper/Khepri
  5. Livestock – Triumph over Apis or Hathor
  6. Boils – Triumph over Imhotep, Thoth, or Isis
  7. Hail – Triumph over Nut
  8. Locusts – Triumph over Seth
  9. Darkness – Triumph over Ra
  10. Death – Triumph over Pharaoh

Furthermore, God Himself was the one who declared that the plagues were open season on the Egyptian gods (Ex 12:12). On other occasions, His prophets reiterated the point (Ex 15:11; 18:11; Numbers 33:4; Jos 24:14; 2 Sam 7:23; Psa 135:8-9).

Egypt was a land of many gods, and the Pharaoh was seen as a god himself.  Given those delusions, one can almost understand the ignorance and arrogance behind his question of “Who is the LORD?” (Ex 5:2)  Given what happened next, God took his question quite seriously, and in the process showed that He’s not particular fond of the various pretenders to His throne.

Other Works Referenced