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Exodus

In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
August 12, 2024

No Other Gods

If you spent any significant amount of time in Sunday School growing up or you’ve watched the classic DreamWorks animated film, The Prince of Egypt, you are probably familiar with the biblical story of the Ten Plagues. But if it’s been a while since you’ve brushed up on your early biblical history, let me refresh you:

After Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel), rose to power following his enslavement and false imprisonment and became the second-in-command in Egypt, his entire family moved to Egypt to escape the famine ravaging the land (Genesis 45:16-28). The family settled into their appointed portion of Egyptian land, and they stayed there for many generations. Over the centuries, the number of Israelites residing in Egyptian territory grew and grew, and the Pharaoh who came to power felt threatened by them and their strength as a people (Genesis 1:8-10). So, he oppressed Israel and enslaved them, even going so far as to command their infant sons to be cast into the Nile River (Exodus 1:13-14, 22).

Israel cried out for help, and God heard them, remembering the covenant He had made with their ancestor, Abraham (Exodus 2:23-24). And He sent a man named Moses to speak to Pharoah and plead for Israel’s release from their slavery (Exodus 3:1-10). Pharoah, of course, refused, and thus began the Ten Plagues (Exodus 5:1-2). God unleashed ten horrifying plagues upon the land of Egypt—from the Nile River turning to blood and the nation being infested with frogs and flies to the people being covered in boils and the land being submerged into complete darkness. After every plague, Moses would demand Pharoah free the Israelites, and he continued to refuse until the very last plague—the death of every firstborn. Then, Pharoah finally relented and let Israel escape into the wilderness.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard this story and thought the Ten Plagues were just ten random punishments doled out onto Egypt for their abuse of the Israelites. But if we take a closer look at the cultural context, we’ll discover that these ten plagues were not random at all and that God had a bigger purpose in mind than just disciplining the Egyptians.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
December 18, 2022

Out of Captivity

Christmas is a truly joyous time of year. Carols are playing on every radio and loudspeaker. Streets and avenues are lit up with twinkling lights. Homes are filled with the delicious scent of gingerbread cookies and the cozy warmth of the fireplace. And families gather to watch classic movies and celebrate this holiday with great cheer.

But Christmastime is not so jolly and wonderful for everyone. Instead, it’s a reminder of a loved one’s devastating passing. It dredges up old memories that we would rather leave forgotten. It can make us feel like we are lost and alone, desperately seeking a way out of our misery.

We’re certainly not the only people in history who have felt these things—lost, alone, forgotten, miserable, grieving, anxious, hopeless. But there is hope—there is always hope. And if anyone can remind us of this truth, it’s a baby born in captivity many centuries ago.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
September 5, 2022

Image of Idolatry

Every time I read through Exodus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy, I can’t help but think, “How can Israel be so forgetful?” God had performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder. He had answered their prayers, provided for their needs, and proven that He was nothing but faithful to His people. Yet, Israel still grumbled, and complained, and longed to return to their bondage—again, and again, and again.

But whenever I think these thoughts, I’m reminded that we are no different than Israel. God has performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder in our lives. He has answered our prayers, provided for our needs, and proven Himself faithful to us. Yet, we still grumble, and complain, and long to return to the bondage of our old, sinful ways. There is one Old Testament story in particular that highlights our similarities to Israel well, and it has to do with the creation of a golden calf.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
April 6, 2020

Lamb of God

Recently I’ve been reading through the book of Exodus during my daily quiet times. If you haven’t read Exodus before, or if you haven’t read it in a while, the book opens with the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, suffering as slaves in the land of Egypt. They cry out to God, and He hears them and sends a man named Moses to lead them out of their slavery. As the Egyptian Pharaoh persistently refuses to let Israel go, God unleashes terrible plagues upon the land. After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites, and they are able to escape to the wilderness. In the wilderness, God begins to instruct Israel on how they are to live as the people of God.

The most pivotal moment in the book is the tenth plague, which was the death of every firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12). God was going to pass through Egypt to kill all the firstborns, but He warned His people ahead of time. Each household was to take a young male lamb without blemish and kill it to eat. They were also to take some of the lamb’s blood and spread it on the doorway of their homes. Whoever had the blood of a young, unblemished lamb on their doorway that night would be passed over by God and their firstborns would be spared (therefore, the event was called Passover). The Israelites were commanded to celebrate this event every year, and Jews still celebrate Passover to this day.

While this story clearly puts God’s sovereignty, providence, and omnipotence on display, the Passover story in Exodus teaches us something else that we cannot recognize until we look at the New Testament.

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