The Book of Exodus - Part 2 - Summary

The book of Exodus began with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and the birth of a baby to a couple from the tribe of Levi in the context of intense persecution – cruel labour conditions and male infanticide. The narrative of God’s leading, direction, miracle intervention is the epic account of God’s people the Israelites/Jews. The full story occupies the whole of the OT. We begin from a single man called Abram who lived in the pagan city of Ur who is called out by God to travel the length and breadth of Canaan. He is followed by his son Isaac, and his son Jacob who has 12 sons who migrate to Egypt where they are initially welcomed and grow into 12 tribes who become slaves. Moses the baby born to slave parents is destined to be the deliverer of the Israelites from Egypt and then from Pharaoh’s army. The miracle wind of God slices through the sea to deliver the desperate and fearful Jews. Moses leads the nation to Sinai where they remain while Moses receives from the Lord the blue-print for the constitution of Israel as a nation governed by God. The constitution is complex and required a man of Moses’ stature and abilities to establish, to instruct and to cause it to function in all its parts. The narrative of Israel continues in Numbers, recorded by the man of God who was still at the helm, fulfilling his calling to lead Israel to the Promised Land. The tabernacle functioned as the religious centre of Israel. The priests offered sacrifices and ministered to the Lord. To appreciate the importance of the tabernacle we need firstly, to visualize the ground plan of the tabernacle, secondly, identify each item of furniture and finally consider the ministry of the priests and their sacrifices. In conjunction with the priest’s ministry associated with the tabernacle we must take account of the judge’s ministry associated with the law. In Hebrews 10:1; we find both the law and the sacrifices referred to in the same verse. The priest offering sacrifices and the judges applying laws were the two key ministries in Israel.