· Timeline:
| ?1876 | Jacob's descent to Egypt |
| 1806 | Joseph dies in Egypt |
| 1730 | Hyksos invasion of Egypt; Hebrews bondage begins. |
| 1728 | Hammurabi of Sumer born |
| 1570 | Hyksos expelled from Egypt; Amose I founds 18th dynasty |
| 1548 | Amenhotep I becomes pharaoh of Egypt Hebrew midwives ordered to destroy all Hebrew male children |
| 1528 | Thutmose I becomes pharaoh All newborn Hebrew males are to be cast into the Nile |
| 1525 | Moses born |
| 1510 | Thutmose II becomes pharaoh |
| 1504 | Hatshepsut becomes pharaoh |
| 1487 | Moses flees Egypt |
| 1483 | Thutmose III becomes pharaoh The great oppression of the Hebrews begins |
| 1450 | Amenhotep II becomes pharaoh |
| 1447 | The Exodus begins |
| 1446 | The Tabernacle constructed |
| 1423 | Thutmose IV becomes pharaoh |
| 1410 | Amenhotep III becomes pharaoh |
| 1407 | Moses dies; Joshua conquers Canaan |
| 1400 | Conquest of Canaan completed |
· Hebrew title: "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" (Constable, 2009)
o "now" functions as a conjunction connecting the book to Genesis
· English title is a transliteration of Greek word exodos from the Septuagint translation meaning "exit," "way out," or "departure." (ibid)
· Author: Moses (1525 - 1405 BC)
· Scope: Covers 431 years of history, yet the majority of the book (Chapters 3-40) deal with only two of these years, the year prior to the exodus and the year after the Exodus (ibid)
· Outline (courtesy of Ted Grove, 1991 -- cited in Constable, 2009)
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
Chiastic structure in this section:
A Midian: Moses' commission 2:15—4:28
B Enemy: Egypt defeated 4:29—15:21
C Water: bitter to sweet and 12 springs 15:22-27
D Food: 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
Chiastic structure in this section:
A Covenant delivered 19:1—24:11
B Tabernacle planned 24:12—27:21
C Priestly instructions chs. 28—30
D Craftsmen's direction 31:1-11
E Sabbath instructions 31:12-18
F Covenant 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
Ex 1:1-7 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. NIV
· Why start the book out this way?
o We are introduced to the Israelites, the focus of the book (Constable, 2009)
o It ties the Israelites back to Jacob
o The death of Joseph and the birth of Moses represents 360 years
· What is the significance of 70?
o The table of nations records 70
o Israel is God restarting a world based on His chosen people
o Jesus also has 70 disciples. Another reference to a new start
o Finally, it contrasts with the later number of two million, showing how much God had grown the people
Ex 1:8-17 (NIV) Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
· History
o The new king (v. 8) was perhaps Ahmose (Greek Amosis) who founded the eighteenth dynasty and the New Kingdom and ruled from 1570 to 1546 B.C. He was probably one of Ahmose's immediate successors, Amenhotep I or probably Thutmose I. The Egyptian capital at this time was Zoan (Tanis). Ahmose was the first native Egyptian Pharaoh for many years. Preceding him was a series of Hyksos rulers (Kempinski, 1988). The name Hyksos probably means "rulers of foreign lands" (Van Seters). They were a Semitic people from the northern part of the Fertile Crescent who had invaded Egypt about 1670 B.C. and ruled until Ahmose expelled them. The New Kingdom (ca. 1570-1085 B.C.) that Ahmose inaugurated was the period of greatest imperial might in Egypt's long history.
· Consequently, why were the Egyptians afraid of Semitic tribes?
· Who did the Egyptian men fear? The Israeli men. Did they fear woman? No. Who did the women fear? God
o Note that the women lie to Pharaoh
o Reverence for human life was a priority
· Not only do they women fear God, the rest of the story is about a number of key women who save Israel's savior. They are Pharaoh's daughter, Moses' sister, the midwives, and Moses' mother
· APPLICATION: Who do I fear? Why am I timid about sharing Christ? I'm referring to a relaxed setting where the gospel can be shared kindly and with respect. Some people have no problem throwing in a jab about some Christian principle when they are angry -- that is not really witnessing in my mind
Ex 2:11-15 (NIV) One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"
14 The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
· Moses is about 40. We know from Hebrews 11:24-26, that at some point he decides that identifying with God was more important than enjoying the riches of Egypt. Unfortunately, his methods are deplorable
· What does Moses have to learn, or unlearn?
o He does things in his own strength
o He is reckless
o He believes that riches, power, and cunning can be used to achieve God's goals
· So what does God do to Moses?
o He makes him a shepherd
Ex 3:1-6 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
· Moses is now 80, it has been 40 years in the desert
· Example: Promise Keepers Conference in Washington DC at RFK
· Why take off your shoes?
o People made their own shoes during those days
o Shoes protected your feet from the pain of walking on a path
o Imagery: A person standing on what he had done and his accomplishments to protect him from the pains of life
· APPLICATION: What shoes do I need to take off when I meet with God?
Ex 3:7-12 The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
· God gives Moses a very clear command. Look at verse 11, "but Moses said ..." Why does Moses object?
o Did he really learn the lesson about his insufficiency?
o He had tried once before and failed
o He feared going back to Egypt for fear of death
· What is Moses saying to God with his question?
o I am not important enough to do this job
o Maybe, I'm too old to do this job
· APPLICATION: What is God asking me to do? What are my objections
Ex 3:13-15 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
NIV
· What is the intent of Moses question now?
o What are my credentials?
o What God is sending me? The Egyptians had many gods
Ex 4:1-7 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"
2 Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied.
3 The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground."
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the Lord, "is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has appeared to you."
6 Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.
7 "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.
· Now what is Moses asking for?
o He wants a sign or something miraculous
o Surprising thing about signs is that they don't work as well as you might think
Ex 4:10-12 Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
11 The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
· What is the objection now?
o I am not qualified
· Which is another way of saying what?
o You did not create me with the right qualities
Ex 4:13-14a But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
14 Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses
· God is amazingly patient with Moses up until this point, why?
o God is great with our expressing our fears and concerns with him
o God does not like disobedience
Ex 4:18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive."
Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."
· What does Moses' statement to Jethro tell you about what Moses thought about his mission?
o He didn't believe God
o He didn't think he had a choice either
o He thought it was doomed to failure
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