Survey of the Book of Exodus

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The book of Exodus is a powerful story of God’s relentless faithfulness and mighty deliverance, where He rescues His people from the crushing chains of slavery in Egypt and leads them toward freedom and identity as His chosen nation. It reveals a God who remembers His covenant promises to Abraham and the people He established and acts with unstoppable power—sending plagues, parting seas, and guiding His people with pillars of cloud and fire. Exodus shows the deep holiness of God and the high cost of sin, unveiling the need for sacrifice and purity to bridge the gap between a holy God and fallen humanity. Through dramatic events and divine laws, it paints a vivid picture of God’s covenant relationship with His people and foreshadows the ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ. At its core, Exodus is about God breaking into history to rescue, restore, and reveal Himself as the God who saves and calls His people to live in faithful obedience and worship.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Author: Most scholars believe that Moses was the author of the book of Exodus (Exodus 17:14; 24:4–7; 34:27).
• Date of writing: The book of Exodus is traditionally believed to have been written by Moses during the Israelites' wilderness journey after their escape from Egypt, with most scholars dating its composition between 1440 and 1400 BC. This timeframe aligns with biblical chronology, such as the reference in 1 Kings 6:1 that Solomon began building the temple 480 years after the exodus, placing the event around 1446 BC. The detailed laws, tabernacle instructions, and covenant establishment described in Exodus fit the period immediately following the exodus but before Israel’s settlement in the Promised Land. While archaeological evidence is debated, the cultural and political context described in the book corresponds with Late Bronze Age Egypt and Canaan. Overall, Exodus was likely written during the early wilderness years as Moses documented God’s revelation and guidance for His newly freed people.
• Purpose: Exodus means departure. The book marked an end of a period of oppression in Egypt for Abraham's descendants (Genesis 15:13) and the continued fulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham through the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land (Genesis 12:1–3, 7)
• Themes: The main theme in Exodus is God remembering His covenant with Abraham (Exodus 2:24; 6:5–8). We see His miraculous intervention—the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7—12), the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21–22)—to bring about the fulfillment of His promise. We also see God's holiness and the way human sinfulness prevents us from having a relationship with Him (Exodus 19:10–22; 20). In order to have a relationship with His people, God instituted ritual sacrifices and cleansing (Exodus 29; 30), and even then only a select few, such as the priests, could come before God (Exodus 28—29). Another important theme is God’s promised blessing—the Promised Land—that comes with living in obedience to His will (Exodus 23:20–33).
• Summary: Exodus begins where Genesis left off. Jacob's descendants were living in Egypt and became a great people. A new pharaoh feared the growth of the Israelite population and thus enslaved and oppressed them. The oppression likely spanned several pharaohs and gradually increased. Despite the Egyptian ruler’s attempts to kill Hebrew baby boys, including ordering them thrown into the Nile, God protected Moses, who was found in the river and was brought into Pharaoh’s household. After killing an Egyptian and fleeing to Midian, Moses encountered God at the burning bush and was sent to demand Israel’s freedom. Pharaoh resisted despite devastating plagues, culminating in the Passover, when God spared Israel’s firstborn and where every Egyptian’s firstborn died. The Israelites left, but Pharaoh pursued them to the Red Sea, where God miraculously parted the waters for their escape and destroyed the Egyptian army. As they journeyed to the Promised Land, God gave His law and tabernacle instructions through Moses, who mediated between God and the people despite their repeated sin. The narrative blends law, worship, and history, but God’s covenant faithfulness remains central throughout.
• Foreshadowing: The extensive laws on sacrifices in Exodus foreshadow Christ's work on the cross, emphasizing that the cost of our sin is death and demonstrating the need for a perfect sacrifice to make atonement (Exodus 29:38–46). Jesus is also depicted in the water that comes from the rock (Exodus 17:6) and as the bread of life through the miraculous provision of manna (Exodus 16:4–36). Moses is seen as a type of Christ, which is highlighted in Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses gives a messianic prophecy: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen."

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Exodus 3:14 (God’s Name “I AM”) is referenced in John 8:58, where Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am." It reveals Jesus’ divine identity, connecting Him to God’s self-revelation to Moses.
• Exodus 12 (the Passover lamb) is referenced in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and John 1:29, where Jesus is called the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Jesus is the ultimate Passover Lamb whose sacrifice delivers from sin and death.
• Exodus 16 (manna in the wilderness) is referenced in John 6:31–35, where Jesus calls Himself the "bread of life," pointing to the manna God provided to sustain Israel. This symbolizes the spiritual sustenance we receive through Christ and that is from God Himself.
• Exodus 17:6 (water from the rock) is referenced in 1 Corinthians 10:4, where Paul explains the rock that gave water in the wilderness symbolically represents Christ, who gives living water.
• The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) are frequently referenced in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 19:18–19; Romans 13:9; James 2:10–13) as foundational moral laws, showing God’s holy standard for His people.
• Exodus 32 (golden calf incident) is referenced in 1 Corinthians 10:7–8 as a warning against idolatry, demonstrating Israel’s failure and the danger of turning away from God.
• Exodus 19—24 (the covenant at Sinai) is referenced in Hebrews 8 to contrast the old covenant with the new covenant established by Jesus, highlighting the fulfillment and transformation of God’s promises.
• Exodus 14 (crossing the Red Sea) is referenced in 1 Corinthians 10:1–2, illustrating salvation and baptism as passing from bondage to freedom, symbolizing deliverance through Christ.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The book of Exodus reveals who God is, specifically showing us God's power to overcome what seems like impossible obstacles to accomplish His will and keep His promises. He sent plagues upon Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and miraculously provided for His people so that He could fulfill the promise that He made to Abraham hundreds of years before (Genesis 15:13–14). Exodus also shows us that we cannot come into God's presence on our own terms. No matter how hard we try, we are sinful and wicked, and our sin separates us from Him (Romans 6:23). Therefore, we need a mediator and a sacrifice, fulfilled perfectly in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1–18; 1 Timothy 2:5–6).

Key verses:

"Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph" (Exodus 1:8).

"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew" (Exodus 2:24–25).

"'And when your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?" you shall say, "it is the sacrifice of the LORD'S Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses."' And the people bowed their heads and worshipped" (Exodus 12:26–27).

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2–3).

UNDERSTAND

• The book of Exodus reveals a God who is a deliverer, fulfilling His covenant promises.
• Exodus reveals God’s holiness, sin’s cost, and the need for sacrifice and obedience.
• The book of Exodus foreshadows Christ as the ultimate Deliverer and calls us to trust and obey God.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced God’s deliverance or faithfulness in your life?
• How do you recognize God’s holiness and your need for forgiveness through Jesus as the perfect sacrifice?
• How can you grow in trusting God’s promises and living obediently to His commands in your daily life?

ENGAGE

• How does the story of Exodus shape our understanding of God’s power and faithfulness today?
• What parallels do we see between the Old Testament sacrifices and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
• How can we practically live out the call to obedience and worship that God reveals through Exodus?