Exodus: Historical and Theological Introduction (Bobby Valentine)
Bobby Valentine
THESE ARE THE NAMES
The Book of Exodus
Woodmont Hills Church
Outline
“Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the need from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.”
(Psalm 113.5-7)
“When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion”
(Psalm 114.1)
“the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.” (Isaiah 43.21)
I. Exodus, the Event
The Exodus is the paradigmatic moment of salvation by grace (Hesed/steadfast love) in the Bible. The “Event” refers to Yahweh’s mighty acts in delivering a band of enslaved aliens from state sponsored genocide at the hands of Pharoah.
The Exodus in one sense covers all the material from Exodus to Deuteronomy (the Book of Exodus is part of this larger narrative). Like the Gospel is not just “Six Hours One Friday” but Cross-Burial-Resurrection (and more broadly the Story of Jesus including the Ascension). What we call “Exodus” is part of that overall story from Genesis to Deuteronomy, aka The Torah Story.
In another way Exodus is the event – the Salvation of God. The calling of Moses, the taking on the deities of Egypt (Pharoah is the rep of the gods), the crossing the Red Sea, exuberant worship by the Sea, entering the wilderness, the Marriage at Sinai. The Fall of Israel, “cheating with the bell hop” on the honeymoon (Golden Calf). The supreme declaration/revelation of Yahweh’s identity AT THAT MOMENT. The renewal of the covenant and the building of the honeymoon suit … and the Dwelling of God.
It is hard to find a greater narration of the Grace (Hesed) of God in the Bible than in the Book of Exodus. This includes anything in the New Testament. Israel is redeemed by Hesed – Grace – alone People can balk at that, but it is nonetheless a biblical fact.
The salvation of God in the Exodus becomes “the pattern” of all patterns in the Bible. It is the Grace pattern that all are measured by. The life of Jesus is laid over this pattern. The death of Jesus is laid over this pattern. The promised redemption is forever measured by “the Exodus.” It is in the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, Romans, Hebrews, the Revelation of John.
Exodus is from liberation out of death to God living with his redeemed rejects. The Exodus does not end at crossing of the Sea but with IMMANUEL. God Living with Us! What was lost in Genesis 3 was restored in Exodus 40 … even the Golden Calf did not stop that.
The greater story of the Exodus was inculcated in Israelites through the liturgical calendar which revolves around the Exodus events.
– The Sabbath (celebrates deliverance from Egypt)
– The Passover points to all Yahweh has done to deliver enslaved aliens
– Shavuot (Pentecost) recalls giving of the covenant & Torah at the beginning of harvest
– Sukkot (Tabernacles) recalls the wilderness wanderings and the end of harvest
Exodus is the story of Steadfast Love that never ends (Hesed). It is the story of Hesed that overcomes any and all barriers to reestablish his fellowship – communion – with the creation he loves.
A king claiming to be a god will not stand in his way.
Moses will not stand in his way.
The People themselves will not stand in his way.
The Sea will not stand in his way.
The Amalekites will not stand in his way.
People themselves wanting to go back to Egypt will not stand in his way.
And even the supreme insult to Yahweh – adultery on the “honeymoon” – as the Psalms would later describe it, Israel “exchanged the glory of God for an image of an ox that eats grass” (106.20) … this will not stand in his way.
Hesed Will Triumph. And Yahweh does triumph through his Hesed over all … Just like Psalm 136 declares.
The Exodus Pattern (I encourage you to read these texts)
The Exodus Event is the pattern in both Testaments for God’s redemptive acts of Hesed. It shows up all over the place.
Psalm 18
Psalm 66
Psalm 68
Psalm 78
Psalm 80
Psalm 95
Psalm 99 (Pillars of Cloud & Fire God’s divine Presence guiding Israel)
Psalms 103, 104, 105, 106 and 107 for the “Mini-Bible.” They retell the “Story” beginning with the God Creed of Exodus 34.6 in Psalm 103 as the “cover” of the entire narrative.
Psalms 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 are called the Egyptian Hallel and poetically retell the glorious redemption of the Exodus and are incorporated into the Pilgrim Feasts (Jesus sang these at his own Exodus moment)
Psalms 135 and Psalm 136 are the Great Hallel. Again retell the Gospel of the Exodus, Ps 136 punctuates everything with the refrain “his Hesed endures forever” (26x).
Psalm 145 camps on the God Creed
In Hosea, Amos & Micah (to name only three) paint Israel’s adultery with images taken from Egypt or from the wanderings in Sinai while casting Yahweh as the faithful liberating lover who would redeem Israel.
Isaiah 40-66 takes the pattern of Exodus as the source for new hope for Israel.
The Exodus Event is just as ubiquitous in the New Testament writings. The events of Jesus’s own passion are shaped by the Exodus. The Last Supper is the Passover supper. Pentecost is the day the covenant is renewed. The Gospel of Matthew uses the Exodus event as the template for telling the story of Jesus. The Exodus looms large in the Gospel of John. Paul places his Gentile or former Gentile converts in the Exodus Wilderness narrative (1 Cor 10). The Sermonator of Hebrews places his congregation with the same wilderness group (Hebrews 3-4). Jude the Lord’s brother does the same (Jude 1.5). The story of the Exodus plagues shapes the Revelation of John.
Just a few examples of the Exodus Pattern
II. The Book of Exodus Contains Some of the Richest Texts of the Bible (in Summary form)
Since we only have 12 weeks it is impossible to cover everything in the Book of Exodus. Our class will focus on the following texts. Some will cover extended material.
-Exodus 3, Numinous in the Bush & Dirt
-Exodus 7-11 Divine Combat for the Endangered Aliens
-Exodus 12, How to celebrate salvation before it even happens
-Exodus 14, The “cross” moment
-Exodus 15, Worship led by Ike & Tina 😉
-Exodus 19, Invitation to a wedding, a covenant of love (Hesed)
-Exodus 20, Covenantal guidelines for the already saved by Hesed people
-Exodus 24, The Ceremony! And the Revelation of the “Bride Groom!” (YAHWEH!!) Humans experience God in a way they have not since the Garden. They “saw the God of Israel!” One of the most stunning texts of the Bible – Jesus grounds his work on that fateful night in this text.
-Exodus 25-31 Moses is shown the Honeymoon suite
-Exodus 32-33 Disaster, Catastrophic Failure – the Hebrew Bible talks more about the Golden Calf than it does eating the “apple” in Genesis 3! The ink is not even dry on the marriage license.
-Exodus 34 – the revelation of God – the God Creed – When Israel was the worst Yahweh is at the greatest. The God Creed (Ex 34.6) is quoted, paraphrased or alluded to dozens of times throughout the rest of the Hebrew Bible and in the Prologue of John (1.14). This is the Mt. Everest text of the Bible.
-Exodus 34-39 Yahweh renews his covenant by divine fiat of Hesed and even though the covenant is shattered – Yahweh keeps his bride.
-Exodus 40, God Moves In … Exodus 40 anticipates Revelation 21-22 when the “dwelling of God is with humanity.” We reach the GOAL of the salvation of God. Yahweh created the world, filled it with marvelous wonders of creatures and his image bearers because he wanted to LIVE with us.
Helpful Reading
Walter Brueggemann, Delivered Out of Empire: Pivotal Moments in the Book of Exodus
Walter Brueggemann, Delivered Into Covenant: Pivotal Moments in the Book of Exodus
Terrence Fretheim, Exodus: Interpretation
Ralph Hawkins, Discovering Exodus: Content, Interpretation, Reception
Carmen Joy Imes, Bearing God’s Name, Why Sinai Still Matters
Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative