The Book of Exodus by Gary H. Everett

STUDY NOTES ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Using a Theme-based Approach

to Identify Literary Structures
By Gary H. Everett
THE BOOK OF EXODUS

August 2022 Edition
THE BOOK OF EXODUS By Gary H. Everett
All Scripture quotations in English are taken from the King James Version (Authorized Version) unless
otherwise noted. Some words have been emphasized by the author of this commentary using bold or italics.
All Old Testament Scripture quotations in the Hebrew text are taken from Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia:
with Westminster Hebrew Morphology. Stuttgart; Glenside PA: German Bible Society; Westminster
Seminary, 1996. Logos.
All New Testament Scripture quotations in the Greek text are taken from Greek New Testament, Fourth
Revised Edition (with Morphology). Eds. Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger,
M. Robinson, and Allen Wikgren. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, 1993; 2006.
Logos.
The Crucifixion image on the book cover was created by the author’s daughter Victoria Everett in 2012.
© Gary H. Everett, 1981-2022
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without prior
permission of the author.
The Three-Tiered Thematic Scheme Shaping the Book of Exodus:

Foundational, Structural, and Imperative
Foundational Theme – The Lord God is the One, True God
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

Deuteronomy 6:4
Structural Theme (1) – God Redeemed the Children of Israel
And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God:
and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God,
which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Exodus 6:7
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 Corinthians 10:2
Structural Theme (2) – God and Entered into Covenant with Israel through the Mosaic Law
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love;
and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness:
yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee,
saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
Ezekiel 16:8
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Romans 7:12
Imperative Theme – Man is Commanded to Love God with All His Heart, Soul, and Strength
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Imperative Theme (1) – Israel’s Faith in the Deliverance and Redemption of the God of Israel
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods:

for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Exodus 18:11
Imperative Theme (2) - Israel’s Acceptance of a Blood Covenant through the Mosaic Law
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:24
ii
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS .................................................... 1

HISTORICAL SETTING ....................................................................................... 4
I. The Title .......................................................................................................... 4
II. Historical Background .................................................................................... 5
III. Authorship.................................................................................................... 6
IV. Date ............................................................................................................. 6
V. Recipients ...................................................................................................... 6
LITERARY STYLE (GENRE) .............................................................................. 7
I. Occasion ......................................................................................................... 7
II. Genre and Characteristics of the Book ............................................................ 7
III. Purpose.......................................................................................................... 7
THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK........................................................................ 10
I. Thematic Scheme........................................................................................... 10
II. Literary Structure.......................................................................................... 17
III. Outline of the Literary Structure .................................................................. 44
EXEGESIS AND COMMENTS .............................................................................. 47
APPENDIX 1: THEMATIC SCHEME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT .................. 208
APPENDIX 2: THEMATIC SCHEME OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ................. 209
APPENDIX 3: CENTRAL IDEAS FOR SERMON PREPARATION................... 210
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................. 212
iii
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS1
The Doctrinal Position on the Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures - Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
supports the view of the verbal, plenary inspiration of the biblical text of the Holy Scriptures, meaning that
every word originally written down by the authors in the sixty-six books of the Holy Canon were God-
breathed when recorded by men, and that the Scriptures are therefore inerrant and infallible. Any view less
than this contradicts the testimony of the Holy Scriptures themselves. For this reason, the Holy Scriptures
contain both divine attributes and human attributes. While textual criticism engages with the variant readings
of the biblical text, acknowledging its human attributes, faith in His Word acknowledges its divine
attributes. These views demand the adherence of mankind to the supreme authority of the Holy Scriptures
above all else. The Holy Scriptures can only be properly interpreted by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, an
aspect of biblical scholarship that is denied by liberal views, causing much misunderstanding and
misinterpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
The Message of the Book of Exodus – Based upon the view of the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Holy
Scriptures, each volume of Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures begins with introductory material that
develops the central ideas of each book. These introductions present the central message in a three-tiered
framework. This framework reveals the literary structure of the book.
The book of Exodus offers a three-fold thematic scheme that supports the central claim of the Pentateuch,
the claim found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and known to the Jews as “the Shema,” a verse that declares the God of
Israel is one, true and living God, a theme that undergirds all five books of the Pentateuch. Thus, the
foundational theme of Exodus is the central claim of the Pentateuch, a theme shared by all five books in this
division of the Holy Scriptures. The book of Exodus carries two secondary themes that emphasize
justification and indoctrination. First, God redeemed (justified) the children of Israel by bringing them out
from Egyptian bondage. Secondly, He made a covenant with them as His people. Through this covenant, He
gave Israel the Mosaic Law and commanded them to build the Tabernacle in order to obey the Law. Because
the book of Exodus has two secondary themes, it also has two imperative themes. Israel is to trust in the
Lord their God as their Redeemer; and they were to obey the commandments and statutes delivered to them.
Because Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage is a type and figure of the Church’s deliverance from
this world, the application for today’s reader is a similar call to come out from the world and obtain
justification through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the Mosaic Law reveals human depravity and
points us to Christ Jesus, the application of the third theme for today’s reader is a similar call to a lifestyle of
obedience to our Lord and Saviour. New Testament believers are to put their faith in the blood of the lamb to
redeem them from the bondages of this world and to obey His Word.
The Three-Fold Structure of the Book Introductions – In order to identify the central message of each
book as a three-tiered statement, the book introductions in Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures address three
major aspects of approaching the biblical text. These three aspects or sections are entitled (1) the Historical
Setting, (2) the Literary Style (Genre), and (3) the Theological Framework. 2 These three sections of the book
1
The book introductions in Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures use a nine-level outline that follows an
alphanumeric system: [omit] I. A. 1. a) (1) (a) i) α). While the first heading uses bold capital letters and no designation,
the next seven levels follow The Chicago Manual of Style, while the ninth level incorporates the Greek alphabet. After
the main heading, the other eight heading levels use bold and italicized headline style. See The Chicago Manual of
Style, 15th edition (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982, 1993, 2003), 275.
2
Someone may associate these three categories with Hermann Gunkel’s well-known three-fold approach to
form criticism when categorizing the genre found within the book of Psalms: (1) “a common setting in life,” (2)
“thoughts and mood,” (3) “literary forms.” In addition, the Word Biblical Commentary inserts sections entitled
“Form/Structure/Setting” preceding its comments. Although such similarities were not intentional, but rather
coincidental, the author was aware of them and found encouragement from them when assigning the three-fold scheme
of historical setting, literary style, and theological framework to his introductory material. See Hermann Gunkel, The
1
3
introductions coincide with the chronological development of historical and literary criticism. More
specifically, the twentieth century offered three major approaches to biblical research, generally recognized
as source, form, and redaction (composition) criticism. These three approaches developed as scholars
searched for better ways to understand the meaning of the biblical text and its application to the modern
reader. Over the past three decades, biblical research has adopted a wide array of approaches collected under
4
the field of study called literary criticism. In the course of biblical scholarship, particularly in the writing of
commentaries, book introductions have progressively become more complex through the advancement of
critical studies in recent centuries. The book introductions found in Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
associate source criticism with the advancement of research in the book’s historical setting; it associates
form criticism with the advancement of research in a book’s literary style; and it associates redaction
(composition) criticism and literary criticism with the advancement of research in the theological framework
of a book. These three aspects of introductory material serve my readers as an important foundation for
understanding what the authors of the books of the Holy Scriptures were saying to their audience under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The book summaries within the third section of this introductory material include exegetical, theological,
and homiletical ideas for each pericope as a guide for those who desire to preach or teach through this book.
These central ideas reflect homiletical research by serving as a summary of the central ideas of the book’s
theological framework. This framework of a book is the key to bridging the difficult gap between exegesis
and homiletics. In other words, these ideas help the student of God’s Word to take that final step to not only
understand what the ancient author meant to say to his original audience, but to apply the meaning of the
Psalms: A Form-Critical Introduction, trans. Thomas M. Horner, in Biblical Series, vol. 19, ed. John Reumann
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1967), 10; see also Word Biblical Commentary, eds. Bruce M. Metzger,
David A. Hubbard, and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas, Texas: Word Incorporated, 1989-2007).
3
Historical criticism, a term often used to encompass the fields of critical studies called source, form, and
redaction (composition) criticism, has been an important tool in the effort to bridge the gap between what the ancient
author recorded in the biblical text and what the text means to the modern reader. Dissatisfaction with the weaknesses
of existing, critical approaches for each generation of critical studies has been the driving force behind the “evolution”
of modern biblical scholarship. For example, James Muilenburg’s 1968 address to the Society of Biblical Literature
expressed the need for a new approach to the biblical text that went “beyond form criticism” because “historical
criticism had come to an impasse, chiefly because of the excesses of source analysis.” He proposed a new methodology
called redaction criticism. See James Muilenburg, “Form Criticism and Beyond,” in Journal of Biblical Literature 88
(1969): 1, 18. With the recent focus upon literary criticism, Paul House says, “[L]iterary criticism arose at least in part
because of impasses in older ways of explaining Scripture. Just as scholars began to look for a better way to understand
the Scriptures when the various fields of historical criticism appeared to fragment the biblical text rather than reveal its
intended meaning, scholars today are searching for new ways to identify hermeneutical sections and their respective
meanings.” See Paul R. House, “The Rise and Current Status of Literary Criticism of the Old Testament,” in Beyond
Form Criticism: Essays in Old Testament Literary Criticism, ed. Paul R. House, in Sources for Biblical and
Theological Study, vol. 2 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1992), 3, 7; Grant Osborne, “Redaction Criticism,” New
Testament Criticism and Interpretation, eds. David Alan Black and David S. Dockery (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 199; In summarizing the historical development of critical approaches to Mark’s
Gospel, Bruce Bain begins by saying, “The apparent lack or sufficiency in one method seems to have given impetus for
the birth of the next method.” See Bruce Alan Bain, “Literary Surface Structures in Mark: Identifying Christology as
the Purpose of the Gospel,” PhD diss., Fuller Theological Seminary, 1997 [on-line]; accessed 29 August 2013;
available from
http://search.proquest.com.aaron.swbts.edu/pqdthss/docview/304487757/1402E6CEA4242E4E21D/1?accountid=7073;
Internet, 4.
4
Jeffery Weima offers an excellent discussion on literary criticism. The surveys of Stanley Porter and Craig
Blomberg concerning the various sub-disciplines that make up today’s literary criticism expose the reason for such a
variety of literary structures found in today’s biblical commentaries and studies. In other words, these different
approaches of literary criticism are the reason behind the variations in proposed literary structures of a book found in
modern commentaries. See Jeffery A. D. Weima, “Literary Criticism,” in Interpreting the New Testament: Essays on
Methods and Issues, eds. David Alan Black and David S. Dockery (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman
Publishers, 2001), 150-151; Stanley E. Porter, “Literary Approaches to the New Testament: From Formalism to
Deconstruction and Back,” in Approaches to New Testament Studies, eds. Stanley E. Porter and David Tombs
(Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995), 77-128; and Craig L. Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels,
2nd ed. (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2007), 87-96.
2
biblical text to a modern audience. The appendices contain a collection of these exegetical, theological, and
homiletical ideas to serve as an outline for those preparing sermons and lessons.
3
HISTORICAL SETTING
“In-depth study of the historical setting is indispensable for sound exegesis.” 5
(William Warren)
“We dare not divorce our study from understanding the historical setting of every passage of Scripture
if we are going to come to grips with the truth and message of the Bible.” 6
(J. Hampton Keathley)
Each book of the Holy Scriptures is cloaked within a unique historical setting. An examination of this setting
is useful in the interpretation of the book because it provides the historical context of a passage of Scripture
under examination. However, it helps when reading book introductions to understand that the discussions
concerning historical setting for the books of the Bible have evolved through the centuries from simple to
complex as biblical research has progressed.
Source critical studies that emerged during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were concerned
in its early stages with investigating the sources used by the Gospel writers because of their parallel
passages. This interest spread to other relevant books of the Bible as well, such as the Pentateuch. These
studies necessitated a re-evaluation of the various aspects of the historical setting of the books of the Bible.
Source criticism required biblical scholarship to give greater attention to the book’s title, historical
background, authorship, date and place of writing, and recipients when searching for the original sources of
various passages within the book. Interest in source criticism stimulated more extensive book introductions
in commentaries, which became characteristic of this period of biblical research as scholars argued about
various proposed views of the historical setting. Prior to this era, the book introductions to biblical
commentaries were generally brief because they simply reflected the traditions handed down from the
church fathers. Therefore, source criticism has made positive contributions to biblical scholarship despite its
widespread use by liberal theologians who argued against divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. Its
positive effects are seen as conservative scholars are able to these various aspects of a book’s historical
setting to defend the integrity of the Scriptures.
This discussion supports the Jewish tradition that Moses was the author of the book of Exodus, writing
during the period of Israel’s wilderness journey. As evidence to support this claim, this section on the
historical setting addresses the issues of (I) Title, (II) Historical Background, (III) Authorship, (IV) Date and
Place of Writing, and (V) Recipients.
I. The Title
There are a number of ancient titles associated with the book of Exodus throughout its history as it first
became a part of the sacred Jewish Scriptures and was later adopted into the early Church canon. This
resulted in the book’s title and text being translated into the primary languages of each period of history.
A. The Ancient Jewish Title “These Are the Names” – Henry Swete groups the Old Testament Scriptures
into three classifications when dealing with book titles: (1) books whose titles reflect its theme found in the
opening verses [Gen-Deut, Prov, Lam], (2) books whose titles reflect the author or a key individual in the
story [the early and latter prophets, Ezra, Neh, Esth], and (3) books whose titles reflect its contents [Ps,
Songs, Chronicles]. 7 The five books of the Pentateuch, Proverbs, and Lamentations find their titles from a
P6F P
key word in the opening verses. The Hebrew title for Exodus was “Welesmoth” ( ֙‫)וְ ֗ ֵאלֶּה ְשׁמוֹת‬, which comes
from the opening word of this book, meaning “and these are the names.” Origen (A.D. c. 185–254) testifies
5
William F. Warren, Jr., “Interpreting New Testament Narrative: The Gospels and Acts,” in Biblical
Hermeneutics: A Comprehensive Introduction to Interpreting Scripture, second edition, eds. Bruce Corley, Steve W.
Lemke, and Grant Lovejoy (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 323.
6
J. Hampton Keathley, III, “Introduction and Historical Setting for Elijah,” (Bible.org) [on-line]; accessed 23
May 2012; available from http://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-and-historical-setting-elijah; Internet.
7
Henry B. Swete, An Introduction to Old Testament in Greek (Cambridge: University Press, 1902), 214.
4
to the use of this title by the Jews in his day. 8 Jerome (A.D. 342-420) was familiar with this title as well. 9
P7F P P8F P
The titles (‫ )שמות‬and (‫ )ואלה שמות‬can be found in the Masoretic Text of the standard work Biblia Hebraica
Stuttgartensia. 10
P9F
B. The Modern English Title “Exodus” – Today, English bibles use the title “Exodus,” which finds it
origin in the Greek title used in the LXX “Έξοδυς,” which means “going out, away” in the Hebrew text
(Gesenius). Henry Swete suggests this title came from Exodus 19:1, “. . . τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐκ
γῆς Αἰγύπτου . . .” 11 Philo (20 B.C – A.D. 50) called the book by its Greek name Έξοδυς. 12 This Greek title
P10F P P1F P
was known by Melito, bishop of Sardis (d. c. 190). 13 The Vulgate uses the Latin title “Exodus (liber),”14
P12F P P13F P
from which the English title is derived. There are some variations to this title. For example, the Codex
Alexandrinus uses the longer title Έξοδυς Αίγύπτου. 15 Since the title “Exodus” is used as far back as the
P14F P
LXX, Henry Swete and George Gray believe this title is “of Alexandrian and pre-Christian origin.” 16 The P15F P
Greek/English title reflects the contents of the book, which deals with Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
II. Historical Background
In the historical background, we will take a look at (A) the chronological dates of historical events in the
nation of Israel, (B) Moses, the main character of Exodus through Deuteronomy, and (C) the construction of
the Tabernacle.
A. Chronological Dates of Historical Events in the Nation of Israel – It is possible to add up the years of
some historical events in the nation of Israel, and thus estimate chronological dates for these events. In the
book of Genesis, we are told that Abraham leaves Haran at age of seventy-five (Gen 12:4); and Isaac is born
when Abraham was one hundred years old (Gen 17:21; 21:5); and Jacob is born when his grandfather
Abraham was one hundred sixty years old, and his father Isaac was sixty years old (Gen 25:26). We are told
that the seventy souls of Israel went into Egypt when Jacob was one hundred thirty years old (Gen 47:9).
Thus, Israel and his sons went into Egypt two hundred and sixty years after Abraham left Haran. We are told
that the children of Israel spent either four hundred years in Egypt (Gen 15:15, Acts 7:6), or four hundred
thirty years (Ex 12:40, Gal 3:17). Thus, the Exodus from Egypt took place at least six hundred ninety years
8
Eusebius, the early Church historian, writes, “Exodus, Welesmoth, that is, ‘These are the names’;” Eusebius,
Ecclesiastical History 6.25.1-2, trans. Arthur C. McGiffert under the title The Church History of Eusebius, in A Select
Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, A New Series, vol 1, eds. Henry Wace and Philip
Schaff (Oxford: Parker and Company, c1890, 1905), 272-3.
9
Jerome says, “The second, Elle Smoth, which bears the name Exodus;” See Jerome, “Prefaces to the Books of
the Vulgate Version of the Old Testament: The Books of Samuel and Kings,” trans. W. H. Freemantle, in A Select
Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, vol. 6, eds. Henry Wace and Philip
Schaff (New York: The Christian Literature Company, 1893), 489-90.
10
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, eds. A. Alt, O. Eißfelt, P. Kahle, and R. Kittle (Stuttgart: Deutsche
Bibelstiftung, c1967-77).
11
12
Herbert E. Ryle, Philo and Holy Scripture (London: Macmillan and Company, 1895), xxii.
13
Eusbius writes, “‘I learned accurately the books of the Old Testament, and send them to thee as written
below. Their names are as follows: Of Moses, five books: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy; Jesus
Nave, Judges, Ruth; of Kings, four books; of Chronicles, two; the Psalms of David; the Proverbs of Solomon, Wisdom
also, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job; of Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah; of the twelve prophets, one book; Daniel, Ezekiel,
Esdras. From which also I have made the extracts, dividing them into six books.’ Such are the words of Melito.” See
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4.26.14, trans. Arthur C. McGiffert under the title The Church History of Eusebius, in
A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, A New Series, vol 1, eds. Henry Wace
and Philip Schaff, (Oxford: Parker and Company, c1890, 1905), 206.
14
Biblia Sacra Juxta Vulgatam Clementinam, ed. electronica (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,
2005), Logos.
15
16
Henry B. Swete, An Introduction to Old Testament in Greek (Cambridge: University Press, 1902), 215;
George B. Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers, in The International Critical Commentary on the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, editors Charles A. Briggs, Samuel R. Driver, and Alfred Plummer
(New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903), xxi.
5
after Abraham left Haran. We know that the Israelites spend forty years in the wilderness, and that the
conquest of Canaan under Joshua took five years (Josh 14:10). We are told that from the time of the
conquest of Canaan to Samuel is four hundred fifty years (Acts 13:20), which appears to be an estimate. We
are told that King Saul reigned forty years (Acts 13:21). King David reigned forty years (2 Sam 5:4). King
Solomon reigned forty years (1 Kgs 11:42, 2 Chron 9:30). We are told that Solomon built the Temple four
hundred and eighty years after the Exodus, in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kgs 6:1).
In working through these dates, there appears to be a discrepancy between the dates given in Acts 13:20,
which says the period of the judges was four hundred fifty years, and 1 Kings 6:1, which says there were
four hundred eighty years from the wilderness journey to King Solomon. The simplest way to reconcile
these verses is to understand that the authors were giving estimated time periods.
B. Moses, the Main Character of Exodus Through Deuteronomy – The prophet Moses is the main
character in the books of Exodus through Deuteronomy. In addition, there are many references to Moses in
the New Testament. For example, In Stephen's sermon before his death, he summarized the lift of Moses
(Acts 7:20-44). Also, the author of the epistle of Hebrews explains how Moses was faithful to all of God’s
houses as a servant (Heb 3:2-5). This author highlights the events in Moses’ life that testified of his faith in
God: by faith he suffered with the children of Israel; by faith he left Egypt; by faith he kept the Passover;
and by faith he passed through the Red Sea (Heb 11:24-29).
C. The Construction of the Tabernacle - The first lengthy description of the building of the Tabernacle is
found in Exodus 24 through 31. This description is being given to Moses on the mount. He goes on top of
the mount in chapter 24 and he comes down from the mount in chapter 32. Then in chapters 35 through 40,
the Israelites are building the Tabernacle.
III. Authorship
See Introduction to the Pentateuch.
IV. Date
V. Recipients
6
LITERARY STYLE (GENRE)

“Perhaps the most important issue in interpretation is the issue of genre.
If we misunderstand the genre of a text, the rest of our analysis will be askew.” 17
(Thomas Schreiner)
Form critical studies followed on the heels of source criticism in the first half of the twentieth century in an
effort to identify the evolution of the text from its original form as oral tradition to the stage of canonization.
John Hayes and Carl Halloday describe the four primary aspects of form criticism, which are (1) the content
“what is said,” (2) the form “how it is said,” (3) the life setting “in what setting or occasion it is said,” and
(4) the function “the purpose of what is said.” They believe these aspects of form criticism allow the books
of the Bible to be classified into their various genres as well as associate these genres with “sociological
18
realities in the life of ancient Israel and the early church.” In other words, form criticism reveals biblical
genres through the book’s content and form; it reveals the occasion of a book through its life setting; and it
reveals its purpose through its function. This section of the book introduction will address these four aspects
of form critical studies in three sections in the following order:
1. Life Setting – Discussions on the occasion

2. Form and Content – Discussions on the type of genre occasioned by the author and the characteristics
of the book in light of its genre
3. Function – Discussions on the purpose
These three categories follow Hermann Gunkel’s well-known three-fold approach to form criticism when
categorizing the genre found within the book of Psalms: (1) “a common setting in life,” (2) “literary forms,”
and (3) “thoughts and mood.”19 In addition, the Word Biblical Commentary uses “Form/Structure/Setting”
preceding each commentary section. 20
I. Occasion
“Identifying the occasion and purpose for writing any document is usually important
for fully understanding the content and meaning of the message conveyed.” 21
(Thomas Lea)
Within the historical setting of the children of Israel in the wilderness, the author of the book of Exodus
chose to write using the literary styles of the historical narrative and the law. Thus, the first half of the book
of Exodus is assigned to the literary genre called “historical narrative literature,” and the second half is
assigned to the literary genre called “law.”
II. Genre and Characteristics of the Book
III. Purpose
The Pentateuch served a number of purposes for the nation of Israel and for the Gentiles. These five books
were written primarily to testify that the God of Israel is the true and living God; thus, the Pentateuch serves
a doctrinal and apologetic purpose. However, the author(s) chose to frame this testimony within an historical
17
Thomas R. Schreiner, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles, second edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Academic, c1990, 2011), 11.
18
John H. Hayes and Carl A. Halloday, Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook, revised edition (Louisville,
Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1987), 83-84.
19
Hermann Gunkel, The Psalms: A Form-Critical Introduction, trans. Thomas M. Horner, in Biblical Series,
vol. 19, ed. John Reumann (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1967), 10.
20
Word Biblical Commentary, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard, and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas,
Texas: Word Incorporated, 1989-2007).
21
Thomas D. Lea, and Hayne P. Griffin, Jr., 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, in The New American Commentary, vol. 34,
ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 41, Logos.
7
narrative describing the establishment of the nation of Israel as a divine institution created by God; thus, the
Pentateuch serves an historical and didactic purpose. Finally, the Pentateuch serves a hortative and
kerygmatic purpose in calling mankind to serve the Lord with all of his heart, mind, and strength. Israel was
set apart as a holy nation through which God would reveal His divine plan of redemption for mankind
through the promises/prophecies of the coming Messiah.
A. The Doctrinal and Apologetic Purpose: To Establish and Defend the Central Claim of the Pentateuch
that YHWH is the True and Living God - The primary purpose of the Pentateuch was to reveal YHWH, the
God of Israel, as the only true and living God, which was the foundational doctrine of the nation of Israel.
This primary purpose is stated in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”
The Pentateuch consists of a combination of four literary types, or genre, in revealing YHWH as the true and
living God. The author(s) of the Pentateuch uses narrative material, poetry, law, and genealogical lists
woven together to produce the story of the origin of mankind and the establishment of God’s covenant with
the nation of Israel. Throughout Israel’s history, prophets used the Pentateuch to defend YHWH’s claim as
the God of Israel in order to call His people back to Him after serving pagan gods. Each of the five books of
the Pentateuch share this primary, doctrinal-apologetic purpose.
Ancient Jewish tradition was aware of the doctrinal-apologetic purpose of the Pentateuch. For example, the
ancient Jewish writing called The Book of Jubilees states that the purpose for writing the Pentateuch is so
that the generations following will know that God is righteous and has not forsaken His people in fulfilling
His promises to them. The Pentateuch reveals how God has continually intervened in the affairs of mankind
so that His promises and plans would be fulfilled.
“And Moses was on the Mount forty days and forty nights, and God taught him the earlier and the later
history of the division of all the days of the law and of the testimony. And He said: 'Incline thine heart to
every word which I shall speak to thee on this mount, and write them in a book in order that their
generations may see how I have not forsaken them for all the evil which they have wrought in
transgressing the covenant which I establish between Me and thee for their generations this day on
Mount Sinai. And thus it will come to pass when all these things come upon them, that they will
recognize that I am more righteous than they in all their judgments and in all their actions, and they will
recognize that I have been truly with them. And do thou write for thyself all these words which I declare
unto, thee this day, for I know their rebellion and their stiff neck, before I bring them into the land of
which I sware to their fathers,” (The Book of Jubilees 1.4-7).
Conclusion: The Purpose Reflects the Theme – This doctrinal-apologetic purpose reflects the foundational
theme of the book of the five books of the Pentateuch, which is the central claim that the God of Israel is the
one true and holy God, who is orchestrating a plan of redemption for mankind through the nation of Israel.
B. The Historical and Didactic Purpose: The Deliverance of the Children of Israel and the Giving of the
Law Testify that YHWH is the Only True God – The book of Exodus begins with the deliverance of the
children of Israel from Egyptian bondage followed by the giving of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai. This
narrative material serves both an historical and didactic purpose.
1. The Historical Purpose - The book of Exodus clearly serves as an historical record of the
establishment of God’s covenant with the children of Israel. However, the history that Moses selected to
record in the book of Exodus is redemptive in nature. That it, Moses recorded only the portions of
history that revealed God’s plan of redemption for mankind.
2. The Didactic Purpose - The narrative material within the book of Exodus not only reveals ancient
history; but as redemptive history, it instructs the reader concerning the necessity of having faith in God
and obedience towards Him. This book is didactic in that the reader is intended to learn from the
mistakes of other men and follow in the faith of men who feared God. This book teaches us that God is
intimately involved in our daily affairs. The redemption of mankind is the focus of God’s acts
throughout history. The first aspect of the didactic purpose of Exodus is to establish God’s justification
8
of Israel as His people, set apart for Himself. The second didactic purpose of Exodus is to teach us about
man’s need for redemption through the human depravity reflected in the Mosaic Law.
Conclusion: The Purpose Reflects the Theme – The historical-didactic purpose of Exodus reflects the
secondary, structural theme of the book, which is two-fold: God redeemed the children of Israel, and He
gave them the Mosaic Law.
C. The Hortatory and Kerygmatic Purpose: To Exhort Man to Trust in the Him as His Redeemer and to
Enter into Covenant and Accept the Authority of His Commandments; and to Testify of God’s Plan of
Redemption to the Nations – The book of Exodus contains both an hortatory and kerygmatic purpose.
1. The Hortatory Purpose - The record of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage exhorts man to
trust in the Lord God as his Deliverer; the record of Israel’s covenant with God at Mount Sinai and
giving of the Mosaic Law exhorts man to accept the authority of God’s commandments.
2. The Kerygmatic Purpose - The book of Exodus also contains an kerygmatic purpose. Through
Israel’s deliverance and covenant with God, they were equipped to testify to the nations about the true
and living God through their deliverance and understanding of God’s divine laws. God’s children are
also entrusted with the call to testify of God’s plan of redemption to mankind.
Conclusion: The Purpose Reflects the Theme – This hortatory-kerygmatic purpose of the book of Exodus
reflects it third, imperative theme, which is an exhortation to trust in the Lord God of Israel as Redeemer and
to obey His commandments as a part of a covenant relationship.
D. Conclusion of the Three-fold Purpose of the Pastoral Epistles – Having identified three purposes to the
Pastoral Epistles, it is logical to conclude that there are three themes embedded within these writings, with
each theme supporting a particular purpose. Therefore, the three-fold thematic schemes of these books will
be discussed next.
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THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
“Scholarly excellence requires a proper theological framework.” 22
(Andreas Kösenberger)
Redaction (composition) criticism built upon earlier forms of critical studies known as source criticism and
form criticism to better understand the final composition of a book. This research asks how the literary
authors edited and assembled their material into its final form. As a result, scholars began to approach the
books of the Bible as independent, literary works rather than a compilation of fragmented parts gathered
from various sources. A study in the evolution of the writing of commentaries reveals that extensive book
outlines did not find their way into biblical commentaries until this recent era of biblical studies. Such
outlines emerged during the trend of redaction criticism, so that by the mid-nineteenth century most
commentaries offered book outlines in their introductory material. Earlier outlines existed in commentaries,
but they were generally simplistic in form because scholarship lacked the necessary hermeneutical tools
developed only recently in biblical scholarship.
During the last two decades of the twentieth century, biblical scholarship took a further step, using a number
of approaches collectively known as literary criticism. This approach allowed modern critical studies and
commentaries to propose greater detail in literary structures in an effort to reveal the book’s theological
framework. The current trend in literary criticism allows greater accuracy in book outlines. As a result, these
outlines become valuable tools in exegesis as well as homiletics because of the recognition of a book’s
theological framework.
Based upon the historical setting and literary style of the book of Exodus, an examination of the thematic
scheme and the literary structure with its respective outline to this book of the Holy Scriptures will reveal its
theological framework. This introductory section will sum up its theological framework with a set of
exegetical-homiletical outlines, which are used to identify smaller units or pericopae within the book of
Exodus for preaching and teaching passages of Scripture while following the overriding message of the
book. By following these outlines, the minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ takes his followers on a
spiritual journey that brings them to the same destination that the author intended his readers to reach.
I. Thematic Scheme
“. . . a statement of theme is the first step in formulating the message of the work within its historical context
or in setting up guidelines within which future readings or interpretations of the work
in different historical contexts may be considered legitimate.” 23
(David Clines)
“If we are to hear the words of the prophets in a way that is both faithful to their original context and of
contemporary usefulness to us, we must first determine the basic theme or purpose of each prophetic book
from which we wish to preach. It will also be helpful to show how the purpose of the book fits in with the
overall unifying theme of the whole Old Testament and the theme or central plan of the whole Bible.” 24
(Walter Kaiser, Jr.)
Introduction - Each book of the Holy Scriptures contains a three-fold thematic scheme in order to fulfill its
intended purpose, which is to transform each child of God into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29). The
primary, or foundational, theme of a book offers a central claim that undergirds everything written by the
author. The secondary, or structural theme, of the book supports its primary theme by offering reasons and
evidence for the central “claim” made by the author as it fully develops the first theme. Thus, the secondary
22
Andreas J. Kösenberger, Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue (Wheaton,
Illinois: Crossway, 2011), 173.
23
David J. A. Clines, The Theme of the Pentateuch, second edition (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic
Press Ltd., 2001), 20-21.
24
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2003), 102-103, Logos.
10
theme is more easily recognized by biblical scholars than the other two themes because they provide the
literary content of the book as they navigate the reader through the arguments embedded within the biblical
text, thus revealing themselves more clearly. 25 The third theme is imperative in that it calls the reader to a
response based upon the central claim and supporting evidence offered by the author. Each child of God has
been predestined to be conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures,
and they alone, have the power to accomplish this task. This is why a child of God can read the Holy
Scriptures with a pure heart and experience a daily transformation taking place in his life, although he may
not fully understand what is taking place in his life. In addition, the reason some children of God often do
not see these biblical themes is because they have not fully yielded their lives to Jesus Christ, allowing
transformation to take place by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Without a personal relationship with
the Holy Spirit, a child of God is not willing to allow Him to manage his life and move him down the road
that God predestined as his spiritual journey. This journey requires every participant to take up his cross
daily and follow Jesus, and not every believer is willing to do this. In fact, every child of God chooses how
far down this road of sacrifice he is willing to go. Very few of men and women of God fulfill their divine
destinies by completing this difficult journey. In summary, the first theme drives the second theme, which
develops the first theme, and together they demand the third theme, which is the reader’s response.
The Thematic Scheme of the Books of the Old Testament - The underlying theme of the Old Testament
Scriptures is the office and ministry of God the Father as He works out His divine plan of redemption for
mankind through His divine foreknowledge and sovereign intervention in the affairs of man. The primary
theme of the Pentateuch is the central claim that YHWH is the true and living God. For this reason, man is to
love him will all of his heart, mind, and strength. The books of Hebrew poetry emphasize man’s love
towards God with all of his heart. The prophetic books emphasize loving the Lord with all of one’s mind.
The historical books emphasize loving the Lord with all of one’s strength.
The Three-fold Thematic Scheme of the Pentateuch - The Pentateuch is woven together as the first major
division of the Holy Scriptures with a three-fold thematic scheme. (A) Primary Theme - The primary,
foundational theme of the Pentateuch is the claim found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and known to the Jews as “the
Shema,” a verse that declares the God of Israel is one, true and living God, a theme that undergirds all five
books of the Pentateuch. (B) Secondary Theme - Each book of the Pentateuch has a secondary theme that
supports this central theme, providing the evidence to prove that the God of Israel is one God, who had
dominion over all other gods worshipped by depraved humanity. Collectively, the secondary themes of the
five books of the Pentateuch along with Joshua and Judges reveal the establishment of the nation of Israel
above the nations of the earth through worship of YHWH, who has chosen Israel through His foreknowledge
and divine election to be His chosen method of bringing redemption to mankind. With their secondary
themes, the Pentateuch—Joshua—Judges form a thematic scheme of God’s plan of redemption for the
nation of Israel as well as the heathen nations around them. This thematic scheme follows the structure
found in Romans 8:29-30, which is predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. (C) The Third
Theme - The third theme of the Pentateuch is an imperative theme, and it is also found in the Shema, where
Moses commands Israel to love YHWH their God with all of one’s heart, mind, and strength (Deut 6:5).
The Three-fold Thematic Scheme of the Book of Exodus - The book of Exodus offers a three-fold thematic
scheme that supports the central claim of the Pentateuch, the claim found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and known to
the Jews as “the Shema,” a verse that declares the God of Israel is one, true and living God, a theme that
undergirds all five books of the Pentateuch. Thus, the foundational theme of Exodus is the central claim of
the Pentateuch, a theme shared by all five books in this division of the Holy Scriptures. The book of Exodus
carries two secondary themes that emphasize justification and indoctrination. First, God redeemed (justified)
the children of Israel by bringing them out from Egyptian bondage. Secondly, He made a covenant with
them as His people. Through this covenant, He gave Israel the Mosaic Law and commanded them to build
the Tabernacle in order to obey the Law. Because the book of Exodus has two secondary themes, it also has
two imperative themes. Israel is to trust in the Lord their God as their Redeemer; and they were to obey the
25
For an excellent discussion on the use of claims, reasons, and evidence in literature, see Wayne C. Booth,
Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,
2003).
11
commandments and statutes delivered to them. Because Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage is a
type and figure of the Church’s deliverance from this world, the application for today’s reader is a similar
call to come out from the world and obtain justification through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the
Mosaic Law reveals human depravity and points us to Christ Jesus, the application of the third theme for
today’s reader is a similar call to a lifestyle of obedience to our Lord and Saviour. New Testament believers
are to put their faith in the blood of the lamb to redeem them from the bondages of this world and to obey
His Word.
A. The Primary Theme of the Book of Exodus (Foundational): The Central Claim of the Pentateuch
Declares that YHWH is the True and Living God - The Primary Theme of the Holy Bible - The primary
theme of the Holy Bible is God’s plan of redemption for mankind. This theme finds its central focus in the
Cross, where our Lord and Saviour died to redeem mankind. The central figure of the Holy Scriptures is the
Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Cross is the place where man meets God and where we die to our selfish
ambitions and yield our lives to the God who created all things. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are not
intended to be a complete or comprehensive record of ancient history. Rather, its intent is to provide a record
of God’s divine intervention in the history of mankind in order to redeem the world back to Himself through
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary. The Holy Scriptures are “Redemptive History.”
Every book of the Holy Bible makes a central claim that undergirds one particular aspect of man’s
redemptive history. For example, the central claim of the Pentateuch is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD,” to which all additional material is subordinate. The bulk of the
material in the Old Testament is subordinate in that it serves as reasons and evidence to support this central
claim. This material serves as the secondary theme, offering the literary structure of the book. In addition,
the central claim calls for a response, which is stated in the following verse, “And thou shalt love the LORD
thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deut 6:5) Such a response is
considered the third, imperative theme that runs through every book of the Holy Scriptures.
This central claim is the primary, or foundational, theme and is often obscured by the weight of evidence
that is used to drive the central message, which weight of evidence makes up the secondary theme; and thus,
it contains more content than the primary theme. Therefore, the secondary themes of the books of the Holy
Scripture are generally more recognizable than the primary theme. Nevertheless, the central claim, or truth,
must be excavated down to the foundation and made clearly visible in order to understand the central theme
driving the arguments contained within the book. Only then can proper exegesis and sermon delivery be
executed.
The Primary Theme of the Book of Exodus - The foundational, underlying theme of the book of Exodus is
the central claim of the Pentateuch, a claim stating that the God of Israel is the one true and holy God in
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” He is orchestrating a plan of
redemption for mankind. The five books of the Pentateuch develop this central claim through the four-fold
plan of redemption: predestination, calling, justification, and redemption (Rom 8:29-30). These books
collectively reveal God’s unfolding plan for mankind as He supernaturally intervenes in the affairs of His
people Israel, as we read in Proverbs 16:9, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his
steps.” These books require Israel’s response to Him. 26 Thus, the Pentateuch testifies of the office and
ministry of the Heavenly Father as the One who has divinely elected His people to salvation from their sins
and eternal rest in Heaven through His foreknowledge, which the apostle Peter mentions in 1 Peter 1:2,
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
B. The Secondary Theme of the Book of Exodus (Structural): (1) Justification - YHWH is God Because
He Redeemed the Children of Israel, and (2) Indoctrination - YHWH is God Because He Established a
Covenant with Israel and Instituted the Mosaic Law – The secondary, structural theme of the book of
Exodus supports the primary theme of the Pentateuch by offering the testimony of YHWH’s deliverance the
26
Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical
Interpretation (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, c2006), 234.
12
children of Israel from bondage and the establishment of a covenant with them and the giving of the Law as
Mount Sinai.
1. The Secondary Themes of the Holy Scriptures - The secondary themes of the books of the Holy
Scriptures support the primary themes by offering reasons and evidence for the central “claim” of the
book made by the author. Thus, the secondary themes are more easily recognized by biblical scholars
than the other two themes because they provide the literary structure of the book as they navigate the
reader through the arguments embedded within the biblical text, thus revealing themselves more clearly.
The Secondary Themes of the Pentateuch - The central claim of the Pentateuch declares that the Lord
God of Israel is the true and living God, a statement found in the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is
the foundational theme of the Old Testament. The secondary themes of the five books of the Pentateuch
provide supporting evidence. In Genesis, God predestined mankind to take dominion upon the earth and
He called the patriarchs and commissioned them to fulfill this task. In Exodus, God redeemed Israel and
justified them as His people, and He delivered the Law to them in covenant as their foundational
doctrine and teaching. In Leviticus, God provided mankind the service of the Tabernacle so maintain
fellowship with man. In Numbers, God divinely provided for His people during the wilderness journey.
In Deuteronomy, God made a provision for Israel to choose between the blessings and the curses. In
Joshua, God brought His people into the Promised Land as their place of rest and redemption, while
Judges reveals Israel’s failure due to disobedience.
The Secondary Themes of the Historical Books - The historical books provide supporting evidence to the
claim that YHWH is the true and living God by creating the nation of Israel and exalting it above all
nations. However, the children of Israel disobeyed their God and brought divine judgment upon them.
God predestined the Davidic lineage (Ruth), called David to be Israel’s king and justified him before the
people through divine providence (1-2 Samuel), indoctrinated Israel under the reign of Solomon’s (1-2
Kings), instituted Temple service (1-2 Chronicles), restored a remnant of Israel from Captivity (Ezra-
Nehemiah) and divinely watched over His people until the coming of the Messiah (Esther).
The Secondary Themes of the Hebrew Poetry - The books of Hebrew poetry provide evidence to the
claim that YHWH is the true and living God by expounding upon God’s provision for man to love Him
with all his heart. God provided wisdom literature to offer the knowledge of God to redeem his mind
(Proverbs, Job); God provided the commandments of the Law for the Jews and legal institutions for the
nations to guide man to his destiny and redeem his body (Ecclesiastes, Lamentations); and God offers a
personal call to mankind for fellowship and devoted service to redeem man’s heart (Song of Solomon,
Psalms).
The Secondary Themes of the Prophets - The books of the prophets provide supporting evidence to the
claim that YHWH is the true and living God through the testimonies of the later prophets so that Israel
could set her hope upon God’s future redemption. Isaiah predicts Israel’s redemption through the
coming of the Messiah. Jeremiah predicts God the Father’s time-table of seventy weeks for their
redemption. Ezekiel predicts the restoration of the nation of Israel and victory over its enemies. The
twelve minor prophets offer supporting testimonies to the three major prophets. Finally, Daniel testifies
of God’s time frame for Israel’s redemption, which Jesus called “the Times of the Gentiles.”
The Secondary Themes of the Gospels and Acts - The central claim of the four Gospel writers states that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, which is the foundational theme of this division of the Holy Scriptures.
In addition, each Gospel writer offers evidence as its secondary theme to support his claim. The Gospel
of John offers the five-fold testimony of God the Father, John the Baptist, the miracles of Jesus, the Old
Testament Scriptures, and the testimony of Jesus Christ Himself as its secondary theme. Matthew
expounds upon the testimony of the Old Testament Scriptures as its secondary theme; Mark expounds
upon the testimony of the miracles of Jesus as its secondary theme; Luke expounds upon the testimony
of John the Baptist and other eye-witnesses and well as that of the apostles in the book of Acts as its
secondary theme.
13
The Secondary Themes of the Pauline Church Epistles - The central claim of the Pauline Church
Epistles states that the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone how the power to redeem and transform man into the
image of Jesus. These epistles deliver the doctrine of the Gospel to the New Testament Church. The
epistle of Romans supports this claim by offering evidence of mankind’s depravity and God’s plan of
redemption to redeem him as its secondary theme. The epistles of Ephesians and Philippians expound
upon the role of God the Father in His divine foreknowledge as their secondary theme; the epistles of
Colossians and Galatians expound upon the role of Jesus Christ as the head of the Church as their
secondary theme; the epistles of 1, 2 Thessalonians and 1, 2 Corinthians expound upon the role of the
Holy Spirit in sanctifying the believers as their secondary theme.
The Secondary Themes of the Pastoral Epistles - The central claim of the Pastoral Epistles states that
God calls faithful believers into divine service in order to establish and grow the New Testament
Church. The secondary themes of these epistles support their primary theme by giving instructions on
the order of the Church. The epistle of 1 Timothy establishes the structure of the offices and ministries
of the local church so that believers can serve the Lord within their local church with a pure heart. The
epistle of 2 Timothy expounds upon this theme as Paul exhorts Timothy to develop his gifts and calling
within the structure of the church. The epistle of Titus provides instructions on the importance of
establishing the Church doctrines within the local church. The teaching of Church doctrines renews the
mind of the believer, providing redemption for the mind. The epistle of Philemon expounds upon the
theme of the love walk among fellow believers, providing redemption for men’s bodies. Collectively,
the secondary themes of the Pastoral Epistles provide redemption for the three-fold make-up of the
believer, spirit, soul, and body.
The Secondary Themes of the General Epistles - The central claim of the General Epistles states that
believers must persevere in the Christian faith in order to obtain eternal redemption. The epistles of
Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter modify this theme to reflect perseverance from persecutions from without
the Church. The epistle of Hebrews expounds upon the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ, which is its
secondary theme. The epistle of James expounds upon a lifestyle of perseverance through the joy of the
Holy Spirit, which is its secondary theme. The epistle of 1 Peter expounds upon our hope of divine
election through God the Father, which is its secondary theme. The epistles of 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3, John and
Jude reflect perseverance from false doctrines from within. The epistle of 2 Peter expounds upon
growing in the knowledge of God’s Word with a sound mind, which is its secondary theme. The epistles
of 1, 2, 3 John expound upon walking in fellowship with God and one another with a pure heart, which
is its secondary theme. The epistle of Jude expounds how living a godly lifestyle with our bodies, which
is its secondary theme.
The Secondary Theme of the Book of Revelation - The secondary theme of the book of Revelation
reveals the judgment upon the earth through the Tribulation Period and Second Coming of Jesus Christ,
giving believers a vision of the hope that is laid up before them as a source of encouragement for those
who persevere until the end. The primary theme of the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus
Christ, who is coming to take His Bride the Church to Glory. The secondary theme supports this claim
with the prophecies concerning the Great Tribulation Period and Second Coming.
2. Summary of the Secondary Themes of the Books of the Pentateuch - The secondary themes of the
five books of the Pentateuch along with Joshua and Judges follow the four-fold thematic scheme that
Paul develops in Romans 8:29-30, which is predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. This
thematic scheme is expanded into predestination, calling, justification, indoctrination, divine service,
perseverance against persecutions, perseverance against false doctrines, and glorification.
The Pentateuch—Joshua—Judges offer supporting testimony to its primary theme that claims YHWH as
the one true and living God. The secondary theme of the Pentateuch is the establishment of the nation of
Israel by God’s foreknowledge and divine election as His chosen method of bringing redemption to
mankind. This holy nation will give birth to the Messiah, who will again restore righteousness upon the
earth. We can easily see the secondary theme of the Pentateuch by examining the secondary themes of
the five books of the Pentateuch, which testify of predestination, calling, justification, indoctrination,
14
divine service, perseverance, and glorification. Genesis develops two of the secondary themes that make
up the structure of the Pentateuch, that of predestination and calling; Exodus develops justification and
indoctrination; Leviticus develops divine service; Numbers develops perseverance from persecutions
without; Deuteronomy develop perseverance from false doctrines within; and Joshua develops
glorification. Collectively, the Pentateuch and Joshua unfold God’s plan of redemption for man through
the nation of Israel, as Paul discusses in Romans 9-11. The book of Judges reveals Israel’s failure as a
theocracy.
3. The Thematic Scheme of the Pentateuch Compared to the New Testament Themes – Paul’s
comments in the New Testament allow us to look at the Old Testament themes as figurative of the
Christian life. Paul writes, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4) He again writes,
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Cor 10:11) This principle of interpreting the New Testament
through the eyes or lenses of the books of the Old Testament lead us to the proposal that the thematic
scheme of the Pentateuch parallels the New Testament scheme.
The secondary theme of the Creation Story is the predestination of mankind to take dominion upon the
earth. The secondary theme of the ten genealogies in Genesis is the founding of the nation of Israel,
God’s seed of righteousness, which He plans to use to accomplish man’s redemption. God will use
several men who fulfilled their divine destinies to create the nation of Israel. These patriarchs, Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, will play leading roles in preparing for the establishment of
this nation in much the same way the Gospels and the book of Acts reveals the origin of the Church and
the leading roles played by men like Jesus Christ, Peter, Stephen, Philip the evangelist and Paul the
apostle in the establishment of the early Church. Thus, the book of Genesis is structured around the
genealogies of these men of righteousness in order to explain the establishment of Israel as a nation. As
the first part of the book of Exodus emphasizes deliverance from Egyptian bondage, so do the Gospels
testify of our redemption and set us apart from the world. As the last part of the book of Exodus
emphasizes the doctrines of the nation of Israel, so do the Pauline Epistles establish Church doctrine. As
the book of Leviticus establishes the order of worship for the Israelites, so do the Pastoral Epistles
establish divine service in the Church. As the book of Numbers explains the perseverance of the
“church” in the wilderness against their enemies, so do the Catholic Epistles of Hebrews, James, and 1
Peter explain the perseverance of the Church against persecutions from without. As the book of
Deuteronomy is the second giving of the Law with stern warnings to persevere, so do the Catholic
Epistles of 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, and Jude emphasize this same theme. Finally, the story of the conquest
of Canaan in the book of Joshua and Israel’s rest in the Promised Land is figurative of the Church
entering into Heaven, as is emphasized in the book of Revelation.
4. The Secondary Theme of Exodus - The secondary theme of Exodus 1-18 is Israel’s justification and
the secondary theme of Exodus is Israel’s indoctrination.
a) The Secondary Theme of Exodus: Justification (Ex 1-18) - The secondary, structural theme of
Exodus 1-18 emphasizing Israel’s justification states that YHWH is God because He redeemed the
children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The first part of the book of Exodus emphasizes the
theme of Israel’s justification before the Lord in that He redeemed them, brought them out from
Egyptian bondage, and made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai so that they became His chosen
people.
The theme of justification carries a parallel under the New Covenant as the Church is called to put
their faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ, a theme carried in the Gospels and Acts.
b) The Secondary Theme of Exodus: Indoctrination (Ex 19-40) - The secondary theme, structural
theme woven throughout Exodus 19-40 emphasizing Israel’s indoctrination states that YHWH is
God because He delivered the Mosaic Law to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai through a
covenant. At Mount Sinai, Moses gave the people the Ten Commandments, which can be referred to
15
as the “Moral Law.” He then delivered to them many statutes and ordinances regarding daily living
and service in the Tabernacle. This set of rules and regulations can be referred to as the “Civil
Laws.” The Ten Commandments became the foundation for the civil laws. Thus, the Ten
Commandments dealt with a man’s heart, while the civil laws dealt with a man’s actions. The
establishment of the nation of Israel through their covenant with God at Mount Sinai supports the
primary theme of the Pentateuch.
Jesus Christ expounded upon the Ten Commandments when He taught the Sermon on the Mount by
teaching the people their true original purpose and intent. He explained that civil laws are derived
from these ten foundational laws. Jesus dealt with the heart of man, because the people were
confused with the endless traditions that the Pharisees had heaped upon them through the centuries.
The theme of indoctrination carries a parallel under the New Covenant as the Church is called to
learn the doctrines laid down in the Church Epistles.
C. The Third Theme of the Book of Exodus (Imperative): Israel’s Charge to Love the Lord Their God
with All of Their Heart, Soul, and Strength – The imperative themes of the book of Exodus reflects the
third theme of the Pentateuch, which is the command to love the Lord God with all of one’s heart, soul, and
strength.
1. The Third, Imperative Themes of the Holy Scriptures - The third theme of each book of the Holy
Scriptures is a call by the author for the reader to apply the central truth, or claim, laid down in the book
to the Christian life. It is a call to a lifestyle of crucifying the flesh and taking up one’s Cross daily to
follow Jesus. Every child of God has been predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ
(Rom 8:29), and every child of God faces challenges as well as failures in the pursuit of his Christian
journey. For example, the imperative theme of the Old Testament is that God’s children are to serve the
Lord God with all of their heart, mind, and strength, and love their neighbour as themselves (Deut 6:4-
5).
The child of God cannot fulfill his divine destiny of being conformed into the image of Jesus without
yielding himself and following the plan of redemption that God avails to every human being. This 4-
fold, redemptive path is described in Romans 8:29-20 as predestination, calling, justification, and
glorification. The phase of justification can be further divided into regeneration, indoctrination, divine
service, and perseverance. Although each individual will follow a unique spiritual journey in life, the
path is the same in principle for every believer since it follows the same divine pattern described above.
This allows us to superimpose one of three thematic schemes upon each book of the Holy Scriptures in
order to vividly see its imperative theme. Every book follows a literary structure that allows either (1)
the three-fold scheme of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: or (2) the scheme of spirit, soul, and body of man;
or (3) the scheme of predestination, calling, justification (regeneration, indoctrination, divine service,
and perseverance), and glorification in some manner.
2. The Third, Imperative Themes of the Pentateuch – The third, imperative themes of the Pentateuch is
Israel’s response to God’s command to love Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength. Israel is to
acknowledge God as their Creator (Gen 1:1-2:3), obey their personal callings to take dominion upon the
earth through God’s plan of redemption (Gen 2:4-50:26), trust in the Lord as their Redeemer through
covenant (Ex 1-18), accept the authority of His commandments (Ex 19-40), offer themselves in divine
services (Lev), persevere in obedience by resting in God’s divine providence and provision during their
spiritual journey (Num), adhere to the Law in order to walk in divine blessings, and take possession of
the Promised Land (Josh). The book of Judges reveals Israel’s failure to obey the Lord and their need of
a Redeemer.
3. The Third, Imperative Themes of the Book of Exodus: (1) Justification: Israel Loved the Lord
Their God with All of Their Heart, Mind, and Strength by Trusting in the Lord as Their Redeemer,
and (2) Indoctrination: Israel Loved the Lord Their God with All of Their Heart, Mind, and Strength
by Entering into Covenant and Accepting the Authority of His Commandments - Because the book of
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Exodus has two secondary themes, it also has two imperative themes that are based upon the themes of
justification and indoctrination.
a) The Imperative Theme in Justification (Ex 1-18) - The imperative theme of Exodus 1-18 states
that Israel loved the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, and strength by trusting in the Lord
God as his Redeemer. The children of Israel demonstrated their trust in the Lord by partaking of the
Passover meal and painting the blood of the lamb over their doorposts.
b) The Imperative Theme in Indoctrination (Ex 19-40) – The imperative theme of Exodus 19-40
states that Israel loved the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, and strength by entering into
covenant and accepting the authority of His commandments. Israel entered into covenant with God
at Mount Sinai by consenting to obey the commandments and statutes of the Mosaic Law that was
delivered unto them through Moses.
D. Summary of the Three-fold Thematic Scheme of the Book of Exodus – The foundational, underlying
theme of the book of Exodus is the central claim of the Pentateuch, a claim stating that the God of Israel is
the one true and holy God, who is orchestrating a plan of redemption for mankind. The secondary, structural
theme of Exodus 1-18 emphasizing Israel’s justification states that YHWH is God because He redeemed the
children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The secondary theme, structural theme woven throughout Exodus
19-40 emphasizing Israel’s indoctrination states that YHWH is God because He delivered the Mosaic Law
to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai through a covenant. The imperative theme of Exodus 1-18 states that
Israel loved the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, and strength by trusting in the Lord God as his
Redeemer. The imperative theme of Exodus 19-40 states that Israel loved the Lord their God with all of their
heart, mind, and strength by entering into covenant and accepting the authority of His commandments.
Gen 2-11 – The Calling of the
Deuteronomy – Perseverance:
Joshua-Joshua - Glorification
Gen 12-50 – Israel’s Calling
False Doctrines from within

Exodus 1-18 - Justification
Leviticus – Divine Service
Persecutions from without

Ex 19-40 - Indoctrination
Numbers – Perseverance:
Seventy Nations
Predestination (The Creation Story)

(Gen 1:1-2:3)
Thematic Scheme of the Pentateuch
II. Literary Structure
“After we have stated the book’s purpose [or theme], we must then mark out the major literary sections that
constitute the structure of the book. Usually there are rhetorical devices that mark where a new
section begins in the book. However, when such rhetorical devices are not present, one must
watch for other markers. A change in subject matter, a change in pronouns, or a change in
aspects of the verbal action can all be telltale signs that a new section has begun.” 27
(Walter Kaiser, Jr.)
27
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2003), 102-103, Logos.
17
The literary structure of the book of Exodus must follow the thematic scheme of the book. It is important to
note that such a breakdown of this book of the Holy Bible was not necessarily intended by the original
author, but it is being used as a means of making the interpretation easier. It is hoped that this summary and
outline can identify the underlying themes of the book, as well as the themes of its major divisions, sections
and subsections. Then individual verses can more easily be understood in light of the emphasis of the
immediate passages in which they are found.
This section explains the rationale for the literary structure of the book of Exodus by discussing two topics:
(A) Hermeneutical Principles for Identifying the Literary Structure of the Book of Exodus, and (B) A
Summary of the Book of Exodus.
A. Hermeneutical Principles for Identifying the Literary Structure of the Book of Exodus – There are five
hermeneutical principles presented in the discussion below used to identify the theological framework of the
book of Exodus. They provide the key in developing a theme-based approach to the Scriptures. Three
principles are general in nature for all books of the Bible, one is special to the Pentateuchal/historical books,
and one is special to the book of Exodus. These five principles are designed specifically for developing a
theme-based approach to the book of Exodus to help bridge the gap between exegesis and homiletics. These
principles are tools used to identify thematic schemes within the book of Exodus at the super, macro, and
micro-levels of its literary structure.
In order to propose a summary and outline of the book of Exodus that reflects its theological framework at
the super, macro, and micro-levels, the five hermeneutical principles discussed below are used to reveal
distinct literary devices that determine its structure. These literary devices reveal the book’s literary structure
so that each pericope can be tightly linked together within the overall theological framework of the book.
Here are the five hermeneutical principles discussed at length:
The Theological Framework Shaping the Major Divisions and Individual Books of the Holy Scriptures
(Principles 1-3) – The major divisions of the Holy Bible are shaped by two principles entitled The Thematic
Arrangement of the Holy Scriptures and The Thematic Arrangement of the Major Divisions of the Holy
Scriptures. The individual books are shaped by a third principle entitled A Three-Tiered Theological
Framework of the Individual Books of the Holy Scriptures.
1. The Thematic Arrangement of the Holy Scriptures - The first hermeneutical principle towards
developing a theme-based approach to the book of Exodus is general for all of the books of the Bible.
This principle proposes a thematic arrangement for the major divisions of the Bible using three thematic
schemes: (1) the three-fold scheme of the Trinity: the Father—Jesus the Son—the Holy Spirit, (2) the
three-fold scheme of the tripartite man: spirit—soul—body, and (3) the four-fold scheme of salvation
(also known as the ordo salutis): predestination—calling—justification—glorification. These thematic
schemes provide the theological framework for the major divisions of the Bible as well as the individual
books of the Bible at their macro and micro-levels. (See Appendices 1 and 2)
In the Old Testament, the Pentateuch makes the primary claim that the Lord God is the true and living
God and man was to love Him with all of his heart, mind, and strength, a claim found in Deuteronomy
6:4-5. The historical books reflect the secondary theme of how to love the Lord God with all of one’s
strength; the books of poetry reflect the secondary theme of how to love the Lord God with all of one’s
heart; and the prophetic books reflect the secondary theme of how to love the Lord God with all of one’s
mind.
The Pentateuch Central Claim (Deut 6:4-5)

Historical Books Love God with all of one’s strength
Poetic Books Love God with all of one’s heart
Prophetic Books Love God with all of one’s mind
The Thematic Arrangement of the Old Testament
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In the New Testament, the Gospels and Acts reflect the theme of justification in its narrow sense of
“regeneration”; the Epistles reflect the theme of justification in its broad sense described as the
believer’s sanctification; and the book of Revelation reflects the church’s glorification. This
hermeneutical principle uses the expanded form of the ordo salutis to identify the major theme shared by
the nine church epistles as “indoctrination.”
Predestination Genesis - The Creation Story

Calling Genesis – The Ten Genealogies
Justification Gospels and NT epistles
Regeneration Gospels and Acts
Indoctrination (Church Doctrine) Nine Church Epistles
Divine Service Pastoral Epistles-Philemon
Perseverance amidst persecutions Hebrews-James-1Peter
Perseverance against offenses 2Peter-1-2-3John-Jude
Glorification Revelation
The Thematic Arrangement of the New Testament
2. The Thematic Arrangement of the Major Divisions of the Holy Scriptures - The second
hermeneutical principle towards developing a theme-based approach to the Scriptures is general for all
books of the Bible. This principle proposes a thematic arrangement for the Pentateuch based upon the
seven-fold thematic scheme of God’s plan of salvation: predestination, calling, justification, divine
service, perseverance amidst persecutions, perseverance amidst false doctrines, and glorification. In
these books, God’s records His plan of redemption for His people of Israel under a theocracy.
Within this arrangement, the primary theme shared by the books of the Pentateuch as well as Joshua and
Judges is the claim that the Lord God of Israel is the true and living God. In addition, each book offers
as its secondary theme a distinct testimony to support this central claim. The Creation Story (1:1-2:3)
reveal God’s original plan for mankind, who was predestined to take dominion upon the earth. The ten
genealogies in Genesis 2:4-50:26 reveal God’s calling to the seventy nations as well as calling out
Abraham to form a holy nation to play an active role in His plan of redemption. God redeemed Israel
and delivered them from Egyptian bondage, entering into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, and
justifying them at His chosen people (Ex 1-18). God delivered the Law of His covenant to Israel by the
hand of Moses, who taught or indoctrinated them in the laws and statutes so that they would walk in
divine blessings (Ex 19-40). The Lord set the tribe of Levi apart for divine service in the Tabernacle
(Leviticus). Israel persevered during their forty-year wilderness journey as punishment for their
disobedience at Kadeshbarnea (Numbers). The book of Deuteronomy reveals Israel’s need to persevere
amidst false doctrines that are adopted from pagan nations, warning them against forsaking their
covenant to God through disobedience to the Law. The book of Joshua reveals Israel’s glorification as
they enter into rest as a theocracy. The book of Judges reveals Israel’s failure to maintain this rest due to
their disobedience to the Law, as well as their need of a Redeemer as He raised up judges to deliver
them from their oppressors.
Predestination Genesis 1:1-2:3

Calling Genesis 2:4-50:26
Justification Exodus 1-18
Indoctrination Exodus 19-40
Divine Service Leviticus
Perseverance against Persecutions from Without Numbers
Perseverance against False Doctrines from Within Deuteronomy
Glorification Joshua
Israel’s Failure under a Theocracy Judges
The Thematic Arrangement of the Hexateuch
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3. A Three-Tiered Theological Framework of the Individual Books of the Holy Scriptures - The third
hermeneutical principle towards developing a theme-based approach to the Scriptures is general for all
books of the Bible. This principle proposes a three-tiered theological framework of themes that shape
the super-structure of each individual book of the Bible. The three tiers of themes and their functions are
(1) primary/foundational, (2) secondary/structural, and (3) tertiary/imperative. The primary theme
functions as the foundational theme shared by all books in a major division of the Bible. The secondary
theme functions as the literary structure of the book. The tertiary theme functions as the imperative
theme that calls the reader to respond to the message of the book.
The book of Exodus is characterized by a three-tiered framework of themes in order to deliver its
theological message. The central claim of the Pentateuch is found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and is known to
the Jews as “the Shema,” a verse that declares the God of Israel is one, true and living God, a theme that
undergirds all of the books of the Old Testament as well. Thus, the foundational theme of the book of
Exodus is the central claim of the Pentateuch. The book of Exodus carries two secondary themes that
emphasize justification and indoctrination. These secondary themes reflect God’s redemption of Israel
from Egyptian bondage and the institution of the Mosaic Law. Because the book of Exodus has two
secondary themes, it also has two imperative themes. Because the Lord redeemed His people Israel, He
provided redemption for us today. While Israel was under the old covenant based upon the conditions of
the Mosaic Law, we are under a new covenant based upon the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Primary/Foundational Theme  The God of Israel is One, True and Living God
Secondary/Structural Theme  In Israel’s exodus, God redeemed Israel by bringing
them out of Egyptian bondage. In the giving of the
Law, God made a covenant with Israel with the
conditions of given in the Mosaic Law.
Third/Imperative Theme  Israel is to trust in the Lord God as their Redeemer.
Israel is to serve God in covenant by obeying the
Mosaic Law.
The Three-Tiered Theological Framework for the Book of Exodus
This theme-based approach to the books of the Bible is crafted upon this three-tiered framework that,
when properly applied, offers the text-driven preacher a specific, multi-faceted, predesigned, redemptive
journey upon which to take his congregation.
Literary Devices Shaping the Super-Structure of the Book of Exodus (Principle 4) - The book of Exodus
contains literary devices that shape its super-structure. This structure is shaped by the fourth hermeneutical
principle entitled The Literary Elements of Old Testament Narrative as a Genre.
4. The Literary Elements of Old Testament Narrative as a Genre in Shaping the Super-Structure of
the Books of the Pentateuch and the Historical Books (Reflection of the Primary Theme) – The fourth
hermeneutical principle towards developing a theme-based approach to the Scriptures is special to the
Pentateuch and historical books. This principle proposes that Old Testament narrative as a genre contain
literary elements that shape the super-structures of these books. All Hebrew narrative literature shares
certain literary elements, such as plot, characters, and setting. The plot generally begins with a prologue
introducing the historical setting, followed by the development of a story, and concluding with an
epilogue. The plot of the story contains the elements of a developing conflict or tension reaching a final
climax and resolution. The epilogue generally records the climax and resolution of this plot. Specific to
the Old Testament, narrative material records the Lord’s dealings with the nation of Israel as He
establishes a covenant with a people who reject Him and become subjected to divine judgment. This
principle reflects the primary theme of the book of Exodus that emphasizes the testimony of the
Pentateuch that the Lord God is the true and living God, who has ordained that His people Israel find
rest and He is able to deliver and redeem them amidst their failures to obey and serve Him.
20
The narrative material in the book of Exodus has a super-structure consisting of a prologue and a main
body, but it lacks an epilogue that is characteristic of its biblical genre. The prologue introduces the
historical setting for Israel’s deliverance as it fast-tracks the reader through four hundred years in Egypt
in fulfilment of Abrahamic prophecy (Gen 15:12-16), which includes Moses’ forty-year exile. The main
body of the book develops the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage as they make a
covenant with the Lord at Mount Sinai through the terms of the Mosaic Law and the building of the
Tabernacle.
Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Deliverance) 1:1-2:22

Main Body (Israel’s Deliverance and Covenant with the Lord) 2:23-40:38
The main body of the book of Exodus is divided into two major sections to reflect the ordo salutis
scheme describing God’s plan of redemption for His people Israel and their indoctrination with the
giving of the Mosaic Law.
Prologue 1:1-2:22
Main Body (Israel’s Deliverance and Covenant with the Lord) 2:23-40:38
Israel’s Justification/Redemption for Egyptian Bondage 2:23-18:27
Israel’s Indoctrination (The Giving of Law and the Tabernacle) 19:1-40:38
The Super-Structure for the Book of Exodus
Literary Devices Shaping the Macro-Structure of the Book of Exodus (Principle 4) - The book of Exodus
contains literary devices that shape its macro-structure. This structure is shaped by the fifth hermeneutical
principle entitled The Christological Symbolism.
5. The Christological Symbolism in Shaping the Macro-Structure of the Book of Exodus (Reflection
of the Imperative Theme) – The fifth hermeneutical principle towards developing a theme-based
approach to the Scriptures is special to the book of Exodus. This principle proposes that the Old
Testament narrative literature reflects Christological symbolism. In other words, aspects of the plot and
characters of these narratives serve as a figure of the work of redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christological-Redemptive Symbolism in the Book of Exodus Used by the New Testament Authors –
Jesus tells us that the books of the Old Testament contain a redemptive, Christocentric message when
He says, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify
of me.” (Jn 5:39) Jesus discussed various aspects of this Christo-centric message of the Old Testament
when talking with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35). After appearing to them,
Jesus said, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Lk 24:25-27) Peter makes a
similar statement of the testimony of the Old Testament Scriptures when preaching in the Temple,
saying, “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken,
have likewise foretold of these days.” (Acts 3:24) We must ask ourselves how the books of the Old
Testament testify of Christ Jesus and His redemptive work He accomplished for mankind. In other
words, do the Scriptures make only direct predictions concerning the Messiah, or do they contain
symbolic references to Him. We find that the authors of the New Testament see both direct and
symbolic references in these Old Testament Messianic/Christocentric witnesses.
The events recorded in the book of Exodus provide both direct and symbolic references of the
redemptive work of Christ and the New Testament believer’s covenant through His blood and his
subsequent deliverance from the bondages and sins of this world. The book of Exodus reflects events for
the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can establish portions of this Christocentric framework by looking at
how the writers of the New Testament made some of these comparisons.
21
Symbolism in the Death of the Passover Lamb to the Blood of Christ - The apostle Paul describes
Christ as our Passover Lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may
be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” The apostle
John uses this symbolism in his writings. For example, John the Baptist describes Jesus as the
“Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29-36). John interpreters the unbroken
bones of the Passover lamb (Exo 12:46) as a fulfilment of a prophecy concerning Christ’s unbroken
bones in His atoning death on the Cross (Jn 19:36). In the book of Revelation, John describes Jesus
as the “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). The apostle Peter uses this
symbolism in 1 Peter 1:19, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.”
Symbolism in the Events of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt to the Redemption of the Church – The
apostle Paul uses the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt to make spiritual analogies. For example,
he compares the cloud that followed Israel and their passage through the Red Sea to the New
Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:2). He compares the manna in the wilderness
to the believer’s spiritual food, which is partaking of God’s Word (1 Cor 10:3). He compares the
water from the rock to the believer partaking of Christ (1 Cor 10:4). Paul also uses Israel’s failures
to warn the church not to fall back into lusts for the things of this world (1 Cor 10:6), or idolatry (1
Cor 10:7), or sexual immorality (1 Cor 10:8), or tempting Christ by living in sin (1 Cor 10:9), or
murmuring and complaining (1 Cor 10:10). Paul describes these events as examples for the New
Testament church (1 Cor 10:11).
Symbolism in the Manna in the Wilderness – Jesus gives symbolic meaning to Israel’s manna in the
wilderness (Exo 16:13-21), saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread
from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which
cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:32-33) Jesus describes Himself
as the Bread of Life after feeding the five thousand in order to explain His divine role of feeding
God’s children spiritually with His teachings (Jn 6:28-59). Therefore, He says in Matthew 4:4, “But
he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Lk 4:4)
Symbolism in the Divine Attributes of God’s People - The apostle Peter mentions God’s description
of the divine attributes of His people Israel as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exo 19:6) and
applies them to the church as well, calling us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet 2:9).
Symbolism in God’s Presence upon Mount Sinai - The author of the epistle of Hebrews compares
the boundaries and restraints of Israel’s encampment before Mount Sinai (Exo 19:12-13) to the
church’s position before the throne of God and all of the heavenly host (Heb 12:20-24). He
describes Mount Sinai the “city of the living God” (Heb 12:22).
Symbolism in Moses as a Mediator between God and Man - Regarding the role of Moses standing
before the Lord, the author of the epistle of Hebrews describes Jesus as the “Mediator of the new
covenant” just as Moses was the mediator of the old covenant (Heb 12:24). He compares God
speaking to Israel from the mount to the Lord speaking to His church (Heb 12:25). He compares the
voice that shook Mount Sinai to the Tribulation Period that is coming upon the earth (Heb 12:26-
27). He compares the faithfulness of Christ over His church to Moses’ faithfulness over his house,
or God’ people Israel (Heb 3:1-6). Moses was sent forth as an apostle to lead God’s children to the
Promised Land, and as a mediator between God and man, a role that Aaron and his sons were given
as the high priests over the Tabernacle.
Symbolism in the Giving of the Law - Regarding the Ten Commandments and their accompanying
statutes (Exo 19:1-24:8), Jesus explains that the heart of the Law is for man to love God with all his
heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself (Matt 5:21-48; 15:1-9; 19:18-26;
22
22:37, Mk 7:5-13; 10:17-23; 12:30, Lk 10:27; 18:18-23). The apostle Paul and James continues this
theme by saying love is the fulfillment of the Law (Rom 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam 2:8-13). We know
as New Testament believers that we can only fulfil the Law as we walk as new creatures in Christ,
which Law the apostle Paul describes as holy and just and good (Rom 7:7-12). While the first law
was written on tablets of stone, the new law of God has been written upon the hearts of men through
the new birth in Christ Jesus (Heb 8:6-13).
Symbolism in the Blood of the Old Covenant – The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great
length comparing the blood used to ratify the first covenant between Israel (Exo 24:8) and the Lord
to the blood covenant between Christ and the church (Heb 9:20). He explains how Christ’s blood is
superior to that of sheep and bulls in that it is offered only once before the throne of God. Just as
Aaron sprinkled the blood of animals upon the Tabernacle and its vessels, so did Jesus appear in
heaven to offer His blood once and for all (Heb 9:11-28).
Symbolism in the Design of the Tabernacle with the Redemptive Work of Christ – The Lord told
Moses to make the Tabernacle and its articles “after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the
mount.” (Exo 25:40) Thus, the Tabernacle was a pattern of the heavenly. The author of the epistle of
Hebrews makes a brief reference to the fact that the design and structure and articles of the
Tabernacle serve are symbolic of the various aspects of the redemptive work of Christ Jesus, saying
that the High Priesthood of Jesus serves as an “ example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb 8:1-
5; 9:1-10). He then cites Exodus 25:40. In other words, the Tabernacle and the Temple provide
symbolism of Christ’s atonement. In John 2:12-22, Jesus stood in the Temple and described His
body symbolically as a “Temple.” By this statement, He testified to the Jews that by His death and
resurrection would accomplish what the Temple sacrificial system was unable to do, which is
provide an eternal atonement for God’s people.
Symbolism in the Levitical Priesthood - The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great length
comparing the weakness of the Aaron and his sons and the Levitical priesthood to the perfect High
Priesthood of Chris Jesus (Heb 4:14-5:10; 6:20-8:4).
Symbolism in the Sabbath Rest – The author of the epistle of Hebrews deals with the “Sabbath rest”
that Christ has made available for the New Testament believer (Heb 4:1-11). Under the Mosaic Law,
the Israelites were to cease from their labours on the Sabbath day (Exo 31:12-18). In the epistle of
Hebrews, Israel failed to enter into the rest that God had provided for them, so there remains a rest
for the people of God.
Symbolism in the Vail over Moses’ Face – In Exodus 34:1-28 God called Moses back up to Mount
Sinai to renew His covenant with the children of Israel. Upon his return from the mount, the face of
Moses shone bright so that the Israelites feared to look upon him. Therefore, he shielded his face
from them. Paul discusses the symbolic meaning of Moses’ vail in 1 Corinthians 3:6:18 when
comparing the old covenant with the new one. Paul says the vail represents the blindness of the heart
of Israel in rejecting the First Coming of Jesus Christ. The brightness may symbolize the fact that
the second covenant is more glorious than the second, since this was the second writing of the Ten
Commandments, the first having been broken.
Christological-Redemptive Symbolism in the Pentateuch – Christological-Redemptive symbolism is

embedded within the books of the Pentateuch. This framework of symbolism is shaped by the ordo-
salutis thematic scheme of the Pentateuch: predestination and calling in Genesis, justification and
indoctrination in Exodus, divine service in Leviticus, persecutions from the world in Numbers,
persecutions and false doctrines from within in Deuteronomy, and glorification in Joshua-Judges. The
Christological-Redemptive symbolism in the book of Genesis is seen in the emphasis on predestination
in the Creation Story (Gen 1:1-2:3) as Christ is the Word of God that became flesh (Jn 1:1-14). This
symbolism in the ten genealogies of Genesis emphasizing calling is seen in the manifold aspects of
Christ’s calling to redeem mankind on the Cross. Christological symbolism in the deliverance of the
children of Israel from Egypt in Exodus is seen in the Messiah’s role in justifying God’s children as the
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Passover Lamb. Christological symbolism in the giving of the Law in Exodus and the manna in the
wilderness is seen in Christ as the Bread of Life and the Rock as our Living Water in the Holy Spirit.
Christological symbolism in Leviticus is reflected in the various aspects of the sacrificial system of the
priests offering the animals on the altar. Christological symbolism in Numbers is reflected in the various
aspects of divine guidance, the moving of the camp led by a cloud by day and a fire by night as Moses
led Israel as a type of Christ, who is Head of the church. Christological symbolism in Deuteronomy is
reflected in the various aspects of Moses providing instructions in the Law to Israel to bring them under
the blessings of God rather than divine judgment through the curse. Moses promised that the Lord would
raise up a Prophet greater than him, who would bring God’s children words of grace and life under the
new covenant rather the words of the Law that brought death. Christological symbolism in Joshua is
reflected in reflected in the various aspects of Joshua’s leadership as a type and figure of Christ leading
God’s children into their eternal rest.
Conclusion - This hermeneutical principle reflects the imperative theme of the book of Exodus that
emphasizes man’s response to God’s divine call to separate himself to participate in God’s plan of
redemption for mankind by trusting in the manifold aspects of Christ’s redemption for man’s sins. This
faith and trust in God enables him to walk in obedience to the Lord.
Summary – In summary, these four hermeneutical principles use the three major thematic schemes that are
inherent within the message of the Scriptures to reveal the thematic arrangement of the Scriptures. They
shape the major divisions of the Bible as well as the literary structure of these books at their super, macro,
and micro-levels. These principles can be grouped according to the level at which they shape the book of
Numbers.
The Theological Framework of the Books of the Bible

1. The Thematic Arrangement of the Holy Scriptures
2. The Thematic Arrangement of the Major Divisions of the Holy Scriptures
3. A Three-Tiered Theological Framework of the Individual Books of the Holy Scriptures
The Super-Structure of the Book of Exodus

4. The Literary Elements of Old Testament Narrative as a Genre in Shaping the Super-Structure of
the Books of the Pentateuch and Historical Books
The Macro-Structure of the Book of Exodus

5. The Christological Symbolism in Shaping the Micro-Structure of the Book of Exodus
Conclusion - In conclusion, this theme-based approach simplifies the search for the central ideas of the text
as well as homiletical outlines in sermon preparation by identifying the theological framework used to
bridge the gap between exegesis and homiletics. The Ordo Salutis Scheme best supports the literary structure
and thematic scheme of the book of Exodus. This literary structure is presented below.
B. A Summary of the Book of Exodus – The following summary of the book of Exodus uses the Ordo
Salutis scheme of the Pentateuch in order to reflect the various literary devices described above. The book of
Exodus has two major divisions that reflect Israel’s justification and indoctrination in their spiritual journey.
The journey of the children of Israel in the books of Exodus to Deuteronomy represents our spiritual journey
of sanctification as Christians, and their conquest in the book of Joshua represents the glorification of the
church. Therefore, we can find a number of typologies in these stories.
Here is a proposed summary:
1. Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Exodus) (1:1-2:22) – Exodus 1:1-2:22 serves as a prologue by
introducing the historical setting for Israel’s deliverance as it fast-tracks the reader through four hundred
years in Egypt in fulfilment of Abrahamic prophecy (Gen 15:12-16), which includes Moses’ forty-year
exile in the Midian near Mount Sinai.
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Literary Evidence for the Theme – There is literary evidence for the theme of Exodus 1:1-2:22 with its
emphasis upon prophetic fulfilment. This prologue summarizes Israel’s four-hundred sojourn in Egypt
in fulfilment of the Lord’s prophecy to Abraham in Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a
surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years.” In fact, the Hebrew word (‫“ )גֵּר‬stranger, alien” is used in Genesis 15:13
and Exodus 2:22. The motif of Israel’s affliction dominates this prologue as they serve the Egyptians in
their bondage. Thus, every element of this Abrahamic prophecy is emphasized in this prologue.
Literary Evidence for the Structure – There is literary evidence for the structure of the prologue of
Exodus. First, the historical material fast-tracks through four hundred years in the history of the
Israelites, then forty years in the life of Moses. Immediately after the prologue, the narrative material
beginning in Exodus 3:1 slows down to develop the events of the plot at length. Second, the opening and
closing verses of this prologue are similar in that its characters go into exile in a strange land. Jacob and
the seventy members of his clan move to Egypt as sojourners in a strange land (Exo 1:1-7), and Moses
settles in Midian, and has a son named Gershom “stranger” because he is in exile in a strange land (Exo
2:22). Thus, the prologue of Exodus (1:1-2:22) reflects an inclusio in its literary structure because it
opens and closes with a similar passage of someone moving into exile in a strange land.
a) Jacob and His Clan Move to Egypt (1:1-7) – Exodus 1:1-7 serves as the prologue to the book of
Exodus. In this passage of Scripture, the author names the seventy souls belonging to Jacob went
down to sojourn in Egypt, where they multiplied into a great nation in fulfilment of Abrahamic
prophecy. The author does not give us a time frame in which to fit his introductory material in
Exodus 1:1-7. However, it becomes apparent that this passage echoes part of the prophecy that Israel
will go down to Egypt, multiply, and come out four hundred years later, as the Lord spoke to
Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred
years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out
with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old
age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not
yet full.” The book of Exodus narrates the entire fulfilment of this prophecy. Thus, the emphasis
upon the predestined fulfilment of a Messianic redemption through the seed of Abraham.
Listed in Exodus 1:1-7 are the names of Jacob’s eleven sons who came down into Egypt to find
refuge during the time of famine under Joseph’s rule. A complete list of names of these seventy
souls is given in Genesis 46:26-27. The number seventy testifies to the fact that God divinely
orchestrated the early founding of the nation of Israel. God had commanded Jacob to take his family
into Egypt even though he believed that he must stay and dwell in the land of Canaan under the
command of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. What is the significance in Scripture of these seventy
men with their wives and children? Perhaps it is because God had worked since the day He created
Adam and Eve to raise up a righteous seed that would inhabit the earth and take dominion over it.
Within the loins of these seventy men dwelt the nation of Israel. Within the loins of Judah was the
Messiah who would bring redemption to this fallen world and bring about many righteous seeds. Up
until now, only a few individuals scattered within the genealogy of Adam have been considered a
righteous seed. Now God has seventy souls who have the potential to becoming fruitful and
multiplying and becoming a nation. This is the very emphasis in Exodus 1:6-7 as the family of Jacob
became a nation while in Egyptian bondage. God was preserving His precious seed in order to fulfil
His command to Adam to be fruitful and multiply. These seventy souls have a destiny and God will
work to insure that their destiny is fulfilled.
Redemptive Message – In order for God to fulfil His promises made to the patriarchs in the book of
Genesis concerning man’s redemption through the seed of woman and of Abraham, this prologue to
Exodus testifies of how God has predestined the birth of the nation of Israel.
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b) Israel’s Oppression under Pharaoh (1:8-22) – Exodus 1:8-22 summarizes the four-hundred year
period of Israel’s stay in Egypt as a new Pharaoh imposed hardships and persecution upon God’s
children.
Redemptive Message – Symbolism in Exodus 1:8-22 allows us to compare the hardships of serving
the systems of this world with those of the children of Israel under a harsh Pharaoh. We are to cry
out for deliverance through the redemption provided in the atonement of Christ Jesus.
c) The Birth of Moses (2:1-10) – Exodus 2:1-10 records story of the birth of Moses.
Redemptive Message – Just as the Lord revealed to Moses’ mother that this was a special child (and
only a mother can discern such insight), so did God authenticate Jesus at His birth with a similar
event. King Herod attempted to kill baby Jesus, but God spared His life through divine intervention.
d) Moses’ Forty-Year Exile in Midian (2:11-22) – Exodus 2:11-22 records the flight of Moses to
the land of Midian and his marriage to the daughter of the priest of this region. The occasion of his
flight was due to the fact that he killed an Egyptian and brought the wrath of Pharaoh against him.
Redemptive Message - Just as God authenticated Moses through divine protection as he fled from
the wrath of the king, so did God intervene in the life of Joseph and Mary to flee from King Herod.
Thus, God authenticated His Son Jesus by sending Him into Egyptian exile in a strange land.
2. Israel’s Justification (The Passover and the Exodus) (2:23-18:27) – Exodus 2:23-18:27 emphasizes
Israel’s justification before God through the sacrificial atonement system of the Mosaic Law. The
Passover was the time when God cut a covenant with the children of Israel, and the Exodus testifies to
His response of delivering His people as a part of His covenant promise of redemption. Israel’s
justification was fulfilled in their deliverance from the bondages of Egypt. Hebrews 11:23-29 highlights
these events in order to demonstrate the faith of Moses in fulfilling his divine commission.
Redemptive Message - These events serve as an allegory of the Church’s covenant through the blood of
Jesus Christ and our subsequent deliverance from the bondages and sins of this world. They reflect
events of both the First Coming and Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
a) Moses’ Divine Commission (2:23-4:17) – In the story of Exodus 2:23-4:17, God breaks the
silence of four hundred without a divine visitation to His people. God now calls Moses to bring His
people out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land.
Redemptive Message – Just as God authenticated Moses as Israel’s deliverer through divine
encounter and commission, which he presented to Israel, so did God intervene in the life of Jesus as
His water baptism by John the Baptist as He spoke from heaven to authenticate His Son as Israel’s
Deliverer and Messiah.
b) Moses Presents Hid Divine Commission to the Children of Israel (4:18-31) – Exodus 4:18-31
records the beginning of Moses’ public ministry as he presents himself to the children of Israel with
his divine mandate or commission to lead them out of bondage. Aaron travelled into the wilderness
and escorted his brother Moses to Egypt and introduced him to the Jewish elders. There Moses used
his rod to perform signs that accompanied Aaron’s message to them, and the people believed. As
Moses presented himself to Israel by coming out of the wilderness, he will depart into the wilderness
to die in Deuteronomy 34:1-8.
Redemptive Message - We can compare this event of Moses’ presentation to Israel to the
presentation of Jesus Christ to the Jews at the beginning of His public ministry. Just as Aaron met
Moses and introduced his brother to the children of Israel, so did John the Baptist, the cousin of
Jesus, present the Messiah to the Jews. Jesus also came from the wilderness and was water baptised,
with the testimony of his cousin John the Baptist, accompanied by a miracle of God speaking
26
audibly from Heaven. In fact, John the Baptist dwelt in the wilderness and presented himself to the
Jews from this location.
c) Moses’ First Encounter with Pharaoh (5:1-6:1) – Exodus 5:1-6:1 records Moses’ first encounter
with Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt. In this story, Pharaoh rejected Moses message and increased the
burden upon the children of Israel. This resulted in murmuring and complaining about Moses’
leadership.
Redemptive Message - We can compare this event of Moses’ rejection by Pharaoh to the rejection of
Jesus Christ by the Jewish leaders and Israel as their Messiah.
d) Aaron Becomes Moses’ Spokesman (6:2-7:7) – Exodus 6:2-7:7 records the story of God’s
charge to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage. Because Moses complained about his recent failure
before Pharaoh, the Lord appointed Aaron as his spokesman.
Redemptive Message - We can compare Aaron’s appointment as the spokesman for Moses to those
whom God has appointed as spokesmen for Christ Jesus. John the Baptist served as the herald for
the coming of Jesus Christ at the beginning of His public ministry. The church has serves as the
herald of Christ’s Second Coming for two thousand years through the preaching of the Gospel.
Finally, the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3 serve as Christ’s spokesmen after the rapture of the
church during the Tribulation Period to herald in the Second Coming of the Messiah.
e) The Ten Plagues (7:8-12:30) – Exodus 7:8-12:30 records the story of the ten plagues that God
brought upon the nation of Egypt. These plagues were delivered by God in progressive intensity
culminating with the death of the firstborn of Egypt. These plagues were a means of judgment upon
the people of Egypt in order to bring them to repentance and to acknowledgment the God of Israel as
the true and living God. Thus, many of the plagues were orchestrated to demonstrate that the God of
Israel was more powerful than particular gods of Egyptian mythology.
The wise men as sorcerers and magicians were able to copy the first three signs of the rod turning
into a serpent (Ex 7:11), the water turning into blood (Ex 7:22), and the plague of frogs (8:7). After
this, these enchanters began to see that a God more mighty than their gods was working through
Moses and Aaron. The swallowing of the serpents of Pharaoh’s magicians by the serpent of Moses
(Ex 7:8-13) foreshadows the fact that the ten plagues were a power struggle between the gods of
Egypt and the God of Israel. These enchantments by Pharaoh’s sorcerers symbolized the strength of
their gods. Yet, the ten plagues demonstrated that God’s power extended beyond their gods of
enchantment unto all of the gods that were worshipped in the land of Egypt, deities that were
designated for every area of their lives. The Egyptians served deities of heaven and deities of the
earth, deities of the weather, over their crops and those for diseases. Each deity was believed to have
power over a limited aspect of one’s life. The Egyptians knew that their gods were limited in scope
of influence and power. With the Ten Plagues, God proved that His power encompassed over all
creation and every aspect of human life.
Redemptive Message – If we compare the ten plagues that Moses placed upon Egypt to the ministry
of Jesus Christ, we find symbolism in both the First Coming of the Messiah. This symbolism is seen
in the miracles that Jesus Christ performed throughout His public ministry as a testimony of His
deity so that Israel might believe in their Messiah. Just as God authenticated Moses as Israel’s
deliverer through signs and wonders that he performed in Egypt, so did He authenticate His Son
Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah through similar miracles that He performed among the Jews. Just as
Moses performed ten plagues, so did Jesus heal all manner of sickness and disease as well as cast
out demons. He performed miracles in nature by calming the storm and walking on water. There was
nothing that Jesus was unable to do to overcome life’s troubles. Symbolism in His Second Coming
is seen in the great Tribulation Period in which God will judge the world as He raptures the church
to deliver them from these troubles.
27
Exegetical Idea – God authenticated Moses as His servant and Israel as His people before the
Egyptians using the ten plagues.
(1) Aaron’s Rod becomes a Serpent (7:8-13) – Exodus 7:8-25 records the first miracles when
Aaron’s rod became a serpent before Pharaoh. However, the sorcerers were able to duplicate
this miracle.
(2) The First Plague of Blood (7:14-25) - Exodus 7:8-25 records the first plague that Moses
performed before Pharaoh in turning the waters of the Nile River into blood. This was the same
river in which the Egyptians had thrown the Hebrew babies according to Exodus 1:22, “And
Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and
every daughter ye shall save alive.” During the Tribulation Period, the book of Revelation
records the vial that the third angel poured forth upon the rivers of the earth and turned them to
blood. Then the angel announced that these wicked men would now drink blood for the killing
of the saint and prophets of God (Rev 16:4-7). In the same sense, it is possible that the
Egyptians were made to drink blood because they had shed the blood of the Hebrew children by
throwing them into the same Nile River.
(3) The Second Plague of Frogs (8:1-15) – In Exodus 8:1-15 records the story of the second
plague that the Lord brought upon Egypt, which consisted of countless frogs coming upon the
land. The Nile River that the Egyptians worshipped as a source of life had become a curse
bringing forth frogs.
(4) The Third Plague of Lice (8:16-19) - Exodus 8:16-19 records the third plague in which lice
filled the land of Egypt.
(5) The Fourth Plague of Flies (8:20-32) - Exodus 8:20-32 records the fourth plague in which
swarms of insects filled the land of Egypt.
(6) The Fifth Plague of Disease of Livestock (9:1-7) - Exodus 9:1-7 records the fifth plague in
which a plague of disease killed all of the domestic livestock in the land of Egypt.
(7) The Sixth Plague of Boils (9:8-12) - Exodus 9:8-12 records the sixth plague in which boils
came upon all of the Egyptians.
(8) The Seventh Plague of Hail (9:13-35) - Exodus 9:13-35 records the seventh plague in
which hail destroys the land of Egypt.
(9) The Eighth Plague of Locusts (10:1-20) - Exodus 10:1-20 records the eighth plague in
which swarms of locusts filled the land of Egypt.
(10) The Ninth Plague of Darkness (10:21-29) – Exodus 10:21-29 records the ninth plague in
which darkness filled the land of Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, Re was their sun god. 28 It is
possible that the ninth plague was directed against this god. Thus, the description of “thick
darkness over the land of Egypt” serves as a declaration of the mighty power of the God of
Israel over the Egyptian god Re.
(11) The Tenth Plague of the Death of the Firstborn (11:1-12:30) - Exodus 11:1-12:30 records
the tenth and final plague in which an angel descended from Heaven and slew all of the firstborn
in Egypt whose homes were not covered by the blood.
28
James H. Breasted, Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt (New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1912), 8.
28
(a) The Announcement of the Tenth Plague (11:1-10) – Exodus 11:1-10 records the
announcement of the tenth plague, assuring the children of Israel of divine deliverance from
the death of their firstborn.
(b) The Institution of the Passover (12:1-28) – Exodus 12:1-28 records the institution of
the Passover, which was necessary in anticipation of the tenth plague. God prepared His
people so that they did not partake from this final plague of the death of the first born.
f) Israel’s Exodus from Egyptian Bondage (12:29-13:16) – Exodus 12:29-13:16 records the death
of the firstborn of Egypt and the immediate exodus of the children of Israel.
Redemptive Message – The authors of the New Testament reveal Christological symbolism in the
story of Israel’s exodus from Egyptian bondage. For example, there is symbolism in the Passover
lamb. Symbolism in the Death of the Passover Lamb to the Blood of Christ - The apostle Paul
describes Christ as our Passover Lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that
ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” The
apostle John uses this symbolism in his writings. For example, John the Baptist describes Jesus as
the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29-36). John interpreters the
unbroken bones of the Passover lamb (Exo 12:46) as a fulfilment of a prophecy concerning Christ’s
unbroken bones in His atoning death on the Cross (Jn 19:36). In the book of Revelation, John
describes Jesus as the “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). The apostle
Peter uses this symbolism in 1 Peter 1:19, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot.”
The apostle Paul uses the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt to make spiritual analogies. For
example, he compares the cloud that followed Israel and their passage through the Red Sea to the
New Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:2). He compares the manna to the
believer’s spiritual food, which is partaking of God’s Word (1 Cor 10:3). He compares the water
from the rock to the believer partaking of Christ (1 Cor 10:4). Paul also uses Israel’s failures to warn
the church not to fall back into lusts for the things of this world (1 Cor 10:6), or idolatry (1 Cor
10:7), or sexual immorality (1 Cor 10:8), or tempting Christ by living in sin (1 Cor 10:9), or
murmuring and complaining (1 Cor 10:10). Paul calls these examples for the New Testament church
(1 Cor 10:11).
A Type and Figure of the Tribulation Period - After looking at the Exodus, the Lord quickened to
me Luke 21:21, “Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in
the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.” The children of
Israel were fleeing God's wrath upon Egypt much like God tells believers in Luke 21:21 to flee
God’s wrath upon Israel during the Tribulation Period.
g) Israel’s Escape through the Red Sea (13:17-15:21) – Exodus 13:17-15:21 records the flight of
Israel from Egypt through the Red Sea.
Redemptive Message - This journey has strong symbolism of the Christian’s salvation experience
and water baptism. For example, the apostle Paul compares the cloud that followed Israel and their
passage through the Red Sea to the New Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:2).
The next major section of the book (15:22-18:27) symbolizes the Christian’s early journey towards
the phase of indoctrination as a part of discipleship, which is demanded of them at Mount Sinai.
(1) Israel Journeys through the Wilderness (13:17-22) – Exodus 13:17-22 records Israel’s
journey from Egypt to the Red Sea.
Redemptive Message - Israel’s initial journey into the wilderness to the Red Sea is characterized
by God’s total provision for them. They did not have to do anything to walk in victory except
follow Moses. This event could symbolize the Christian’s days immediately following the
29
salvation experience. A new believer finds God at work in every aspect of his life, in his
prayers, in miracles of deliverance, being provided everything he needs with little or no effort to
exercise his faith.
(2) Israel Crosses the Red Sea (14:1-31) – Exodus 14:1-31 records the story of Israel crossing
the Red Sea. The crossing of the Red Sea served as a way to cut Israel off from the advancement
of Pharaoh’s army. It also served to cut Israel off from returning back into Egypt; for this had
been a concern of the Lord as Moses led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, as we see in
Exodus 13:17, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not
through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest
peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:”
Redemptive Message – The apostle Paul compares the cloud that followed Israel and their
passage through the Red Sea to the New Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor
10:2). The crossing of the Red Sea could symbolize a Christian’s water baptism, a time when he
feels deliverance from all bondages of sin. Water baptism confirms his commitment to follow
Christ.
(3) The Songs of Moses and Miriam (15:1-21) – Exodus 15:1-19 is popularly entitled “The
Song of Moses,” and Exodus 15:20-21 is called the “Song of Miriam.” A song is a powerful tool
for teaching people, in that the words are memorized and taken to heart as they are sang. The
prophetic song of Moses will serve as a reminder to generations of Israelites that God is faithful
to redeem His people. In addition, God will remind backslidden Israel during the following
centuries through His prophets of their deliverance from Egypt and of His unchanging love for
them.
Redemptive Message – The songs of Moses and Miriam reflect joy that a new believer
experiences by his cleansing from sin and guilt and bondages of this world. He is free and his
joy is overflowing.
h) The Journey to Mount Sinai (15:22-18:27) – Exodus 15:22-18:27 records Israel’s journey from
the shores of the Red Sea to Mount Sinai.
Redemptive Message - This journey contains symbolisms of the Christian’s early journey
immediately after water baptism as God divinely provides for his needs, guiding him to a place of
greater spiritual maturity through the knowledge of His Word. The apostle Paul compares the manna
in the wilderness to the believer’s spiritual food, which is partaking of God’s Word (1 Cor 10:3). He
compares the water from the rock to the believer partaking of Christ (1 Cor 10:4). Paul also uses
Israel’s failures to warn the church not to fall back into lusts for the things of this world (1 Cor
10:6), or idolatry (1 Cor 10:7), or sexual immorality (1 Cor 10:8), or tempting Christ by living in sin
(1 Cor 10:9), or murmuring and complaining (1 Cor 10:10). Paul describes these events as examples
for the New Testament church (1 Cor 10:11).
(1) Israel Encamps at Marah and Elim (15:22-27) – Exodus 15:22-27 records Israel’s journey
immediately after their deliverance from the Egyptian army in the crossing of the Red Sea. This
pericope takes the children of Israel from the shores of the Red Sea to Elim. Israel’s first test of
faith takes place at Marah, which means “bitter,” located in the Wilderness of Shur, which
means “journey,” where they become thirsty after three days of following the Lord through the
wilderness. In the midst of their labours, they come to a spring of water, but find the waters
bitter. Moses cuts down a tree and throws it into the water to make it sweet. The Lord then gives
them a statute to obey His Word as an opportunity for them to prove their love and devotion
towards Him. God had blessed the Israelites with prosperity and health as they departed Egypt.
His statute promised them that if they would obey God’s Word, they would be able to walk in
the blessings continually.
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Redemptive Message – Israel’s experience at the waters of Marah could symbolize the first trial
that a child of God experiences in which he must put his faith in obedience to God’s Word.
Their choices would make life bitter or sweet. God gave them the choice. As God’s children, the
things of this world no longer have to be bitter, for in obedience to Christ Jesus, He makes
everything sweet. From the first day we believed in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, there is not a
situation that we face alone. If we will seek the Lord, He will give us wisdom to deal with every
difficult, bitter situation so that it becomes sweet, a blessing to us and others.
The children of Israel found twelve springs and seventy palm trees when they encamped at
Elim, which means, “trees.” In the Scriptures, trees can symbolize men, and leadership among
men, as we see in Jotham’s parables of the trees reigning over one another (Judg 9:7-15); and
wells are symbolic of the anointings of the Holy Spirit, as we see in John 7:38, “He that
believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” 2
Peter 2:17, “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the
mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” These twelve springs may represent the twelve apostles of
the Lamb and the seventy trees the first seventy disciples upon which the early Church in
Jerusalem was founded in the upper room. This symbolizes the need for the new believer to join
the body of Christ in order to continue his life of being refreshed by the Holy Spirit and walking
in freedom and liberty from this world. It is in the local fellowship that a believer will find times
of refreshing, in the midst of worship, the teaching of God’s Word, and genuine love from the
brethren. However, these twelve springs and seventy trees may better represent the times of
refreshing that God provides each of His children. Along our spiritual journey, the Lord leads us
in paths of rest and peace, as described in Psalm 23. These times of refreshing follow seasons of
trials.
Illustration - The Lord spoke to me the night of 18-29 January 2005 and said, “The bitter and
the sweet are all used by God to mold and shape your life.” This word came the same day that
my sister-in-law Dyan was told by her Muslim “husband” called Nabal to leave her home and
was only allowed to take one of her two children with her. It was “sweet” news for us that she
has decided to leave this environment for the sake of her eternal salvation, but it is “bitter” news
to know that her oldest child is being left behind. However, I know that God will work in her
life in the midst of this heartache to draw her to Him and to work miracles for her as she learns
to trust in Him. The following night the Lord spoke to me saying, “Be patient and you will see
Me working in the midst of this situation.”
(2) Israel Encamps in the Wilderness of Sin (16:1-36) - The story of Israel’s encampment in
the Wilderness of Sin and the provision of manna from Heaven is one of the greatest miracles in
the Scriptures. Here, the Lord instituted the provision of bread from heaven, which lasted
throughout the forty-year wilderness journey. Along with the provision of manna, the Lord
instituted the Sabbath rest.
Redemptive Message - In the wilderness of Sin, which means, “bush,” the children of Israel are
given manna from Heaven and quail to eat. The manna symbolizes the daily word that God
speaks to every one of His children as a part of His fellowship with them. God speaks to His
children each day if he will just take the time to listen. The quail represent the stronger meat that
God can give to those who are mature in Christ (Heb 5:12-14).
The children of Israel were taught the Law of Moses, but it was also necessary that they fed
upon this divine manna daily. We too, must learn the academics of the Scriptures in Bible
school as well as having a daily devotional in God's presence to hear a word from Him. We
must study the “logos” of the Bible, learning its foundational doctrines, as well as learn to hear
the “rhema” of God's spoken words for us daily. Since man cannot live by bread alone, but by
God's manna, it means that God has a fresh word for us each day, every day of our lives, if we
would just listen (Matt 4:4, Lk 4:4). As we partake of Jesus, His life in us through fellowship
with Him, He becomes our bread of life (Jn 6:28-59). As the Lord covered the earth each
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morning with manna for the children of Israel, each day He covers the earth with fresh manna
for His people. All of God's people, from the beginning of time, have learned to feed upon
manna. As the manna is gentle and light as dew and easily trampled, so is the daily manna that
He brings to us. We must be light of heart to receive it. It is interesting to note that the manna
was small in size, thus making the people to work harder in gathering it.
Because God sends His manna in different ways we must know how to gather manna each day.
For example, this manna can come from living epistles, his people; it may come from something
that someone says to you; or, it may come from a writing of a saint. The Scriptures that we read
each day are our milk; then, it becomes our meat. It builds for us a container that helps us to
hold and understand the fresh manna. The vessel that the manna is placed into represents the
foundational doctrines of the Scriptures. The manna represents God's daily bread in our lives.
Without a vessel, the manna cannot be contained and used properly; but a vessel without manna
is useless also. Both are needed to provide food for living. The daily manna that we receive must
be in line with the doctrines of the Scriptures in order for us to receive it. When Jesus fed the
five thousand, he commanded that the crumbs be gathered and placed in to twelve baskets.
Without the baskets, the crumbs were useless. In order to know God's ways, we must know His
Scriptures. When I learned this truth, I began to look for this manna. When I began to look for it,
I found it everywhere. Gathering manna and writing it down became a daily exercise for me. It
was not that the Lord began to give me more manna; but rather, I began to see it better, because
it had been there all the time. Just as the manna in the wilderness did not last until the next day,
we must realize that when the Lord gives us a rhema word for today, it may not apply to a
different situation tomorrow. We must learn to find a fresh word from the Lord tomorrow to
take us through that day. For today’s manna is only sufficient for today. God made it this way in
order to have fellowship with us.
Illustration - As a young Christian in 1980, the Lord gave me a dream in which I saw an old,
wooden, screen door with the familiar, metal sign “Colonial is Good Bread” fastened to the
center of this door. This sign became famous because it was found on the wooden screen doors
of so many country stores across the United States. The makers of Colonial Bread invested in an
advertising campaign using these signs because they wanted everyone to buy a loaf of their
bread when they entered the grocery store. This metal sign was not just fastened in the center of
the screen door as a push plate to prevent damaging the screen; the message on this sign became
embedded into the mind of every customer that entered the store to buy groceries. The Colonial
Bread Company wanted everyone to partake of their bread. The unique aspect of this dream is
that the metal sign on this old, wooden screen door did not read, “Colonial is Good Bread,” but
rather, “The Bread of Life.” As a young Christian I interpreted this dream to mean that the Lord
wanted me to open this door in my spiritual journey and partake of that bread that comes from
heaven. He wanted me to read and study His Holy Word diligently, and on a daily basis.
(3) Israel Encamps at Rephidim (17:1-18:27) – Exodus 17:1-18:27 records the events that took
place during their encampment at Rephidim.
(a) The Water from the Rock (17:1-7) – Exodus 17:1-7 records the story of God providing
the children of Israel water from the rock. During Israel’s encampment at Rephidim, which
means “support,” Moses struck the rock and water poured forth to refresh the children of
Israel.
Redemptive Message - The striking of the rock represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
and it symbolized the fact that God used men to crucify Jesus on the Cross, as we see in 1
Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” God, through man, brought about this
act of crucifixion of the Lord. God struck Jesus once for all that we might have living water.
In Numbers 20:8 God told Moses to speak to the rock. When Moses struck the rock the
second time out of anger (Num 20:11), it was a type of crucifying the Son of God a second
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time, as we see described in Hebrews 6:6, “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.”
The water represents the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in
tongues that is available for every believer who desires more of God’s presence in his/her
life. It also represents the daily infilling of the Holy Spirit that every child of God can
experience by praying in tongues and worshipping the Lord (Eph 5:18-19). God sends His
children the gift of speaking in tongues to support and strengthen the believer. Now man can
speak to Jesus, call upon his name, so that we may have living water (eternal life).
Illustration - Over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays of 1986, work was slow.
Therefore, I spent extra time praying. One morning the Lord as I awoke, the Lord said to
me, "You will never walk in victory in your life unless you spend two hours a day praying
in tongues." During this time, I had become concerned and was asking Him why my life
lacked so much victory, peace and joy. So the Saturday after New Year’s day, while praying
in tongues at the church altar, I was led to turn to Ephesians 6:10-18. Immediately the Lord
showed me that I’d never have the total, abiding victory as a Christina unless I spend time
daily, constantly praying in the spirit. I began praying two hours a day; and a heaviness
lifted and peace, and joy came from within, all day long.
(b) The Battle with the Amalekites (17:8-16) – Exodus 17:8-16 records the story of Israel’s
first battle, which took place at their encampment of Rephidim with the Amalekites. The
Lord allowed the children of Israel to be refreshed with a continual source of fresh water
from the rock that Moses struck (17:1-7) prior to their attack.
Redemptive Message - The water of Marah was symbolic of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The water from the rock struck by Moses is
symbolic of the continual filling of the Holy Spirit through a lifestyle of praying in the
Spirit, as we see in Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit.”
The Amalekites could symbolize the flesh or the demonic realm that comes against the
children of God on their spiritual journey. The lifting up of the rod of God in the hands of
Moses could represent a believer’s declaration of the name of Jesus in taking dominion over
the powers of darkness. As Moses held up the rod of God, which symbolizes the authority of
the name of Jesus, the enemy was defeated. God’s children must learn to use the name of
Jesus when Satan attacks the body of Christ. Had Israel remained in Egyptian bondage, the
Amalekites would not have attacked them. Neither would Satan attack God’s children if
they would return back into the world. The Lord once spoke to a friend of mine, saying, “A
king does not fight against a city he has already conquered.”
Illustration – The Lord gave me a three-part dream, which opened my eyes and taught me
how to exercise the authority of the name of Jesus in every area of my life. I had learned
how to pray and make my requests to the Lord known using Jesus' name. Now, I was going
to learn to use His name to take authority over Satan. The first part of the dream was a
vision of a pastor friend of mine sitting in his house peacefully reading his Bible in a chair. I
still remember how peaceful and tranquil the scene appeared. Then, the Lord spoke these
words to me, “There is peace in a home when there is dominion in that home.” Finally, the
Lord brought the words “Luke 11:21” to my mind. I had no idea how that verse read nor if it
applied to the dream. I woke up and read this passage, “When a strong man armed keepeth
his palace, his goods are in peace.” I knew immediately that this dream was from God.
Through the next few months, I began to study the Bible and learn how to use the name of
Jesus to set my household at peace. (4 July 1988)
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(c) Moses Honours Jethro (18:1-27) - Exodus 18:1-27 records the visit of Jethro to Moses
at Mount Sinai (18:5) and their sacrifice and meal together. Jethro becomes the central
figure in this narrative material, perhaps because Moses gives honour to his father-in-law
when writing the book of Exodus. Jethro was greatly received and honoured by Moses.
Redemptive Message - In this story, it is possible that Jethro serves as a type and figure of
God the Father, while Moses is a type and figure of Jesus Christ bringing God’s people
through redemption, as we see reflected in 1 Corinthians 10:2, “And were all baptized unto
Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In the story of redemption, Jesus rose from the grave,
ascended to Heaven, and offered His blood sacrifice once for all for mankind, as we see in
Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Perhaps the meeting of
Jethro and Moses represents this atoning sacrifice of Jesus that God the Father gave to
mankind when the Jethro brought a sacrifice and offered it unto the Lord (Ex 18:12).
i) Jethro Meets Moses (18:1-12) – In Exodus 18:1-12 Moses encamps at Mount Sinai,
while the children of Israel are still at Rephidim. While Moses was encamped at the
mountain of God, he honours Jethro, his father-in-law. Jethro offers the sacrifice and
they eat together.
Redemptive Message - Jethro’s visit to Moses could symbolize Jesus Christ as He offers
His blood at the Father’s throne. Perhaps the fact that he went ahead of the encampment
symbolizes that fact that Jesus went before us to God’s throne to offer His atoning
sacrifice in our behalf. There he met his father-in-law, who made a sacrifice unto God.
This may symbolize God the Father receiving Jesus’ sacrifice, which was actually a
sacrifice that God gave to mankind for his salvation.
ii) Jethro Advices Moses (18:13-27) – Exodus 18:13-27 records the incident in which
Jethro advises Moses on how to delegate judges to assist him in judging the matters of
the people. After Moses honours Jethro, his father-in-law gives Moses wisdom
regarding organizing leadership among the children of Israel so that all of them can
receive wisdom and ministry.
Redemptive Message - This event symbolizes High Priesthood of Jesus Christ, seen in
Jethro’s comment to Moses, “You be for the people an advocate before God, and you
bring the problems to God.” 29 (Ex 18:19). The ordaining by Moses of leaders over the
people represents church order and service. Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand to
judge His church, while sending forth the Holy Spirit to anoint the five-fold ministry
and give the gifts of the Spirit to the body of Christ (Eph 4:8-13). If a child of God will
submit himself to the leadership of a local fellowship, he will be able to experience the
gifts and anointings of the Holy Spirit and join in the ministry of helps.
Paul writes to the church at Ephesus and tells them “When he ascended up on high, he
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” (Eph 4:8) Paul then lists the five-fold
ministry gifts that God gave the Church. Exodus 18:13-27 is a type and figure of God
equipping the Church through the offices and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
3. Israel’s Indoctrination through the Mosaic Law (19:1-40:38) - The emphasis of Exodus 19:1-40:38
is Israel’s indoctrination. They are given the Mosaic Law in Exodus 19:1-24:8, and instructed to build
the Tabernacle in Exodus 24:9-40:38. Israel’s indoctrination was fulfilled in the delivery of the Ten
Commandments by Moses, and in the writing of the many statutes that serve as practical rules in
obeying the Ten Commandments. The giving of the Ten Commandments (20:1-26) is sometimes called
29
Translation by John I. Durham, Exodus, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 3, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David
A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 1987), 247, Logos.
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the Moral Law; the giving of the statutes that accompany the Commandments (21:1-23:33) is sometimes
called the Civil Law; and the instructions on building the Tabernacle (24:9-31:18) is sometimes called
the Ceremonial Law. These events serve as an allegory of the Church’s indoctrination by learning the
Word of God. The Law represents the renewing of our minds so that we can serve the Lord. The
building of the tabernacle (24:9-40:38) is Israel’s response to obeying the commandments and statutes
given to them by Moses.
Redemptive Message – The next phase of a believer’s life after regeneration is called indoctrination.
Regarding the Ten Commandments and their accompanying statutes (Exo 19:1-24:8), Jesus explains that
the heart of the Law is for man to love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love his
neighbor as himself (Matt 5:21-48; 15:1-9; 19:18-26; 22:37, Mk 7:5-13; 10:17-23; 12:30, Lk 10:27;
18:18-23). The apostle Paul and James continues this theme by saying love is the fulfilment of the Law
(Rom 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14, Jam 2:8-13). We know as New Testament believers that we can only fulfil the
Law as we walk as new creatures in Christ, which Law the apostle Paul describes as holy and just and
good (Rom 7:7-12). While the first law was written on tablets of stone, the new law of God has been
written upon the hearts of men through the new birth in Christ Jesus (Heb 8:6-13).
The giving of the Law and statutes (Ex 20:1-24:8) represents this phase in the Christian life. It is
important to note that God guided them to Mount Sinai and throughout their entire forty-year wilderness
journey with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, as we see in Exodus 13:21, “And the LORD
went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; to go by day and night.” This divine guidance symbolized the fact that every child of
God must learn to be led by the Holy Spirit throughout his spiritual journey.
a) The Lord’s Descent upon Mount Sinai (19:1-25) – Exodus 19:1-25 records the events of the
Lord’s descent upon Mount Sinai, as the people feared and asked Moses to become their mediator
between God and man.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews compares the boundaries and restraints
of Israel’s encampment before Mount Sinai (Exo 19:12-13) to the church’s position before the
throne of God and all of the heavenly host (Heb 12:20-24). He describes Mount Sinai the “city of
the living God” (Heb 12:22). The apostle Peter mentions God’s description of the divine attributes
of His people Israel as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exo 19:6) and applies them to the
church as well, calling us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light” (1 Pet 2:9). Regarding the role of Moses standing before the Lord, the author of Hebrews
describes Jesus as the “Mediator of the new covenant” just as Moses was the mediator of the old
covenant (Heb 12:24). He compares God speaking to Israel from the mount to the Lord speaking to
His church (Heb 12:25). He compares the voice that shook Mount Sinai to the Tribulation Period
that is coming upon the earth (Heb 12:26-27). He compares the faithfulness of Christ over His
church to Moses’ faithfulness over his house, or God’ people Israel (Heb 3:1-6).
b) Institution of the Decalogue (Moral Laws) (20:1-17) – Exodus 1:1-17 records the Ten
Commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai. The heart of these laws serve as the
foundation of the man’s faith in God in both the old and new covenants. They establish the divine
principles by which man should live throughout the ages from Genesis to Revelations.
The major theme of the Pentateuch is the delivering of the Mosaic Law to the children of Israel. On
Mount Sinai, Moses gave the people the Ten Commandments, which can be referred to as the
“Moral Law.” He then delivered to them many statutes and ordinances regarding daily living and
service in the Tabernacle. This set of rules and regulations can be referred to as the “Civil Laws.”
The Ten Commandments became the foundation for the Jewish civil laws. Thus, the Ten
Commandments dealt with a man’s heart, while the civil laws dealt with a man’s actions. When a
man held the moral laws within his heart, he would then be willing to follow the civil laws. Moses
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repeats the giving of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:1-22 to the new generation of
people who will go in to possess the Promised Land.
When questioned by the Jews about the greatest commandment, Jesus summed up the Ten
Commandments into two great commandments, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There
is none other commandment greater than these.” (Matt 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, Lk 10:25-28)
Thus, we can understand that the first four commandments deal with our relationship to God. Jesus
summed these four up with the statement that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart,
soul, mind and strength.
1st Commandment (Ex 20:3) - No other Gods before Me. Love God with all your heart.
2nd Commandment (Ex 20:4-6) - No worship of graven images. Love God with all your soul.
3rd Commandment (Ex 20:7) - Do not take God's name in vain. Love God with all your mind.
4th Commandment (Ex 20:8-11) - Keep the Sabbath. Love God with all your strength.
This order of heart, soul, mind, and strength helps us to understand our make-up. When we set our
heart on something or someone (1st commandment), we begin to think about it (2nd commandment),
our thoughts lead us to speak about it (3rd commandment), and our words direct our actions (4th
commandment). The last six commandments deal with man’s relationship with his fellow man:
5th Commandment (Ex 20:12) - Honour father and mother.

6th Commandment (Ex 20:13) - Do not murder.
7th Commandment (Ex 20:14) - Do not commit adultery.
8th Commandment (Ex 20:15) - Do not steal.
9th Commandment (Ex 20:16) - Do not bear false witness.
10th Commandment (Ex 20:17) - Do not covet.
Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” He
made a similar statement in Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to
them likewise.” Paul summed up the last six commandments with the same statement that Jesus had
taught, which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” as we see in Romans 13:9-10, “For
this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear
false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly
comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill
to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” James describes the Ten
Commandments as the “royal law” James 2:8-11, as we see in James 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law
according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.”
c) The Primary Statutes (Civil Laws) (20:18-24:8) – Exodus 20:18-24:8 records the giving of the
civil laws or statutes that accompany the Ten Commandments. The purpose of these statutes was to
give the people practical guidelines in walking in the Ten Commandments. These statutes can be
grouped into clusters.
(1) Moses Approaches Mount Sinai (20:18-21) – In Exodus 20:18-20, the Lord commands
Moses to approach Mount Sinai as the people cry out in fear. From the description of thunder
and lightening given in Exodus 20:18, it seems that the voice of God speaking to Moses and
Aaron was heard as thunder by the people. This scene and its noise overwhelmed the people and
they asked Moses to speak to them directly rather than letting God speak in such awesome
power and demonstration.
Redemptive Message - God answered the prayer of the people when they cried out in fear at
Mount Sinai by raising up both Moses and later, Jesus Christ as the prophet who would speak to
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them in God’s behalf. This is Christological typology of Moses and Jesus is explained in
Deuteronomy 18:15-19, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst
of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou
desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear
again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise
them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his
mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass,
that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require
it of him.” The apostle Peter explains this prophecy in Acts 3:22, “For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.”
(2) Statutes Concerning Worship (20:22-26) – Exodus 20:22-26 records statutes concerning
how to worship the Lord God.
(3) Statutes Concerning Servants (21:1-11) – Exodus 21:1-11 records statutes concerning how
the Israelites were to treat their servants.
(4) Statutes Concerning Direct Violence (21:12-27) – Exodus 21:12-27 records the statutes
concerning acts of direct violence.
(5) Statutes Concerning Indirect Violence (21:28-36) – Exodus 21:28-36 records the statutes
concerning acts of indirect violence.
(6) Statutes Concerning Loss of Property (22:1-15) – Exodus 22:1-15 deal with statutes
concerning the loss of property, whether intentional by thief or unintentional.
(7) Statutes Concerning Crimes of Capital Punishment (22:16-20) – Exodus 22:16-23:9 deals
with statutes concerning gross moral violations, such as rape, witchcraft, bestiality, idolatry, all
of which constitute capital punishment.
(8) Statutes Concerning Moral Obligations with One’s Fellow Man (22:21-23:9) – Exodus
22:21-23:9 discusses statutes concern one’s moral obligations to others, particularly the widows,
orphans, and strangers.
(9) Statutes Concerning the Sabbath Year (23:10-13) – Exodus 23:10-13 deals with statutes
concerning the Sabbath Year. A full account of the Sabbath year is given in Leviticus 25:1-55.
(10) Statutes Concerning Three Primary Feasts (23:14-19) – Exodus 23:14-19 deals with
statutes concerning the three primary feasts that every Israelite must attend.
(11) Warnings against Serving Other Gods (23:20-33) – In Exodus 23:20-33, the Lord assures
Israel of His divine presence and providence in their journeys, warning them not to forsake him
by worshipping the pagan gods of neighbouring nations.
(12) Israel Enters into Covenant with the Lord (24:1-8) – Exodus 24:1-8 records Israel’s vows
to God as they enter into a blood covenant with Him under the conditions of obedience to the
Mosaic Law.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great length comparing the
blood used to ratify the first covenant between Israel (Exo 24:8) and the Lord to the blood
covenant between Christ and the church (Heb 9:20). He explains how Christ’s blood is superior
to that of sheep and bulls in that it is offered only once before the throne of God. Just as Aaron
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sprinkled the blood of animals upon the Tabernacle and its vessels, so did Jesus appear in
heaven to offer His blood once and for all (Heb 9:11-28).
d) Instructions to Build the Tabernacle (Ceremonial Laws) (24:9-31:18) – In Exodus 24:9-31:18

God instructs Moses on the details of the building of the Tabernacle, its articles, as well as the
priestly garments.. In the description of the making of the articles, the Lord begins with those of the
inner sanctuary, the ark of the covenant and mercy seat, then the altar of incense, followed by the
table of showbread and the candlestick. Thus, the making of these articles are arranged in a logical
order, from the innermost sanctuary to the outermost. Perhaps one reason for this order is the fact
that the order of the erection of the Tabernacle begins with the innermost articles and expands
outward to the hangings of the outer court, as described in Exodus 40:1-33. Thus, the order of the
construction of the Tabernacle follows the order of its erection.
The Lord showed this pattern to Moses visually according to Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto the
example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to
make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to
thee in the mount.” This vision probably took place while he was on the Mount, for God told Moses
to make everything according to the pattern that He showed Moses on the mount. The Lord revealed
it to him audibly as recorded in this section of the book of Exodus.
It is important to note that God gave Moses general instructions on the building of this Tabernacle
and of the making of the priestly garments. However, He left it up to the creativity of the craftsmen,
being inspired under their anointing, to design the details of each item they made. In the same way,
God will give us instructions for our lives, but He often allows us to make the decisions about many
of the details as we are inspired by the Holy Spirit each day.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews makes a brief reference to the fact that
the design and structure and articles of the Tabernacle serve are symbolic of the various aspects of
the redemptive work of Christ Jesus (Exo 25:40, Heb 8:1-5; 9:1-10).
In addition, we can find symbolism in the materials used in the building of the Tabernacle. The Lord
instructed Israel to use only the finest material available to mankind to construct the Tabernacle. In
contrast, the children of Israel were building bricks out of straw and stubble while in Egyptian
bondage (Ex 5:12). When they were delivered from Egyptian bondage, they began to build the
Tabernacle out of gold, silver, brass, and precious stones. God anointed Bezaleel, the son of Uri, to
work with these valuable metals, stones and wood carvings (see also Ex 35:30-33).
The gold, silver, and precious stones could represent the works that we do in faith, being led by the
Spirit. It could represent the good, the acceptable and the perfect will of God. In contrast, the wood,
hay, and stubble could represent the works of the flesh, also as three levels of works. Note how these
works are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 3:12-13, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day
shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what
sort it is.”
Note these comments from Frances J. Roberts, who refers to the works of the flesh as being
symbolized by straw and stubble: “My people shall obey Me (not a human leader) saith the Lord.
My people shall not labor in vain in the straw and stubble of the works of the flesh. But My people
shall walk in newness of life and they shall be energized and led by My Spirit, saith the Lord.”30
(1) God Calls Moses up to Mount Sinai (24:9-18) – In Exodus 24:9-18 the Lord calls Moses
and the elders of Israel to ascend Mount Sinai where they experienced a heavenly vision of the
30
Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 62.
38
Lord. This may have been the time when the Lord showed Moses the pattern for building the
Tabernacle.
(2) The Offerings for the Sanctuary (25:1-9) – Exodus 25:1-9 records God’s instructions to the
children of Israel regarding the collection of the offering in order to gather the material for the
construction of the Tabernacle.
(3) The Furniture of the Tabernacle (25:10-40) - The specifications for the building of the
Tabernacle begin with its most important articles, which are those contained within the inner
sanctuary: the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat and the Cherubim, the table of shewbread
and the candlestick.
(a) The Ark of the Covenant, Mercy Seat, and the Cherubim (25:10-22) – Exodus 25:10-
22 gives a description of the building of the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat and the
cherubim that are to be placed on top. While the Holy Place was lit by the candlestick, the
Holy of Holies had no source of light but the glory of God above the mercy seat.
(b) The Table of Shewbread and Its Accessories (25:23-30) – Exodus 25:23-30 gives a
description of the building of the table of shewbread and its accessories.
(c) The Candlestick (25:31-39) – Exodus 25:31-39 gives a description of the building of the
candlestick.
(d) Concluding Statement (25:40) – Exodus 25:40 serves as a conclusion to the description
of the building of the articles of the Tabernacle described in Exodus 25:10-39.
(4) The Building to House the Articles of the Tabernacle (26:1-37) – Exodus 26:1-37 gives a
description of the construction of the building which is to house the articles of the Tabernacle.
(5) The Altar of Burnt Offering (27:1-8) – Exodus 27:1-8 gives a description of the building of
the altar of burnt offering.
(6) The Court of the Tabernacle (27:9-19) – Exodus 27:9-19 gives a description of the
construction of the court of the Tabernacle.
(7) The Care of the Lampstand (27:20-21) – Exodus 27:20-21 gives instructions on the care of
the lampstand.
(8) The Garments for the Priesthood (28:1-43) – Exodus 28:1-43 gives a description of the
making of the garments for the priesthood.
(a) An Introductory Description of the Garments of the Priesthood (28:1-4) – Exodus

28:1-4 serves as an introductory description of the garments of the priesthood.
(b) The Ephod (28:5-14) – Exodus 28:5-14 describes the making of the ephod as a piece of
the priestly garment.
(c) The Breastplate of Judgment (28:15-30) – Exodus 28:15-30 describes the making of the
breastplate of judgment as a piece of the priestly garment. We see a similar covering with
precious stones when discussing Lucifer’s apparel in Heaven in Ezekiel 28:13, “Thou hast
been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the
carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in
the day that thou wast created.”
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(d) The Robe, Mitre, Girdle, and Linen Breeches (28:31-42) – Exodus 28:31-35 describes
the making of the robe of the ephod, the mitre or headpiece, the girdle and the linen
breeches as a piece of the priestly garment.
(e) Concluding Statement (28:43) – Exodus 28:43 serves as a concluding remark about all
of the pieces of the priestly garment.
(9) The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons (29:1-35) – Exodus 29:1-35 describes the lengthy
consecration that Aaron and his sons were to partake of in order to prepare them for the service
of the priesthood.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great length comparing the
weakness of the Aaron and his sons and the Levitical priesthood to the perfect priesthood of
Chris Jesus (Heb 4:14-5:10; 6:20-8:4).
(10) The Consecration and Service of the Altar of Burnt Offering (29:36-46) – Exodus 29:36-
46 describes the consecration and service of the altar of burnt offering.
(11) The Altar of Incense (30:1-10) – Exodus 30:1-10 describes the construction of the altar of
incense.
Redemptive Message - There are a number of Scriptures that teach us that the incense offered on
this altar symbolized the prayers of God’s people (Ps 141:2, Rev 5:8; 8:3-4): Psalms 141:2, “Let
my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.” Revelation 5:8, “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full
of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” Revelation 8:3-4, “And another angel came and
stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he
should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before
God out of the angel's hand.”
In addition, a number of New Testament Scriptures allude to this sweet-smelling sacrifice as

man’s prayers and offerings unto the Lord (Lk 1:10, 2 Cor 2:15, Phil 4:18): Luke 1:10, “And the
whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.” 2 Corinthians 2:15,
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:”
Philippians 4:18, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the
things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing
to God.”
(12) The Ransom Money (30:11-16) – Exodus 30:11-16 describes the requirement of ransom,
or atonement, money for each Israelite as a means of financing the service of the Tabernacle.
Everyone gave a ransom that was older than twenty years old.
Redemptive Message - The price for each person was equal, regardless of whether they were
rich or poor, implying that everyone was equally a sinner. It is interesting that at the age of
twenty-one, the Lord dealt with both my older brother and myself about our sins. It was as if it
was time to become accountable for our lives. We had become responsible adults in God's eyes.
Here in this passage, it was at this age that a person has to account for his sins, symbolized in
the ransom money.
(13) The Bronze Laver (30:17-21) – Exodus 30:17-21 describes the building of the bronze
laver. The purpose of this bronze laver was for the priests to wash their hands and feet only on a
daily basis prior to ministering at the bronze altar or within the Tabernacle. The Lord had
commanded the priests to wash their entire bodies before the door of the Tabernacle as part of a
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larger one-time ceremony to sanctify an individual for the priesthood (Ex 29:1-4). Now, these
same priests who have gone through a full washing and consecrated themselves for this office
are required to daily cleanse themselves by only washing their hands and feet (Ex 30:19).
Redemptive Message - During the Last Supper, after the meal Jesus girds Himself with a towel
and begins to wash the feet of His disciples, to which Peter objected. Jesus replied that they need
not wash their entire bodies, but their hands and feet only (Jn 13:1-10). Thus, we can interpret
the full-body washing of the priests as a type and figure of an individual’s initial salvation
experience in which all of his sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The washing of hands and
feet only are a type and figure of a believer’s need for daily cleansing after his salvation
experience, a distinction that is clearly made in Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near with a true
heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water.” Our bodies are “washed with pure water” at the time of our
salvation, and our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus, reflecting
man’s daily cleansing through the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Peter makes this same
distinction, saying, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace
unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1 Pet 1:2) Our obedience to Christ through faith in Him
reflects man’s initial salvation, and the sprinkling of His blood reflects our daily cleansing.
Thus, the priests who served in the Tabernacle had their entire bodies ceremonially washed to
consecrate them for divine service’ but they were required to daily cleanse their hands and feet
at the brazen laver before entering the Tabernacle. Thus, the bronze laver symbolizes a
believer’s relationship to Christ as his Great High Priest, who offers daily cleansing so that he
can perform the divine service to which every believer has been called.
(14) The Holy Anointing Oil (30:22-33) – Exodus 30:22-33 describes the contents of the holy
anointing oil.
Redemptive Message – The oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit throughout the Scriptures.
The holy anointing oil symbolized the need for the priests to walk in the anointing. Its various
ingredients symbolized the various aspects of the character and anointings of the Holy Spirit.
(15) The Incense (30:34-38) – Exodus 30:34-38 describes the making of the incense.
(16) The Appointment of Craftsmen for the Building of the Tabernacle (31:1-11) – Exodus
31:1-11 records the Lord’s appointment of Bezaleel to oversee the construction of the
Tabernacle. 31 While the tribe of Levi was assigned the task of divine service in the Tabernacle,
its construction was assigned to Israelites from various tribes. Bezaleel was from the tribe of
Judah and his assistant Aholiab was a Danite.
Redemptive Message - It is important to note that God gave Moses general instructions on the
building of this Tabernacle and of the making of the priestly garments. However, God left it up
to the creativity of the craftsmen, being inspired under their anointing, to design the details of
each item they made. In the same way, God will give us instructions for our lives, but He often
allows us to make the decisions about many of the details as we are inspired by the Holy Spirit
each day.
(17) Instructions Concerning the Sabbath Day (31:12-18) – Exodus 31:12-18 describes the
Law of the Sabbath in which the Israelites were to rest on the seventh day from their works.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews deals with the “Sabbath rest” that
Christ has made available for the New Testament believer (Heb 4:1-11). Under the Mosaic Law,
the Israelites were to cease from their labours on the Sabbath day (Exo 31:12-18). In the epistle
31
Exodus 31:1-16 is repeated in Exodus 35:30-35.
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of Hebrews, Israel failed to enter into the rest that God had provided for them, so there remains
a rest for the people of God.
e) Israel’s Idolatry: The Golden Calf (32:1- 35) – Exodus 32:1-35 records Israel’s first act of
idolatry against the God of Israel as they make a golden calf to worship while Moses is on Mount
Sinai. Prior to entering into a covenant with the Lord, the children of Israel murmured and
complained in the wilderness, but God dealt with them in His infinite grace and patience. However,
in Exodus 24:1-18 they made a covenant with the Lord ratified with blood saying, “All that the
Lord has said we will do, and be obedience.” (Ex 24:7)
Redemptive Message – Under the old covenant, God dealt with sin by requiring instant judgment
rather than grace and forgiveness. Therefore, God judged His children when they built the golden
calf by having the sons of Levi slay the men of Israel. The Law was holy and righteous and good as
Paul the apostle writes, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.” (Rom 7:12) However, it could not make the children of Israel holy and good. The Law could
only exposed their sins (Rom 7:7-13, Gal 3:19-24). Under the new covenant in Christ Jesus, grace
and truth reign over judgment. We can find forgiveness of sins at the foot of the Cross. However,
Paul warns the church against various forms of idolatry, knowing that such intentional behavior can
remove one from the grace of Christ (1 Cor 10:1-14).
f) God Limits His Presence to the Tabernacle of Meeting (33:1-11) – In Exodus 33:1-11, the Lord
limited His presence before the children of Israel to the Tabernacle of Meeting because of their sins.
Redemptive Message – The Lord will not dwell in the midst of sin. The New Testament believer
does find grace as he learns to overcome sins. But such carnal behaviour limits God’s work of grace
in him and through him in ministering to the body of Christ.
g) Moses Meets the Lord on Mount Sinai (33:12-34:35) – Exodus 33:12-34:35 records the story of
Moses ascending upon Mount Sinai and seeing the Lord.
Redemptive Message – In Exodus 34:1-28 God called Moses back up to Mount Sinai to renew His
covenant with the children of Israel. Upon his return from the mount, the face of Moses shone bright
so that the Israelites feared to look upon him. Therefore, he shielded his face from them. Paul
discusses the symbolic meaning of Moses’ vail in 1 Corinthians 3:6:18 when comparing the old
covenant with the new one. Paul says the vail represents the blindness of the heart of Israel in
rejecting the First Coming of Jesus Christ. The brightness may symbolize the fact that the second
covenant is more glorious than the second, since this was the second writing of the Ten
Commandments, the first having been broken.
h) The Building of the Tabernacle (35:1-39:43) – In Exodus 35:1-39:43, Moses gives the children
of Israel instructions in the building of the Tabernacle.
(1) The Institution of the Sabbath Rest (35:1-3) – In Exodus 35:1-3 Moses institutes the
observation of the Sabbath rest. He is about to give them instructions and endorse the
construction of the Tabernacle. In the midst of this busy project, the Israelites were accountable
to rest on the Sabbath day from this work.
(2) Offerings Given to Build the Tabernacle (35:4-29) – In Exodus 35:4-19 Moses gives
instructions concerning the offerings needed to build the Tabernacle. In Exodus 35:20-29 the
children of Israel return to him with more offerings than needed to build.
Redemptive Message - We see the divine principle of sowing and reaping in Exodus 35:4-29.
Note that God wanted them to give their best, not leftovers, but the most valuable possessions
they owned. In return, God would give them the Promised Land, full of cultivated fields and
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livestock, homes and buildings so that they could immediately receive an income once they
entered the land. This became an economic advantage for the children of Israel over their
neighbours in that they had cultivated the strong work ethics while in Egyptian bondage, and
understood how to manage fields and livestock. They did not have to wait for a year in order to
receive a harvest. God wants us to give our best, and in return, He give us His best.
(a) Moses Asks Israel to Give for the Building of the Tabernacle (35:4-19) – In Exodus
35:4-19, Moses asks the children of Israel to give with a willing heart for the construction of
the Tabernacle.
(b) Israel Responds by Giving to the Offering Abundantly (35:20-29) – Exodus 35:20-29
describes how the children of Israel responded in a positive manner by giving more than
enough to build the Tabernacle and its accessories.
(3) Moses Calls Bezalel and Aholiab to Lead Construction (35:30-36:7) – In Exodus 35:30-
36:7 Moses appoints Bezalel and Aholiab to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle.
Redemptive Message – As the New Testament believer steps into the ministry of helps in his
local church, the Lord anoints him to the degree of his service. We must not take such an
anointing lightly, because our faithful to divine service brings greater anointings and blessings
to us and those around us.
(4) Construction of the Articles of the Inner Sanctuaries (36:8-37:29) – Exodus 36:8-37:29
records the construction of the articles of the inner sanctuaries, namely the curtain that hung
before the Holy of Holies, the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the
altar of incense, and the anointing oil and incense.
(a) Construction of the Curtains (36:8-38) – Exodus 36:8-38 records the construction of
the curtains of the Tabernacle.
(b) Construction of the Ark of the Covenant (37:1-9) – Exodus 37:1-9 records the
construction of the ark of the covenant that was placed behind the veil in the Holy of Holies.
(c) Construction of the Table of Shewbread (37:10-16) – Exodus 37:10-16 records the
construction of the table of showbread that was placed in the Holy Place.
(d) Construction of the Lampstand (37:17-24) – Exodus 37:17-24 records the construction
of the lampstand that was placed in the Holy Place.
(e) Construction of the Altar of Incense (37:25-28) – Exodus 37:25-28 records the
construction of the altar of incense that was placed in the Holy Place.
(f) The Anointing Oil and Incense (37:29) – Exodus 37:29 records the making of the
anointing oil and incense.
(5) Construction of the Articles of the Outer Court (38:1-20) – Exodus 38:1-20 records the
construction of the articles of the outer court, namely, the altar of burnt offering, the laver, and
the hangings to mark the outer court.
(a) Construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering (38:1-7) – Exodus 38:1-7 records the
construction of the altar of burnt offering that was placed before the entrance of the
Tabernacle.
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(b) Construction of the Bronze Laver (38:8) – Exodus 38:8 records the construction of the
bronze laver that was placed before the entrance of the Tabernacle.
(c) Construction of the Hangings of the Court (38:9-20) – Exodus 38:9-20 records the
construction of the hangings of the outer curtains of the court.
(6) Inventory of Completed Articles of the Tabernacle (38:21-31) – Exodus 38:21-31 records
the inventory made of the vast amount of material after the items were constructed.
(7) Making of the Priestly Garments (39:1-31) – Exodus 39:1-31 records the making of the
priestly garments, namely, the ephod, the breastplate the robe, the tunic, the turban, and the
crown.
(a) The Clothes Used for the Priestly Garments (39:1) – Exodus 39:1 records the
making of the priestly garments.
(b) Making of the Priestly Ephod (39:2-7) – Exodus 39:2-7 records the making of the
priestly ephod.
(c) Making of the Priestly Breastplate (39:8-21) – Exodus 39:8-21 records the making of
the priestly breastplate.
(d) Making of Priestly Robe, Tunic, Turban, and Crown (39:22-31) – Exodus 39:22-31
records the making of the priestly robe, tunic, turban, and crown.
(8) The Tabernacle Handed Over to Moses (39:32-43) – Exodus 39:32-43 records the handing
over of the Tabernacle to Moses upon the completion of its construction.
(9) The Consecration of the Tabernacle (40:1-38) – Exodus 40:1-38 records the consecration
of the Tabernacle.
III. Outline of the Literary Structure
The reason for preparing an outline of the literary structure of a book is to visualize its theological
framework at a glance. This brevity allows one to look at the book’s framework from beginning to end in
order to understand the author’s purpose.
Note the proposed outline for the book of Exodus:
1. The Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Exodus) 1:1-2:22

a) Jacob and His Clan Move to Egypt 1:1-7
b) Israel’s Oppression under Pharaoh 1:8-22
c) The Birth of Moses 2:1-10
d) Moses’ Forty-Year Exile in Midian 2:11-22
2. Israel’s Justification (The Passover and the Exodus) 2:23-18:27
a) Moses’ Divine Commission 2:23-4:17
b) Moses Presents His Commission to Israel 4:18-31
c) Moses’ First Encounter with Pharaoh 5:1-6:1
d) Aaron Becomes Moses’ Spokesman 6:2-7:7
e) The Ten Plagues 7:8-11:10
(1) Aaron’s Rod becomes a Serpent 7:8-13
(2) The First Plague of Blood 7:14-25
(3) The Second Plague of Frogs 8:1-15
(4) The Third Plague of Lice 8:16-19
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(5) The Fourth Plague of Flies 8:20-32

(6) The Fifth Plague of Diseased Livestock 9:1-7
(7) The Sixth Plague of Boils 9:8-12
(8) The Seventh Plague of Hail 9:13-35
(9) The Eighth Plague of Locusts 10:1-20
(10) The Ninth Plague of Darkness 10:21-29
(11) The Tenth Plague of Death of Firstborn 11:1-12:30
(a) The Announcement of the Tenth Plague 11:1-10
(b) The Institution of the Passover 12:1-28
f) Israel’s Exodus from Egyptian Bondage 12:29-13:16
g) The Escape through the Red Sea 13:17-15:21
(1) Israel Journeys through the Wilderness 13:17-22
(2) Israel Crosses the Red Sea 14:1-31
(3) The Songs of Moses and Miriam 15:1-21
h) The Journey to Mount Sinai 15:22-18:27
(1) Israel Encamps at Marah and Elim 15:22-27
(2) Israel Encamps in the Wilderness of Sin 16:1-36
(3) Israel Encamps at Rephidim 17:1-18:27
(a) The Water from the Rock 17:1-7
(b) Israel’s Battle with the Amalekites 17:8-16
(c) Moses Honours Jethro 18:1-27
i) Jethro Meets Moses 18:1-12
ii) Jethro Advices Moses 18:13-27
3. Israel’s Indoctrination (Giving of Laws and Statutes) 19:1-40:38

a) The Lord’s Descent upon Mount Sinai 19:1-25
b) Institution of the Decalogue (Moral Laws) 20:1-17
c) The Primary Statutes (Civil Laws) 20:18-24:8
(1) Moses Approaches Mount Sinai 20:18-21
(2) Statutes Concerning Worship 20:22-26
(3) Statutes Concerning Servants 21:1-11
(4) Statutes Concerning Direct Violence 21:12-27
(5) Statutes Concerning Indirect Violence 21:28-36
(6) Statutes Concerning Loss of Property 22:1-15
(7) Statutes Concerning Crimes of Capital Punishment 22:16-20
(8) Statutes Concerning Moral Obligations 22:211-23:9
(9) Statutes Concerning the Sabbath Year 23:10-13
(10) Statutes Concerning Three Primary Feasts 23:14-19
(11) Warnings against Serving Other Gods 23:20-33
(12) Israel Enters into Covenant with the Lord 24:1-8
d) Instructions to Build Tabernacle (Ceremonial Law) 24:9-31:18
(1) God calls Moses up to Mount Sinai 24:9-18
(2) The Offerings for the Sanctuary 25:1-9
(3) The Furniture of the Tabernacle 25:10-40
(a) The Ark of the Covenant, Mercy Seat and Cherubim 25:10-22
(b) The Table of Shewbread and its Accessories 25:23-30
(c) The Candlestick 25:31-39
(d) Concluding Statement 25:40
(4) The Building to House the Articles of the Tabernacle 26:1-37
(5) The Altar of Burnt Offering 27:1-8
(6) The Court of the Tabernacle 27:9-19
(7) The Care of the Lampstand 27:20-21
(8) The Garments for the Priesthood 28:1-43
(a) Introduction 28:1-4
(b) The Ephod 28:5-14
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(c) The Breastplate of Judgment 28:15-30

(d) The Robe, Mitre, Girdle and Linen Breeches 28:31-42
(e) Concluding Statement 28:43
(9) The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons 29:1-35
(10) The Consecration and Service of the Burnt Altar 29:36-46
(11) The Altar of Incense 30:1-10
(12) The Ransom Money 30:11-16
(13) The Bronze Laver 30:17-21
(14) The Holy Anointing Oil 30:22-33
(15) The Incense 30:34-38
(16) The Appointment of Craftsmen 31:1-11
(17) Instructions Concerning the Sabbath Day 31:12-18
e) Israel’s Idolatry: The Golden Calf 32:1- 35
f) God Limits His Presence to the Tabernacle of Meeting 33:1-11
g) Moses Meets the Lord on Mount Sinai 33:12-34:35
h) The Building of the Tabernacle 35:1-39:43
(1) The Institution of the Sabbath Rest 35:1-3
(2) Offerings Given to Build the Tabernacle 35:4-29
(a) Moses Asks Israel to Give for the Tabernacle 35:4-19
(b) Israel Responds by Giving Abundantly 35:20-29
(3) Moses Calls Bezalel and Aholiab to Lead Construction 35:30-36:7
(4) Construction of the Articles of the Inner Sanctuaries 36:8-37:29
(a) Construction of the Curtains 36:8-38
(b) Construction of the Ark of the Covenant 37:1-9
(c) Construction of the Table of Shewbread 37:10-16
(d) Construction of the Lampstand 37:17-24
(e) Construction of the Altar of Incense 37:25-28
(f) The Anointing Oil and Incense 37:29
(5) Construction of the Articles of the Outer Court 38:1-20
(a) Construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering 38:1-7
(b) Construction of the Bronze Laver 38:8
(c) Construction of the Hangings of the Court 38:9-20
(6) Inventory of Completed Articles of the Tabernacle 38:21-31
(7) Making of the Priestly Garments 39:1-31
(a) The Clothes Used for the Priestly Garments 39:1
(b) Making of the Priestly Ephod 39:2-7
(c) Making of the Priestly Breastplate 39:8-21
(d) Making of Priestly Robe, Tunic, Turban, & Crown 39:22-31
(8) The Tabernacle Handed Over to Moses 39:32-43
(9) The Consecration of the Tabernacle 40:1-38
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EXEGESIS AND COMMENTS
1:1-2:22 Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Exodus) – Exodus 1:1-2:22 serves as a prologue by
introducing the historical setting for Israel’s deliverance as it fast-tracks the reader through
four hundred years in Egypt in fulfilment of Abrahamic prophecy (Gen 15:12-16), which
includes Moses’ forty-year exile in the Midian near Mount Sinai.
Literary Evidence for the Theme – There is literary evidence for the theme of Exodus 1:1-
2:22 with its emphasis upon prophetic fulfilment. This prologue summarizes Israel’s four-
hundred sojourn in Egypt in fulfilment of the Lord’s prophecy to Abraham in Genesis
15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land
that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” In
fact, the Hebrew word (‫“ )גֵּר‬stranger, alien” is used in Genesis 15:13 and Exodus 2:22. The
motif of Israel’s affliction dominates this prologue as they serve the Egyptians in their
bondage. Thus, every element of this Abrahamic prophecy is emphasized in this prologue.
Literary Evidence for the Structure – There is literary evidence for the structure of the
prologue of Exodus. First, the historical material fast-tracks through four hundred years in
the history of the Israelites, then forty years in the life of Moses. Immediately after the
prologue, the narrative material beginning in Exodus 3:1 slows down to develop the events
of the plot at length. Second, the opening and closing verses of this prologue are similar in
that its characters go into exile in a strange land. Jacob and the seventy members of his clan
move to Egypt as sojourners in a strange land (Exo 1:1-7), and Moses settles in Midian, and
has a son named Gershom “stranger” because he is in exile in a strange land (Exo 2:22).
Thus, the prologue of Exodus (1:1-2:22) reflects an inclusio in its literary structure because
it opens and closes with a similar passage of someone moving into exile in a strange land.
Here is a proposed outline:
a) Jacob and His Clan Move to Egypt 1:1-7

b) Israel’s Oppression under Pharaoh 1:8-22
c) The Birth of Moses 2:1-10
d) Moses’ Forty-Year Exile in Midian 2:11-22
1:1-7 Jacob and His Clan Move to Egypt – Exodus 1:1-7 serves as the prologue to the book of
Exodus. In this passage of Scripture, the author names the seventy souls belonging to Jacob
went down to sojourn in Egypt, where they multiplied into a great nation in fulfilment of
Abrahamic prophecy. The author does not give us a time frame in which to fit his
introductory material in Exodus 1:1-7. However, it becomes apparent that this passage
echoes part of the prophecy that Israel will go down to Egypt, multiply, and come out four
hundred years later, as the Lord spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16, “And he said unto
Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and
shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom
they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And
thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth
generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” The
book of Exodus narrates the entire fulfilment of this prophecy. Thus, the emphasis upon the
predestined fulfilment of a Messianic redemption through the seed of Abraham.
Listed in Exodus 1:1-7 are the names of Jacob’s eleven sons who came down into Egypt to
find refuge during the time of famine under Joseph’s rule. A complete list of names of these
seventy souls is given in Genesis 46:26-27. The number seventy testifies to the fact that God
divinely orchestrated the early founding of the nation of Israel. God had commanded Jacob
to take his family into Egypt even though he believed that he must stay and dwell in the land
of Canaan under the command of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. What is the significance
in Scripture of these seventy men with their wives and children? Perhaps it is because God
had worked since the day He created Adam and Eve to raise up a righteous seed that would
inhabit the earth and take dominion over it. Within the loins of these seventy men dwelt the
nation of Israel. Within the loins of Judah was the Messiah who would bring redemption to
this fallen world and bring about many righteous seeds. Up until now, only a few
individuals scattered within the genealogy of Adam have been considered a righteous seed.
Now God has seventy souls who have the potential to becoming fruitful and multiplying and
becoming a nation. This is the very emphasis in Exodus 1:6-7 as the family of Jacob became
a nation while in Egyptian bondage. God was preserving His precious seed in order to fulfil
His command to Adam to be fruitful and multiply. These seventy souls have a destiny and
God will work to insure that their destiny is fulfilled.
Redemptive Message – In order for God to fulfil His promises made to the patriarchs in the
book of Genesis concerning man’s redemption through the seed of woman and of Abraham,
this prologue to Exodus testifies of how God has predestined the birth of the nation of Israel.
Illustration - I can see the importance of these seventy souls by watching my wife bring her
family members to salvation one by one. She alone was a Christian, a righteous seed, but as
she brings each loved one to faith in Christ Jesus, they become important and need to be
protected and nurtured in Christ so that they can also reproduce more righteous seed within
the Salcedo family. A lot of work has gone into bringing these loved ones to Christ, and this
makes them precious. In the same way, God had worked throughout the history of mankind
to produce a righteous family and now that He has seventy souls, God will preserve them
and protect them securely.
1:1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his
household came with Jacob.
1:1 Comments – “Now these are the names of the children of Israel” - The phrase “children of
Israel” refers to the twelve sons of Jacob within the context of the introduction to the book
of Exodus (1:1-7). The following verses (1:2-4) list eleven of these sons, since Joseph
already dwelt in Egypt.
“which came into Egypt” - Gesenius tells us the Hebrew word “Egypt” (‫)מצְ ַריִם‬
ִ is the dual of
(‫)מָ צוֹר‬, and this dual form of this name was possibly derived as a way of identifying Upper
and Lower Egypt together. The name “Egypt” means, “fortified, defence, or besieged
places” (Strong), “land of the soul of Ptah” (PTW), or “land of the Copts” (BDB).
“every man and his household came with Jacob” – The book of Genesis closes with the
genealogy of Jacob. His name is mentioned only eleven times in the book of Exodus (1:1, 5;
2:24; 3:6, 15, 16; 4:5; 6:3, 8; 19:3; 33:1), frequently within the context of God’s promises to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt.
1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
1:2 Comments – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah were the four sons of Leah according to their
birth rights, and the first four sons of Jacob.
1:3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
1:3 Comments – Issachar and Zebulun were the fifth and sixth sons of Leah. Benjamin was the
second son of Rachael after Joseph.
1:4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
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1:4 Comments - Dan and Naphtali were the two sons of Bilhah, Rachael’s handmaid. Gad and
Asher were the two sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. These four sons of Jacob were born
after Leah gave him his first four sons.
1:2-4 Comments – The author placed the names of these eleven sons of Jacob by order of
superiority first, then by order of birth. That is, the sons of Leah and Rachel are listed first,
then the sons of their handmaids. Within this order, the names of the sons are listed by their
order of birth.
1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt
already.
1:5 Comments - There were seventy men who came into Egypt, besides the women and
children, as we see in Genesis 46:26-27, “All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt,
which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and
six; And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of
the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.” We find the names of
these individuals listed in the genealogy of Genesis 46:1-27.
It is interesting to note that just as God called seventy nations at the tower of Babel to serve
as the foundation for the nations of the earth, so did God call seventy souls to found the
nation of Israel (Ex 1:1-7). In addition, Moses called seventy elders to establish the laws of
the nation of Israel (Ex 24:1, Num 11:24-25); and Jesus trained seventy disciples to carry
the Gospel to the world (Luke 10:1, 17).
1:6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
1:6 Comments – Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten, as we see in Genesis 50:26, “So
Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in
a coffin in Egypt.” His eleven brothers died as well, but the Scriptures do not record their
deaths nor their ages at the time of death. From the immediate context of this passage, the
phrase “all that generation” would refer to the seventy souls who accompanied Jacob into
Egypt.
1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed
exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
1:7 Comments – The phrase “fruitful . . .multiplied” in Exodus 1:7 uses the same two Hebrew
words found in Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
This similar phrase suggests that the author was reflecting upon God’s divine providence
over the children of Israel in fulfilling His original purpose and intent of man taking
dominion upon the earth. However, its fulfilment was now based upon the Messianic
prophecies of the patriarchs in the book of Genesis.
1:8-22 Israel’s Oppression under Pharaoh – Exodus 1:8-22 summarizes the four-hundred year
period of Israel’s stay in Egypt as a new Pharaoh imposed hardships and persecution upon
God’s children.
Redemptive Message – Symbolism in Exodus 1:8-22 allows us to compare the hardships of

serving the systems of this world with those of the children of Israel under a harsh Pharaoh.
We are to cry out for deliverance through the redemption provided in the atonement of
Christ Jesus.
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1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
1:8 Comments – Exodus 1:1-18:27 describes God’s judgment upon Egypt and Israel’s exodus
from bondage. In comparing the two Pharaoh’s discussed in this section of the book, it is
important to note that the Pharaoh who blessed the people of Israel during Joseph’s life was
himself blessed along with his nation. In stark contrast, the Pharaoh who cursed God’s
people was himself cursed with the death of his own first born, as well as his entire nation.
God watches over His people and blesses those who bless them; and He curses those who
curse them, as He told Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Stephen the martyr mentions this wicked Pharaoh in Acts 7:18, “Till another king arose,
which knew not Joseph.”
1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier
than we:
1:9 Comments - Note a similar passage in Psalm 105:24, “And he increased his people greatly;
and made them stronger than their enemies.”
1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there
falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the
land.
1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built
for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved
because of the children of Israel.
1:12 Comments - The purpose of afflicting the children of Israel was to keep the men weakened.
The affliction of the Israelites is like afflicting Christians; the more persecution, the more
they spread and grow, as we see in Acts 8:3, “As for Saul, he made havock of the church,
entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore
they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner
of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was
Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
1:15 Comments – These two Hebrew women feared God more than the wicked king. Jimmy
Swaggart notes how the Lord honours and immortalizes these two women by forever
recording their names in Scripture while leaving the most powerful monarch on earth
dishonoured by omitting his named so that to this day scholars are not sure which king of
Egypt gave this order. 1
1
Jimmy Swaggart, “The Preaching of the Cross,” Sonshine Radio, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, radio program, 22
February 2011.
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1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the
stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the
men children alive.
1:18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing,
and have saved the men children alive?
1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian
women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
1:20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
1:21 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )בַּ יִ ת‬literally describes a physical house, and figuratively it
refers to a family. Scholars generally interpret Exodus 1:21 to mean that God blessed these
midwives their own families with husbands and children. These midwifes risked their lives
as they served God’s people, so God blessed them in the manner in which they blessed
others. This shows the divine principle of sowing and reaping. As the two Hebrew midwifes
strengthened and blessed the Israelite families, they received the same blessings from the
Lord in having a family of their own.
1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river,
and every daughter ye shall save alive.
1:22 Comments – Pharaoh turned to the Egyptians who were placed over the Israelites because
the Jewish midwives failed to follow his commands.
2:1-10 The Birth of Moses – Exodus 2:1-10 records story of the birth of Moses.
Redemptive Message – Just as the Lord revealed to Moses’ mother that this was a special
child (and only a mother can discern such insight), so did God authenticate Jesus at His birth
with a similar event. King Herod attempted to kill baby Jesus, but God spared His life
through divine intervention.
2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2:1 Comments - The Scriptures tell us the names of the parents of Moses. His father was called
Amram and his mother was Jochebed (Ex 6:20, Num 26:59, 1 Chron 6:3; 23:13).
2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she
hid him three months.
2:2 Comments - The fact that Moses’ mother hid her child was an act of faith towards God, as
we see in Hebrews 11:23, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his
parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment.” Therefore, God honoured her faith.
2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with
slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
2:3 “And when she could not longer hide him” – Comments – The mother of Moses hid her
child for three months, as we see in Acts 7:20, “In which time Moses was born, and was
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exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:” Hebrews 11:23, “By
faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he
was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.”
2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
2:4 Comments - I have two beautiful daughters, ages ten and eight, and a younger son, age
three. These two daughters love their little brother more than anything else in this world.
They would have stood by the river and watched out for their little brother as well, with
their little hearts pounding with fear and anticipation about the outcome of this terrible
dilemma. They, too, would have been brave enough to approach Pharaoh’s daughter, boldly
risking their own lives to protect their beloved brother (2009).
2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked
along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had
compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew
women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
2:9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give
thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
2:10 Comments – My experience in the African mission field shows that a mother can nurse an
infant from her breasts for up to two years.
2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And
she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
2:10 “And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became
her son” - Comments – The Scriptures do not tell us how long the mother of Moses kept
her son and nursed him for Pharaoh’s daughter.
“And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water” -
Comments – The name “Moses” name means, “drawn out.” Note this explanation of Moses’
name from Clement of Alexandria, one of the early Church fathers. He says that the name
was of Egyptian origin.
“Thereupon the queen gave the babe the name of Moses, with etymological propriety,
from his being drawn out of ‘the water,’--for the Egyptians call water ‘mou,’--in which
he had been exposed to die. For they call Moses one who ‘who breathed [on being
taken] from the water.’ It is clear that previously the parents gave a name to the child on
his circumcision; and he was called Joachim. And he had a third name in heaven, after
his ascension, as the mystics say--Melchi.” (Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or
Miscellanies, 1.23) 2
2
Clement of Alexander, The Stromata, or Miscellanies, 1.23, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, eds.
Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Buffalo, New York: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1885),
335.
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It is interesting to note that Moses was drawn out of the same river in which the other
Hebrew babies were being cast into and drowned according to Exodus 1:22, “And Pharaoh
charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every
daughter ye shall save alive.” In later years, Moses and those baptized with him will be
delivered or “drawn out” from the Red Sea, while Pharaoh’s army “of men” are drowned by
water. The very people that tried to drown God’s children will themselves be drowned.
2:11-22 Moses’ Forty-Year Exile in Midian – Exodus 2:11-22 records the flight of Moses to the
land of Midian and his marriage to the daughter of the priest of this region. Moses knew that
he was a Hebrew since childhood. The occasion of his flight was due to the fact that he
killed an Egyptian and brought the wrath of Pharaoh against him.
Redemptive Message - Just as God authenticated Moses through divine protection as he fled
from the wrath of the king, so did God intervene in the life of Joseph and Mary to flee from
King Herod. Thus, God authenticated His Son Jesus by sending Him into Egyptian exile in a
strange land.
The Length of Israel’s Stay in Egypt - It is very likely that God's plan was to deliver Israel
by Moses without the forty-year exile of Moses in the wilderness. God's promise was to
deliver Israel after four hundred years, as stated in Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram,
Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve
them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” Instead, Israel stayed in bondage for
four hundred and thirty years, as we read in Exodus 12:40-41, “Now the sojourning of the
children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to
pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass,
that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.” Perhaps this thirty-year
delay was caused by the rejection of Moses by the Hebrews in Exodus 2:13-15, when they
accused Moses of being a killer; or, perhaps it was caused by Moses' efforts of trying to
deliver the Hebrews before it was time. Thus, Moses would have acted in zeal, in the flesh,
and not in the power of God.
Moses stayed in the wilderness for forty years. A forty-year period in the Scriptures
represents a period of trial and testing. For example, God judged and tested Israel in the
wilderness for forty years for their rebellion; and Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty
days. Perhaps this thirty-year delay was a judgment on the Hebrews for rejecting Moses as
their deliverer, causing him to go into exile for forty years.
2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren,
and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the
Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
2:11-12 Comments - Apparently, Moses knew that he was a Hebrew since childhood. At some point
in time he came to understand his future role in leading Israel out of bondage, as we see in
Acts 7:25, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand
would deliver them: but they understood not.” In Exodus 2:11-12 Moses tries to deliver the
Israelites in the flesh, and the result is murder. Moses had to learn after spending forty years
in the wilderness that God will do things in His time, not man's time or man's ways. God’s
ways are not our ways, as we read in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he
said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
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2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou
killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
2:14 “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us” – Comments - The Hebrews challenged
the authority of Moses, asking him who made him a prince or a judge over them. Later in
the wilderness, God did make Moses a judge over Israel in Exodus 18:13, “And it came to
pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from
the morning unto the evening.” Therefore, this statement in Exodus 2:14 is a foreshadowing
of his future role as a leader over Israel. This statement also becomes typical of how the
children Israel are going to begin murmuring against Moses in wilderness. Note:
Note the New Testament references to Exodus 2:14 in Acts 7:27-28, “But he that did his
neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt
thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?” Acts 7:35, “This Moses whom they
refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler
and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.”
2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of
Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
2:15 Comments - The land of Midian was just outside of Pharaoh’s jurisdiction, so that Moses
was safe there.
2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the
troughs to water their father's flock.
2:16 “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters” - Comments – We recall another priest
called Melchizedek, the king and priest of Salem (Gen 14:18-20). The Scriptures portray
both priests as men of righteous in their priestly duties (Exo 18:7-11).
The Midianites were descended from Midian, the son of Abraham and Keturah, as we see in
Genesis 25:1-2, “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare
him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.” Therefore,
Jethro the priest of Midian could have easily followed in the faith of his forefather Abraham.
2:16 “and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock” -
Comments - Gesenius tells us that the Hebrew word (‫)רהַ ט‬ ַ literally means, “a watering
trough” (Gen 30:38, 41, Ex. 2:16). He gives us its figurative meaning as “ringlets, curls
(apparently so called from their flowing down)” (Songs 7:5). BDB tells us that it means, “a
trough, a hollow, a lock of hair,” suggesting that this meaning may be dubious. Strong says
it probably comes from an unused root meaning, “to hollow out.” This word is used four
times in the Old Testament.
2:17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and
watered their flock.
2:18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
2:18 Comments - Reuel is the same individual as Jethro and Hobab, as we see in Exodus 3:1,
“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the
flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.”
Judges 4:11, “Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law
of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of
Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.” However, Hobab is also presented as the son of Raguel,
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Moses’s father in law in Numbers 10:29, “And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel
the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD
said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath
spoken good concerning Israel.”
2:19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water
enough for us, and watered the flock.
2:20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him,
that he may eat bread.
2:21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
2:21 Comments – The Hebrew name “Zipporah” (‫ )צִ פֹּ ָרה‬means “little bird, sparrow” (EDBN) or
“small bird” (HALOT).
2:22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a
strange land.
2:22 Comments - Moses called his first son by the name Gershom (‫)גּ ְֵרשׁוֹן‬, which means,
“expulsion” (Gesenius), “a refugee” (Strong), “exile” (PTW), or “stranger there, exile”
(EDBN). This concluding verses is similar in its plot to the opening passage in which Jacob
and the seventy members of his clan move to Egypt as sojourners in a strange land, in
fulfilment of the Lord’s prophecy to Abraham in Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram,
Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve
them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” In fact, the Hebrew word (‫)גֵּר‬
“stranger, alien” is used in Genesis 15:13 and Exodus 2:22. Thus, the prologue of Exodus
(1:1-2:22) reflects an inclusio in its literary structure because it opens and closes with a
similar passage of someone moving into exile in a strange land.
2:23-18:27 Israel’s Justification – Exodus 2:23-18:27 emphasizes Israel’s justification before God
through the sacrificial atonement system of the Mosaic Law. The Passover was the time
when God cut a covenant with the children of Israel, and the Exodus testifies to His
response of delivering His people as a part of His covenant promise of redemption. Israel’s
justification was fulfilled in their deliverance from the bondages of Egypt. Hebrews 11:23-
29 highlights these events in order to demonstrate the faith of Moses in fulfilling his divine
commission.
Redemptive Message - These events serve as an allegory of the Church’s covenant through
the blood of Jesus Christ and our subsequent deliverance from the bondages and sins of this
world. They reflect events of both the First Coming and Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
a) Moses’ Divine Commission 2:23-4:17

b) Moses Presents His Commission to Israel 4:18-31
c) Moses’ First Encounter with Pharaoh 5:1-6:1
d) Aaron Becomes Moses’ Spokesman 6:2-7:7
e) The Ten Plagues 7:8-11:10
f) Israel’s Exodus from Egyptian Bondage 12:29-13:16
g) The Escape through the Red Sea 13:17-15:21
h) The Journey to Mount Sinai 15:22-18:27
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2:23-4:17 Moses’ Divine Commission – In the story of Exodus 2:23-4:17, God breaks the silence of
four hundred without a divine visitation to His people. God now calls Moses to bring His
people out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land.
Redemptive Message – Just as God authenticated Moses as Israel’s deliverer through divine
encounter and commission, which he presented to Israel, so did God intervene in the life of
Jesus as His water baptism by John the Baptist as He spoke from heaven to authenticate His
Son as Israel’s Deliverer and Messiah.
Divine Commissions in the Holy Scriptures - We often find a divine commission at the
beginning of the story of God’ servants in the Scriptures. We see in the book of Genesis that
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each received their commissions at the beginning
of their genealogies which divide the book of Genesis into major divisions. We also see how
Moses received his divine commission near the beginning of his story found within Exodus
to Deuteronomy. Joshua received his commission in the first few verses of the book of
Joshua. Also, we see that Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel each received a divine commission at
the beginning of their ministries. The book of Ezra opens with a divine call to rebuild the
Temple and the book of Nehemiah begins with a call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
which callings Ezra and Nehemiah answered. In the New Testament, we find Paul the
apostle receiving his divine commission in Acts 9:1-22 at the beginning of the lengthy
section on Paul’s life and ministry.
Each of these divine callings support God’s original commission to Adam in the story of
Creation to be fruitful and multiply, a charge to produce righteousness offspring upon the
earth, for these men were called to bring the about the multiplication of godly seeds. The
patriarchs were called to multiply and produce a nation of righteousness. Moses was called
to bring Israel out of bondage; but he missed his calling to bring them into the Promised
Land. Joshua was called to bring them in to the land. Esther was called to preserve the seed
of Israel as was Noah, while Ezra and Nehemiah were called to bring them back into the
Promised Land. All of the judges, the kings and the prophets were called to call the children
of Israel out of sin and bondage and into obedience and prosperity. They were all called to
bring God’s children out of bondage and destruction and into God’s blessings and
multiplication. The stories in the Old Testament show us that some of these men fulfilled
their divine commission while others either fell short through disobedience or were too
wicked to hear their calling from God.
One reason why these prophets received such a mighty visitation is understood in a
comment by Kenneth Hagin, who said that when the Lord gives us a vision or a word for the
future, it often precedes a trial, and is used to anchor our soul and take us through the trial. 3
If we look at the lives of the three Major Prophets, this is exactly what we see. These three
men faced enormous trials and objections during their ministries. Their divine commissions
certain were the anchor of their souls as it gave them strength and assurance that they were
in God’s will despite their difficulties. We see such dramatic encounters in the lives of
Moses and Saul of Tarsus, as God gave them their divine commissions for a work that was
difficult and even cost them their lives.
Note the New Testament reference to this passage in Acts 7:33-34 in Acts 7:33-34, “Then
said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is
holy ground. I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I
have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send
thee into Egypt.”
3
Kenneth Hagin, Following God’s Plan For Your Life (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1993,
1994), 118.
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2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel
sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the
bondage.
2:23 Comments – The children of Israel began to cry out to God when the oppressive king died
in hopes of a betting king taking office.
2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac,
and with Jacob.
2:24 Comments - God cannot lie, as we read in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he
should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?
or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” The Lord made a covenant with
Abraham; therefore, God was watching out for the children of Abraham, as we see in
Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are
in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”
2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
2:23- 25 Comments - God hears the cry of His children.
3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to
the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
3:1 Comments - Note that Moses has went from the most honoured position in Egypt to the
most despised occupation of Egyptians, shepherding. A shepherd was an abomination to the
Egyptians, as we see in Genesis 46:34, “That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been
about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell
in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.”
It is very common that the Lord pulls young Christians aside for periods of solitude. It is
during these times that God teaches His children in order to prepare them for the work that
He has called them to. Moses’ time in Arabia was not wasted time, but a time for the Lord
to teach him the ways of God. Note these insightful words from Frances J. Roberts
regarding Paul’s visit to Arabia:
“O My beloved, ye do not need to make your path (like a snow plow), for lo, I say unto
thee, I go before you. Yea, I shall engineer circumstances on thy behalf. I am thy
husband, and I will protect thee and care for thee, and make full provision for thee. I
know thy need, and I am concerned for thee: for thy peace, for thy health, for thy
strength. I cannot use a tired body, and ye need to take time to renew thine energies,
both spiritual and physical. I am the God of Battle, but I am also the One who said:
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And Jesus said, Come ye apart
and rest a little while.
“I will teach you, even as I taught Moses on the back side of the desert, and as I taught
Paul in Arabia. So will I teach you. Thus it shall be a constructive period, and not in any
sense wasted time. But as the summer course to the school teacher, it is vital to thee in
order that ye be fully qualified for your ministry.
There is no virtue in activity as such – neither in inactivity. I minister to thee in solitude

that ye may minister of Me to others as a spontaneous overflow of our communion.
Never labor to serve, nor force opportunities. Set thy heart to be at peace and to sit at
My feet. Learn to be ready, but not to be anxious. Learn to say ‘no’ to the demands of
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men and to say ‘yes’ to the call of the Spirit. . . . Come away, My beloved, and be as the
doe upon the mountains; yea, we shall go down together to the gardens.” 4
3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and
he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3:2 Comments - The angel that spoke to Moses was manifested as a flame of fire, as we read in
Acts 7:30, “And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of
mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush”; Hebrews 1:7, “And of the
angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
Why did God chose to speak to Moses through a burning bush? Could He not speak directly
to Moses at any time? It has been my experience that the Lord does not speak to those who
are not seeking Him, and who are not paying attention to His ways. Perhaps this sign of a
burning bush was necessary in order to get Moses’ undivided attention on his destiny and
the Lord’s divine providence in orchestrating its fulfilment. In our own personal lives, the
Lord does things to get our attention. Moses had been tending sheep for forty years, so he
was not expecting a divine encounter with the Lord. He needed this sign to strengthen his
faith that God was truly speaking to him and calling him to forsake Midian and return to
Egypt to set his people free.
3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the
bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground.
3:5 Comments – Why did God ask Moses to take off his sandals? We know that the sandals
were the most unclean part of Moses’ wardrobe. We see this when Jesus washed the feet of
the disciples at the Last Supper in John 13:1-11. When Simon Peter resisted this act of
humility from the Lord, Jesus explained that they were clean except for their feet. In other
words, their feet became soiled with this world’s decay while their bodies remained
separated from the ground. We know that many people practice the removal of their shoes
before entering their homes because they track in such filth. Therefore, shoes are left at the
doors. Moses had walked among the sheep and his feet were very soiled with filth and dirt.
This dirt symbolized sin, and not sin can come in to God’s present. The only other time
when the Lord told man to take off his shoes was when the Captain of the Lord of Hosts met
Joshua to lead him into the Promised Land, as we see in Joshua 5:15, “And the captain of
the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon
thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” Therefore, Moses, a man of righteousness, had to
remove his shoes before the Lord.
We find a reference to Exodus 3:5 in Acts 7:33, “Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy
shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.”
3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
3:6 Comments – In Exodus 3:6 and 3:15, God revealed Himself unto Moses as “the God of thy
father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” This revealed to
Moses that his office and ministry was to bring God’s people out of Egyptian bondage.
4
Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 145-6.
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Moses’ name, which means, “drawn out”, indicates his ministry and anointing of bringing
out God’s people from bondage. However, unto Joshua the Lord revealed Himself as the
“Captain of the Host of the Lord”. This name indicated that Joshua was to walk under this
anointing as a warrior and lead God’s people into battle.
Abraham was a stranger in the land of Canaan. Therefore, God revealed Himself to
Abraham as a stranger in this land so that Abraham would better understand his office and
calling.
Exodus 3:6 enjoys quite a popularity in the New Testament, being quoted on five occasions.
The three Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ quotation of this verse in their parallel passages
(Matt 22:32, Mk 12:26, Lk 20:37-38); Peter quotes it when preaching in the Temple (Acts
3:13); and Stephen the martyr quotes it in his sermon before his death (Acts 7:32).
3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
3:7 Comments - God heard the cry of the children of Israel when they were in bondage in
Egypt. However, they had been in Egypt for four hundred thirty years, and it was not until
the bondage became so intense that they cried out to God in tears. In fact, their firstborn
were being thrown into the Nile River, and this moved them to prayer with tears. This is the
prayer that moved God to deliver them from their bondage.
I bring out this point because there are a number of examples in the Scriptures where God
does not move until a person sows in tears. For example, we see that Rachel was barren
until she cried out to her husband, “Give me children, or else I die.” (Gen 30:1), and “God
remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb” (Gen 30:22). We
see how Hannah was barren for years, until she cried before the Lord, “she was in bitterness
of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. She vowed a vow . . .” (1 Sam 1:10-11).
God gave her a son. It was the intense cries of the Sodomites that brought God’s judgment
upon those wicked cities, “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have
done altogether according to the cry of it.” (Gen 18:20-21)
3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out
of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of
the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the
Jebusites.
3:8 Comments - We find in Exodus 3:8 the first use of the phrase “a land flowing with milk and
honey,” a phrase that will be used twenty times in the Old Testament to refer to the
Promised Land, with fifteen of those uses in the Pentateuch, one use in Joshua, and another
four uses in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. We can quickly observe that milk was a sweet drink,
containing lactose, and honey was the sweetest of foods to eat. The word “flowing” means
abundance, of more than what is needed. Thus, it implies an overflow of blessings into the
lives of other people and other nations.
We can also note a common factor in the nutritional benefits of milk and honey. Milk is
necessary in a new born for develop of its immune system. Honey is found to assist and give
support to an immune system because of the plant pollen that is used to make it.
3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the
oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
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3:9 Comments - Perhaps not every individual Israelite cried out to God for deliverance; but
enough of them cried out to Him that it moved the heart of God to deliver them.
3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people
the children of Israel out of Egypt.
3:10 Comments - The Lord told Moses to perform a great task. He revealed His name to Moses.
As revealed in these next chapters, the Lord is going to equip Moses and show him how to
perform this great task. Moses will use the name of God to perform this task.
Israel’s Egyptian bondage is a symbol of being in bondage to pleasures and worldly lusts,
which symbolism the apostle John reflects in Revelation 11:8, “And their dead bodies shall
lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Lord was crucified.”
3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring
forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
3:11 Comments - Moses immediately looks at his own ability. It had failed to deliver the Hebrew
children forty years ago in Exodus 1:11-15. Rick Joyner calls this a form of false humility in
Moses that is actually the same pride that caused man to fall in the Garden of Eden. 5
3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent
thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
3:12 Comments - Note the New Testament reference to Exodus 3:12 in Acts 7:7, “And the nation
to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come
forth, and serve me in this place.”
3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto
them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name?
what shall I say unto them?
3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
3:14 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )הָ יַה‬is a verb that literally means, “to be, to become, to
come to pass” (Strong). The Hebrew name for God, YHWH (‫)יְ הוָֹה‬, which means, “the self-
Existent or Eternal One,” is a derivative of this verb.
In this passage of Scripture, God reveals Himself in a more personal way to Moses than He
had ever revealed Himself to any other man on earth, including Abraham, as we see in
Exodus 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of
God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
This name for God reveals that God is neither subject to time nor space. He is eternal, and
does not live in the present, as does man. God sees the past, present, and future all at once.
Jesus reflects His the eternal nature of His divinity in John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
Afterwards, God reveals three of His divine aspects to Moses and the children of Israel at a
time when the people needed this aspect of God's blessing. In other words, as the people of
Israel faced needs in their wilderness journey, God revealed Himself by His names. We see
5
Rick Joyner, The Call (Charlotte, North Carolina: Morning Star Publications, 1999), 143-4.
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these three aspects of the Lord in Exodus 15:25-26 as “I am the Lord that healeth thee, ” in
Exodus 17:15-16 as “The Lord thy victory or banner,” and in Exodus 31:13as “I am the
LORD that doth sanctify you.” The Lord also reveals His nature as a jealous God in Exodus
34:14. This order of divine revelation of God’s names follows Hebrews 11:6, “But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
A person must first have a personal experience with God. Then, the Lord begins to reveal
Himself to those who seek Him.
3:14 Comments - The Lord is the very “life that exists in creation.” He is even the life within the
enemies of God. He is ‘the beginning and . . . the end of all things.” 6 He is the Lord of Hosts
and the Prince of Peace, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God. He is “I AM”
because He is our God of the present. We cannot know Him as the God of the past or future,
but we must seek him daily in order to abide with him. He is our life and without Him we
would die. He is our light and without Him we would walk in darkness. 7
3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto
you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and
seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites,
and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land
flowing with milk and honey.
3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the
king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now
let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD
our God.
3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
3:19 Comments – God’s statement Exodus 3:19 that Pharaoh would not release the children of
Israel can be interpreted in two ways, as .
(1) The Hand of God – This verse is usually understood to say that the king of Egypt will
not let the children of Israel out from bondage except by the mighty hand of the Lord, as we
see in Brenton, “But I know that Pharaoh king of Egypt will not let you go, save with a
mighty hand”; DRC, “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty
hand”; NIV, “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand
compels him.”
(2) The Hand of Man – This verse can also be interpreted to mean that no man has the
strength or power to make Pharaoh let the children of Israel out from bondage. John Durham
gives the following paraphrase of this verse, “The Pharaoh will have no thought of granting
such a wish and could not even be forced to do so by any power men could muster.” 8 We
6
Rick Joyner, The Call (Charlotte, North Carolina: Morning Star Publications, 1999), 59.
7
Rick Joyner, The Call (Charlotte, North Carolina: Morning Star Publications, 1999), 59-63.
8
John I. Durham, Exodus, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 3, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard
and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 1987), 40, Logos.
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find additional support for this view in Exodus 6:1, “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now
shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and
with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.”
3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst
thereof: and after that he will let you go.
3:21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that,
when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
3:22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels
of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your
daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
3:21-22 Comments – The Wealth of the Egyptians - Where did the Egyptians attain all of this
wealth (Exo 11:1-3; 12:35-36)? Much of this gold and silver came into the nation of Egypt
during the time of Joseph, when the Lord used Joseph to obtain its wealth. Here, we see how
God is providing the needs of the children of Israel four centuries earlier through the
wisdom of Joseph.
4:1-3 Comments - God Gives Moses a Rod to Perform Miracles - Many evangelists have
preached to the heathen. When they gave no response to accept Jesus, the preacher
performed signs and wonders in Jesus’ name, just as Moses performed signs and wonders
with the rod so they might also believe. In fact, when Jesus preached in Judea to the many
Pharisees and others who challenged His ministry, He operated in the gifts of the Spirit,
while in His Galilean ministry He preached to people who received His message, so that
they were healed because of their faith in Him.
4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice:
for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
4:2 Comments – This rod of Moses will now become the rod of the Lord as soon as Moses
picks it up by the serpent’s tail. Until now, it was simply a stick; but after Moses picks it up
as a serpent, it becomes an instrument destined by the Lord to perform miracles.
4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and
Moses fled from before it.
4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his
hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
4:4 Comments – Moses acted in faith and obedience to the Lord in picking up a serpent by the
tail. This serpent could have been a viper that caused a deadly bite; so he entrusted his life
into the Lord’s hands when picking it up by the tail.
I grew up in the woods around snakes, and I knew which species were dangerous and which
were harmless. I played with those harmless snakes, and I fled from those that were deadly.
I always picked up snakes behind the head so that I would not be bitten, and never by the
tail unless it was harmless. On one occasion, I did pick up a harmless garder snake the
wrong way and I was bitten.
4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
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4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his
hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and
plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign,
that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy
voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water
which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since
thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf,
or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy
brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he
seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
4:15 Comments – The Hebrew name “Aaron” (‫ )אַ הֲרֹ ון‬means, “mountainous” (Gesenius), “light
bringer” (Strong), “light bringer” (BDB), “enlightened, rich, mountaineer” (PTW), or “a
teacher; lofty; mountain of strength” (Hitchcock).
4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and
with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead
of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
4:17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
4:18-31 Moses Presents Hid Divine Commission to the Children of Israel – Exodus 4:18-31
records the beginning of Moses’ public ministry as he presents himself to the children of
Israel with his divine mandate or commission to lead them out of bondage. Aaron travelled
into the wilderness and escorted his brother Moses to Egypt and introduced him to the
Jewish elders. There Moses used his rod to perform signs that accompanied Aaron’s
message to them, and the people believed. As Moses presented himself to Israel by coming
out of the wilderness, he will depart into the wilderness to die in Deuteronomy 34:1-8.
Redemptive Message - We can compare this event of Moses’ presentation to Israel to the
presentation of Jesus Christ to the Jews at the beginning of His public ministry. Just as
Aaron met Moses and introduced his brother to the children of Israel, so did John the
Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, present the Messiah to the Jews. Jesus also came from the
wilderness and was water baptised, with the testimony of his cousin John the Baptist,
accompanied by a miracle of God speaking audibly from Heaven. In fact, John the Baptist
dwelt in the wilderness and presented himself to the Jews from this location.
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4:18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray
thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro
said to Moses, Go in peace.
4:18 “Let me go, I pray thee” - Comments - Moses, by marriage, had become a son-in-law of
Jethro. Thus, Moses entreated him in such a manner of respect.
4:19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead
which sought thy life.
4:19 Comments – The Lord God makes a similar statement to Joseph through a dream, telling
him to return with Mary and the child Jesus to the land of Israel in Matthew 2:20, “Saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are
dead which sought the young child's life.”
4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of
Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
4:20 “and Moses took the rod of God in his hand” – Comments - This rod was simply a
wooden stick before Moses laid it before the Lord. Now, it has become a mighty instrument
that will work signs and wonders, an instrument of judgment upon the nation of Egypt. It
will be used to defeat the Amalekites, to part the Red Sea and to bring water out of a rock. It
became the mighty rod of God.
4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those
wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not
let the people go.
4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
4:24-26 Comments - Circumcision represents the removing of the fleshly, carnal nature of man.
Zipporah understood this was the covenant of the God of the Israelites, thought she did not
like having to circumcise her own child. She had the wisdom to do what Moses had failed to
do. Moses was going to have to walk in the spirit and crucify flesh. Just as Eli had failed to
discipline his sons and bring the judgment of God upon him, his sons and the nation of
Israel, so had Moses failed to discipline himself and his sons in obeying the Abrahamic
covenant of circumcision.
It is interesting to compare the parallel story in The Book of Jubilees (48.2-3) which tells us
that it was a demonic angel named Mastema who came against Moses to slay him.
4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
4:24 Comments – The Hebrew word “YHWH” (‫ )יהוה‬is translated “the Lord” throughout the Old
Testament
Note that the sin for not being circumcised was to be cut off from the people of Israel, as we
see in Genesis 17:14, “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not
circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”
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4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and
said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
4:27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him
in the mount of God, and kissed him.
4:27 “And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses” - Comments –
Exodus 4:27 reveals the fact that Moses knew his biological family while being raised in the
house of Pharaoh, for Aaron goes out to meet his brother Moses.
4:27 “And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him” - Comments – The
meeting place was Mount Sinai, to which Moses would bring the children of Israel after
their Exodus from Egypt.
4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he
had commanded him.
4:29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
4:30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in
the sight of the people.
4:31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel,
and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
4:30-31 Comments – The purpose of signs and wonders is to stimulate the faith of those who doubt.
Signs are displayed and then faith follows. Israel received this good report. However, during
the wilderness journey, when their circumstances required that they walk by faith, they went
by sight, and not by faith.
5:1-6:1 Moses’ First Encounter with Pharaoh – Exodus 5:1-6:1 records Moses’ first encounter
with Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt. In this story, Pharaoh rejected Moses message and increased
the burden upon the children of Israel. This resulted in murmuring and complaining about
Moses’ leadership.
Redemptive Message - We can compare this event of Moses’ rejection by Pharaoh to the
rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jewish leaders and Israel as their Messiah.
5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
5:1 “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness” - Comments -
The Lord has used several different terms to instruct the children of Israel what to do once
they were set free. They were to “serve God upon this mountain” (Exo 3:12), “make a
sacrifice to the Lord their God” (Exo 3:18), and hold a “feast unto the Lord in the
wilderness” (Exo 5:1). However, while Moses was spending forty days and nights upon
Mount Sinai, the children of Israel had their own idolatrous way of holding a “feast unto the
Lord.” Aaron built a golden calf, and made the Israelites feast and drink and make
sacrifices, as they worshipped the golden image (Exo 32:5).
5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the
LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
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5:2 Comments – At the first meeting between Moses and Pharaoh, the king demands that he and
Aaron to tell him who is their God. In other words, Pharaoh challenged the God of Israel to
prove His power over the Egyptian gods. The Lord is about to show Pharaoh that His is the
true and living God by judging his nation with the ten plagues. Each of these plagues
addresses a confrontation between particular Egyptian gods and the Lord has victory over
each of them. In other words, the Lord demonstrates Himself as more powerful than all the
Egyptian gods by demonstrating Himself more powerful than the leading deities. Pharaoh’s
challenge foreshadows the coming of the ten plagues. Therefore, the Lord tells Moses, “And
the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt,
and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” (Ex 7:5)
5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days'
journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or
with the sword.
5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from
their works? get you unto your burdens.
5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from
their burdens.
5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw
for themselves.
5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not
diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard
vain words.
5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people,
saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
5:10 Comments - Even today in African villages, straw is used in making bricks of clay. The
straw gives the bricks added strength. I have seen it used in the villages of the Karamoja
people of north eastern Uganda.
5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of
straw.
5:12 Comments – God’s “first-born” (Ex 4:22), His children the Israelites, the apple of His eyes
(Deut 32:10), were bound in fear of man, bringing them into bondage by submitting to the
systems of this world.
5:13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was
straw.
5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were
beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and
to day, as heretofore?
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5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore
dealest thou thus with thy servants?
5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy
servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
5:17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
5:18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of
bricks.
5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye
shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
5:20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our
savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their
hand to slay us.
5:21 Comments - Exodus 5:21 gives us the first recorded complaint from the children of Israel
against Moses. This plants a seed for these stubborn people to continue a lifestyle of
murmuring and complaining which will eventually end with their destruction in the
wilderness because of their rebellion against God.
5:22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this
people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast
thou delivered thy people at all.
6:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong
hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
6:2-7:13 Aaron Becomes Moses’ Spokesman – Exodus 6:2-7:13 records the story of God’s charge
to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage. Because Moses complained about his recent failure
before Pharaoh, the Lord appointed Aaron as his spokesman.
Redemptive Message - We can compare Aaron’s appointment as the spokesman for Moses
to those whom God has appointed as spokesmen for Christ Jesus. John the Baptist served as
the herald for the coming of Jesus Christ at the beginning of His public ministry. The church
has serves as the herald of Christ’s Second Coming for two thousand years through the
preaching of the Gospel. Finally, the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3 serve as Christ’s
spokesmen after the rapture of the church during the Tribulation Period to herald in the
Second Coming of the Messiah.
6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by
my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
6:3 Comments - God revealed His name as “God Almighty” to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The
Lord revealed this name to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, “And when Abram was ninety years
old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;
walk before me, and be thou perfect.” He revealed this name to Isaac in Genesis 28:3, “And
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God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a
multitude of people.” He revealed this name to Jacob in Genesis 35:11, “And God said unto
him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall
be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.” He was known to them as their Shield and
Rewarder as He protected them and prospered them in a hostile land (Gen 15:1).
The Lord revealed Himself as YHWH to Moses in Exodus 6:3, “And I appeared unto
Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name
JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” He was the God of God and Lord of Lords, the only
True God and Living God, and a God in covenant with the children of Israel. David was the
first person in redemption history to address God as “Father” (1 Chron 29:10, Ps 68:5;
103:13, see also Ps 89:26, Isa 9:6). He also introduced praise and worship of Him to Israel.
For example, in 2 Samuel 6:14 King David danced before the Lord in front of Israel as an
expression of praise and worship. No one in Israel had every danced before the Lord and
praised Him in this manner. Israel did fear the Lord, but they did not know they could have
a personal relationship with Him. They feared the Lord, but they had never had Him speak
to them or work miracles of deliverance, as with David. He had a reason to dance and praise
the Lord because of his relationship with the Lord after years of exile running from King
Saul. He was the first person to address God as “Father,” something that would not happen
again until Jesus came and taught about His Heavenly Father. David knew God personally
rather than as a distant God only to be feared. The Lord revealed Himself to the New
Testament Church through the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of
their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in
bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under
the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a
stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the
LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of
spirit, and for cruel bondage.
6:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6:11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened
unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
6:13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of
Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
6:14 These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch,
and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
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6:15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the
son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.
6:16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and
Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.
6:17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.
6:18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of
Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.
6:19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their
generations.
6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses:
and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
6:20 Comments - Amram's father was Kohath, who was a son of Levi (Exo 6:18). Therefore,
Jochebed was a daughter of Levi, as stated in Numbers 26:59, “And the name of Amram's
wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she
bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.”
6:21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.
6:22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare
him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
6:24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.
6:24 Comments - Origen proposes the meanings of the three names of the sons of Korah:
“But if it be necessary also from the ancient Scriptures to bring forward the three who
made a symphony on earth, so that the Word was in the midst of them making them one,
attend to the superscription of the Psalms, as for example to that of the forty-first, which
is as follows: “Unto the end, unto understanding, for the sons of Korah.” For though
there were three sons of Korah whose names we find in the Book of Exodus, Aser,
which is, by interpretation, “instruction,” and the second Elkana, which is translated,
“possession of God,” and the third Abiasaph, which in the Greek tongue might be
rendered, “congregation of the father,” yet the prophecies were not divided but were
both spoken and written by one spirit, and one voice, and one soul, which wrought with
true harmony, and the three speak as one, “As the heart panteth after the springs of the
water, so panteth my soul alter thee, O God.” But also they say in the plural in the forty-
fourth Psalm, “O God, we have heard with our ears.” (Commentary on Matthew 14.1)
6:25 And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him
Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.
6:26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from
the land of Egypt according to their armies.
6:27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from
Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.
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6:14-27 Comments – The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron – Exodus 6:14-27 inserts the genealogy
of Moses and Aaron within a passage in which Moses argues with the Lord about Pharaoh
and the children of Israel not harkening unto him, so the Lord appoints Aaron as the
spokesman for Moses. This genealogy lists the first three sons born to Jacob by Leah:
Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. One apparent purpose of this genealogy is to establish the
biological relationship between Moses and Aaron.
6:28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,
6:29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of
Egypt all that I say unto thee.
6:30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh
hearken unto me?
7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother
shall be thy prophet.
7:1 Comments – Moses was made like God to Pharaoh in the sense that Israel’s new leader
performs divine miracles before the king’s eyes.
7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that
he send the children of Israel out of his land.
7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth
mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
7:4 “But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt” -
Comments - God also hardened the heart of Sihon, king of Heshbon, as we see in
Deuteronomy 2:30, “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the
LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him
into thy hand, as appeareth this day.”
7:4 “and bring forth mine armies” - Comments – The children of Israel are called the “Lord’s
armies” three times in the book of Exodus (Exo 7:4; 12:17, 51). This description is used
perhaps within the context of God’s confrontation with Pharaoh, since the Israelites play a
key role in spoiling the Egyptians of their wealth. God fights the battles and Israel receives
the benefits and blessings.
God is called the Lord of the Armies (Sabaoth) in James 5:4, “Behold, the hire of the
labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and
the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”
7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt,
and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
7:4-5 Comments – Exodus 7:4-5 states that the Lord will bring the children of Israel out by great
judgments so that the Egyptians will know that He is the Lord. This statement indicates that
the ten plagues will be directed towards the gods of the Egyptians. Further evidence is seen
immediately within the narrative when Moses’ rod becomes a serpent before Pharaoh’s
court and swallows those of the magicians, which is a testimony of the greater power of
Moses’ God.
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7:6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake
unto Pharaoh.
7:7 Comments – The Levites seemed to have lived longer than their brothers. Exodus 6:16-20
lists the longevities of Levi (137 years), Kohath (133 years), and Amram (137 years). Moses
died at one hundred twenty years old (Deut 34:7) and Aaron was one hundred twenty three
years (Num 33:39).
7:8-12:30 The Ten Plagues – Exodus 7:8-12:30 records the story of the ten plagues that God brought
upon the nation of Egypt. These plagues were delivered by God in progressive intensity
culminating with the death of the firstborn of Egypt. These plagues were a means of
judgment upon the people of Egypt in order to bring them to repentance and to
acknowledgment the God of Israel as the true and living God. Thus, many of the plagues
were orchestrated to demonstrate that the God of Israel was more powerful than particular
gods of Egyptian mythology.
The wise men as sorcerers and magicians were able to copy the first three signs of the rod
turning into a serpent (Exo 7:11), the water turning into blood (Exo 7:22), and the plague of
frogs (Exo 8:7). After this, these enchanters began to see that a God more mighty than their
gods was working through Moses and Aaron. The swallowing of the serpents of Pharaoh’s
magicians by the serpent of Moses (Exo 7:8-13) foreshadows the fact that the ten plagues
were a power struggle between the gods of Egypt and the God of Israel. These enchantments
by Pharaoh’s sorcerers symbolized the strength of their gods. Yet, the ten plagues
demonstrated that God’s power extended beyond their gods of enchantment unto all of the
gods that were worshipped in the land of Egypt, deities that were designated for every area
of their lives. The Egyptians served deities of heaven and deities of the earth, deities of the
weather, over their crops and those for diseases. Each deity was believed to have power over
a limited aspect of one’s life. The Egyptians knew that their gods were limited in scope of
influence and power. With the Ten Plagues, God proved that His power encompassed over
all creation and every aspect of human life.
For example, Michael Norten suggests that the first plague that turned the river to blood
confronted the Egyptian river god named Khnum. The plague of frogs would have attacked
the frog-headed god named Heqt. The swarm of lice may have opposed Beelzebul, the
prince of the air. The plague of diseased livestock may have attacked the sacred Egyptian
bull god named Apis. The boils may have opposed the god of medical cures named
Imhotep. The plague of hail may have confronted the sky goddess named Nut. The plague
of locusts would have opposed the grain god named Nepri. The plague of darkness would
have attacked the sun god named Re. 9
Redemptive Message – If we compare the ten plagues that Moses placed upon Egypt to the
ministry of Jesus Christ, we find symbolism in both the First Coming of the Messiah. This
symbolism is seen in the miracles that Jesus Christ performed throughout His public
ministry as a testimony of His deity so that Israel might believe in their Messiah. Just as
God authenticated Moses as Israel’s deliverer through signs and wonders that he performed
in Egypt, so did He authenticate His Son Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah through similar
miracles that He performed among the Jews. Just as Moses performed ten plagues, so did
Jesus heal all manner of sickness and disease as well as cast out demons. He performed
miracles in nature by calming the storm and walking on water. There was nothing that Jesus
was unable to do to overcome life’s troubles. Symbolism in His Second Coming is seen in
9
Michael Norten, Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts (Nashville, TN: 2012), 1-2.
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the great Tribulation Period in which God will judge the world as He raptures the church to
deliver them from these troubles.
Exegetical Idea – God authenticated Moses as His servant and Israel as His people before
the Egyptians using the ten plagues.
(a) Aaron’s Rod becomes a Serpent 7:8-13

(b)The First Plague of Blood 7:14-25
(c) The Second Plague of Frogs 8:1-15
(d) The Third Plague of Lice 8:16-19
(e) The Fourth Plague of Flies 8:20-32
(f) The Fifth Plague of Diseased Livestock 9:1-6
(g) The Sixth Plague of Boils 9:7-12
(h) The Seventh Plague of Hail 9:13-35
(i) The Eighth Plague of Locusts 10:1-20
(j) The Ninth Plague of Darkness 10:21-29
(k) The Tenth Plague of Death of Firstborn 11:1-12:30
Divine Judgment as a Call to Repentance and Justification through Faith in God -

Throughout the ten plagues, God demonstrated that He was God Almighty. This was God’s
way of using judgment to bring men to repentance. In fact, the Scriptures indicate that a
number of Egyptians were converted and followed the Israelites out in the Exodus to serve
their God, as we see in Exodus 12:38, “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and
flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.” Numbers 11:4, “And the mixt multitude that was
among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall
give us flesh to eat?”
These converts declared that they would go with the children of Israel because God is with
them, as the prophet Zechariah says would happen again later in Israel’s history in
Zechariah 8:23, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten
men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of
him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you”; or,
as Ruth clung to Naomi in order to serve her God in Ruth 1:16, “And Ruth said, Intreat me
not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go;
and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”
Illustration - When God judges a nation as He did Egypt during the time of Moses, He
always begins by judging the object of a nation’s trust and confidence. For example, in 2001
to 2003, the Lord judged the United States in three areas. The destruction of the World
Trade Center symbolized American’s trust in its wealth. The damage to the Pentagon on the
same day represented American’s military might. The explosion of the U.S. Space Shuttle
Columbia represented American’s technology and ingenuity. None of these three are above
God Almighty. In the same way, God judged the deities of Egypt so that these people would
know the true and living God, the God of Israel.
The Significance of the Number “Ten” - The Hebrew phrase (‫( )ﬠ ֶ ֲ֣שׂ ֶרת מֹ ִנ֑ים‬ten times) is
made up of two words, (‫( )ﬠ ְֶשׂ ֵרה‬ten) (HALOT), and (‫( )מֹ נֶה‬occasion, time) (HALOT). Franz
Delitzsch cites Saadia ben Joseph Gaon, a tenth century Jewish scholar, to say this phrase is
not to be interpreted literally. He believes the number ten reflects the number of fingers on
the human hand and thus, reflects “the number of human possibility.” 10 Gordon Wenham
P40F P
10
F. Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job, vol. 1, trans. Francis Bolton, in Clark’s Foreign
Theological Library, fourth series, vol. 10 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1872), 335.
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describes this phrase is am hyperbole used to express numerous occasions. 11 We can see the
phrase “ten times” used as an hyperbole in at least six passages throughout Old Testament
history, from the time of Moses to Daniel (Gen 31:7; 31:41, Num 14:22, Neh 4:12, Job 19:3,
Dan 1:20): Genesis 31:7, “And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.” Genesis 31:41, “Thus have I been twenty years
in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle:
and thou hast changed my wages ten times.” Numbers 14:22, “Because all those men which
have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have
tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;” Nehemiah 4:12,
“And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten
times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.” Job 19:3,
“These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves
strange to me.” Daniel 1:20, “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king
enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that
were in all his realm.”
The phrases “ten women” (Lev 26:26) and “ten sons” (1 Sam 1:8) also carry the idea of a
multitude: Leviticus 26:26, “And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women
shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight:
and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.” 1 Samuel 1:8, “Then said Elkanah her husband to her,
Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I
better to thee than ten sons?”
The NAB translates this phrase in Genesis 31:7 as “time after time”: NAB, “yet your father
cheated me and changed my wages time after time. God, however, did not let him do me any
harm.”
The number ten represents a counting system that is based on ten units. Thus, the number
ten can be interpreted literally to represent the numerical system, or it can be given a
figurative meaning to reflect the concept of multiple occurrences.
Illustration - Jesus told Peter that we are to forgive seventy seven times (Matt 18:22). In this
passage, Jesus did not literally mean that we were to forgive only seventy seven times, but
that we were to forgive as often as was necessary to forgive, which is many times.
Illustration – When my son was seven years old, he was learning how to add and subtract
numbers in the first grade. One day he ran up to his mother to convince her that he knew
what he was doing. He said, “Mommy, I know how to do it. I’ve done it many times. I’ve
done it ten times.” Even without being conscience of it, he was using the number ten
symbolically to represent the numerical system that he had recently learned (October 2012).
7:8-13 Aaron’s Rod becomes a Serpent – Exodus 7:8-13 records the first miracles when Aaron’s
rod became a serpent before Pharaoh. However, the sorcerers were able to duplicate this
miracle.
7:8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
7:9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto
Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
7:9 “When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you” - Comments -
Pharaoh asks for a sign; and when the sign is given by Moses, Pharaoh still does not believe.
11
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 2, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A.
Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Books, Publisher, 1994), 271, Logos.
73
We read of others seeking signs from God for the wrong motive. For example, the scribes
and Pharisees sought a sign from Jesus in Matthew 12:38-39, “Then certain of the scribes
and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he
answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and
there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.” The rich man wanted to
send Lazarus back from the dead as a sign to his brothers in Luke 16:31, “And he said unto
him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one
rose from the dead.”
7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded:
and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also
did in like manner with their enchantments.
7:11 Comments - Satan attempts to mimic the things of God. Ancient writings tell us that the
names of the two magicians who stood before Pharaoh were Jannes and Jambres. The
apostle Paul tells us that there will be deceivers in the last days working miracles and
operating in witchcraft just as these two magicians did during the time of Moses, saying,
“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of
corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” (2 Tim 3:8) The only place in the Old or
New Testaments where the names Jannes and Jambres are used is found in 2 Timothy 3:8.
We know from the context that this refers to the magicians that stood before Moses when he
appeared before Pharaoh in Exodus 7:11, “Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the
sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their
enchantments.”
In what manner did these two magicians withstand Moses? Ancient Jewish tradition tells us
that Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses by copying his miracles in turning their rods into
serpents (Ex 7:11), in turning water into blood (Ex 7:22), and in causing frogs to come up
on the land (Ex 8:7).
The two names Jannes and Jambres originated in ancient Jewish writings outside the Sacred
Scriptures, being found in the tradition of the Talmudists and Rabbis. F. F. Bruce tells us
that these two names are mentioned in The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel On the
Pentateuch (see Ex 1:15; 7:11, Num 22:22) as well as in the Babylonian Talmud
(Menachoth 85a) and in other rabbinical literature, which identifies them as Balaam’s two
sons. Bruce goes on to tell us that one of the documents discovered with the Dead Sea
Scrolls, called “the Zadokite Work, a Qumran document of about 100 B.C., speaks of
‘Jannes and his brother’ as being raised up by Belial when Moses and Aaron were raised up
by the ‘Prince of Lights’.” 12 The TWOT gives additional references where these two names
appear in Jewish literature. 13
“And Pharoh told that he, being asleep, had seen in his dream, and, behold, all the land
of Mizraim was placed in one scale of a balance, and a lamb, the young of a sheep, was
ill the other scale; and the scale with the lamb in it overweighed. Forthwith he sent and
called all the magicians of Mizraim, and imparted to them his dream. Immediately
12
F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963),
257-8.
13
See The Babylonian Talmud, Tract Menachoth, 85a; Ex. r., 7 on 7:11; Tract Menachoth, 85a; Ex. r., 9 on
7:12, Yalkut Shim’oni on Ex. 2:15, No. 168, Yalkut Shim’oni on Ex. 14:24, No. 235, Midrash ‫ויושׁע‬, loc. cit.; Tanch. ‫כי‬
‫תשׁא‬, 15 on Ex. 32. See Kittel, Gerhard, G. W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament, vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich, vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 3:193, Logos.
74
Jannis and Jambres, the chief of the magicians, opened their mouth and answered
Pharoh? A certain child is about to be born in the congregation of Israel, by whose hand
will be destruction to all the land of Mizraim.” (Targum of Jonathan, on Exodus 1:15) 14
( ‫חרשין דבמצרים בלחשי קוסמיהון יניס וימבריסוקרא לחוד פרעה לחכימייא ולחרשייא ועבדו לחוד הינון‬
U U
‫( )היכדין‬Targum of Jonathan, on Exodus 7:11)15

P P P45F
“And Bileam, arose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of
Moab. [JERUSALEM. And Bileam arose in the morning, and made ready his ass, and
went with the princes of Moab.] But the anger of the Lord was provoked, because he
would go (that he might) curse them; and the angel of the Lord stood in the way to be an
adversary to him. But he sat upon his ass, and his two young men, Jannes and Jambres,
were with him.” (Targum of Jonathan, on Numbers 22:22) 16 P46F
“All [offerings] must be offered from the choicest produce, etc. Johana and Mamre said
to Moshe, ‘Wouldst thou carry straw to Hafaraim?’ He answered them, ‘There is a
common saying. “Bring herbs to Herbtown.”’” (Talmud, Tract Menachoth, 85a) 17 P47F
These two names are found in other ancient books as well. In his writing The Defense of
Apuleius, Lucius Apuleius (A.D. 123-170) makes a reference to Moses and Jannes.
“Although I might, with the greatest justice, make use of these arguments, still, I spare
you them; nor do I deem it enough to have abundantly proved my innocence on all the
points on which you accuse me, and to have never allowed the slightest suspicion even
of the practice of magic to attach to me. Only consider what a degree of confidence in
my own innocence I display, and what supreme contempt of you [my accusers], when I
say that if even the slightest ground shall appear why I should have coveted this match
with Pudentilla for the sake of any advantage to myself, if you shall prove the most
trifling gain to me thereby, then may I be held to be a Phrynondas, a Damigeron, a
Moses, a Jannes, an Apollonius, or even Dardanus himself, or any one else, who, since
the days of Zoroaster and Ostanes, has been celebrated among magicians.” 18 P48F
In his commentary on Matthew 27:9, Origen (A.D. 185-254) states that there was an
apocryphal book--not yet rediscovered--called “The Book of Jannes and Jambres.” Origen
says that Paul is quoting from this lost book here in 2 Timothy 3:8. 19 Origen also mentions
P49F P
these two individuals in his work Against Celsus, saying, “He [Celsus] relates also the
account respecting Moses, and Jannes, and Jambres.” (Origen, Against Celsus 4.51) 20 P50F
14
J. W. Etheridge, ed., The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the
Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee, (London: Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, 1862).
15
Stephen A Kaufman, ed., Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to the Pentateuch (Jerusalem: Hebrew Union College,
2005), Ex 7:11, Logos.
16
J. W. Etheridge, ed., The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the
Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee, (London: Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, 1862).
17
Greg, Killian, The Oral Law (Lacey, Washington: The Watchman) [on-line]; accessed 25 February 2009;
available from http://www.betemunah.org/orallaw.html; Internet.
18
Mary Tighe and Hudson Gurney, The Defense of Apuleius, in The Works of Apuleius (London: William
Clowes and Sons, 1878), 336-7.
19
“Orig. on Mt. 27:9 (only in the Lat. translation: Item quod ait: “Sicut Iamnes et Mambres restiterunt Moysi,”
non invenitur in publicis Iibris, sed in libro secreto qui suprascribitur liber lamnes et Mambres).” Gerhard Kittel, G. W.
Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard
Friedrich, vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 3:193, Logos.
20
Origen, Against Celsus, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4, eds. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson
(Buffalo, New York: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1885), 521.
75
The TWOT says, “Pope Gelasius [d. 496] in his Decretum De Libris Recipiendis et Non
Recipiendis also mentions an apocryphal Book of Jannes and Jambres (Iiber qui appellatur
Paenitentia Jamne et Mambre apocryphus)” [Line 303, ed. E. v. Dobschütz, TU, 3. Reihe,
8, 4 (1912), 12] 21
7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up
their rods.
7:12 Comments – Pharaoh believed that he had outdone Aaron’s miracle by producing a
multitude of serpents. However, this would quickly be turned around as Aaron’s serpent ate
those of Pharaoh. In nature, when snakes swallow other snakes, the process takes a little
time. In the world of nature, no snake could swallow several snakes in a row. I have
watched a black snake wrap around a smaller snake. The snake struck its opponent with a
wounding bite, bit with a firm grip and manoeuvred its grip towards the struggling snake’s
head until he swallowed the head first. I later found the small snake after it has been spit out
by the black snake. Thus, it was miraculous that one snake could eat two or more in a row.
In addition, this act proved that the God of Moses and Aaron was more powerful than the
Pharaoh’s magicians.
7:13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
7:14-25 The First Plague of Blood - Exodus 7:8-25 records the first plague that Moses performed
before Pharaoh in turning the waters of the Nile River into blood. This was the same river in
which the Egyptians had thrown the Hebrew babies according to Exodus 1:22, “And
Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river,
and every daughter ye shall save alive.” During the Tribulation Period, the book of
Revelation records the vial that the third angel poured forth upon the rivers of the earth and
turned them to blood. Then the angel announced that these wicked men would now drink
blood for the killing of the saint and prophets of God (Rev 16:4-7). In the same sense, it is
possible that the Egyptians were made to drink blood because they had shed the blood of the
Hebrew children by throwing them into the same Nile River.
God Demonstrates His Power over Egyptian Deities in the First Plague - James Breasted
says the activity of the sun and the Nile River made the two strongest impressions upon this
ancient Egyptian society. He says, “In the Sun-god, Re, Atum, Horus, Khepri, and in the
Nile, Osiris, we find the great gods of Egyptian life and thought, who almost from the
beginning entered upon a rivalry for the highest place in the religion of Egypt - a rivalry
which ceased only with the annihilation of Egyptian religion at the close of the fifth century
of the Christian era.” 22 He quotes from ancient Egyptian texts to support the identification of
Osiris as the Nile god.
“The clearest statement of the nature of Osiris is that contained in the incident of the
finding of the dead god by his son Horus, as narrated in the Pyramid Texts: ‘Horus
comes, he recognizes his father in thee, youthful in thy name of “Fresh Water.”’
[Pyramid Text 589] Equally unequivocal are the words of King Ramses IV, who says to
the god: ‘Thou art indeed the Nile, great on the fields at the beginning of the seasons;
gods and men live by the moisture that is in thee.’ [Mariette, Abydos, II, 54, 1. 7.] . . .
‘The lakes fill, the canals are inundated, by the purification that came forth from Osiris’;
21
Kittel, Gerhard, G. W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich, vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1964-
c1976), 3:193, Logos.
22
Sons, 1912), 8.
76
[Pyramid Text 848] or ‘Ho this Osiris, king Meniere! Thy water, thy libation is the great
inundation that came forth from thee.’” [Pyramid Text 868] 23
Breasted concludes, “It is evident from these earliest sources that Osiris was identified with
the waters, especially the inundation, with the soil, and with vegetation.” 24
Petrie tells us that the Nile River was also worshipped as another of Egypt’s nature gods
called Hapi.
“Hapi, the Nile, must also be placed with Nature gods. He is figured as a man, or two
men for the Upper and Lower Niles, holding a tray of produce of the land, and having
large female breasts as being the nourisher of the valley. A favourite group consists of
the two Nile figures tying the plants of Upper and Lower Egypt around the emblem of
union. He was worshipped at Nilopolis, and also at the shrines which marked the
boating stages, about a hundred in number all along the river. Festivals were held at the
rising of the Nile, like those still kept up at various stages of the inundation. Hymns in
honour of the river attribute all prosperity and good to its benefits.” 25
Miriam Lichtheim says the ancient Egyptian Hymn to Hapy personifies the Nile River as the
god Hapy.
“Hapy, the personified inundating Nile, aroused feelings of thankful exuberance which
inspired some fine poetry. Pyramid Text 581 speaks of the “meadows laughing when
the riverbanks are flooded,” and the great hymn before us has woven the reactions of the
people to the annual miracle of the inundation into a highly effective composition,
which was much admired by the Egyptians, as the numerous text copies attest, and
which we too can appreciate. The god Hapy did not have a regular temple-cult. But
there were festivals in his honor, at which hymns were undoubtedly sung. By its very
length and complexity, however, the great hymn gives the impression of being a
specifically literary composition.” 26
It is interesting to note that the first plague upon Egypt affected the Nile River, while the
ninth plague darkened the sun. Thus, the Egyptians felt the strength of the God of Israel over
their important deities.
7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
7:15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by
the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine
hand.
7:15 “Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water” – Comments -
Commentators can only speculate as to why Pharaoh was going to the Nile river in the
morning. John Gill offers several explanations. He may have been taking a refreshing
morning walk (see the Jerusalem Targum), or observing superstitious divinations with the
23
Sons, 1912), 18-9.
24
Sons, 1912), 23.
25
W. M. Finders Petrie, The Religion of Ancient Egypt (London: Archibald Constable and Co. Ltd, 1906), 56-
7.
26
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: Vol. I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1973-80), 204, Logos.
77
magicians (see the Targum of Jonathan), or during the time of year that the river rises, he
may have been observing how much it had risen (see Abraham ibn Ezra). 27
7:16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let
my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the
rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
7:18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe
to drink of the water of the river.
7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand
upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all
their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land
of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the
waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the
waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
7:21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of
the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened,
neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
7:23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
7:24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink
of the water of the river.
7:25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
8:1-15 The Second Plague of Frogs – In Exodus 8:1-15 records the story of the second plague that
the Lord brought upon Egypt, which consisted of countless frogs coming upon the land. The
Nile River that the Egyptians worshipped as a source of life had become a curse bringing
forth frogs.
8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let
my people go, that they may serve me.
8:2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house,
and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people,
and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
8:5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the
streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
27
John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward,
1817), 370.
78
8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered
the land of Egypt.
8:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away
the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto
the LORD.
8:9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants,
and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river
only?
8:10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that
there is none like unto the LORD our God.
8:11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy
people; they shall remain in the river only.
8:12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the
frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
8:13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of
the villages, and out of the fields.
8:14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto
them; as the LORD had said.
8:16-19 The Third Plague of Lice - Exodus 8:16-19 records the third plague in which lice filled the
land of Egypt.
8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the
land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
8:17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth,
and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of
Egypt.
8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so
there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was
hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
8:20-32 The Fourth Plague of Flies - Exodus 8:20-32 records the fourth plague in which swarms of
insects filled the land of Egypt, perhaps a type of fly.
8:20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he
cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may
serve me.
79
8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy
servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of
swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
8:21 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )ﬠָרֹ ב‬means, “divers sorts of flies, swarm” (Strong) or
“vermin in general, pests, noxious insects” (HALOT). Gesenius says the Hebrews
understood the noun (‫ )ﬠָרֹ ב‬to be “a collection of noxious beasts, as if a miscellaneous
swarm.” The phrase “of flies” in the KJV has been added to the original text. This Hebrew
word is found nine times in the Old Testament. Holladay says in the Hithpael construction
of this verb also carries the meaning, “to associate, mingle, be intermixed,” from which we
get the noun form “swarms.”
8:22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies
shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
8:22-23 Comments - PTW says the Hebrew name “Goshen” (‫ )גּשֶׁ ן‬means, “drawing near.” Goshen
was a district of about nine hundred square miles. There were two major cities within this
region called Raamses and Pithom.
8:23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
8:23 Comments - An evidence of God’s mercy and redemption towards Israel was the fact that
God was placing “a division” between His people and the Egyptians.
8:24 And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and
into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the
swarm of flies.
8:25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
8:26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to
the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will
they not stone us?
8:26 “we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians” – Comments - The sacrifice of a
cow was considered an abomination to the Egyptians, since they considered these animals
sacred, in the way the Hindus view cows today. F. C. Cook says the ox was worshipped
throughout Egypt under the various names of their gods. 28 Other abominations to the
P58F P
Egyptians were those who were shepherds of sheep and goats (Gen 46:34) so that they
would not eat with the Hebrews (Gen 43:32).
8:27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he
shall command us.
8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the
wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
8:28 Comments - Pharaoh was willing to let them go out from Egypt a short distance, but he
demanded that they stay within the region that is under the domain of his military. Thus, he
wants to keep them under his control and bring them back into bondage.
28
F. C. Cook, Exodus, in The Holy Bible According to the Authorized Version (A.D. 1611), with an
Explanation and Critical Commentary and a Revision of the Translation, by Bishops and Clergy of the Anglican
Church, vol. 1, part 1, ed. F. C. Cook (London: John Murray, 1871), 282.
80
8:25-28 Comments – Pharaoh begins to ask Moses to compromise on the request. Pharaoh here asks
Moses to not go the three days journey. In Exodus 10:8-11 Pharaoh asked Moses to allow
only the men to go out. Then, in Exodus 10:24 Pharaoh asked that the flocks only stay
behind. Finally, Pharaoh allows Moses to have his full request in Exodus 12:31-32.
8:29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies
may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh
deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.
8:30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
8:31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from
Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.
8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.
9:1-7 The Fifth Plague of Disease of Livestock - Exodus 9:1-7 records the fifth plague in which
a plague of disease killed all of the domestic livestock in the land of Egypt.
9:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of
the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
9:2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the
asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
9:3 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )דֶּ בֶ ר‬means, “destruction, death,” hence, “a plague”
(Gesenius), “pestilence, plague, murrain” (Strong). This word is used forty-nine times in the
Old Testament.
9:4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall
nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.
9:5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
9:6 And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of
the children of Israel died not one.
9:7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the
heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
9:8-12 The Sixth Plague of Boils - Exodus 9:8-12 records the sixth plague in which boils came
upon all of the Egyptians.
9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace,
and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with
blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
9:10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward
heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
9:10 Comments - Webster tells us that a blain is “an inflammatory swelling or sore; a bulla,
81
pustule, or blister.”
9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the
magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD
had spoken unto Moses.
9:13-35 The Seventh Plague of Hail - Exodus 9:13-35 records the seventh plague in which hail
destroys the land of Egypt.
9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and
say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy
people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and
thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my
name may be declared throughout all the earth.
9:16 Comments - Exodus 9:16 is quoted in Romans 9:17-18, “For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” In this New Testament
passage, Paul uses two Old Testament examples of God's sovereign will to show mercy to
fulfil His divine plan of redemption for mankind. The second example Paul quotes is the
story of Jacob and Esau.
9:17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not
been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
9:19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man
and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down
upon them, and they shall die.
9:20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his
cattle flee into the houses:
9:21 And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
9:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail
in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the
land of Egypt.
9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the
fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in
all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
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9:25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast;
and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
9:27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time:
the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
9:28 Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I
will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
9:29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands
unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest
know how that the earth is the LORD'S.
9:30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.
9:31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
9:32 But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
9:33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD:
and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet
more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the
LORD had spoken by Moses.
10:1-20 The Eighth Plague of Locusts - Exodus 10:1-20 records the eighth plague in which
swarms of locusts filled the land of Egypt.
10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the
heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought
in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of
the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may
serve me.
10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall
eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every
tree which groweth for you out of the field:
10:6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the
Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were
upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men
go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
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10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the
LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our
daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
10:10 And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones:
look to it; for evil is before you.
10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were
driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts,
that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail
hath left.
10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind
upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the
locusts.
10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very
grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat
every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not
any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the
LORD your God, and against you.
10:17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that
he may take away from me this death only.
10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
10:19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them
into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
10:21-29 The Ninth Plague of Darkness – Exodus 10:21-29 records the ninth plague in which
darkness filled the land of Egypt. In Egyptian mythology, Re was their sun god. 29 It is
possible that the ninth plague was directed against this god. Thus, the description of “thick
darkness over the land of Egypt” serves as a declaration of the mighty power of the God of
Israel over the Egyptian god Re.
10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be
darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the
land of Egypt three days:
29
Sons, 1912), 8.
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10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of
Israel had light in their dwellings.
10:24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and
your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice
unto the LORD our God.
10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take
to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come
thither.
10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in
that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
11:1-12:30 The Tenth Plague of the Death of the Firstborn - Exodus 11:1-12:30 records the tenth
and final plague in which an angel descended from Heaven and slew all of the firstborn in
Egypt whose homes were not covered by the blood.
i) The Announcement of the Tenth Plague 11:1-10

ii) The Institution of the Passover 12:1-28
11:1-10 The Announcement of the Tenth Plague – Exodus 11:1-10 records the announcement of
the tenth plague, assuring the children of Israel of divine deliverance from the death of their
firstborn.
11:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon
Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out
hence altogether.
11:2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every
woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
11:3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses
was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.
11:2-3 Comments – The Lord promised Moses at the burning bush that the Hebrews would find
favour in the sight of the Egyptians (Exo 3:21-22). We must remember that the Hebrews as
shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians, as we see in Genesis 43:32, “And they set
on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat
with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for
that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” The Israelite use this favour to spoil the
Egyptians in Exodus 12:35-36, “And the children of Israel did according to the word of
Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they
lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
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11:4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth
upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the
firstborn of beasts.
11:6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it,
nor shall be like it any more.
11:7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast:
that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
11:7 Comments - No lamenting whatsoever shall occur.
11:8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying,
Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from
Pharaoh in a great anger.
11:8 Comments – The Scriptures record several occasions when Moses displayed negative
actions as a result of his anger. All of these actions resulted in consequences in the life of
Moses. Moses’ anger at the abuse of his people moved him to murder an Egyptian in
Exodus 2:11-12, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went
out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an
Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that
there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.” Moses was angry with
Pharaoh in Exodus 11:8, “And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow
down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after
that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.” Moses was angry with
the children of Israel in Exodus 16:20, “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses;
but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was
wroth with them.” Moses broke the Ten Commandments in anger in Exodus 32:19, “And it
came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing:
and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath
the mount.” God commanded Moses to speak to the rock; but in his anger, he smote the rock
twice in Numbers 20:11, “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock
twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts
also.” This cost Moses his trip into the Promised Land according to Numbers 20:12, “And
the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the
eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land
which I have given them.”
11:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be
multiplied in the land of Egypt.
11:10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened
Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
12:1-28 The Institution of the Passover – Exodus 12:1-28 records the institution of the Passover,
which was necessary in anticipation of the tenth plague. God prepared His people so that
they did not partake from this final plague of the death of the first born.
12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to
you.
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12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall
take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house
take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count
for the lamb.
12:5 Comments – Just as the Lord required every member of each household to have a sacrificial
lamb in order cover them from the judgment of God, so does the Lord require everyone to
come to the blood of Jesus to cover them from eternal judgment. No one can escape God’s
wrath without going to Jesus Christ as their Saviour and being cleansed by His precious
blood.
12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep,
or from the goats:
12:5 Comments – The lamb was to be without blemish, which was a type and figure of Jesus, as
our sacrificial lamb, who was without sin.
12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of
the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
12:6 Comments – On the tenth day the lamb was chosen; it was inspected for three days; then it
was sacrificed on the fourteenth day. Note that Jesus had a three-year ministry in which He
was inspected by many, especially the Pharisees. They could find no fault. Also, the Gospel
Passion narratives focus upon the last three days of Jesus’ ministry while He taught in
temple and when He was taken and crucified.
Why keep the lamb or goat for two weeks prior to sacrificing it on the day of Passover? One
reason is that a goat has been out eating some trash. A goat will eat almost anything. This
two-week period will give the owners time to feed it properly and to purge its system of
impurities, so that the meat is fit to eat.
12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of
the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter
herbs they shall eat it.
12:8 Comments - The unleavened bread and bitter herbs were part of the menu that the Israel’s
dined on the night of their exodus from Egypt according to Exodus 12:8, “And they shall eat
the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall
eat it.” Because the Israelites made haste in leaving Egypt they did not have time to leaven
their bread. According to Jesus and Paul, leaven is figurative for sin (Matt 16:6, 11-12, Mk
8:15, Lk 12:1, 1 Cor 5:6-8, Gal 5:9). The Hebrew text reads, “with bitter,” with the word
“herbs” implied. As a result, the YLT translates this phrase “bitter things.” Rawlinson tells
us that Mishna suggests these bitter herbs may have been “endive, chicory, wild lettuce, and
nettles.” 30 The LXX gives a literal translation, “πικρίδων” (of bitter [things]). The
Clementine Vulgate renders this phrase as “wild lettuce” (cum lactucis agrestibus). 31 The
30
George Rawlinson, Exodus, vol. 1, in The Pulpit Commentary, eds. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph Exell (New
York; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company, n.d.), 259-260.
31
Biblia Sacra Juxta Vulgatam Clementinam, ed. electronica (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,
2005), Exodus 12:8, Logos.
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ISBE says that lettuce and endive are used by modern Jews in their Passover meal. 32 As a
result, Wycliffe reads, “letusis of the feeld,” the DRC reads, “wild lettuce,” and the NLT
reads “bitter salad green.” Rawlinson expresses the popular view that these bitter herbs were
in fact distasteful when eaten and represented the bitterness of their Egyptian bondage. 33
12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and
with the purtenance thereof.
12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the
morning ye shall burn with fire.
12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your
hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
12:11 Comments - The Scriptures teach us that there was healing in the Passover so that the
children of Israel were able to travel the long journey through the Red Sea and to Mount
Sinai. The psalmist tell us that there was not a single weak, or sick, person among those
children of Israel who went out in the Exodus, saying, “He brought them forth also with
silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” (Ps 105:37) During
the Passover that Hezekiah instituted, God healed the people, as we read in 2 Chronicles
30:20, “And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.”
12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land
of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the
LORD.
12:12 “against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” – Comments -
Exodus 12:12 says that the ten plagues were directed against specific Egyptian gods.
Because YHWH is the true and living God, He will judge those other gods. Some Bible
commentators associate the ten plagues with specific Egyptian gods or beliefs. 34
1. Water turning to blood – Because the Nile River was a vital source of life, the Egyptians
had a number of gods associated with the Nile River. David Padfield says that “Khnum was
the guardian of the Nile,” and “Hapi was the ‘spirit of the Nile;’” the Egyptians believed
that the Nile River was the “bloodstream” of Osiris, the god of the underworld.” 35 Miriam
Lichtheim suggests that the first plague of water turning to blood may have been directed
against Hapi, the spirit of the Nile River. 36 J. Vernon McGee say that what was a source of
life for the Egyptians became their death. 37
2. The plague of frogs – The second plague of frogs would have been directed against Heqt,
often depicted as a frog, who was “the wife of the creator of the world and the goddess of
32
E. W. G. Masterman, “Bitter Herbs,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr
(Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 484.
33
George Rawlinson, Exodus, vol. 1, in The Pulpit Commentary, eds. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph Exell (New
York; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company, n.d.), 259-260.
34
See John J. Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studies in Exodus, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Book House, 1971); J. Vernon McGee, Exodus, in Thru the Bible With J. Vernon McGee (Nashville: Thomas
Nelson, 1997), Logos.
35
David Padfield, Against All The Gods Of Egypt (#1) (Zion, Illinois: Church of Christ, 2009) [on-line];
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet.
36
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: Vol. I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1973-80), 204, Logos.
37
J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, vol. 1 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 225, Logos.
88
birth.” (Padfield) 38 McGee notes that the Egyptians considered the frogs sacred, so they
would have had difficulty in killing them. 39
3. The plague of lice – Padfield believes that the plague of lice was actually sandflies or
fleas. McGee suggests that the Hebrew word could mean gnats or mosquitoes, but prefers
the word lice, and tells the story of a visitor to Egypt who thought the sand was moving, but
found it to be thousands of tiny ticks which began to crawl up his leg. They suggest that this
plague would have been directed towards “Geb, the great god of the earth.” 40
4. The plague of flies – McGee and Padfield suggest the plague of flies was actually the
sacred scarab beetle, which fed upon dung, and were believed to be sacred to the sun god
named Ra. 41 Padfield says the Egyptians believed Ra pushed the sun across the sky much
like the scarab beetle pushed a ball of dung along the ground.
5. The murrain upon cattle – Apis was the sacred bull in Egyptian mythology. McGee notes
that hundreds of them have been mummified in Egyptian tombs. 42 Or, perhaps the fifth
plague of murrain would have been directed against the Egyptian goddess of the sky named
Hathor, who was sometimes portrayed as a cow, and later as a woman with the head of a
cow. 43
6. The plague of boils - The plague of boils affected man as well as beasts. Padfield suggests
this plague may have been directed against “Imhotep, the god of medicine,” “Serapis, the
deity in charge of healing,” and “Thoth, the ibis-headed god of intelligence and medical
learning.” 44
7. The plague of hail - The seventh plague of rain, hail and thunder may have been directed
against the Egyptian god Seth, the god of those types of storms and violent weather
conditions.” 45 McGee suggests it addressed “Isis (sometimes represented as cow-headed),
goddess of fertility and considered the goddess of the air.” 46 Padfield it was directed against
“Nut, the sky goddess.” He also lists “Shu, the wind god,” “Horus, the hawk-headed sky god
of Upper Egypt,” and “Isis and Seth,” who “protected the crops.” 47
8. The plague of locust - McGee believes the plague of locusts were a sign of divine
judgment directed against the people of Egypt. 48 They would have to acknowledge that
38
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet.
39
40
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet; J.
Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, vol. 1 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 226, Logos..
41
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet; J.
Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, vol. 1 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 227, Logos.
42
43
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet; Orval
Wintermute, “Hathor,” in The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 9 (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1993), 86.
44
accessed 2 March 2009; available from http://www.biblelandhistory.com/egypt/plagues-egypt-3.html; Internet;
45
Orval Wintermute, “Seth,” in The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 17 (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1993),
323.
46
47
48
89
judgment had come upon their land. Padfield lists other gods who were associated with the
planting of crops: “Nepri, the god of grain,” “Ermutet, the goddess of childbirth and crops,”
Isis, “Thermuthis, the goddess of fertility and the harvest,” and “Seth, a god of crops.” 49
9. The plague of darkness - The ninth plague of darkness was directed towards the sun god
Re, the chief god in Egyptian mythology. The sun was the most potent religious symbol of
Egypt, with the worship of the sun-god Re, their chief deities. 50 Padfield lists Re the sun
god, and Horus, who “was the god of light who personified the life-giving power of the
Sun.” 51
10. The death of the firstborn - The tenth plague was the death of the firstborn, which would
have been directed against the Egyptian Pharaoh, who was considered to be the incarnation
of the Horus, the son of Amon-Re, the sun god. 52 Padfield believes that this plague was
directed against all of the Egyptian gods. He lists a number of them associated with
procreation and life. 53
12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the
blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land
of Egypt.
12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD
throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of
your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul
shall be cut off from Israel.
12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an
holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must
eat, that only may be done of you.
12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your
armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an
ordinance for ever.
12:17 Comments - The children of Israel are called the “Lord’s armies” three times in the book of
Exodus (Exo 7:4; 12:17, 51). This description is used perhaps within the context of God’s
confrontation with Pharaoh, since the Israelites play a key role in spoiling the Egyptians of
their wealth. God fights the battles and Israel receives the benefits and blessings.
God is called the Lord of the Armies (Sabaoth) in James 5:4, “Behold, the hire of the
labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and
the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”
49
50
John D. McEachran, “Re,” in The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 16 (Chicago: World Book, Inc, 1993),
153-4
51
52
Leonard H. Lesko, “Pharaoh,” in The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 16 (Chicago: World Book, Inc, 1993),
15.
53
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12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread,
until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is
leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or
born in the land.
12:20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a
lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the
lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the
door of his house until the morning.
12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the
lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to
come in unto your houses to smite you.
12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you,
according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the
children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people
bowed the head and worshipped.
12:28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron,
so did they.
12:29-13:16 Israel’s Exodus from Egyptian Bondage – Exodus 12:29-13:16 records the death of the
firstborn of Egypt and the immediate exodus of the children of Israel.
Redemptive Message – The authors of the New Testament reveal Christological symbolism
in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egyptian bondage. For example, there is symbolism in
the Passover lamb. Symbolism in the Death of the Passover Lamb to the Blood of Christ -
The apostle Paul describes Christ as our Passover Lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Purge out
therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ
our passover is sacrificed for us.” The apostle John uses this symbolism in his writings. For
example, John the Baptist describes Jesus as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of
the world” (Jn 1:29-36). John interpreters the unbroken bones of the Passover lamb (Exo
12:46) as a fulfilment of a prophecy concerning Christ’s unbroken bones in His atoning
death on the Cross (Jn 19:36). In the book of Revelation, John describes Jesus as the “the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). The apostle Peter uses this
symbolism in 1 Peter 1:19, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot.”
The apostle Paul uses the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt to make spiritual analogies.
For example, he compares the cloud that followed Israel and their passage through the Red
Sea to the New Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:2). He compares the
manna in the wilderness to the believer’s spiritual food, which is partaking of God’s Word
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(1 Cor 10:3). He compares the water from the rock to the believer partaking of Christ (1 Cor
10:4). Paul also uses Israel’s failures to warn the church not to fall back into lusts for the
things of this world (1 Cor 10:6), or idolatry (1 Cor 10:7), or sexual immorality (1 Cor
10:8), or tempting Christ by living in sin (1 Cor 10:9), or murmuring and complaining (1
Cor 10:10). Paul describes these events as examples for the New Testament church (1 Cor
10:11).
A Type and Figure of the Tribulation Period - After looking at the Exodus, the Lord
quickened to me Luke 21:21, “Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and
let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries
enter thereinto.” The children of Israel were fleeing God's wrath upon Egypt much like God
tells believers in Luke 21:21 to flee God’s wrath upon Israel during the Tribulation Period.
Illustration – Our salvation and deliverance from the bondages of this world are reflected in
the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. I have known a number of people who were
instantly delivered from addictions and illnesses at the time of salvation. One church
member testified to us that he was delivered from cigarettes when he gave his life to the
Lord. One day he started to buy a pack of cigarettes and the Lord spoke to him, “I delivered
you the first time. You will have to deliver yourself the second time.”
12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the
dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was
a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among
my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in
haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up
in their clothes upon their shoulders.
12:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the
Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
12:35 “they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment” –
Comments – Where did the Egyptians obtain such wealth to give to the Israelites? During
Joseph’s reign, four hundred years earlier, Egypt gained much of its wealth through his
wisdom. This money was stored up for these four hundred years for the righteous. God used
his servant, Joseph, to prepare the children for the expensive cost of the Exodus and the
building of the Tabernacle.
The Lord promised Moses that the Israelites would spoil the Egyptians in Exodus 3:21-22,
“And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass,
that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour,
and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and
ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the
Egyptians.” Therefore, Moses commanded the Israelites to do so in Exodus 11:2-3, “Speak
now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman
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of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people
favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of
Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.”
The psalmist refers to the spoiling of the Egyptians in Psalm 105:37, “He brought them
forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.”
Joseph even prophesied of the Exodus in Genesis 50:24-25, “And Joseph said unto his
brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land
which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children
of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”
Joseph had been used by God to gather the wealth that the Israelites spoiled from the
Egyptians for their Exodus
12:36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them
such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
12:35-36 Comments – The Egyptians must have feared the Israelites after witnessing the Ten Plagues
upon their land. Realizing that the Israelites were preparing for their departure, the
Egyptians willingly gave them of their substance.
The nation of Egypt held much wealth, as we read in Hebrews 11:26, “Esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the
recompence of the reward.” God purposed to give His people the wealth of the sinner, as the
psalmist stated by King Solomon, who said, “and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the
just.” (Prov 13:22) God took the children of Israel out of bondage with silver and gold; for
they had spoiled the Egyptians. It is important to note that the children of Israel brought the
Lord an offering, a sacrificial lamb, prior to this gift of favour in the sight of the Egyptians.
When we give to God, He gives back to us. The children of Israel were not indulging in
covetousness, but rather, they were taking their wages from years of slavery. This transfer of
the world’s wealth was declared by God to Moses at the burning bush, saying, “And I will
give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye
go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that
sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put
them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.” (Ex 3: 21-
22)
A few months later, God would ask them to give of a willing heart for the building of the
Tabernacle in Exodus 25:1-2, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the
children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with
his heart ye shall take my offering.” God blessed the children of Israel in order that they
might also learn to give willingly and abundantly.
Israel’s receiving Egypt’s wealth and giving it to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness is
an excellent example of 2 Corinthians 9:10, “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both
minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your
righteousness;”
Illustration – Every businessman begins his career with “capital,” which is the money that is
initially invested into a business venture. Thus, the Lord gave every one of the children of
Israel a measure of capital so that they could prosper when reaching the Promised Land.
Once the Israelites reached their destination, the Lord gave them each a piece of land. Thus,
the Israelites were given a piece of land debt free as well as capital to begin their own
business enterprise. It was then up to each individual to build their wealth with the creative
power and hard work that prospers any business venture.
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12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on
foot that were men, beside children.
12:37 “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses” – Comments - The name
“Rameses” (‫)רﬠְ ְמסֵ ס‬
ַ means “child son of the sun” (Strong), or “child of the sun” (PTW).
Rameses is first mentioned in Genesis 47:11 as the land where Israel and the seventy souls
that Joseph brought into Egypt first settled, where it is described as the best of the land of
Egypt, perhaps referring to its fertility in the Nile River delta. According to Exodus 12:37,
this was the home of the Israelites for their entire four hundred-year stay in the land of
Egypt. In Exodus 1:11 the Israelites built a city called Raamses (‫)רﬠ ְַמ ֵ ֽסס‬,
ַ spelled differently
in the English version, but the same Hebrew word is used.
The name “Succoth” (‫ )סֻכּוֹת‬means, “booths” (Strong, BDB), or “tents” (PTW).
12:37 “about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children” - Comments -
The question arises as to how seventy souls entered into Egypt and multiplied into six
hundred thousand men. If we consider the fact that there were initially twelve sons born to
Jacob, and according to the list found in Genesis 46:8-27 these twelve sons bore fifty-one
sons that were brought into Egypt; and if we consider the fact the Israelites were in Egypt
four (thirty) hundred years (Ex 12:40-41, Acts 7:6), we can make an approximate
calculation of their growth using mathematics to reach this large number of six hundred
thousand men who came out of Egypt. We know that 12 sons of Jacob enter Egypt with
their 51 sons. If we estimate that an average of four sons were born to of the twelve sons of
Jacob, noting that they bore a total of fifty-one sons (51 sons ÷ 12 sons = 4.25 sons), and if
we say that approximately eight generations of children were born in Egypt since the
average man would bear his sons by the age of fifty, then the calculations would look like
this:
First Generation: 51 sons x 4 sons = 204 sons after 50 years

Second Generation: 204 sons x 4 sons = 816 sons after 100 years
Third Generation: 816 sons x 4 sons = 3,264 sons after 150 years
Fourth Generation: 3,264 sons x 4 sons = 13,056 sons after 200 years
Fifth Generation: 13,056 sons x 4 sons = 52,224 sons after 250 years
Sixth Generation: 52,224 sons x 4 sons = 208,896 sons after 300 years
Seventh Generation: 208,896 sons x 4 sons = 835,584 sons after 350 years
Seventh Generation: 835,584 sons x 4 sons = 3,342,336 sons after 400 years
Scholars may calculate these figures in various ways; but the point is that four (thirty)
hundred years was plenty of time for the nation of Israel to multiply into the 600,000 men
recorded in Exodus 12:37, even with a large number of Israelite men losing their lives
before bearing children, and with infant male mortality by the Egyptians taking place during
the later generations.
12:37 “about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children” - Comments –
According to Numbers 1:46, which was two years after the Exodus (Num 1:1), there were
“603,550 men able to go to war, who were 20 years old and upward.” Thus, the number of
Israelites were increasing in the wilderness.
12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
12:38 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )ﬠ ֶֶרב‬means, “woof (as mixed and interwoven), or (as
knitted material),” and it carries the meaning, “a mixture, a mixed people, a mixed
company” (Strong). This word is used eleven times in the Old Testament. Strong says this
Hebrew word is derived from the primitive root (‫)ﬠ ַָרב‬, which means, “to braid, to intermix,”
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and “to give or be security.” Its only other use as a reference to people is found in Nehemiah
13:3, “Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all
the mixed multitude.”
The children of Israel went out of Egyptian bondage with a group of non-Israelites who
joined themselves with God’s people. God shows mercy to other nations who can turn to the
Lord by faith. This seems to be a prediction that God will one day send the Gospel to the
Gentiles so that they will be grafted into the remnant of the people of Israel.
In Exodus 12:43-49, the Lord gave Moses the rules on how to incorporate these Gentiles
into Israeli worship and life.
12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it
was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they
prepared for themselves any victual.
12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty
years.
12:40 Comments - Although the exact date of the exodus has not been determined, scholars dated
this event from 1446 B. C. to 1290 B.C. 54
12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it
came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
12:41 Comments - The phrase “on the very same day” (Ex 12:41, 51) means that Jacob and his
family entered Egypt on the day of Passover. However, this statement also reveals that the
Lord was watching over His Word to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16 to fulfil it to the letter.
The Book of Jubilees, believed to have been written by a Pharisee during the second century
B.C., states that there were exactly fifty Jubilees from the time of Adam until the day the
children of Israel entered into the Promised Land.
“there are forty-nine jubilees from the days of Adam until this day, [2410 A.M.] and one
week and two years: and there are yet forty years to come (lit. 'distant') for learning the
[2450 A.M.] commandments of the Lord, until they pass over into the land of Canaan,
crossing the Jordan to the west.” (The Book of Jubilees 50.4-5)
It is interesting to note that the Exodus took place approximately on the fiftieth jubilee since
Adam was created, which is a period of 2,546 years. This means that a jubilee of fifty years
had elapsed upon the earth fifty consecutive times. Note the simple arithmetic.
Adam to Seth – 130 years

Seth to Enos – 105 years
Enos to Cainan – 90 years
Cainan to Mahalaleel – 70 years
Mahalaleel to Jared – 65 years
Jared to Enoch – 162 years
Enoch to Methuselah – 65 years
Methuselah to Lamech – 187 years
Lamech to Noah – 182 years
Noah to Shem, Ham, Jepheth – 500 years
54
Robert F. Youngblood, Herbert Lockyer, Sr., F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, eds., Nelson's New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary, rev. ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), s.v. “Exodus,” Logos.
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Shem to Arphaxad – 100 years

Arphaxad to Salah – 35 years
Salah to Eber – 30 years
Eber to Peleg – 34 years
Peleg to Reu – 30 years
Reu to Serug – 32 years
Serug to Nahor – 30 years
Nahor to Terah – 29 years
Terah to Abraham, Nahor, Teran – 70 years
Abraham to Isaac – 100 years
Isaac to Jacob – 40 years
Jacob into Egypt - 130 years
Into Egypt until the Exodus – 430 years
These numbers add up to a total of 2,546 years.
12:40-41 Comments – Scholars struggle to reconcile the different dates given for the number of years
that Israel spent in the land of Egypt. The Lord spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15:13 and said
that his descendants would be afflicted in a foreign land for four hundred years, a statement
repeated by Stephen the martyr in Acts 7:6. However, Exodus 12:40-41 says that the days
were exactly four hundred and thirty years to the very day. Paul confirms the duration of
four hundred and thirty years (Gal 3:17). An apparent discrepancy is seen between these two
dates. There are several possible explanations for these two different time periods. The first
explanation suggests that the four-hundred-year period may be approximate, or perhaps, the
extra thirty years took place as the Pharaoh over Joseph gave the Israelites thirty years of
peace, followed by four hundred years of affliction by the new king. Acts 7:6 says that the
new king “entreat them evil four hundred years.” Perhaps Israel stayed in Egypt four
hundred and thirty years, but their afflictions lasted four hundred years.
Another possible explanation for this difference focuses upon how the Jews calculated this
time frame. Paul dates the time between the Lord’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:7) and the
giving of the Law (Ex 20:1 f ) at four hundred and thirty years in Galatians 3:16-17, “Now to
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but
as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was
confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after.”
Paul is probably citing Exodus 12:40, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who
dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.” The statement in Exodus 12:40 dating
Israel’s sojourn in Egypt as four hundred and thirty years seems to exclude Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob’s sojourn in Canaan.
The ancient Jews struggled to reconcile the thirty-year time difference between Genesis
15:13 and Exodus 12:40. Josephus reflects the Jewish tradition that Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob sojourned in Canaan for two hundred and fifteen years; and the children of Israel
sojourned in Egypt for an additional two hundred fifteen years. This adds up to four hundred
thirty years. He writes, “They left Egypt in the month of Xanthicus, on the fifteenth day of
the lunar month; four hundred and thirty years after our forefather Abraham came into
Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen years only after Jacob removed into Egypt.”
(Antiquities 2.318) In his comments, Josephus seems to be following the reading of Exodus
12:40 in the LXX, “ἡ δὲ κατοίκησις τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ, ἣν κατῴκησαν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν
γῇ Χανααν, ἔτη τετρακόσια τριάκοντα.” (And the sojourning of the sons of Israel, which
dwelt in Egypt and in Canaan, four hundred and thirty years.)
The Samaritan Pentateuch follows the reading of the LXX as well, saying, “And the
sojourning of the children of Israel and of their fathers [which] they walked in the land of
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Canaan ∙ ∙ ∙ in the land of Egypt thirty years and four hundred years.” (author’s translation) 55
Because scholars consider the Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX more ancient than the
fourth century A.D. Masoretic Text, some suggest the variant reading “of their fathers” and
“in the land of Canaan” is original and was omitted from the later Masoretic Text. This view
supports Paul’s description in Galatians 3:17 of the time-period of four hundred thirty years
beginning with Genesis 12:1 and ending with the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
The Book of Jubilees is believed to be a second century B.C. Jewish writing. 56 This ancient
document says Abraham moved into the land of Canaan in the fortieth jubilee (The Book of
Jubilees 13.8) (1,954 A.M.), Jacob moved to Egypt with his clan in the forty-fifty jubilee
(The Book of Jubilees 42.20) (2,172 A.M.), and Moses received the Law in the forty-ninth
jubilee (The Book of Jubilees 50.4) (2,410 A.M.). 57 These dates fall approximately within
the time-frame of the two hundred and fifteen year period and the four hundred and thirty
year period. It is rather easy to calculate the time from Abraham’s entrance into Canaan
until Jacob’s exodus into Egypt; Abraham entered Canaan at the age of seventy-five (Gen
12:4); Isaac was born twenty-five years later (Gen 17:1, 21; 21:5); Esau and Jacob were
born sixty years later (Gen 25:26); and Jacob entered Egypt one hundred thirty-seven years
later (Gen 47:9). Thus, the addition of 25 + 60 + 137 = 122 years is very close to the two-
hundred-fifteen-year period proposed by Josephus.
David Rohl believes the ten generations from Joseph in Egypt to Joshua in the wilderness
recorded in 1 Chronicles 7:22-27 represent approximately two hundred years when
assuming a generation is about twenty years. 58 Additional verses support the view of a
shorter, two hundred fifteen year period in Egypt. The Lord told Abraham that his
descendants be afflicted four hundred years, but will come out of bondage in the fourth
generation (Gen 15:16). Stephen the martyr was more specific by saying, “That his seed
should sojourn in a strange land” (Acts 7:6). This “strange land” may have included Canaan
as well as Egypt. Since Isaac, as Abraham’s seed, was born within thirty years of this
prophecy (Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born), this leaves four
hundred years until Israel’s exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The fourth
generation mentioned in Genesis 15:16 is named in the Scriptures as Jacob-Levi-Kohath-
Amram-Moses (Ex 6:16-19, Num 3:17-19; 26:57-59, 1 Chron 6:1-3; 23:6, 12-13). It makes
more sense to fit four generations into a two hundred fifteen year period than into four
hundred or four hundred and thirty year period.
12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:
this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall
no stranger eat thereof:
12:44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall
he eat thereof.
12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

55
Adolf Brüll, Das samaritanische Targum zum Pentateuch, I. Anhang: Kritishe Studen über Osforder
Manuscript-Fragmente (Frankfurt: Verland von Wilhelm Erras, 1875), 79.
56
R. H. Charles, trans., The Book of Jubilees, in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in
English With Introductions and Critical and Explanatory Notes to the Several Books, vol. 2, ed. R. H. Charles, 1-82
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), 1.
57
R. H. Charles, trans., The Book of Jubilees, in The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in
English With Introductions and Critical and Explanatory Notes to the Several Books, vol. 2, ed. R. H. Charles, 1-82
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), 32, 73, 81.
58
David M. Rohl, Pharaohs and Kings: A Biblical Quest (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1995), 331.
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12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the
house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
12:46 Comments - We find a similar statement in Numbers 9:12, “They shall leave none of it unto
the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the Passover they
shall keep it.”
Jesus is the sacrificial lamb; and like the Passover lamb, His bones were not broken , as
prophesied in Psalm 34:20, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” The
apostle John records the fulfilment of this prophecy in John 19:33-36, “But when they came
to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw
it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might
believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him
shall not be broken.”
12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his
males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in
the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
12:50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
12:51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the
land of Egypt by their armies.
13:2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel,
both of man and of beast: it is mine.
13:2 Comments - The firstborn belonged to the Lord. He had spared them in Egypt because of
the blood that was sprinkled upon the door posts. They were figuratively considered dead
and made alive again in God's eyes, so they were to be the first fruit offerings to the Lord.
However, because mankind is sinful, they must be redeemed with an offering rather than
sacrificed.
Luke makes a reference to Exodus 13:2, saying, “As it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)” (Luke 2:23)
13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of
the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall
no leavened bread be eaten.
13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
13:5 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites,
and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a
land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
13:6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
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13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee,
neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
13:8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD
did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that
the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of
Egypt.
13:9 Comments - Exodus 13:9 serves as a reference to the wearing of the phylacteries that will
later be mentioned in the Mosaic Law.
13:10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
13:11 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware
unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
13:12 That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that
cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S.
13:12 Comments - The New Testament reference to Exodus 13:12 is found in Luke 2:23, “(As it is
written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the
Lord;)”
13:13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then
thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
13:12-13 Comments – The firstlings of cattle, goats, and sheep could serve as sacrifices because they
were considered clean. Because the ass or donkey did not split the hoof and chew the cud
(Lev 11:1-8), it was considered unclean and unacceptable as a sacrifice unto the Lord. A
lamb could be sacrificed in the place of a firstling ass, or they had to break the ass’s neck.
The firstborn male children must be redeemed as well using a clean animal as a sacrifice.
13:14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt
say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
13:15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the
LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
13:15 Comments - The New Testament reference to Exodus 13:15 is found in Luke 2:23, “(As it is
written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the
Lord;)”
13:16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by
strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
13:17-15:21 Israel’s Escape Through the Red Sea – Exodus 13:17-15:21 records the flight of Israel
from Egypt through the Red Sea.
Redemptive Message - This journey has strong symbolism of the Christian’s salvation
experience and water baptism. For example, the apostle Paul compares the cloud that
followed Israel and their passage through the Red Sea to the New Testament believer’s
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baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 10:2). The next major section of the book (15:22-18:27)
symbolizes the Christian’s early journey towards the phase of indoctrination as a part of
discipleship, which is demanded of them at Mount Sinai.
(1) Israel Journeys through the Wilderness 13:17-22

(2) Israel Crosses the Red Sea 14:1-31
(3) The Songs of Moses and Miriam 15:1-21
13:17-22 Israel Journeys Through the Wilderness – Exodus 13:17-22 records Israel’s journey from
Egypt to the Red Sea.
Redemptive Message - Israel’s initial journey into the wilderness to the Red Sea is
characterized by God’s total provision for them. They did not have to do anything to walk in
victory except follow Moses. This event could symbolize the Christian’s days immediately
following the salvation experience. A new believer finds God at work in every aspect of his
life, in his prayers, in miracles of deliverance, being provided everything he needs with little
or no effort to exercise his faith.
13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the
way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people
repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
13:18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the
children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel,
saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
13:19 Comments - Joseph’s command to bury his bones in Canaan is found in Genesis 50:25-26,
“And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye
shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old:
and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” Joseph made this statement
by faith in Hebrews 11:22, “By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing
of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.” The children of
Israel did bring his bones out of Egypt and buried them in Shechem on a parcel of ground
that Jacob purchased, as we read in Joshua 24:32, “And the bones of Joseph, which the
children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground
which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of
silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.”
13:20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the
wilderness.
13:20 Comments – The name “Etham” means, “sea bound” (PTW). It was located at the edge of
the wilderness.
13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by
night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
13:21 Comments - Note these insightful words from Frances J. Roberts:
“Behold, I am the Lord, Thy God; is anything too hard for Me? I am the light of the
world, and the greatest darkness shall never be able to quench that light. I shall be to
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thee a cloud to preserve by day and a pillar of fire to protect by night. Both in the
sunshine and in the darkness, I shall be near thee. Thou shalt delight in Me in thy joys;
and in the place of difficulty My love for thee shall be as inescapably real as a blazing
pillar of fire. Yea, all I was to Israel, and more, I shall be to thee. For have I not
promised to give thee the desires of thine heart, and the heathen for thine inheritance.” 59
13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the
people.
13:22 Comments – God gave the children of Israel the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night
for the entire forty-year wilderness journey. He did not take it away for a single day. This
type of guidance is symbolic that every believer in the New Testament Church must learn to
be led by the Holy Spirit each day of his life throughout his spiritual journey.
14:1-31 Israel Crosses the Red Sea – Exodus 14:1-31 records the story of Israel crossing the Red
Sea. The crossing of the Red Sea served as a way to cut Israel off from the advancement of
Pharaoh’s army. It also served to cut Israel off from returning back into Egypt; for this had
been a concern of the Lord as Moses led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, as we
see in Exodus 13:17, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God
led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God
said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:”
Redemptive Message – The apostle Paul compares the cloud that followed Israel and their
passage through the Red Sea to the New Testament believer’s baptism in Christ Jesus (1 Cor
10:2). The crossing of the Red Sea could symbolize a Christian’s water baptism, a time
when he feels deliverance from all bondages of sin. Water baptism confirms his
commitment to follow Christ.
14:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol
and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
14:2 Comments – Gesenius says the Hebrew name “Pihahiroth” (‫ )פִּ י הַ חִ ירֹות‬means, “the mouth of
caverns,” and in the Egyptian language this name means, “a place adorned with green
grass.” Strong translates it to mean, “mouth of the gorges.” PTW translates the word to
mean, “the mouth.” It comes from two words; the Hebrew word (‫)פֶּה‬, meaning, “mouth,”
and the Hebrew word (‫)ֹחר‬, meaning, “a cave, or hole.” This word is used only four times in
the Scriptures (Exo 14:2, 9, Num 33:7, 8). The name “Migdol” means “tower” (PTW). The
name “Baalzephon” means “lord of the North” (PTW).
Since the third century A.D., the location of Mount Sinai has traditionally been located in
the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. However, if Mt. Sinai were located in Midian, which
was located in Arabia, as archeological evidence is now indicating, then the crossing of the
Red Sea could have taken place in the Gulf of Aqaba, on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula
and not at one of five traditional sites located on the west or north side of the Sinai and the
Gulf of Suez. Since the Sinai Peninsula was under the domain of Egypt during the time of
the Exodus, this location in Arabia would have placed Moses and the children of Israel just
outside Egyptian ancient territory and thus, outside of their diplomatic reach.
Regarding the route of the Exodus, Moses could have crossed through the middle of the
Sinai Peninsula following a familiar east-west trade route that normally takes three weeks.
The children of Israel took about six weeks to go from Egypt to Mount Sinai, as we see in
59
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Exodus 16:1, “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the
children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the
fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.”
Just before reaching the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba along this route, Moses could
have veered due south, following a dry river bed, which empties into the Red Sea midway
up the Gulf of Aqaba. Exodus 14:2 says, “that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth,” an
indication of veering from the common path. Philo goes into more detail explaining this
alternate route:
“Therefore, turning aside from the direct road he found an oblique path, and thinking
that it must extend as far as the Red Sea, he began to march by that road. . . . But when
the king of Egypt saw them proceeding along a pathless track, as he fancied, and
marching through a rough and untrodden wilderness, he was delighted with the blunder
they were making respecting their line of march, thinking that now they were hemmed
in, having no way of escape whatever.” (Philo Judaes, A Treatise On the Life of Moses,
1.29-30)60
At the place where this dry riverbed enters the Gulf of Aqaba is a dry, sandy bank, hedged
in by two tall mountain peaks. This gorge, which passes between two high mountainous
peaks, would fit the biblical description of Pihahiroth, “the mouth of the gorges.” It is at this
site that scientists searched for archeological evidence of the events of the biblical Exodus in
2000 to support this site. Therefore, these archeologists searched the underwater terrain of
the Gulf of Aqaba at this location for signs of Egyptian wreckage, primarily the six hundred
chariots (Ex 14:7). In their search, they found sea coral shaped into the circular forms of
chariot wheels and axles. Metal detectors were used on these circular corals to confirm that
there was metal content within the coral, which metal was circular in shape. They actually
filmed several 4-spoke and 6-spoke metal wheels encrusted with coral, and one shiny wheel
untouched by coral. These chariot wheels were determined to be of Egyptian design for this
period of their history. Unfortunately, strict Egyptian law forbids the removal of these coral
and artifacts.
In addition, although the Gulf of Aqaba is deep, reaching one mile in depth, it is at this
crossing that the Gulf is relatively shallow. The sea bottom is not made up of silt as is the
Gulf of Suez, but is a layer of sand. This relatively shallow, sandy bottom would have
allowed for the passing of the children of Israel. Although the five proposed sites north of
the Gulf of Suez are all relatively shallow, this location in the Gulf of Aqaba would better fit
the biblical description of these mighty, deep waters: “and the depths were congealed in the
heart of the sea” (Exo 15:8); “they sank as lead in the mighty waters” (Exo 15:10);“He
rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through
the wilderness.” (Ps 106:9)61
14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness
hath shut them in.
14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon
Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
60
C. D. Yonge, The Works of Philo Judaes vol. 3 (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855), 37.
61
Ron Wyatt, The Exodus Revealed: Search for the Red Sea Crossing, prod. Discovery Media Productions,
Portland, Oregon, 82 min., 2000, 2004, DVD; See also Colin Humphreys, The Miracles of Exodus: A Scientist's
Discovery of the Extraordinary Natural Causes of the Biblical Stories (New York: Continuum International Publishing
Group, 2004).
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14:4 Comments - Pharaoh’s heart hardened for the final time in Exodus 14:5, 8. We can list ten
previous references to his hardened heart in 7:14 (Aaron’s Rod), 9:7 (Murrain), 7:22-23
(Water to Blood), 9:12 (Boils), 8:15 (frogs), 9:34,35 (Hail), 8:19 (lice), 10:20 (Locusts),
8:32(Swarms), 10:27 (darkness). Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? We find the answer
in Exodus 14:4, which tells us that God might be glorified and “that the Egyptians may
know that I am the LORD.”
14:5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his
servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel
go from serving us?
14:6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
14:7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every
one of them.
14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children
of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
14:9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen,
and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the
Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto
the LORD.
14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to
die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the
Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the
wilderness.
14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,
which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again
no more for ever.
14:13 Comments – Moses commanded the Israelites to fear not and to stand still. If they had
panicked at the approach of the Egyptian army, they would have fled in all directions and
Moses would have been unable to lead them through the Red Sea. Many would have been
killed by the Egyptian army if the Israelites had scattered in fear.
14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
14:13-14 Comments – The Lord is our Salvation. Note a similar situation in 2 Chronicles 20:15, “And
he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat,
Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great
multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. To morrow go ye down against them:
behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook,
before the wilderness of Jeruel.”
14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of
Israel, that they go forward:
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14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children
of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
14:16 “lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea,” - Comments - Moses had
been using this rod as a way of starting five plagues: the first plague of water turned to
blood in Exodus 7:19 “Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt”;
the second plague of frog in Exodus 8:5, “Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the
streams”; the third plague of lice in Exodus 8:16, “Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of
the land”; the seventh plague of hail in Exodus 9:23, “And Moses stretched forth his rod
toward heaven”; the eighth plague of locusts in Exodus 10:13, “And Moses stretched forth
his rod over the land of Egypt.”
14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will
get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon
Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them;
and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
14:19 Comments - God will protect his servants by placing a hedge of military angels about them,
as we read in Psalm 91:10-11, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come
nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy
ways.” Regarding Psalm 91:10, Kevin Zadai says, “Angels are considered to be ‘special
forces’ and have special assignments from the military branch of Heaven’s Kingdom. . . . It
is amazing to me how much is going on around us about which we have absolutely no
awareness or knowledge.” 62 This hedge of protection is a troop of angels that are assigned to
P92F P
accompany us to protect us from the demonic forces of Satan, as we read in Psalm 34:7,
“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
We read about this hedge of angelic protection for God’s servants during the time of the
patriarchs. For example, the Lord protected Job with such a spiritual hedge, as we read in
Job 1:10, “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that
he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is
increased in the land.” In Genesis 32:1-2, the angels of God met Jacob, and he called them
“God’s army,” and named the place “Mahanaim” (‫)מַ ֲחנַיִ ם‬, which means “double camp”
(HALOT). This suggests that Jacob recognized the encampment of his family on this journey
was well as the encampment of an army of angels who were travelling with him. This
encounter and angels is an important element in this story, since Jacob needed a miracle
because his brother Esau and his men were able to avenge himself by killing Jacob. This
encounter of seeing an army of angels assured Jacob that the Lord was at work guiding him
along this dangerous journey back home. This army of angels watched over Abraham and
Isaac, as we read in Genesis 24:7, “The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my
father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware
unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and
thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.” (see also Gen 24:40) The angels of the
Lord protected Jacob, as we read in Genesis 48:16, “The Angel which redeemed me from all
evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” The Lord
watched over His word to bless Abraham and His seed through a covenant with this
patriarch.
62
Kevin Zadai, The Agenda of Angels (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2019), 8.
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God’s angelic army played a key role in the establishment and protection of the nation of
Israel. For example, angels were with the children of Israel in the wilderness under the
leadership of Moses (Exo 14:19; 23:23; 32:34, Num 20:16) and during the conquest under
the leadership of Joshua (Exo 32:2, Josh 5:14-15). During one of his battles with the
Philistines, David was told by the Lord to wait until he hears the sound of marching in the
mulberry trees (2 Sam 5:24). We can assume that this was the sound of an army of marching
angels sent to battle ahead of David’s men. The prophet Elisha saw the army of angels
encamped about the city of Dothan, as we read in 2 Kings 6:17, “And Elisha prayed, and
said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of
the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
round about Elisha.” 2 Kings 7:6, “For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a
noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to
another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of
the Egyptians, to come upon us.” The prophet Isaiah spoke of a hedge of protection that had
been place around the people of Israel during his public ministry in the eighth century B.C.
in Isaiah 5:5, “And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away
the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be
trodden down.” Therefore, the Lord watched over His people Israel during their centuries of
settlement in the Promised Land. His divine judgment came when He removed this angelic
protection from them, allowed the demonic forces of the kingdom of darkness to devastate
the land.
We find references to angelic protection in the New Testament as well. For example, the
angels of the Lord are sent forth by God for our protection today, as Jesus says in Matthew
18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in
heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” The author
of the epistle of Hebrews tells us that angels are available to serve the New Testament
believers as ministering spirits, saying, in Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Therefore, we can
know that the same angels that protected God’s servants in the Holy Scriptures are ready to
walk with us in this journey as well.
Illustration - In 1987 my mother was near death while lying in bed at home. The Lord
opened her eyes and ears and she began to hear the marching of foot soldiers. She then saw
an army of angels dressed for battle marching past her bed. This vision strengthened her
spiritually. At short time later while in the hospital, she again came near death and saw the
very same vision. I believe that Esau and his men saw just such a vision of angels dressed
for battle. A few years later my brother Steve lay very ill in his living room one night. All of
a sudden he left his body behind and found himself standing before the Lord Jesus. When
Steve stood before the Lord, he was asked if he were read for His Second Coming. At that
time Steve saw an army of angels marching down to earth singing the song of the Jubilee.
After a short while my brother returned into his body. I believe that David and other kings
of Judah won many battles because of this army of angels who fought in their behalf.
14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and
darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the
night.
14:20 Comments - Note how the cloud gave darkness to the Egyptians, but light to God’s people.
We see a similar example of how God uses nature to protect His children and to confound
the enemy in the story of the kings of Israel and Judah when they fought against the king of
Edom (2 Kings 3:20-23). In this story the pools of water refreshed the children of Israel and
of Judah, but it confused the Edomites. We also see that the Ark of the Covenant brought
blessings upon the nation of Israel, but it brought curses upon the land of the Philistines
when they stole it from the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1-12).
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God’s ways are similar today as He shows mercy towards His children (2 Sam 22:26-27, Ps
18:26). His ways bless His children and confuse the ungodly. God's ways are foolish and not
understood by the world, but give revelation to His people. For example, the foolishness of
preaching confounds the wise and noble, but brings salvation to the poor in spirit (1 Cor
1:17-31). The gifts of the Spirit, such as praying in tongues, confound the wise, but bless
and strengthen the believer (1 Cor 14:4, 23).
14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a
strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters
were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
14:22 Comments - Gesenius says the Hebrew “Pihahiroth” (‫ )פִּ י הַ חִ ירֹות‬means, “the mouth of
caverns.” He says in the Egyptian language this name means, “a place adorned with green
grass.” Strong translates it to mean, “mouth of the gorges.” PTW translates the word to
mean, “the mouth.” It comes from two words; the Hebrew word (‫)פֶּה‬, meaning, “mouth,”
and the Hebrew word (‫)ֹחר‬, meaning, “a cave, or hole.”
14:23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's
horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
14:24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians
through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
14:25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let
us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
14:26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come
again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the
morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the
midst of the sea.
14:28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of
Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
14:28 Comments - As I was praying in the spirit and with the interpretation one day (1 Cor 14:13-
15), I began to say that Pharaoh’s army was forewarned of God’s pending wrath before they
were destroyed in the Red Sea. They had seen the ten plagues upon the land of Egypt. They
knew that God was mighty to judge. Yet, in the hardness of their hearts, they chose to
persecute the people of God.
Pharaoh had hardened his heart against the Lord and His people Israel. As a result, he was
destroyed according to the divine principle in Proverbs 29:1, “He, that being often reproved
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
The Principle of Sowing and Reaping - Just as the Egyptians has been drowning the Hebrew
babies in the waters of the Nile, so did God choose to drown the Egyptian army in the
depths of the Red Sea. This very likely sent a message to a superstitious people that the God
of the Israel had taken vengeance upon act of cruelty by the Egyptians.
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14:29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a
wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared
the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
15:1-21 The Songs of Moses and Miriam – Exodus 15:1-19 is popularly entitled “The Song of
Moses,” and Exodus 15:20-21 is called the “Song of Miriam.” A song is a powerful tool for
teaching people, in that the words are memorized and taken to heart as they are sang. The
prophetic song of Moses will serve as a reminder to generations of Israelites that God is
faithful to redeem His people. In addition, God will remind backslidden Israel during the
following centuries through His prophets of their deliverance from Egypt and of His
unchanging love for them.
Redemptive Message – The songs of Moses and Miriam reflect joy that a new believer
experiences by his cleansing from sin and guilt and bondages of this world. He is free and
his joy is overflowing.
15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will
sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into
the sea.
15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will
prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
15:3 Comments – Mankind did not know the Lord as a God of war until He delivered them from
Egyptian bondage by destroying their army. Would Israel’s God fight such battles in their
behalf. They see Him in action during their wanderings in the desert, and particularly,
during Joshua’s five-year conquest of the Promised Land. Israel saw the Lord’s hand
protecting them during the monarchy as He delivered His people from invading armies.
David knew the Lord as a Man of War as he won many battles against Israel’s foes.
15:4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in
the Red sea.
15:5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in
pieces the enemy.
15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:
thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as
an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
15:8 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )ﬠ ַָרם‬means, “to pile up” (Strong, HALOT), being used only
once in the Old Testament.
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The Hebrew (‫ )נָצַ ב‬means, “to station” (Strong) or “remain standing” (HALOT), being used
seventy-five times in the Old Testament. Note that this same Hebrew verb is used to
describe the crossing of the Red Sea in Psalm 78:13, “He divided the sea, and caused them
to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.”
The Hebrew (‫ )קָ ָפא‬means, “to shrink, or to thicken (as unracked wine, curdled milk, clouded
sky, frozen water), to congeal, to curdle” (Strong) or “to congeal, become rigid” (HALOT),
being used five times in the Old Testament.
15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied
upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
15:10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful
in praises, doing wonders?
15:12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
15:13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them
in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
15:14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold
upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a
stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O
LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have
established.
15:18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
15:19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the
LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in
the midst of the sea.
15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women
went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
15:20 Comments – The Hebrew name “Miriam” (‫)מ ְריָם‬ ִ means “contumacy” or “rebellion”
(Gesenius), “rebellion,” being derived from the (‫)מ ִרי‬,
ְ which means, “rebellion” (Strong), or
“fat, thick, strong” (PTW).
15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse
and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
15:21 Comments - In Exodus 15:21, Mariam was prophetically answering the children of Israel as
they sang unto the Lord. Note Exodus 15:1, “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this
song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed
gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
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15:22-18:27 The Journey to Mount Sinai – Exodus 15:22-18:27 records Israel’s journey from the
shores of the Red Sea to Mount Sinai.
Redemptive Message - This journey contains symbolisms of the Christian’s early journey
immediately after water baptism as God divinely provides for his needs, guiding him to a
place of greater spiritual maturity through the knowledge of His Word. The apostle Paul
compares the manna in the wilderness to the believer’s spiritual food, which is partaking of
God’s Word (1 Cor 10:3). He compares the water from the rock to the believer partaking of
Christ (1 Cor 10:4). Paul also uses Israel’s failures to warn the church not to fall back into
lusts for the things of this world (1 Cor 10:6), or idolatry (1 Cor 10:7), or sexual immorality
(1 Cor 10:8), or tempting Christ by living in sin (1 Cor 10:9), or murmuring and
complaining (1 Cor 10:10). Paul describes these events as examples for the New Testament
church (1 Cor 10:11).
(1) Israel Encamps at Marah and Elim 15:22-27

(2) Israel Encamps in the Wilderness of Sin 16:1-36
(3) Israel Encamps at Rephidim 17:1-18:27
Motifs found within Exodus 15:22-18:27 - John Durham notes a number of contrasts
within this passage of Scripture. (a) Israel’s Need verses God’s Abundance Supply – The
children of Israel entered the wilderness journey totally dependent upon God’s provision for
their every need. Time and again God reveals Himself as having more than enough to
supply their needs. (b) Thirst verses Abundance of Water – This passage of Scripture opens
with Israel in desperate need of water, only to find bitter water; and the passage closes with
Israel encamped at Elim, where there was an abundance of water and trees. Understanding
that God was leading them with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Ex 13:21-22), it is
easy to conclude that God was testing His children. (c) Israel’s Grumbling verses God’s
Loving Patience – An underlying motif found in Israel’s forty-year wilderness journey is
Israel’s constant grumbling and complaining, beginning in this passage, being met with
God’s continual intervention to meet their need. (d) Health verses Sickness - Another
contrast is made between Israel’s promise of health and healing against the backdrop of the
Ten Plagues of Egypt (Ex 15:26). (e) Disorder verses Order – The multitude of Israelites
began this journey in an awkward manner, in their encampment, in their travelling, in their
lifestyles, so that Moses was overwhelmed with their problems. God sends Jethro with the
wisdom to begin setting their lives in order. These contrasts reveal that God was gradually
guiding them into an orderly lifestyle of faith and obedience to Him, a lifestyle that would
meet their daily needs. However, the multitude of the Israelites were grumbling against
change because it clashed with their old habits and customs. 63
15:22-27 Israel Encamps at Marah and Elim – Exodus 15:22-27 records Israel’s journey
immediately after their deliverance from the Egyptian army in the crossing of the Red Sea.
This pericope takes the children of Israel from the shores of the Red Sea to Elim. Israel’s
first test of faith takes place at Marah, which means “bitter,” located in the Wilderness of
Shur, which means “journey,” where they become thirsty after three days of following the
Lord through the wilderness. In the midst of their labours, they come to a spring of water,
but find the waters bitter. Moses cuts down a tree and throws it into the water to make it
sweet. The Lord then gives them a statute to obey His Word as an opportunity for them to
prove their love and devotion towards Him. God had blessed the Israelites with prosperity
and health as they departed Egypt. His statute promised them that if they would obey God’s
Word, they would be able to walk in the blessings continually.
63
and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 1987), 214-215, Logos.
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Redemptive Message – Israel’s experience at the waters of Marah could symbolize the first
trial that a child of God experiences in which he must put his faith in obedience to God’s
Word. Their choices would make life bitter or sweet. God gave them the choice. As God’s
children, the things of this world no longer have to be bitter, for in obedience to Christ
Jesus, He makes everything sweet. From the first day we believed in Jesus Christ as our
Saviour, there is not a situation that we face alone. If we will seek the Lord, He will give us
wisdom to deal with every difficult, bitter situation so that it becomes sweet, a blessing to us
and others.
The children of Israel found twelve springs and seventy palm trees when they encamped at
Elim, which means, “trees.” In the Scriptures, trees can symbolize men, and leadership
among men, as we see in Jotham’s parables of the trees reigning over one another (Judg 9:7-
15); and wells are symbolic of the anointings of the Holy Spirit, as we see in John 7:38, “He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water.” 2 Peter 2:17, “These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest;
to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.” These twelve springs may represent the
twelve apostles of the Lamb and the seventy trees the first seventy disciples upon which the
early Church in Jerusalem was founded in the upper room. This symbolizes the need for the
new believer to join the body of Christ in order to continue his life of being refreshed by the
Holy Spirit and walking in freedom and liberty from this world. It is in the local fellowship
that a believer will find times of refreshing, in the midst of worship, the teaching of God’s
Word, and genuine love from the brethren. However, these twelve springs and seventy trees
may better represent the times of refreshing that God provides each of His children. Along
our spiritual journey, the Lord leads us in paths of rest and peace, as described in Psalm 23.
These times of refreshing follow seasons of trials.
Illustration - The Lord spoke to me the night of 18-29 January 2005 and said, “The bitter
and the sweet are all used by God to mold and shape your life.” This word came the same
day that my sister-in-law Dyan was told by her Muslim “husband” called Nabal to leave her
home and was only allowed to take one of her two children with her. It was “sweet” news
for us that she has decided to leave this environment for the sake of her eternal salvation, but
it is “bitter” news to know that her oldest child is being left behind. However, I know that
God will work in her life in the midst of this heartache to draw her to Him and to work
miracles for her as she learns to trust in Him. The following night the Lord spoke to me
saying, “Be patient and you will see Me working in the midst of this situation.”
15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and
they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
15:22 Comments – The Hebrew name “Shur” (‫ )שׁוּר‬means, “a wall” (Strong), being used six times
in the Scriptures (Gen 16:7; 20:1; 25:18, Ex 15;22, 1 Sam 15;7; 21:8). Gesenius says when
this word is used as a noun, it is translated “a lier in wait, an enemy,” or “a wall.” As a verb
it means, “to journey, to go about,” or “to look around.”
Once leaving Egypt, the children of Israel had to take the pilgrimage by faith in God. We
also walk a spiritual pilgrimage as we enter a journey with salvation.
15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were
bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:23 Comments - The Hebrew name “Marah” means, “bitter” (PTW).
Examples of bitterness in the Holy Scriptures are when Naomi called herself “Mara”
because she lost her husband and two sons, as we read in Ruth 1:20, “And she said unto
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them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.”
Thus, the family name was cut off.
Also, the Hebrews had had led bitter lives in Egypt and needed healing, as we see in Exodus
1:14, “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all
manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with
rigour.” During the Tribulation Period, bitter water causes death, as we see in Revelation
8:10-11, “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it
were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”
In 2 Kings 2:19-22, Elisha threw salt into the water of the city that were unfit to drink and
healed the waters. In 2 Kings 4:38-41, there was death in a pot of stew, and Elisha threw in
meal to heal the pot. However, Jesus told His disciples that if a believer drinks any deadly
thing, will not harm him (Mk 16:18). In Numbers 5:11-31, a jealous husband had his wife
drink bitter water to test her testimony.
Affliction brings bitterness, as we see in 2 Kings 14:26, “For the LORD saw the affliction of
Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for
Israel.” Job’s complaint was bitter in Job 23:2, “Even to day is my complaint bitter: my
stroke is heavier than my groaning.” A strange woman’s end is bitter and sharp, as we see in
Proverbs 5:4, “But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.” To the
hungry, every bitter thing is sweet, as we see in Proverbs 27:7, “The full soul loatheth an
honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into
the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there
he proved them,
15:25 “And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had
cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet” - Comments - Why was a tree used the
heal the bitter waters? The tree was figurative of life in a desert, and symbolises healing, as
we see in Deuteronomy 20:19, ”When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war
against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them:
for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is
man's life) to employ them in the siege.” A tree represents healing. This tree had to die or be
cut off for their healing Jesus died for us to have access to God is healing. The tree was
symbolic of Jesus, who makes the bitterness in our lives sweet. When we place our faith in
the Cross of Calvary t, it causes every bitter circumstance in life to be made sweet. Jesus
tasted the bitter cup of suffering so that we might be free from the bitterness of life. See:
We find similar stories of Elijah casting salt into the waters to heal them (2 Kgs 2:21), and
casting meal into a pot of stew to heal it (2 Kgs 4:41).
“there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them” -
Comments – God proved the children of Israel’s obedience by giving them their first
charge. He was testing them in proving their obedience and devotion towards Him. God has
brought Moses into the wilderness forty years in order to prepare him as a leader over His
children Israel. Moses had been humbled during his forty-year exile and he had learned to
obey the Lord. Now God had to bring the children of Israel into this same season of training.
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God was also testing their faith in Him, as He tested Abraham in Genesis 22:1, “And it
came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham:
and he said, Behold, here I am.” God had to teach them how to walk by faith in Him and not
to lean on their own senses and will. They were going to have to walk by faith in order to
conquer giants and take the Promised Land. In a similar manner, God tested Adam’s love
and devotion towards Him by giving him a charge to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. How can a person prove his love towards someone except he be given rules
by which love can be genuinely proved?
15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that
which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that
healeth thee.
15:26 Comments - Exodus 15:26 records the first statute and ordinance that God gave to Israel
after their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. This statute says that obedience to God in
general will deliver them from all the sickness that they saw in the land of Egypt. This
divine principle is found in Proverbs 4:22, “For they are life unto those that find them, and
health to all their flesh.” God had given the children of Israel prosperity through favor with
the Egyptians (Exo 12:36). He then gave them healing through the atonement of the
Passover lamb, which meal was a miracle of healing so that none who left Egypt were
feeble, as we see in Psalm 105:37, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and
there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” A teaching on divine health should be
one of the first teachings taught to newborn Christians, since this is the first teaching that the
Lord gave the children of Israel in Exodus 12:36. When a child of God has sickness in his
body, there is a cause and a cure in God’s precious Word, for He promises His children
health when they obey His Word.
This is not only a reference to the terrible plagues they had just seen. The Lord had brought
them into a new life and is now trying to renew their minds, trying to teach them about
divine health so that they would have strength to serve God.
The Lord once spoke to Norvel Hayes and told him that people are rewarded in two ways if
they will serve the Lord. They will receive health and prosperity in this life. The Lord then
referred him to 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 64
15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees:
and they encamped there by the waters.
15:27 Comments – The word “Elim” (‫ )אֵ ילִ ם‬means, “trees” (Strong) or “oaks” (PTW). Elim is also
mentioned in Numbers 33:9-10, “And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and
in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched
there. And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.” Thus, Elim was in the
Wilderness of Ethan.
The tree is considered the man’s life according to Deuteronomy 20:19, ”When thou shalt
besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees
thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut
them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege.” Perhaps the
twelve wells represent the twelve apostles of the Lamb which first took the Gospel Israel,
64
Norvel Hayes, “Sermon,” Word of Faith Family Church, Dallas, Texas 1989-99; Norvel Hayes, Financial
Dominion: How To Take Charge Of You Finances (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, c1986), 9-17.
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then to the nations, and the seventy palm trees represent the seventy that Jesus sent out,
being the earliest congregation of disciples of Jesus Christ.
After Israel’s first test, God gives them a season of rest until the next test of faith. God will
give us seasons of rest as well along our spiritual journey.
16:1-36 Israel Encamps in the Wilderness of Sin - The story of Israel’s encampment in the
Wilderness of Sin and the provision of manna from Heaven is one of the greatest miracles in
the Scriptures. Here, the Lord instituted the provision of bread from heaven, which lasted
throughout the forty-year wilderness journey. Along with the provision of manna, the Lord
instituted the Sabbath rest.
Redemptive Message - In the wilderness of Sin, which means, “bush,” the children of Israel
are given manna from Heaven and quail to eat. The manna symbolizes the daily word that
God speaks to every one of His children as a part of His fellowship with them. God speaks
to His children each day if he will just take the time to listen. The quail represent the
stronger meat that God can give to those who are mature in Christ (Heb 5:12-14).
The children of Israel were taught the Law of Moses, but it was also necessary that they fed
upon this divine manna daily. We too, must learn the academics of the Scriptures in Bible
school as well as having a daily devotional in God's presence to hear a word from Him. We
must study the “logos” of the Bible, learning its foundational doctrines, as well as learn to
hear the “rhema” of God's spoken words for us daily. Since man cannot live by bread alone,
but by God's manna, it means that God has a fresh word for us each day, every day of our
lives, if we would just listen (Matt 4:4, Lk 4:4). As we partake of Jesus, His life in us
through fellowship with Him, He becomes our bread of life (Jn 6:28-59). As the Lord
covered the earth each morning with manna for the children of Israel, each day He covers
the earth with fresh manna for His people. All of God's people, from the beginning of time,
have learned to feed upon manna. As the manna is gentle and light as dew and easily
trampled, so is the daily manna that He brings to us. We must be light of heart to receive it.
It is interesting to note that the manna was small in size, thus making the people to work
harder in gathering it.
Because God sends His manna in different ways we must know how to gather manna each
day. For example, this manna can come from living epistles, his people; it may come from
something that someone says to you; or, it may come from a writing of a saint. The
Scriptures that we read each day are our milk; then, it becomes our meat. It builds for us a
container that helps us to hold and understand the fresh manna. The vessel that the manna is
placed into represents the foundational doctrines of the Scriptures. The manna represents
God's daily bread in our lives. Without a vessel, the manna cannot be contained and used
properly; but a vessel without manna is useless also. Both are needed to provide food for
living. The daily manna that we receive must be in line with the doctrines of the Scriptures
in order for us to receive it. When Jesus fed the five thousand, he commanded that the
crumbs be gathered and placed in to twelve baskets. Without the baskets, the crumbs were
useless. In order to know God's ways, we must know His Scriptures. When I learned this
truth, I began to look for this manna. When I began to look for it, I found it everywhere.
Gathering manna and writing it down became a daily exercise for me. It was not that the
Lord began to give me more manna; but rather, I began to see it better, because it had been
there all the time. Just as the manna in the wilderness did not last until the next day, we must
realize that when the Lord gives us a rhema word for today, it may not apply to a different
situation tomorrow. We must learn to find a fresh word from the Lord tomorrow to take us
through that day. For today’s manna is only sufficient for today. God made it this way in
order to have fellowship with us.
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Illustration - As a young Christian in 1980, the Lord gave me a dream in which I saw an
old, wooden, screen door with the familiar, metal sign “Colonial is Good Bread” fastened to
the center of this door. This sign became famous because it was found on the wooden screen
doors of so many country stores across the United States. The makers of Colonial Bread
invested in an advertising campaign using these signs because they wanted everyone to buy
a loaf of their bread when they entered the grocery store. This metal sign was not just
fastened in the center of the screen door as a push plate to prevent damaging the screen; the
message on this sign became embedded into the mind of every customer that entered the
store to buy groceries. The Colonial Bread Company wanted everyone to partake of their
bread. The unique aspect of this dream is that the metal sign on this old, wooden screen door
did not read, “Colonial is Good Bread,” but rather, “The Bread of Life.” As a young
Christian I interpreted this dream to mean that the Lord wanted me to open this door in my
spiritual journey and partake of that bread that comes from heaven. He wanted me to read
and study His Holy Word diligently, and on a daily basis.
16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came
unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
16:1 Comments – The Hebrew name “Sin” (‫)סין‬

ִ literally means, “clay” (Gesenius), or “bush”
(PTW).
The children of Israel left Egypt in haste the night of the fourteenth of the first month, as we
see in Exodus 12:6, “And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and
the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” The Jewish
month was a thirty-day period. 65 Therefore, the children of Israel had been wandering for
P95F P
thirty days.
16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the
wilderness:
16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD
in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have
brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people
shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my
law, or no.
16:4 Comments - The manna is figurative of Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life, as we see in John
6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.”
16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and
it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the
LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your
murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
16:7 Comments - Jesus Christ is the glory of the Lord, as we see in Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
65
John F. Walvoord, Every Prophecy of the Bible (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, c1990, 1999), 254.
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word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high.”
16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in
the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against
him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
16:7-8 Comments – Murmuring is the early stages of rebellion. When we murmur against God’s
servants who are placed over us, then we begin to rebel against the Lord.
16:9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near
before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that
they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye
shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD
your God.
16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning
the dew lay round about the host.
16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a
small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not
what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his
eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them
which are in his tents.
16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that
gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
16:18 Comments - We have a New Testament reference to Exodus 16:18 in 2 Corinthians 8:15,
“As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little
had no lack.”
16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning,
and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
16:19-20 Comments – After reading John 6:1-59, we compare this manna to Jesus, who is the Bread
of Life (Jn 6:31-35), and God's Word. We must be refreshed with Jesus through the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit and through God’s Word daily. Yesterday’ word was needed
for yesterday, but today we need a fresh word from God, as Jesus teaches us to pray in
Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
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16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun
waxed hot, it melted.
16:21 Comments - Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread in Luke 11:3, “Give us day by day
our daily bread.” This prayer reflects back on the daily bread that God gave to the children
of Israel.
16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for
one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the
holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and
that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any
worm therein.
16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not
find it in the field.
16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be
none.
16:27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather,
and they found none.
16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the
bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
16:23-30 Comments - The Ordinance of the Sabbath Day - Exodus 16:23-30 records the first
discourse about the Sabbath day. As we study the Mosaic Law, it becomes apparent that this
Law is built around the number “seven.” For example, the seventh day was called the
Sabbath day. The seventh month was a month of festivals. The seventh year was the
Sabbath year. The seventh Sabbath year ushered in the Year of Jubilee. There were seven
days involved in certain feasts. There were seven weeks to be counted between certain
feasts. God gave commandments of judging sin seven days for individuals and seven years
for judging nations. There were seven days of uncleanness and seven days of consecration.
The blood of atonement was sprinkled seven times. The oil was sprinkled seven times on the
altar. There were seven lambs to sacrifice. God's judgment was seven times for sin.
16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white;
and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
16:31 Comments – The Hebrew word “manna” (‫ )מָ ן‬literally means, “a whatness (so to speak)”
(Strong). Gesenius tells us this word can used with the Hebrew hyphen (Maqqeph) in
indirect interrogation to mean, “what,” or “who.”
16:32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept
for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I
brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
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16:32 Comments - John Gill says that an omer is often viewed by scholars as a man’s daily
portion of manna. 66
16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up
before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they
did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
16:36 Comments – The explanation of the omer in Exodus 16:36 may have been an explanatory
note added during the period when the Pentateuch was compiled shortly after the death of
Moses or as late as the time of Ezra when the Old Testament was canonized and collected
into its final form.
17:1-18:27 Israel Encamps at Rephidim – Exodus 17:1-18:27 records the events that took place
during their encampment at Rephidim.
(a) The Water from the Rock 17:1-7

(b) Israel’s Battle with the Amalekites 17:8-16
(c) Moses Honours Jethro 18:1-27
17:1-7 The Water from the Rock – Exodus 17:1-7 records the story of God providing the children
of Israel water from the rock. During Israel’s encampment at Rephidim, which means
“support,” Moses struck the rock and water poured forth to refresh the children of Israel.
Redemptive Message - The striking of the rock represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
and it symbolized the fact that God used men to crucify Jesus on the Cross, as we see in 1
Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” God, through man, brought about this
act of crucifixion of the Lord. God struck Jesus once for all that we might have living water.
In Numbers 20:8 God told Moses to speak to the rock. When Moses struck the rock the
second time out of anger (Num 20:11), it was a type of crucifying the Son of God a second
time, as we see described in Hebrews 6:6, “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.”
The water represents the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in
tongues that is available for every believer who desires more of God’s presence in his/her
life. It also represents the daily infilling of the Holy Spirit that every child of God can
experience by praying in tongues and worshipping the Lord (Eph 5:18-19). God sends His
children the gift of speaking in tongues to support and strengthen the believer. Now man can
speak to Jesus, call upon his name, so that we may have living water (eternal life).
Illustration - Over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays of 1986, work was slow.
Therefore, I spent extra time praying. One morning the Lord as I awoke, the Lord said to
me, "You will never walk in victory in your life unless you spend two hours a day praying
66
John Gill, An Exposition of the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: William W. Woodward,
1817), 436.
117
in tongues." During this time, I had become concerned and was asking Him why my life
lacked so much victory, peace and joy. So the Saturday after New Year’s day, while praying
in tongues at the church altar, I was led to turn to Ephesians 6:10-18. Immediately the Lord
showed me that I’d never have the total, abiding victory as a Christina unless I spend time
daily, constantly praying in the spirit. I began praying two hours a day; and a heaviness
lifted and peace, and joy came from within, all day long.
17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after
their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was
no water for the people to drink.
17:1 Comments – The name “Sin” (‫)סין‬ ִ means, “clay” (Gesenius), or “bush” (PTW). The name
“Rephidim” (‫ ְ)רפִ ִידים‬means, “props, supports” (Gesenius), “ballusters” (Strong), or “beds”
(PTW). John Durham says it possibly means, “places of spreading out.” 67 P97F
17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And
Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said,
Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle
with thirst?
17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready
to stone me.
17:5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of
Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and
there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders
of Israel.
17:6 “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb” - Comments – The word
“Horeb” (‫ )חֹ ֵרב‬means, “dry, desert” (Gesenius), “desolate” (Strong), or “desert” (PTW).
17:6 Comments - The rod of Moses was not only used to bring ten plagues upon Egypt and part
the Red Sea, but it was used by God through Moses to strike the Rock.
Note that the same rock that was used to write the Ten Commandments was also used to
produce the Living Water, as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was
Christ.”
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children
of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
17:7 Comments – The name “Massah” (‫ )מַ סָּ ה‬means “temptation” (PTW), as seen in
Deuteronomy 6:16, “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in
Massah.” The name “Meribah” (‫)מ ִריבָ ה‬
ְ means, “strife, contention” (Gesenius), or “quarrel”
(Strong, PTW).
67
118
God had brought the ten plagues upon the land of Egypt while protecting the Israelites in the
land of Goshen. He had brought them out with riches and gold. When the faced the Red Sea,
the Lord has parted it and destroyed their enemies with the same waters. He had made the
bitter waters sweet at Marah. In the wilderness of Sin God has given them quail and manna
to eat. Now they ask if God is with them. This is evidence of a hardened heart towards God.
17:8-16 The Battle with the Amalekites – Exodus 17:8-16 records the story of Israel’s first battle,
which took place at their encampment of Rephidim with the Amalekites. The Lord allowed
the children of Israel to be refreshed with a continual source of fresh water from the rock
that Moses struck (17:1-7) prior to their attack.
Redemptive Message - The water of Marah was symbolic of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The water from the rock struck by Moses is
symbolic of the continual filling of the Holy Spirit through a lifestyle of praying in the
Spirit, as we see in Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit.”
The Amalekites could symbolize the flesh or the demonic realm that comes against the
children of God on their spiritual journey. The lifting up of the rod of God in the hands of
Moses could represent a believer’s declaration of the name of Jesus in taking dominion over
the powers of darkness. As Moses held up the rod of God, which symbolizes the authority of
the name of Jesus, the enemy was defeated. God’s children must learn to use the name of
Jesus when Satan attacks the body of Christ. Had Israel remained in Egyptian bondage, the
Amalekites would not have attacked them. Neither would Satan attack God’s children if
they would return back into the world. The Lord once spoke to a friend of mine, saying, “A
king does not fight against a city he has already conquered.”
Illustration – The Lord gave me a three-part dream, which opened my eyes and taught me
how to exercise the authority of the name of Jesus in every area of my life. I had learned
how to pray and make my requests to the Lord known using Jesus' name. Now, I was going
to learn to use His name to take authority over Satan. The first part of the dream was a
vision of a pastor friend of mine sitting in his house peacefully reading his Bible in a chair. I
still remember how peaceful and tranquil the scene appeared. Then, the Lord spoke these
words to me, “There is peace in a home when there is dominion in that home.” Finally, the
Lord brought the words “Luke 11:21” to my mind. I had no idea how that verse read nor if it
applied to the dream. I woke up and read this passage, “When a strong man armed keepeth
his palace, his goods are in peace.” I knew immediately that this dream was from God.
Through the next few months, I began to study the Bible and learn how to use the name of
Jesus to set my household at peace. (4 July 1988)
17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
17:8 Comments – The name, “Amalek” (‫ )ﬠֲמָ לֵק‬means “warlike, dweller in the vale” (PTW). John
Durham says it possibly means, “trouble-maker.” 68 Amalek was the grandson of Esau, as we
P98F P
see in Genesis 36:12, “And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to
Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.” However, the Amalekites are
first mentioned in Genesis as a tribe dwelling in the land of Canaan, as see in Genesis 14:7,
“And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of
the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.” Since Balaam called
Amalek the “first of the nations” (Num 24:20), it is likely that the Amalekites is a reference
to the more ancient tribe. Therefore, scholars are divided as to their exact identity.
68
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Moses later reminds the next generation of Israelites of this unprovoked attack by the
Amalekites recorded in Exodus 17:8-16 and promises the children of Israel that God will
utterly wipe them out in Deuteronomy 25:17-19, “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by
the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the
hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and
he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from
all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an
inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven; thou shalt not forget it.”
17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I
will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
17:9 Comments – The rod of God that Moses used to implement the Ten Plagues and part the
Red Sea represents divine authority and symbolizes the fact that God gives the name of
Jesus to the New Testament Church, which they use to take authority over the enemy. When
Jesus sent forth the Twelve and the seventy to preach the Gospel and to heal the sick and
cast out demons, He gave them His name. When the disciples spoke His name, they
exercised all of the authority in His name, as we see in Luke 10:17, “And the seventy
returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
17:10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down
his hand, Amalek prevailed.
17:11 Comments - The lifting up of Moses' hands signified that he was putting his faith in God
through worship and prayer, and God is with him. This reflects the prayer of a righteous
man, as reflected in James 5:16, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.” In contrast, when we do not pray, we are putting our trust in ourselves and God is
not with us to intervene and bring deliverance. This was signified by Moses lowering his
hands. In a sense, Moses' prayer and praise stilled the enemy, as seen in Psalm 8:2, “Out of
the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that
thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” Joshua follows this style of leadership
during battle by holding up his sword in Israel’s battle with Ai, as see in Joshua 8:26, “For
Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly
destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.”
In the epistle of Barnabas, an early Christian document that Clement of Alexandria ascribes
to the apostle Barnabas, who would have written it in the first century (A.D. 70-100), the
author states that the lifting of Moses’ hands signified that the children of Israel could not be
saved unless they put their trust in Him. The author also states that Moses held his hands out
as a symbol of the Cross of Christ Jesus.
“Yet again He speaks of this in Moses, when Israel was attacked by strangers. And that
He might remind them, when assailed, that it was on account of their sins they were
delivered to death, the Spirit speaks to the heart of Moses, that he should make a figure
of the cross, and of Him about to suffer thereon; for unless they put their trust in Him,
they shall be overcome for ever. Moses therefore placed one weapon above another in
the midst of the hill, and standing upon it, so as to be higher than all the people, he
stretched forth his hands, and thus again Israel acquired the mastery. But when again he
let down his hands, they were again destroyed. For what reason? That they might know
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that they could not be saved unless they put their trust in Him.” (Epistle of Barnabas,
12) 69
17:12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon;
and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and
his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
17:13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the
ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
17:14 Comments – The annihilation of the Amalekites is mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:17,

“Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble
behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be,
when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt
blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.” 1 Samuel
15:1-3, “Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his
people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid
wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and
utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant
and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” This was a time of unrest for Israel. Note 1
Samuel 14:52, “And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and
when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.”
The Amalekites were not entirely destroyed until the days of Hezekiah, as see in 1
Chronicles 4:43, “And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt
there unto this day.”
17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
17:15 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )נִ ִסּי‬means, “a flag, a sail” (Strong). It refers to something
lifted up, such as a banner, a flag, or a sign by which one is warned. This same word used in
Numbers 21:8-9 and is translated “a pole,” upon which the brass serpent was displayed. This
word is used in Psalm 60:4 as the word “banner.”
17:16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from
generation to generation.
17:16 Comments - As long as we journey in this life, we also will have to fight the enemy.
18:1-27 Moses Honours Jethro - Exodus 18:1-27 records the visit of Jethro to Moses at Mount
Sinai (18:5) and their sacrifice and meal together. Jethro becomes the central figure in this
narrative material, perhaps because Moses gives honour to his father-in-law when writing
the book of Exodus. Jethro was greatly received and honoured by Moses.
Redemptive Message - In this story, it is possible that Jethro serves as a type and figure of
God the Father, while Moses is a type and figure of Jesus Christ bringing God’s people
through redemption, as we see reflected in 1 Corinthians 10:2, “And were all baptized unto
69
Epistle of Barnabas, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, eds. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (New
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, c1885, 1913), 144-5.
121
Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In the story of redemption, Jesus rose from the grave,
ascended to Heaven, and offered His blood sacrifice once for all for mankind, as we see in
Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Perhaps the meeting of
Jethro and Moses represents this atoning sacrifice of Jesus that God the Father gave to
mankind when the Jethro brought a sacrifice and offered it unto the Lord (Ex 18:12).
1. Jethro Meets Moses 18:1-12

2. Jethro Advices Moses 18:13-27
18:1-12 Jethro Meets Moses – In Exodus 18:1-12 Moses encamps at Mount Sinai, while the
children of Israel are still at Rephidim. While Moses was encamped at the mountain of God,
he honours Jethro, his father-in-law. Jethro offers the sacrifice and they eat together.
Redemptive Message - Jethro’s visit to Moses could symbolize Jesus Christ as He offers His
blood at the Father’s throne. Perhaps the fact that he went ahead of the encampment
symbolizes that fact that Jesus went before us to God’s throne to offer His atoning sacrifice
in our behalf. There he met his father-in-law, who made a sacrifice unto God. This may
symbolize God the Father receiving Jesus’ sacrifice, which was actually a sacrifice that God
gave to mankind for his salvation.
18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for
Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
18:1 “When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law” - Comments – The individual
named Jethro, or Reuel, or Hobab, is the priest of Midian and the father-in-law to Moses.
Midian was the son of Abraham and Keturah (Gen 25:1-3), and thus, a distant relative of the
Israelites. However, the book of Judges calls Jethro a Kenite (Judg 1:16). The Hebrew name
Jethro (‫ )יתרו‬occurs ten times in the Old Testament Scriptures (Ex 3:1; 4:18; 18: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9,
10, 12). He is also called by the name Reuel (‫( )רעוּאל‬Ex 2:18) and by the name Hobab (‫)חבב‬,
the son of Raguel (‫( )רעוּאל‬Num 10:29, Judg 4:11). Josephus calls him by the name Raguel
and Jethro (Antiquities 3.3; 5.2.3), saying, “Now when Raguel, Moses’s father-in-law,
understood in what a prosperous condition his affairs were, he willingly came to meet him”
(Antiquities 3.3) He also says, “They also gave land for habitation to the posterity of Jethro,
the Midianite, who was the father-in-law to Moses; for they had left their own country, and
followed them, and accompanied them in the wilderness.” (Antiquities 5.2.3)
“heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the
LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt” - Comments – The news of Israel’s exodus from
Egypt and deliverance through the Red Sea quickly spread throughout the region.
18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
18:2 Comments – Scholars are in general agreement that Moses must have sent Zipporah his wife
back at the beginning of their journey to Egypt when they were at the inn in Exodus 4:24-
26, “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill
him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his
feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A
bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.” This took place just prior to his
meeting with Aaron.
18:3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien
in a strange land:
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18:3 Comments – The name “Gershom” (‫ )גּ ְֵרשׁוֹן‬means, “expulsion” (Gesenius), “a refugee”

(Strong), or “exile” (PTW), as we see in Exodus 2:22, “And she bare him a son, and he
called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.”
Exodus 2:22 refers to the birth of Gershom, Moses' first son. It is assumed that Gershom
was circumcised in Exodus 4:24-26, “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the
LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the
foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.”
However, it is possible that the second son named Eliezer was the one circumcised on that
day.
18:4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and
delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
18:4 “And the name of the other was Eliezer” - Comments – The name “Eliezer” means, “God
is help” (PTW). We see Moses two sons listed in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 23:15, “The
sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.” Exodus 18:4 provides the first mention of the
second son of Moses named Eliezer.
18:4 “for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of
Pharaoh” – Comments - The phrase “delivered me from sword of Pharaoh” most likely
refers to the time when Moses first escaped from the hands of Pharaoh after killing an
Egyptian taskmaster (Ex 2:14-15). However, if Eliezer was born or named during Moses’
return to Egypt, the name may declare Moses’ help in God to deliver him from Pharaoh
upon his return to deliver the children of Israel.
18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the
wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
18:5 Comments - In Exodus 18:1-12 Moses encamps at Mount Sinai, while the children of Israel
are still at Rephidim. Perhaps Moses went ahead to scout out the location where God was
leading the children of Israel. We find a reference to Mount Horeb in the preceding passage
(Ex 17:6), which suggests that Moses did go ahead of the people (Ex 17:5) to Mount Horeb,
which is called the “mountain of God” in Exodus 3:1.
18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two
sons with her.
18:6 Comments – Jethro has sent a messenger to Moses telling him of his plans to visit. They
must have agreed to meet at Mount Sinai, a familiar location for both of them.
18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked
each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
18:8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians
for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD
delivered them.
18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had
delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
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18:10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the
Egyptians.
18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly
he was above them.
18:11 Comments – The reference to the Lord being greater than the gods of Egypt suggests that
the Ten Plagues were intentionally orchestrated to display His name as the Almighty God.
This is confirmed in Exodus 12:12, “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and
will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods
of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.”
18:12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron
came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
18:12 “to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God” - Comments - This meal was
symbolic of the Lord's Supper in the New Testament.
18:13-27 Jethro Advices Moses – Exodus 18:13-27 records the incident in which Jethro advises
Moses on how to delegate judges to assist him in judging the matters of the people. After
Moses honours Jethro, his father-in-law gives Moses wisdom regarding organizing
leadership among the children of Israel so that all of them can receive wisdom and ministry.
Redemptive Message - This event symbolizes High Priesthood of Jesus Christ, seen in
Jethro’s comment to Moses, “You be for the people an advocate before God, and you bring
the problems to God.”70 (Ex 18:19). The ordaining by Moses of leaders over the people
represents church order and service. Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand to judge His
church, while sending forth the Holy Spirit to anoint the five-fold ministry and give the gifts
of the Spirit to the body of Christ (Eph 4:8-13). If a child of God will submit himself to the
leadership of a local fellowship, he will be able to experience the gifts and anointings of the
Holy Spirit and join in the ministry of helps.
Paul writes to the church at Ephesus and tells them “When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” (Eph 4:8) Paul then lists the five-fold ministry
gifts that God gave the Church. Exodus 18:13-27 is a type and figure of God equipping the
Church through the offices and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by
Moses from the morning unto the evening.
18:14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that
thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning
unto even?
18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
18:16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do
make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
18:17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
70
Translation by John I. Durham, Exodus, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 3, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David
A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 1987), 247, Logos.
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18:18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too
heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for
the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
18:19 Comments – Jethro tells Moses to stand before God and bring the difficult issues that Moses
could not resolve before Him. Jethro could say this because he was a priest himself
ministering in behalf of his people, as we see in Exodus 2:16, “Now the priest of Midian had
seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's
flock.” Moses would teach the people the laws and statutes so that the leaders could have
guidelines to follow in helping judge matters. Those matters that could not be resolved at
lower levels of leadership could be brought to Moses, who could bring them before the Lord
for an answer. We see a clear example of this happening in Numbers 15:32-36 when the
people brought a man to Moses who had been picking up sticks on the Sabbath. The Lord
spoke to Moses to have the man put to death.
18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they
must walk, and the work that they must do.
18:20 Comments – The tribe of Levi will be called out to teach the Israelites the Mosaic law and
its statutes. When these laws are understood by the people, there would be less offences and
clear guidelines in resolving conflicts.
18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth,
hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
18:21 “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of
truth, hating covetousness” - Comments – Jethro told Moses to choose out men with
leadership qualities. In the midst of the murmuring and complaining, there were men in the
camp who feared God and were willing to walk in His statutes. Paul wrote a similar charge
to Timothy to choose out men with similar qualifications for the office of a bishop (1 Tim
3:1-13).
18:22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall
bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall
bear the burden with thee.
18:21-22 Comments – Jehoshaphat organized the nation of Judah using a similar order of judging the
people (2 Chron 19:5-11).
18:23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all
this people shall also go to their place in peace.
18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
18:25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of
thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
18:25 Comments - Note that Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David, organize the armies of Israel
by these same divisions. Jesus himself, while feeding the five thousand, organized the meal
by dividing people into groups of hundreds and fifties, as we see in Mark 6:40, “And they
sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.”
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18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every
small matter they judged themselves.
18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
19:1-40:38 Israel’s Indoctrination through the Mosaic Law - The emphasis of Exodus 19:1-40:38 is
Israel’s indoctrination. They are given the Mosaic Law in Exodus 19:1-24:8, and instructed
to build the Tabernacle in Exodus 24:9-40:38. Israel’s indoctrination was fulfilled in the
delivery of the Ten Commandments by Moses, and in the writing of the many statutes that
serve as practical rules in obeying the Ten Commandments. The giving of the Ten
Commandments (20:1-26) is sometimes called the Moral Law; the giving of the statutes that
accompany the Commandments (21:1-23:33) is sometimes called the Civil Law; and the
instructions on building the Tabernacle (24:9-31:18) is sometimes called the Ceremonial
Law. These events serve as an allegory of the Church’s indoctrination by learning the Word
of God. The Law represents the renewing of our minds so that we can serve the Lord. The
building of the tabernacle (24:9-40:38) is Israel’s response to obeying the commandments
and statutes given to them by Moses.
Redemptive Message – The next phase of a believer’s life after regeneration is called
indoctrination. Regarding the Ten Commandments and their accompanying statutes (Exo
19:1-24:8), Jesus explains that the heart of the Law is for man to love God with all his heart,
mind, soul, and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself (Matt 5:21-48; 15:1-9; 19:18-
26; 22:37, Mk 7:5-13; 10:17-23; 12:30, Lk 10:27; 18:18-23). The apostle Paul and James
continues this theme by saying love is the fulfilment of the Law (Rom 13:8, 10, Gal 5:14,
Jam 2:8-13). We know as New Testament believers that we can only fulfil the Law as we
walk as new creatures in Christ, which Law the apostle Paul describes as holy and just and
good (Rom 7:7-12). While the first law was written on tablets of stone, the new law of God
has been written upon the hearts of men through the new birth in Christ Jesus (Heb 8:6-13).
The giving of the Law and statutes (Ex 20:1-24:8) represents this phase in the Christian life.
It is important to note that God guided them to Mount Sinai and throughout their entire
forty-year wilderness journey with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, as we see in
Exodus 13:21, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them
the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” This
divine guidance symbolized the fact that every child of God must learn to be led by the Holy
Spirit throughout his spiritual journey.
a) The Lord’s Descent upon Mount Sinai 19:1-25

b) Institution of the Decalogue (Moral Laws) 20:1-21
c) The Primary Statutes (Civil Laws) 20:22-24:8
d) Instructions to Build Tabernacle (Ceremonial Law) 24:9-31:18
e) Israel’s Idolatry: The Golden Calf 32:1- 35
f) God Limits His Presence to Tabernacle of Meeting 33:1-23
g) Israel Renews Its Covenant 34:1-35
h) The Building of the Tabernacle 35:1-39:43
i) The Consecration of the Tabernacle 40:1-38
19:1-25 The Lord’s Descent upon Mount Sinai – Exodus 19:1-25 records the events of the Lord’s
descent upon Mount Sinai, as the people feared and asked Moses to become their mediator
between God and man.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews compares the boundaries and
restraints of Israel’s encampment before Mount Sinai (Exo 19:12-13) to the church’s
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position before the throne of God and all of the heavenly host (Heb 12:20-24). He describes
Mount Sinai the “city of the living God” (Heb 12:22). The apostle Peter mentions God’s
description of the divine attributes of His people Israel as a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation (Exo 19:6) and applies them to the church as well, calling us “a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet 2:9). Regarding
the role of Moses standing before the Lord, the author of Hebrews describes Jesus as the
“Mediator of the new covenant” just as Moses was the mediator of the old covenant (Heb
12:24). He compares God speaking to Israel from the mount to the Lord speaking to His
church (Heb 12:25). He compares the voice that shook Mount Sinai to the Tribulation
Period that is coming upon the earth (Heb 12:26-27). He compares the faithfulness of Christ
over His church to Moses’ faithfulness over his house, or God’ people Israel (Heb 3:1-6).
19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the
same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
19:1 Comments – As the author of the Pentateuch, Moses took particular note of the exact day in
which the children of Israel arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai, where they encamped (Ex
19:2). The children of Israel encamped at Mount Sinai almost one full year. They arrived in
the third month of the first year, as we see in Exodus 19:1, “In the third month, when the
children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the
wilderness of Sinai.” They left Mount Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month of the
second year, as we see in Numbers 10:11, “And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the
second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the
testimony.”
19:2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in
the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
19:1-2 Comments – The Location of Mount Sinai - Since the third or fourth century A.D., the
traditional location of Mount Sinai has been Jebel Musa, located in the southern part of the
Sinai Peninsula (ISBE). 71 Paul the apostle took a pilgrimage to Arabia in his early years as a
Christian, perhaps to the sacred site of Mount Sinai, as suggested in Galatians 1:17, “Neither
went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and
returned again unto Damascus.”
Josephus quotes Apion as saying that this mountain was located between Egypt and Arabia.
“However, our admirable author Apion hath before told us that ‘they came to Judea in
six days’ time;” and again, that “Moses went up to a mountain that lay between Egypt
and Arabia, which was called Sinai, and was concealed there forty days, and that when
he came down from thence he gave laws to the Jews.’” (Josephus, Against Apion 2.2.25)
Philo of Alexandria says that Moses fled to Arabia while the Scriptures say that Moses fled
to Midian. Thus, Midian could be located in Arabia.
“As they urged these arguments to the king he retreated to the contiguous country of
Arabia, where it was safe to abide, entreating God that he would deliver his countrymen
from inextricable calamities, and would worthily chastise their oppressors who omitted
no circumstance of insolence and tyranny, and would double his joy by allowing him to
behold the accomplishment of both these prayers. And God heard his prayers, looking
favourably on his disposition, so devoted to what is good, and so hostile to what is evil,
71
C. R. Conder, “Sinai,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Chicago: The
Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2804.
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and not long after he pronounced his decision upon the affairs of that land as became a
God.” (Philo Judaes, A Treatise On the Life of Moses, 1.9) 72
Moses was tending the flock of Jethro when he encountered God at Mount Sinai, as we see
in Exodus 3:1, “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian:
and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to
Horeb.” This means that this mountain was located near Midian in Arabia.
If Mount Sinai and Midian were located in Saudi Arabia, rather than the Sinai Peninsula, as
recent archeological evidence now indicates, then the crossing of the Red Sea could have
taken place in the Gulf of Aqaba, on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula and not at one of
five traditional sites located on the west or north side of the Sinai and the Gulf of Suez.
Since the Sinai Peninsula was under the domain of Egypt during the time of the Exodus, this
location in Arabia would have placed Moses and the children of Israel just outside Egyptian
ancient territory and thus, outside of their diplomatic reach.
Visits into the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia by Chuck Missler and Bob Cornuke have
revealed a site considered by local Arabs to be the place where Moses camped with the
children of Israel. Jabel Alaz, located about fifteen miles below Elbad, matches the ancient
Jewish historical records. This site has a flat plain of ten thousand acres located at the base
of a tall mountain, whose top is black as if burned with fire. This level plain would be big
enough to allow the children of Israel to camp. In addition, the description of this mountain
fits that described by Josephus:
“When he had said this, he ascended up to Mount Sinai, which is the highest of all the
mountains that are in that country and is not only very difficult to be ascended by men,
on account of its vast altitude, but because of the sharpness of its precipices also; nay,
indeed, it cannot be looked at without pain of the eyes: and besides this, it was terrible
and inaccessible, on account of the rumor that passed about, that God dwelt there.”
(Josephus, Antiquities 3.5.1.)
A large stone altar has been found at this location with carvings of cattle matching those
carved on ancient Egyptian walls. The shape of this altar fits the description found in
Exodus 20:24, “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy
burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I
record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.” It was made of uncut stone,
and it had no steps leading up to the top.
In addition, on the top of one hill in this location sits a large stone that has been split from
top to bottom, with signs of water erosion at its base. Perhaps this is the very stone that
Moses struck and water came out. 73
19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus
shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought
you unto myself.
19:4 Comments – The Lord told Moses that He born the children of Israel “on eagles’ wings
when bringing them out of Egypt. We find a similar analogy of eagle’s wings in Isaiah
72
C. D. Yonge, The Works of Philo Judaes vol. 3 (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855), 12.
73
Chuck Missler, The Real Mt. Sinai? (March 1998) [on-line]; accessed 5 March 2009; available from
http://www.khouse.org/articles/1998/153/; Internet.
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40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
The Lord said, “and I brought you unto myself.” Before the Lord brought the children of
Israel into the Promised Land to enjoy His blessings, He brought them to Mount Sinai to
reveal Himself to them. He wanted them to know Him as their God. The pagans that
occupied the promised land served many idols, which were an abomination unto the Lord.
He wanted His children to know Him and serve Him. So, He brought them to His place of
dwelling on earth so that Israel would worship Him as their Redeemer rather than the pagan
gods that they were to destroy in the Promise Land. This statement echoes God’s time of
communion with Adam in the Garden of Eden, as they walked together in the cool of the
day. We were created to have fellowship with God our Father. However, sin has hindered
this holy communion since the fall of Adam and Eve. In the book of Exodus, the Lord
brings His people to His holy mountain in order to establish a means by which He could
have fellowship with them through covenant. This covenant and system of worship through
the Tabernacle allowed Him to have fellowship with a people set apart for Himself, a
kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Exo 19:5-6).
19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which
thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
19:5-6 Comments – The nation of Israel was a nation of priests. Every firstborn belonged to the
Lord and had to be redeemed. The Lord said, “And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from
among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the
children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;” (Num 3:12) Thus, Israel can be
described as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation in that every family represented the
priesthood.
This principle of a kingdom of priests and a holy nation is reflected under the new covenant
when the apostle Peter writes, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. . . . But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light.” (1 Pet 2:5, 9) The apostle John writes, “And hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
(Rev 1:6)
19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these
words which the LORD commanded him.
19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And
Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
19:8 Comments – Through this vow recorded in Exodus 19:8, the children of Israel promised to
do all of God’s Word. King Solomon warns of the seriousness of making a vow to God,
saying, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in
fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that
thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say
thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and
destroy the work of thine hands?” (Eccl 5:4)
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19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear
when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the
LORD.
19:9 “I come unto thee in a thick cloud” – Comments - God covered His radiance because no
man can approach the light in which God dwells, as Paul writes, “Who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath
seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1 Tim 6:16). The
children of Israel could not behold God. Even Moses was allowed to see only the back of
God.
The psalmist also mentions the thick clouds that surround God’s throne, saying, “Clouds
and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his
throne.” (Ps 97:2)
19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow,
and let them wash their clothes,
19:10 “let them wash their clothes” – Comments – The children of Israel has been travelling for
three months in the wilderness. They may not have kept themselves clean, since water was
scarce. Thus, the Lord wanted them to wash before approaching His dwelling place on
Mount Sinai.
The washing of the people’s clothing may be figurative of the church's call to cleans itself
from the world, as Paul writes, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God.” (2 Cor 7:1). They are called to be a people set apart for the Lord.
19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of
all the people upon mount Sinai.
19:11 “be ready against the third day” - Comments - One day is figurative of a thousand year in
God's sight, according to2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that
one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” From this
view, we can assume that the church has been given two days, or two thousand years, to
consecrate itself and to get ready for His coming. The third day would then represent the
Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus, when He comes to dwell and rule among men, as
described in Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
19:9-11 Comments – The Lord Speaks to Moses in a Thick Cloud - The Scriptures tell us that all of
the service that Moses performed was as a prophetic witness of those things which were
coming, as the author of the epistle of Hebrews writes, “And Moses verily was faithful in all
his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;” (Heb
3:5). Therefore, this event may be a type and figure of the coming of the Lord to dwell with
His people and speak to them.
19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye
go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put
to death:
19:12 Comments - Also, whoever touched the ark of covenant was killed.
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19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be
beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
19:12-13 Comments – The author of the epistle of Hebrews refers to Exodus 19:12-13 in Hebrews
12:20, “(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast
touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:”
19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they
washed their clothes.
19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
19:15 Comments - Why could the people not come at their wives? Perhaps the answer is because
it made them physically unclean, as suggested in Leviticus 22:4, “What man soever of the
seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he
be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed
goeth from him.”
In a similar prohibition, Ahimelech the priest asked David if the men had kept themselves
from women in 1 Samuel 21:4-5, “And the priest answered David, and said, There is no
common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept
themselves at least from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a
truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the
vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it
were sanctified this day in the vessel.”
Under the new covenant of Jesus Christ, we are not to withhold such intimacy from our
wives, unless it be by mutual consent, as we read in 1 Corinthians 7:5, “Defraud ye not one
the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and
prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”
19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings,
and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people
that was in the camp trembled.
19:16 Comments – This event took place on the third day of encampment at the foot of Mount
Sinai, which was in the third month from the exodus out of Egypt (Ex 19:1-2).
19:17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the
nether part of the mount.
19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and
the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19:18 Comments - The mount did not shake until God descended upon it. This shaking
represented God’s presence. This natural display at God’s presence is seen in a number of
places in the Holy Scriptures: Isaiah 6:4, “And the posts of the door moved at the voice of
him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.” Nahum 1:5, “The mountains quake at
him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that
dwell therein.” Acts 4:31, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the
word of God with boldness.” Hebrews 12:26, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now
he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”
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In contrast, Elijah’s visit to Mount Sinai was met with the still, small voice of God in Kings
19:11, “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold,
the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces
the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an
earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake.”
19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake,
and God answered him by a voice.
19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called
Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
19:19-20 Comments – The Sounding of the Trumpet as a Type and Figure of the Rapture of the
Church - Some Bible scholars suggest that the sounding of the trumpet in Exodus 19:19-20
is a type and figure of the rapture of the Church. As the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai
with the sound of the trumpet, so will Christ descend from heaven with the trump of God at
the time of the rapture, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever
be with the Lord.”
19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the
LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
19:21 Comments - Moses was like a watchman on the tower to oversee and warn God’s people, as
we see in Ezekiel 3:17, ”Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel:
therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”
19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD
break forth upon them.
19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst
us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
19:24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron
with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he
break forth upon them.
19:25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
20:1-17 Institution of the Decalogue (Moral Laws) – Exodus 1:1-17 records the Ten
Commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai. The heart of these laws serve as the
foundation of the man’s faith in God in both the old and new covenants. They establish the
divine principles by which man should live throughout the ages from Genesis to
Revelations.
The major theme of the Pentateuch is the delivering of the Mosaic Law to the children of
Israel. On Mount Sinai, Moses gave the people the Ten Commandments, which can be
referred to as the “Moral Law.” He then delivered to them many statutes and ordinances
regarding daily living and service in the Tabernacle. This set of rules and regulations can be
referred to as the “Civil Laws.” The Ten Commandments became the foundation for the
Jewish civil laws. Thus, the Ten Commandments dealt with a man’s heart, while the civil
laws dealt with a man’s actions. When a man held the moral laws within his heart, he would
then be willing to follow the civil laws. Moses repeats the giving of the Ten Commandments
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in Deuteronomy 5:1-22 to the new generation of people who will go in to possess the
Promised Land.
When questioned by the Jews about the greatest commandment, Jesus summed up the Ten
Commandments into two great commandments, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the
first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Matt 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-
34, Lk 10:25-28) Thus, we can understand that the first four commandments deal with our
relationship to God. Jesus summed these four up with the statement that we are to love the
Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
1st Commandment (Ex 20:3) - No other Gods before Me. Love God with all your heart.
2nd Commandment (Ex 20:4-6) - No worship of graven images. Love God with all your
soul.
3rd Commandment (Ex 20:7) - Do not take God's name in vain. Love God with all your
mind.
4th Commandment (Ex 20:8-11) - Keep the Sabbath. Love God with all your strength.
This order of heart, soul, mind, and strength helps us to understand our make-up. When we
set our heart on something or someone (1st commandment), we begin to think about it (2nd
commandment), our thoughts lead us to speak about it (3rd commandment), and our words
direct our actions (4th commandment). The last six commandments deal with man’s
relationship with his fellow man:

Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore all things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law
and the prophets.” He made a similar statement in Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men
should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Paul summed up the last six commandments
with the same statement that Jesus had taught, which says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself,” as we see in Romans 13:9-10, “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet;
and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law.” James describes the Ten Commandments as the “royal law”
James 2:8-11, as we see in James 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.”
20:1-2 Comments - Introduction to the Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-2 records God’s
introductory remarks to the Ten Commandments.
20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
20:1 Comments - Did God speak to Moses and Aaron only, as we see in Exodus 19:24, “And the
LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with
thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he
break forth upon them.” Or, did God speak to all of the people? in Exodus 20:19-20, we see
the people asking Moses to serve as a mediator between God and the Israelites, saying,
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“And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak
with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove
you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”
20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage.
20:2 Comments - The Israelites had lived in Egypt, which was a land of many gods. The Lord
identifies Himself here as their true Deliverer among the many gods of Egypt.
20:3-11 Comments - The First Four Commandments – Jesus revealed that the first four
commandments deal with our relationship to God saying, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:30-32)
These first four commandments teach us to serve the Lord with our heart, soul, mind, and
strength. The first commandment (Ex 20:3) teaches us to have no other gods before Him.
This reflects how we are to love God with all our hearts. The second commandment (Ex
20:4-6) teaches us to not to worship graven images or idols. This reflects how we are to love
God with all our souls. The third commandment (Ex 20:7) teaches us to not take God's name
in vain. This reflects how we are to love God with all our minds. The fourth commandment
(Ex 20:8-11) teaches us to keep the Sabbath day. This reflects how we are to love God with
all our strength.
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:3 Comments - The First Commandment – Exodus 20:3 records the first commandment,
which tells us to have no other gods before the Lord God. This commandment teaches us to
serve the Lord with all of our heart, for we serve a jealous God, as we see in Exodus 20:5,
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 34:14, “For thou shalt worship no other god: for
the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” Deuteronomy 4:24, “For the LORD
thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 5:9, “Thou shalt not bow
down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate me,” Deuteronomy 6:15, “(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the
anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of
the earth.” Joshua 24:19, “And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for
he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your
sins.”
The New Testament perspective of loving God with all one’s heart is reflected in Matthew
4:10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Jesus discusses the original purpose and
intent of the Mosaic Law in Matthew 19:16-22, Matthew 22:34-50, Mark 12:28-34, and
Luke 10:25-37. The apostle Paul summarizes the Law in Romans 13:10, “Love worketh no
ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
In contrast, Paul describes those who god is their sensual pleasures in Philippians 3:19,
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things.)” 2 Timothy 3:4, “Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of God;”
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Your God is who you serve and try to please the most, or above all else, as illustrated in the
life of Paul in Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please
men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Your God is who you
believe in and serve, as we see when the Israelites rejected the Lord as their God and
demanded a king in I Samuel 8:1-9, 10:17 f .
20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me;
20:5 “I the LORD thy God am a jealous God” - Comments - The title “a jealous God” was
used frequently by Moses and Joshua: Exodus 34:14, “For thou shalt worship no other god:
for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” Deuteronomy 4:24, “For the
LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 5:9, “Thou shalt not
bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me,” Deuteronomy 6:15, “(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among
you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off
the face of the earth.” Joshua 24:19, “And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the
LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions
nor your sins.”
20:5 “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children” - Comments – The Hebrew word
(‫ )פָּקַ ד‬is a primitive root that literally means, “to visit (with friendly or hostile intent)”
(Strong). This word carries a wide use of meanings in the Old Testament, such as “to attend
to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for” (Strong).
20:5 “unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” – Comments - Why three
or four generations? Because it is possible for the third and fourth generations to live during
the time of the aged head of the family, and to be influenced towards either bad or good. In
many societies, the aged head is considered the one who has the wisdom the lead the family
and make all major decisions for his offspring.
It appears that God's judgment ends or culminates in the third and fourth generations of the
descendants of the one judges. We find this stated a number of times in Scriptures: Exodus
20:5, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 34:7, “Keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto
the third and to the fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of
great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
Deuteronomy 5:9, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the
LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,” Deuteronomy 23:7-8, “Thou shalt not
abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast
a stranger in his land. The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the
congregation of the LORD in their third generation.”
We have examples in the Scriptures of God's judgment taking place or culminating in the
fourth generation. Remember that God gave several kings of Israel four generations to rule
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and He gave them time to correct themselves before he would destroy their lineage of
kingship. For example, God judged the fourth generation of Jehu by cutting off his seed
from being king; 2 Kings 10:30, “And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done
well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab
according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the
throne of Israel.” 2 Kings 15:12, “This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto
Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it
came to pass.”
20:5 Comments – There are numerous passages illustrating Exodus 20:5. In Leviticus 20:4-5,
God promises to judge a man and his family for practicing human sacrifices. The Amalekite
were killed for fighting with Israel (1 Sam 15:1-3). Seven of Saul’s sons were killed because
Saul killed the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21:1-9). God judged the children of Israel because of their
years of idolatry (2 Kgs 23:24-26).
The blessings of the righteous will forever be handed down to his descendants as it brings
never-ending blessings from one generation to the next. But the punishment that God hands
down to the wicked will cut off their seed after the fourth generation and thus, purge the
world of this wickedness. For example, Jesus Christ gave His blessings to twelve apostles.
The blessings from the Gospel of Jesus has been handed down for thousands of years, and
even into eternity. In contrast, the Lord cut off Ahab and other wicked leaders in Israel in
their fourth generation.
We may ask the question of how God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon their children.
One interesting newspaper article suggests that some diseases can be passed down to at least
four generations of offspring.
“Toxic chemicals that poisoned your grandparents, or even great-grandparents, may also
affect your health, US researchers suggested on Thursday. A study in rats shows the
effects of certain toxic chemicals were passed on for four generations of males. The
finding, published in the journal Science, suggests that toxins may play a role in
inherited diseases now blamed on genetic mutations. ‘It’s a new way to think about
disease,’ said Michael Skinner, director of the Centre for Reproductive Biology at
Washington State University. ‘We believe this phenomenon will be widespread and be a
major factor in understanding how disease develops.’ For their study, Skinner and
colleagues injected pregnant rats with vinclozolin, a fungicide commonly used in
vineyards, and methoxychlor, a pesticide that replaced DDT. Both are endocrine
disrupters – synthetic chemicals that interfere with the normal function of reproductive
hormones, notably testosterone and oestrogen.
“Characteristics – Animal studies have shown they can affect fertility and the
development of genitals, for example. Scientists knew that treating pregnant rats with
high doses of vinclozolin every day produces sterile male pups. Skinner’s team injected
vinclozolin into pregnant rats during a specific time during gestation when the
developing embryos take on sexual characteristics. ‘It is when either an ovary or testes
develop,’ Skinner said in a telephone interview. The time was comparable to mid-
gestation in humans. Male rat pups born to these mothers had a 20 percent lower than
normal sperm count, their sperm were less motile, meaning they did not swim as well,
and they were less fertile. There were similar results with methoxychlor. When these
male offspring were mated with females that had not been exposed to the toxins, 90
percent of the new male offspring had similar problems. The effect held for a fourth
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generation. That has never been seen before, although radiation and chemotherapy are
known to affect fertility and the children of people affected.” 74
20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
20:4-6 Comments - The Second Commandment – Exodus 20:4-6 records the second
commandment, which tells us not to make graven idols nor bow down to worship them. The
ancient world was full of idolatry. Practically every culture had their own set of idols and
temples dedicated to their idols. This commandment teaches us to serve the Lord with all of
our soul and places emphasis upon our thoughts and attitudes. In contrast, the third
commandment emphasizes the words that we speak. Thus, our soulish realm has a two-fold
aspect of thoughts and confession, or our soul and our mind.
The Lord told Joshua and the children of Israel not to make any carvings of images. In the
crossing of the Jordan River, they took twelve uncarved stones to make a memorial (Josh
4:1-3, 19-24). In contrast, the brasen serpent so easily became an idol to the children of
Israel and Hezekiah had it destroyed (Num 21:8-9, 2 Kings 18:1-5). Also, Gideon made a
golden ephod, which became a snare unto the children of Israel (Judg 8:24-27).
We are to worship God in spirit and truth, as Jesus says in John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” The apostle Paul talks about
the evils of idolatry. He describes the practices of pagan idolatry (Rom 1:23-25), and he
warns believers that covetousness is a form of idolatry (Eph 5:5, Col 3:5). Also, being
superstitious of objects and “good luck charms” would be a form of idolatry and of breaking
this second commandment. The apostle John says, “Little children, keep yourselves from
idols. Amen.” (1 Jn 5:21)
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
20:7 Comments - The Third Commandment (Do Not Take God’s Name in Vain) – Exodus 20:7
records the third commandment, which tells us not to take God’s name in vain. This
commandment teaches us to serve the Lord with all of our minds. It places emphasis upon
our words rather than our thoughts as seen in the second commandment. Thus, our soulish
realm has a two-fold aspect of thoughts and confession.
The Old Testament prophets delivered oracles from the Lord and swore by His name.
However, when a person swears by the Lord that he will go and do this or that in his life, he
is in sin because he does not have power over the future to ensure something will happen.
Only God in Heaven can know and determine the future. He wants our lives and destiny to
be in His hands. He wants His children to look to Him daily for guidance and direction,
rather than a person deciding his own destiny by swearing that something will happen. We
have a clear example of this commandment in James 4:13-15, in which James condemns
those who say they will go into a city, work for a year and gain prosperity. The truth is that
they do not know what the future holds for them. He refers to such boastful acts in James
5:12 by saying, “Swear not.”
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:8 Comments – The Hebrew word “Sabbath” (‫ )שַׁ בָּ ת‬comes from the primitive root (‫)שָׁ בַ ת‬,
which means, “to repose, i.e. desist from exertion.”
74
Tests Show Poisoning May Last Four Generations: Result of toxin exposure could pass through male
descendants, (Washington: Reuters), in Gulf News (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Saturday, June 4, 2005.
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Hughes Old says the fourth commandment found in Exodus 20:8 involves the concept of
“holding the memorial appropriate to the Sabbath day.” He believes this memorial event
involves remembering the Creation Story, Salvation history, the words of the prophets, etc.,
so that this is a time for the Jews to recite their redemptive history and pass it on to the next
generation. 75
The true purpose and meaning of the Sabbath day rest is mentioned in Isaiah 58:13, “If thou
turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the
sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine
own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.”
20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou,
nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates:
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
20:8-11 Comments - The Fourth Commandment (Honour the Sabbath Day) – Exodus 20:8-11
records the fourth commandment, which is to honour the Sabbath Day. This commandment
tells us to serve the Lord with all of our strength. This would include our material wealth as
well. Under the Mosaic Law, the breaking of the Sabbath was a sin into death, as we see in
Exodus 31:15, “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to
the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.”
During Israel’s wilderness journeys, a man was picking up sticks on the Sabbath. The Lord
spoke to Moses and Aaron to stone this man for defiling the Sabbath (Num 15:32-36).
According to Leviticus 25:1-7, 18–22, the land was also to observe a Sabbath rest. The
Garden of Eden was in a position of rest as man was to eat of the trees’ fruit, and herbs,
what grew of itself as he tended it. Now, the ground must be cultivated by the sweat of
man’s brow, so the land needs rest from this toil.
Psalm 92 is a song for the Sabbath day to give God thanks on that day. Isaiah 58:13-14 is a
prophecy for us explaining the original purpose and intent of the Sabbath day, saying, “If
thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call
the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing
thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt
thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it.”
Jesus explains various aspects of the Sabbath because of its misused by the Jews. As he
went about doing good on the Sabbath, Jesus was confronted by the Jewish leaders. When
Jesus healed on the Sabbath day, the Jewish leaders were angered (Lk 13:14). Therefore, He
says in Matthew 12:5, “Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the
priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?” Mark 2:27, “And he said unto
them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” When Jesus healed on
the Sabbath, he explained that the Sabbath allows for the priests to conduct various aspects
of service (Jn 7:20-24). Therefore, healing and the Sabbath Day go together. In Job 1:5 Job
75
Hughes Oliphant Old, “The Reading and Preaching of Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church,”
Expository Homiletical Conference, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, Massachusetts, 14 October
2011.
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prayed for his children at the end of each cycle of feasting, praying for God’s healing and
sanctification. This was a type of Sabbath rest.
The world wants to prosper by their worldly ways, not by God’s way of faith. When a man
works six days, it represents his way of doing things in order to prosper. The Sabbath day
was symbolic of how man was to enter into God’s life of faith and rest and trust Him, as the
author of Hebrews alludes to in Hebrews 4:9, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people
of God.” According to Hebrews 4:9, we enter God’s Sabbath rest by ceasing from walking
in flesh and living by faith. According to Malachi 3, tithing is a way of healing finances.
In the New Testament we attend Church services on Sunday as we follow the custom of the
New Testament believers, which we see in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week,
when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart
on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” 1 Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the
first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,
that there be no gatherings when I come.” In addition, Paul taught the believers that there
was no need to observe particular days under the New Covenant (Rom 14:5-6, Gal 4:9-11,
Col 2:16-17).
20:8-11 Comments - The Fourth Commandment (The Sabbath and the New Covenant) - Under
the new covenant of the New Testament Church, we also are to bear no burden on the
Sabbath because we have entered in a Sabbath rest (Matt 11:28-30, Heb 4:9-10). This means
that we are to cease from our own works in the flesh and to be led by the Spirit of God, as
we see in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Hebrews 4:9-10, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is
entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”
20:12-17 Comments - The Last Six Commandments – Jesus teaches that the last six commandments
deal with our relationship with our fellow man in Mark 12:30-32, “And thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
These six commandments teach us how to serve the Lord in our relationships with our
family and society.

There are numerous New Testament references to these last six commandments: Matthew
5:1-7:29 in the Sermon on the Mount; Matthew 19:18-19, “He saith unto him, Which? Jesus
said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.” Mark 10:19, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit
adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father
and mother.” Luke 18:20, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do
not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.” Romans
13:9-10, “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other
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commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of
the law.”
20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
20:12 Comments - The Fifth Commandment – The fifth commandment teaches us to honour our
parents. The Hebrew word (‫ )כָּבֵ ד‬literally means, “to be heavy, be insensible, be dull,” but
used figuratively it means, “to honour, glorify” (Strong).
The Old Testament Perspective - Honouring our parents brings the promise of a long life, a
life where things go well, that is, a life of blessings and not curses, as we see in
Deuteronomy 5:16, “Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath
commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
The Law warned the Israelites against striking one’s parents or cursing them or face the
death penalty: Exodus 21:15, “And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely
put to death.” Exodus 21:17, “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be
put to death.” Leviticus 20:9, “For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be
surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.”
Deuteronomy 27:16, “Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the
people shall say, Amen.” The Law judged those children who were stubborn and rebellious
towards their parents with the death penalty of stoning (Deut 21:18-21).
The Law commanded children to fear their parents in Leviticus 19:3, “Ye shall fear every
man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.” In
addition, the Law commanded children to respect elders in Leviticus 19:32, “Thou shalt rise
up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the
LORD.” In addition, there are numerous verses in the book of Proverbs concerning
honouring one’s parents (1:8-9; 15:5; 20:20; 23:22-25; 28:24; 30:11, 17).
As an example of a son honouring his mother, King Solomon bows to his mother Bathsheba
in 1 Kings 2:19, “Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for
Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on
his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.”
The New Testament Perspective – Jesus mentioned the fifth commandment of honouring
one’s parents on several occasions. He rebuked the Pharisees for breaking this law (Matt
15:1-9, Mk 7:9-16). Jesus include this as one of the commandments associated with eternal
life (Lk 18:20).
In his instruction of the family, Paul asked the children to obey their parents (Col 3:20). The
apostle Paul points out that this is the first commandment given by God to the Israelites that
came with a promise of a long life (Eph 6:1-3). He commands Timothy to teach the church
to honor their parents (1 Ti 5:4). Paul lists disobedience to parents as one of the sins of
human depravity (Rom 1:30), something characteristic of the last days (2 Tim 3:1-2).
20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
20:13 Comments - The Sixth Commandment – Exodus 20:13 records the sixth commandment,
which tells us not to kill one another. This commandment is demonstrating the value of
human life in the eyes of God. The Hebrew word (‫)רצַ ח‬ָ is a primitive root that means, “to
dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder” (Strong). Murder is the
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intentional, pre-meditated act of taking another human life. This commandment is not
talking about accidental killings, wartime killings, or capital punishment. These other types
of killings are clearly dealt with in the Mosaic Law. One of the clearest definitions of
murder is found in Numbers 35:16-21 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13 in which the Law judges
a person based upon the motive of his heart. That is, whether or not the killing of a person
was intentional or unintentional.
The Old Testament Perspective - We know that God has ordained governments to punish
evildoers in society. The sword represents civil judgment upon evildoers in Romans 13:4,
“For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid;
for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil.” One form of judgment is capital punishment for the
evildoer through a judicial system, as seen under the Mosaic Law. For example, this legal
system made provision for acts of murder in Numbers 35:9-34 by appointing cities of
refugee in which a person could flee and find protection in case he caused someone’s death.
In these cities, a judicial system was set up to judge the motive behind a killing. This system
protected a person from non-judicial judgment.
The New Testament Perspective - Jesus describes the attitude of the heart of a murderer, an
attitude that leads from anger to premeditated murder in Matthew 5:21-22, “Ye have heard
that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire.” This definition excludes unintentional killings.
We find many examples of anger in the Scriptures. Cain killed his brother Abel because of
anger (Gen 4:1-15). Esau was angry with his brother and wished to kill him so that their
mother sent Jacob away (Gen 27:1-40). Moses
The Scriptures record several occasions when Moses displayed negative actions as a result
of his anger. All of these actions resulted in consequences in the life of Moses. Moses’ anger
at the abuse of his people moved him to murder an Egyptian (Exo 2:11-12). Moses was
angry with Pharaoh (Exo 11:8). Moses was angry with the children of Israel (Exo 16:20).
God commanded Moses to speak to the rock; but in his anger, he smote the rock twice (Num
20:11). This cost Moses his trip into the Promised Land. Abigail intercedes to David for
Nabal’s life when her husband offended David and his men (1 Sam 25:1-35).
The Scriptures tells us to rule our own spirit: Proverbs 14:17, “He that is soon angry dealeth
foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.” Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger
is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs
25:28, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and
without walls.” Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in
the bosom of fools.”
We are able to subdue our anger by holding our tongue: Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are
in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” James 1:19-21,
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.”
Because of the nature of an angry person, Solomon advised us to have no fellowship with
such, saying, “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not
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go:” (Prov 22:24). An angry person stirs up strife and is full of transgressions (Prov 29:22).
Such anger is a work of man’s flesh and is not of God (Rom 12:19, Gal 5:20, Eph 4:31).
20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
20:14 Comments - The Seventh Commandment – Exodus 20:14 records the seventh
commandment, which tells us not to commit adultery. The Hebrew word (‫ )נָאַ ף‬means, “to
commit adultery,” and used figuratively it means, “to apostatize” (Strong). Adultery here
can mean any form of unfaithfulness. While aimed at keeping the marriage sacred, it also
includes the concept of a pure relationship between single people, toward God, and even the
thoughts of a man's heart.
The Old Testament Perspective - Solomon describes the sinful attributes of the adulteress in
Proverbs 6:20-35. The adulterer loves darkness and hides his sin, as we see in Job 24:15,
“The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and
disguiseth his face.” The adulteress denies that her behaviour is sinful in Proverbs 30:20,
“Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I
have done no wickedness.”
The Old Testament prophets described the nation of Israel as a people who have committed
adultery against the Lord with their pagan idolatry (see Jer 3:6-11; 5:7; 7:8-15).
The New Testament Perspective – Jesus describes the attitude of the heart of an adulterer in
Matthew 5:27-28, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
James addresses spiritual adultery for the New Testament believer in James 4:4, “Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with
God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
20:15 Comments - The Eighth Commandment – Exodus 20:15 gives us the eighth
commandment, which tells us not to steal.
20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
20:16 Comments - The Ninth Commandment – Exodus 20:16 gives us the ninth commandment,
which tells us not to bear false witness against our neighbour.
The Old Testament Perspective – The statutes under the Mosaic Law address lying (Lev
19:11, 16). This law provides a remedy for lying by having both parties stand before the
priests of the Lord for divine discernment (Deut 19:15-21). The psalmists tell us that liars
are not able to come before the Lord to receive His blessings (Ps 15:3; 101:5, 7).
The New Testament Perspective – The apostle Paul told Timothy to recognize lying and
false accusations as a sinful work of depraved humanity (1 Tim 1:10, 2 Tim 3:3). James
warns believers against speaking evil of his brother (Jam 4:11).
Illustrations - The Scriptures record the story of Jezebeel’s false witness against Naboth in
order to seize his land, resulting in his wrongful death (1 Kgs 21:1-29). The Jewish leaders
bore false witness against Jesus at His trial (Matt 26:59), and against Stephen at his stoning
(Acts 6:11). The apostle Peter judged Ananias and his wife Sapphira with death for lying to
the church (Acts 5:1-11).
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20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
20:17 Comments - The Tenth Commandment – Exodus 20:17 records the tenth commandment,
which tells us not to covet anything that belongs to our neighbour. Covetousness is the
earnest desire does not belong to him, as Paul says in Romans 7:7, “What shall we say then?
Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known
lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Such a man makes decisions based on
earthly, material gain that are not based on God’s Word. The apostle Paul explains that
those who practice covetousness will not inherit heaven (Eph 5:5, Col 3:5). He explains that
covetousness is the root of all evil of depraved humanity (1 Tim 6:10-11).
20:18-24:8 The Primary Statutes (Civil Laws) – Exodus 20:18-24:8 records the giving of the civil
laws or statutes that accompany the Ten Commandments. The purpose of these statutes was
to give the people practical guidelines in walking in the Ten Commandments. These statutes
can be grouped into clusters.
(1) Moses Approaches Mount Sinai 20:18-21

(2) Statutes Concerning Worship 20:22-26
(3) Statutes Concerning Servants 21:1-11
(4) Statutes Concerning Direct Violence 21:12-27
(5) Statutes Concerning Indirect Violence 21:28-36
(6) Statutes Concerning Loss of Property 22:1-15
(7) Statutes Concerning Moral Obligations 22:16-23:9
(8) Statutes Concerning the Sabbath Year 23:10-13
(9) Statutes Concerning Three Primary Feasts 23:14-19
(10) Warnings Against Serving other Gods 23:20-33
(11) Israel Enters into Covenant 24:1-8
The Covenant Code – Biblical scholarship sometimes refers to Exodus 21:1-23:12 as the
“Covenant Code.” Sailhamer tells us that the laws listed in the “Covenant Codes” (Ex 21:1-
23:12) are 42 (7 x 6), which was in intentional multiple of seven. He also notes that there are
611 laws listed in the Pentateuch, which equals the numerical value of the Hebrew word
“Torah” (‫)תורה‬. He notes that “the traditional number of laws in the Pentateuch (613) is
obtained by treating both Deuteronomy 6:4 (the “Shema”) and Exodus 20:2 (“I am the Lord
your God”) as ‘laws.’” In addition, there are three hundred seventy-five (375) proverbs in
Solomon’s First Collection (10:1-22:16), which equals the numerical value of Solomon’s
Hebrew name. He says there are His point is that such numerical coincidences reflect
deliberate composition by the ancient Jewish scribes, and concludes that the laws, as well as
the statutes, were not intended to be exhaustive. 76
P106F
20:18-21 Moses Approaches Mount Sinai – In Exodus 20:18-20, the Lord commands Moses to
approach Mount Sinai as the people cry out in fear. From the description of thunder and
lightening given in Exodus 20:18, it seems that the voice of God speaking to Moses and
Aaron was heard as thunder by the people. This scene and its noise overwhelmed the people
and they asked Moses to speak to them directly rather than letting God speak in such
awesome power and demonstration.
76
See John H. Sailhammer, Introduction to Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan
Publishing House, c1995), 257.
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Redemptive Message - God answered the prayer of the people when they cried out in fear at
Mount Sinai by raising up both Moses and later, Jesus Christ as the prophet who would
speak to them in God’s behalf. This is Christological typology of Moses and Jesus is
explained in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet
from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According
to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying,
Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any
more, that I die not. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they
have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and
will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall
speak in my name, I will require it of him.” The apostle Peter explains this prophecy in Acts
3:22, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up
unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall
say unto you.”
20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and
the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us,
lest we die.
20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may
be before your faces, that ye sin not.
20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
20:22-26 Statutes Concerning Worship – Exodus 20:22-26 records statutes concerning how to
worship the Lord God.
20:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen
that I have talked with you from heaven.
20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and
thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto
thee, and I will bless thee.
20:24 Comments – The Lord’s altar of sacrifice was a sacred place where God was willing to
forgive the sins of Israel when used correctly (1 Kgs 8:33-34, 2 Chron 20:9).
20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift
up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
20:25 Comments - The carving of the stones of an altar could easily lead to the carving of graven
images. Therefore, God commanded that men us raw stones if the altar is dedicated to Him.
20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered
thereon.
21:1-11 Statutes Concerning Servants – Exodus 21:1-11 records statutes concerning how the
Israelites were to treat their servants.
21:1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
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21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free
for nothing.
21:3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out
with him.
21:4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her
children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
21:5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out
free:
21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the
door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
21:7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
21:8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be
redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully
with her.
21:9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
21:10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not
diminish.
21:11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
21:12-27 Statutes Concerning Direct Violence – Exodus 21:12-27 records the statutes concerning
acts of direct violence.
21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
21:12 Comments - The Mosaic Law considered murder as a capital offence punishable by death.
This method of judgment against such a sin is a type and shadow of eternal judgment God
will impart unto wicked men.
21:13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place
whither he shall flee.
21:13 Comments – Exodus 21:13 describes killing a man accidentally.
21:14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take
him from mine altar, that he may die.
21:14 Comments – Exodus 21:14 describes premeditated murder, as mentioned again in

Deuteronomy 19:11-12, “But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise
up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then
the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the
avenger of blood, that he may die.” Joab fled to the altar in hopes of finding redemption
from King Solomon, but Exodus 21:14 made a provision for slaying him in 1 Kings 2:29-
30, “And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and,
behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall
upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith
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the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king
word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”
21:15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put
to death.
21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
21:17 Comments – Jesus cites Exodus 21:17 in Matthew 15:4, “For God commanded, saying,
Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”
Mark 7:10, “For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father
or mother, let him die the death:”
21:18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not,
but keepeth his bed:
21:19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he
shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
21:18-19 Comments – The Penalty for Smiting a Man - See Luke 10:25-37. The good Samaritan
paid the penalty under the Law for those who beat the man. Likewise, Jesus paid our
penalty.
21:20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be
surely punished.
21:21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
21:21 Comments - If the man live a few days before dying, then the assailant will not be punished.
21:22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no
mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him;
and he shall pay as the judges determine.
21:22 Comments – The phrase “no mischief follow” means that the woman is not hurt in any way.
21:23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
21:24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
21:24 Comments - The context of this passage is referring to compensation and not to retribution.
It is not about getting even with someone, but about how we are to give a righteous
compensation to those who are injured and wronged by others. It is to be an act of love and
not an act of vengeance. Evidently, the first-century Jews used it to justify retribution, as
Jesus mentions in Matthew 5:38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth:”
21:25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
21:26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him
go free for his eye's sake.
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21:27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free
for his tooth's sake.
21:28-36 Statutes Concerning Indirect Violence – Exodus 21:28-36 records the statutes concerning
acts of indirect violence.
21:28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh
shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
21:29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his
owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned,
and his owner also shall be put to death.
21:30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever
is laid upon him.
21:31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be
done unto him.
21:32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty
shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
21:32 Comments - Scholars suggest that thirty shekels of silver was considered the price of a
good, healthy slave (see Adam Clarke 77, Keil-Delitzsch 78). Jesus was betrayed by Judas
Iscariout for this amount of money in Matthew 26:15, “And said unto them, What will ye
give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of
silver.”
21:33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass
fall therein;
21:33 Comments - This pit would most commonly be a well. Short walls around a well were
required to prevent a person or animal from falling into the pit.
21:34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead
beast shall be his.
21:35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the
money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
21:36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him
in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
22:1-15 Statutes Concerning Loss of Property – Exodus 22:1-15 deal with statutes concerning the
loss of property, whether intentional by thief or unintentional.
22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox,
and four sheep for a sheep.
77
Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments: Genesis to Deuteronomy, vol. 1
(New York: Mason and G. Lane, 1837), 410.
78
C. F. Keil, and F. Delitzsch, The Pentateuch, vol. 2, trans. James Martin, in Clark’s Foreign Theological
Library, fourth series, vol. III. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1872), 136.
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22:1 Comments – The act of stealing another man’s animal and killing or selling it demonstrates
the evil motive of this act. Such an individual will steal again because it becomes his
lifestyle. Therefore, the penalty must be harsh. Instead of double restoration as required in
Exodus 22:4 when a man is found with the animal, this thief must restore five-fold. For
example, in responding to Nathan’s story of the thief, King David require the man to restore
four-fold (2 Sam 12:6).
22:2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
22:2 Comments – When a thief is caught in Africa, mob justice often takes place before the
police arrive because of their inefficiency in society. The thief is beaten severely or he is
burnt alive. When the police do arrive, the mob is not punished often for such behaviour.
22:3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full
restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
22:3 Comments - Exodus 22:3 says that if the thief survives mob justice after being caught (Exo
22:2), and if he is held until the next day, then the thief will have to repay for his theft; but if
the thief is killed the following day by the mob, then they commit an act of murder, but not
in the form of capital punishment. Instead, there is some form of restitution required.
22:4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore
double.
22:4 Comments – When a thief is caught with the stolen items, he must restore two-fold as
punishment. In contrast, the thief that has killed the stolen animal or sold it must restore
five-fold (Ex 22:1).
22:5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in
another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make
restitution.
22:6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field,
be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
22:7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's
house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
22:8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see
whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.
22:9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any
manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before
the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
22:10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it
die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
22:11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his
neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
22:12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
22:13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which
was torn.
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22:14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not
with it, he shall surely make it good.
22:15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for
his hire.
22:16-20 Statutes Concerning Crimes of Capital Punishment – Exodus 22:16-23:9 deals with
statutes concerning gross moral violations, such as rape, witchcraft, bestiality, idolatry, all
of which constitute capital punishment.
22:16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to
be his wife.
22:17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of
virgins.
22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
22:19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
22:20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
22:20 Comments – Because the children of Israel built a golden calf and worshipped it, the Lord
destroyed those that committed such an idolatrous act in Exodus 32:27, “And he said unto
them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in
and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every
man his companion, and every man his neighbour.”
22:21-23:9 Statutes Concerning Moral Obligations with One’s Fellow Man – Exodus 22:21-23:9
discusses statutes concern one’s moral obligations to others, particularly the widows,
orphans, and strangers.
22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
22:23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
22:24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be
widows, and your children fatherless.
22:22-24 Comments – If someone afflicts the orphans and widows, their own family will become the
orphans and widows. Their penalty is to become like those whom they oppress.
22:25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an
usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
22:26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the
sun goeth down:
22:27 For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall
come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
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22:28 Comments – Exodus 22:28 forbids the people to curse God or their leaders. The apostle
Peter speaks of this sin in 2 Peter 2:10, “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust
of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not
afraid to speak evil of dignities.” The apostle Paul was accused falsely of this act, so he
quotes Exodus 22:28 to let these leaders know that he understands the Mosaic Law, saying,
“Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt
not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.” (Acts 23:5)
22:29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy
sons shalt thou give unto me.
22:30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam;
on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
22:31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the
field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous
witness.
23:1 Comments - Ultimately, God’s report is the only correct report, as we see in Isaiah 53:1,
“Who hath believed our report” Man’s report may be a lie, as Paul says in Romans 3:4,
“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest
be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” We must learn to
speak words of truth rather than falsehood.
23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after
many to wrest judgment:
23:3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
23:4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him
again.
23:5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help
him, thou shalt surely help with him.
23:4-5 Comments – Exodus 23:4-5 demonstrates how to do good to one’s enemies, as Jesus
teaches in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;”
23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not
justify the wicked.
23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the
righteous.
23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt.
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23:10-13 Statutes Concerning the Sabbath Year – Exodus 23:10-13 deals with statutes concerning
the Sabbath Year. A full account of the Sabbath year is given in Leviticus 25:1-55.
23:10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
23:11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and
what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and
with thy oliveyard.
23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine
ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of
other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
23:14-19 Statutes Concerning Three Primary Feasts – Exodus 23:14-19 deals with statutes
concerning the three primary feasts that every Israelite must attend.
23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as
I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt:
and none shall appear before me empty:)
23:15 Comments - A full account of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is given in Exodus 12:1-11,
14-20.
23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and
the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of
the field.
23:16 “And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the
field” – Comments - The Feast of the Harvest is also called the Feast of Weeks (Num
28:26-31), also known as the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). This feast was held in the third
month (May-June), which was fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the
Passover. The Feast of Harvest commemorated the early harvest, which is also mentioned in
Numbers 28:26, “Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto
the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no
servile work:”
23:16 “and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered
in thy labours out of the field” - Comments - The Feast of Ingathering was also known as
the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). It was an autumn feast held in the months of September
through October to celebrate the completed harvest. It also commemorated the wandering of
the children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years, living in tents. The Jews would build
themselves temporary booths in honour of Israel's life in the wilderness.
In his book Quest for the Highest, Joseph Church describes a similar feast that took place as
a part of the African tradition until recently:
“This was harvest time in Ruanda, the beginning of the long dry season, and it was quite
normal for the hundreds of homesteads around Lake Mohasi to meet and rejoice in a
heathen way to the beat of the drums and clapping of hands. But this time it was to sing
praises to the Giver of all life whom they had learned to love. Almost all the European
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tunes for hymns were more or less syncopated at this time when there was great joy and
fervour in singing.” 79
When the rainy season came to an end, and the crops ripened, the drums beat to gather the
people for a feast of the food that has been gathered during that growing season.
23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
23:18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my
sacrifice remain until the morning.
23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy
God” - Comments - Anyone who has farmed knows that the best of the crops usually ripens
first. The later crops are not up to the quality as the firstfruits. It was an act of faith to give
up the best to the Lord, and believe that the Lord would bless the harvest of the remaining
crops.
23:19 “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk” - Comments – This prohibition is
given three times in the Law (Exo 23:19; 34:26, Deut 14:21).
23:20-33 Warnings against Serving Other Gods – In Exodus 23:20-33, the Lord assures Israel of
His divine presence and providence in their journeys, warning them not to forsake him by
worshipping the pagan gods of neighbouring nations.
23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place
which I have prepared.
23:20 Comments – The Lord promised that an angel would lead the children of Israel on a number
of occasions (Exo 14:19; 23:20; 32:34; 33:2). This angel not only took the children through
the wilderness under the leadership of Moses and through the conquest under Joshua, but he
makes numerous appearances in the book of Joshua and Judges years after the conquest
(Judg 2:1; 6:11; 13:3).
23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your
transgressions: for my name is in him.
23:22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto
thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and
the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt
utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will
take sickness away from the midst of thee.
23:26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will
fulfil.
79
Joseph E. Church, Quest for the Highest (Exeter, UK: The Paternoster Press, 1981), 131.
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23:27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I
will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
23:27 Comments – Rahab testifies of the fear of the Lord going before the children of Israel in
Joshua 2:9, “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and
that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of
you.”
23:28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the
Hittite, from before thee.
23:28 Comments – The Lord made this promise again in Deuteronomy 7:20, “Moreover the
LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide
themselves from thee, be destroyed.” He fulfilled it according to Joshua 24:12, “And I sent
the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the
Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.”
23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the
beast of the field multiply against thee.
23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit
the land.
23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the
desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive
them out before thee.
23:32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
23:32 Comments - Joshua disobeyed the commandment in Exodus 23:32 when he made a
covenant with the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:15, “And Joshua made peace with them, and made
a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.”
23:33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods,
it will surely be a snare unto thee.
23:33 Comments – The psalmist tells us how these pagan nations became a snare to Israel in
Psalm 106:34-36, “They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD
commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they
served their idols: which were a snare unto them.”
24:1-8 Israel Enters into Covenant with the Lord – Exodus 24:1-8 records Israel’s vows to God
as they enter into a blood covenant with Him under the conditions of obedience to the
Mosaic Law.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great length comparing
the blood used to ratify the first covenant between Israel (Exo 24:8) and the Lord to the
blood covenant between Christ and the church (Heb 9:20). He explains how Christ’s blood
is superior to that of sheep and bulls in that it is offered only once before the throne of God.
Just as Aaron sprinkled the blood of animals upon the Tabernacle and its vessels, so did
Jesus appear in heaven to offer His blood once and for all (Heb 9:11-28).
24:1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and
seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
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24:1 Comments - Nadab and Abihu were Aaron's two sons.
The number “seventy” occurs a number of times in Scriptures within the context of God
laying beginning a new work and laying a foundation. For example, God called seventy
nations at the tower of Babel to serve as the foundation for the nations of the earth (Gen
10:1-32). God called seventy souls to found the nation of Israel (Ex 1:1-7). We know that
Moses called seventy elders to establish the laws of the nation of Israel (Ex 24:1, Num
11:24-25). Jesus trained seventy disciples to carry the Gospel to the world (Luke 10:1, 17).
24:2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the
people go up with him.
24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all
the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an
altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
24:5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed
peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
24:6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the
altar.
24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All
that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
24:7 Comments - The phrase “book of the covenant” probably refers to Moses’ initial writings
(Exo 20:1-23:33). However, it was probably expanded into the “book of the law,” which is
mentioned in Deuteronomy 31:26, “Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the
ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”
24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the
covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
24:8 Comments – Moses took half of the blood and sprinkled it upon the altar (Exo24:6), and
half of the blood he sprinkled on the people (Exo 24:8). Thus, the people were united in one
blood covenant with the Lord. The words that Moses used in instituting the old covenant are
reminiscent of the words that Jesus used when He instituted the new covenant in Matthew
26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission
of sins.”
The author of the epistle of Hebrews refers to Exodus 24:8 in Hebrews 9:19-20, “For when
Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of
calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book,
and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you.”
24:9-31:18 Instructions to Build the Tabernacle (Ceremonial Laws) – In Exodus 24:9-31:18 God
instructs Moses on the details of the building of the Tabernacle, its articles, as well as the
priestly garments.. In the description of the making of the articles, the Lord begins with
those of the inner sanctuary, the ark of the covenant and mercy seat, then the altar of
incense, followed by the table of showbread and the candlestick. Thus, the making of these
articles are arranged in a logical order, from the innermost sanctuary to the outermost.
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Perhaps one reason for this order is the fact that the order of the erection of the Tabernacle
begins with the innermost articles and expands outward to the hangings of the outer court, as
described in Exodus 40:1-33. Thus, the order of the construction of the Tabernacle follows
the order of its erection.
The Lord showed this pattern to Moses visually according to Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto
the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was
about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the
pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” This vision probably took place while he was on the
Mount, for God told Moses to make everything according to the pattern that He showed
Moses on the mount. The Lord revealed it to him audibly as recorded in this section of the
book of Exodus.
It is important to note that God gave Moses general instructions on the building of this
Tabernacle and of the making of the priestly garments. However, He left it up to the
creativity of the craftsmen, being inspired under their anointing, to design the details of each
item they made. In the same way, God will give us instructions for our lives, but He often
allows us to make the decisions about many of the details as we are inspired by the Holy
Spirit each day.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews makes a brief reference to the
fact that the design and structure and articles of the Tabernacle serve are symbolic of the
various aspects of the redemptive work of Christ Jesus (Exo 25:40, Heb 8:1-5; 9:1-10).
In addition, we can find symbolism in the materials used in the building of the Tabernacle.
The Lord instructed Israel to use only the finest material available to mankind to construct
the Tabernacle. In contrast, the children of Israel were building bricks out of straw and
stubble while in Egyptian bondage (Ex 5:12). When they were delivered from Egyptian
bondage, they began to build the Tabernacle out of gold, silver, brass, and precious stones.
God anointed Bezaleel, the son of Uri, to work with these valuable metals, stones and wood
carvings (see also Ex 35:30-33).
The gold, silver, and precious stones could represent the works that we do in faith, being led
by the Spirit. It could represent the good, the acceptable and the perfect will of God. In
contrast, the wood, hay, and stubble could represent the works of the flesh, also as three
levels of works. Note how these works are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 3:12-13, “Now if any
man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed
by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.”
Note these comments from Frances J. Roberts, who refers to the works of the flesh as being
symbolized by straw and stubble: “My people shall obey Me (not a human leader) saith the
Lord. My people shall not labor in vain in the straw and stubble of the works of the flesh.
But My people shall walk in newness of life and they shall be energized and led by My
Spirit, saith the Lord.” 80
(1) God calls Moses up to Mount Sinai 24:9-18

(2) The Offerings for the Sanctuary 25:1-9
(3) The Furniture of the Tabernacle 25:10-40
80
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(4) The Building to House the Articles of the Tabernacle 26:1-37
(5) The Altar of Burnt Offering 27:1-8
(6) The Court of the Tabernacle 27:9-19
(7) The Care of the Lampstand 27:20-21
(8) The Garments for the Priesthood 28:1-43
(9) The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons 29:1-35
(10) The Consecration and Service of the Burnt Altar 29:36-46
(11) The Altar of Incense 30:1-10
(12) The Ransom Money 30:11-16
(13) The Bronze Laver 30:17-21
(14) The Holy Anointing Oil 30:22-33
(15) The Incense 30:34-38
(16) The Appointment of Craftsmen 31:1-11
(17) Instructions Concerning the Sabbath Day 31:12-18
24:9-18 God Calls Moses up to Mount Sinai – In Exodus 24:9-18 the Lord calls Moses and the
elders of Israel to ascend Mount Sinai where they experienced a heavenly vision of the
Lord. This may have been the time when the Lord showed Moses the pattern for building
the Tabernacle.
24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a
sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did
eat and drink.
24:11 Comments – The phrase “he laid not his hand” means that God did not kill them. In other
words, they saw God and lived in contrast to their fear of death in Exodus 19:21, “And the
LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the
LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.”
The act of eating and drinking was a common practice when cutting covenants. Jesus
explains that the institution of the Lord's Supper was symbolic of the new covenant in His
blood.
24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give
thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach
them.
24:12 Comments – The use of stone into which God carved the Ten Commandments reflects the
eternal nature of these laws for mankind. Clay tablets were in used in the Middle East
during this era of ancient history. Cultures soon developed wooden tablets with a wax
coating and a reed style were used as some point in history. Papyrus and parchment also
became materials upon which to write. However, nothing surpasses the enduring nature of
words carved in stone. The psalmist acknowledges the eternal nature of God’s Word when
he says, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Ps 119:89) These stone tables
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reflected the permanence and eternal nature of the principles listed in the Ten
Commandments.
24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
24:14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold,
Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
24:15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the
seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
24:16 Comments - Six days of silence must have required patience.
24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the
eyes of the children of Israel.
24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in
the mount forty days and forty nights.
24:18 Comments - Moses neither ate nor drank for forty days and nights. The Scriptures record a
number of forty-day fastings: (1) Moses [Ex 34:28, Deut 9:9, 18]; (2) Elijah [In 1 Kings
19:8 he ate cake from the angel of the Lord and went in its strength for forty days and
nights]; [3] Jesus [Matt 4:2, Mk 1:13, Lk 4:2]. In all instances, they fasted in the wilderness.
Moses and Elijah were on Mount Sinai, and Jesus may have travelled there as well.
It is possible that Moses either visited Heaven during two forty-day periods on the Mount,
or at least he had a heavenly vision. The Scriptures tell us that the Lord commanded Moses
to build the Tabernacle after the heavenly pattern that he had seen (Ex 25:40, Heb 8:5).
25:1-9 The Offerings for the Sanctuary – Exodus 25:1-9 records God’s instructions to the
children of Israel regarding the collection of the offering in order to gather the material for
the construction of the Tabernacle.
25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it
willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
25:2 Comments - God loves a cheerful giver and he wants us to give our best with a willing heart
as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” God did not
force them to give, because the reward comes from giving with a willing heart. God could
have commanded everyone to give a certain portion for the building of the Tabernacle, but
God wanted a cheerful giver. God wanted them to give their best, not leftovers, but the most
valuable possessions they had.
25:1-2 Comments – In Exodus 25:1-2, the Lord revealed to Moses the fundamental principle
behind giving and receiving. God took the children of Israel out of bondage with silver and
gold; for they had spoiled the Egyptians (Ex 12:35-36). A few months later, God asks them
to give of a willing heart for the building of the Tabernacle. God blessed the children of
Israel in order that they might also learn to give willingly and abundantly. This is an
excellent example of the divine principles described by Paul the apostle in 2 Corinthians
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9:10, “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and
multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)”
25:3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
25:5 Comments - The badger’s skin was an expensive item to use in building the Tabernacle. It
was associated with beauty and wealth, as we see in Ezekiel 16:10-14, “I clothed thee also
with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine
linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets
upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in
thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and
silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine
flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a
kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect
through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.”
Many of the articles of the Tabernacle were made of acacia wood, also called shittim wood
(‫)שׁטָּ ה‬.
ִ The acacia tree was a thorny tree that grew in deserts of the Middle East. It was a
perfect wood for such construction, growing up to twenty feet tall and having a trunk up to
two feet in thickness. It has a close grain, which prohibits insect attack.”
25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the
instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
25:10-40 The Furniture of the Tabernacle - The specifications for the building of the Tabernacle
begin with its most important articles, which are those contained within the inner sanctuary:
the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat and the Cherubim, the table of shewbread and the
candlestick.
25:10-22 The Ark of the Covenant, Mercy Seat, and the Cherubim – Exodus 25:10-22 gives a
description of the building of the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat and the cherubim
that are to be placed on top. While the Holy Place was lit by the candlestick, the Holy of
Holies had no source of light but the glory of God above the mercy seat.
25:10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof,
and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
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25:10 Comments – Webster says a cubit is eighteen to twenty-two inches in length. Originally, the
cubit was the length of a man's arm from the elbow to the end of the middle finger.
Holladay says a cubit is about fifty cm. (30.48 cm = 1ft) which is about one foot, seven and
one half inches.
25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt
make upon it a crown of gold round about.
25:11 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )זֵר‬is “a chaplet, i.e. (specifically) a border moulding”
(Strong), “a moulding of gold” (Holladay), or “a frame or border of gold” around the ark
(HALOT). Webster says a chaplet is “a small molding, carved into beads, pearls, olives, etc.”
25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two
rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne
with them.
25:14 Comments –The Hebrew word (‫ )בַּ ר‬is a “bar for carrying” (Strong) or “carrying poles”
(HALOT).
25:15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length
thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
25:17 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )כּ◌ַׂפּ ֶרת‬normally is translated “atonement,” but it is used to
refer to the lid of the ark (Strong, HALOT). This gold-covered lid served as the base for the
two cherubim (Holladay). The first use of this Hebrew word is in Exodus 25:17, being used
primarily in this book (Exodus 18 times, Leviticus 5 times, Number 1 time, 1 Chronicles 1
time).
25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two
ends of the mercy seat.
25:18 Comments – The Cherubim (‫ )כְּ רוּב‬are first mentioned in Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the
man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which
turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Their second appearance is Exodus
25:18.
One must wonder how Moses and the Jews knew the shape of these heavenly cherubims
(‫)כְּ רוּב‬. Perhaps Moses had seen them when God reveals to him the pattern of the heavenly
tabernacle (Exo 25:9, 40, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:5).
25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy
seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
25:19 Comments – In a similar placement, two angels sat in the grave of Jesus after the
resurrection, one at his foot and one at the head of where His body had been placed, as we
see in John 20:12, “And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other
at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”
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25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their
wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims
be.
25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the
testimony that I shall give thee.
25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from
between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give
thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
25:23-30 The Table of Shewbread and Its Accessories – Exodus 25:23-30 gives a description of the
building of the table of shewbread and its accessories.
25:23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit
the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
25:24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25:25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a
golden crown to the border thereof round about.
25:25 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫)מ ְסגּ ֶֶרת‬ִ means, “a margin” (Strong), “a rim (of a table or
base)” (Holladay), or “a ridge running around a table” (HALOT).
25:26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on
the four feet thereof.
25:27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
25:28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may
be borne with them.
25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls
thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
25:29 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )כַּף‬generally refers to the palm of the hand, the whole
hand, or the sole of the foot. However, in Exodus 25:29, it means “a metal basin”
(Holladay) or “a metal bowl” (HALOT).
The Hebrew word (‫ )קָ שָׂ ה‬or (‫ )קַ ְשׂוָה‬means, “jars” (Holladay) or “jugs” (HALOT). This word
describes the water “pitchers for the pouring out of the offering” because there were liquid
as well as solid offerings (Stuart).
The articles and bread of the Table of Shewbread are listed a number of times in the
Scriptures, either in part or all (Exo 25:29; 37:16, Num 4:7; 7:13, 19, 31, 1 Kgs 7:50, 1
Chron 28:172 Chron 4:22, Ezr 1:9-11, Songs 5:1, Jer 52:18-19).
25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
25:31-39 The Candlestick – Exodus 25:31-39 gives a description of the building of the candlestick.
25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made:
his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
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25:31 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫נוֹרה‬ ָ ‫)מ‬

ְ means, “a chandelier, candlestick” (Strong) “a
lampstand (not candlestick)” (Holladay), or more specifically, “the menorah, lampstand”
(HALOT).
The Hebrew word (‫ )כַּפְ ◌ׂתּר‬means, “a wreath-like button or disk on the candelabrum (a large,
branched candlestick)” (Strong), “a knob of a lampstand (shaped like the knobby fruit of a
tree)” (Holladay), or “knob of a lampstand” (HALOT). Webster says a knob is “a knoblike
ornament or handle.” The NIV reads, “buds.” The RSV reads, “capital,” which is the top part
of a column.
25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the
one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls
made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out
of the candlestick.
25:33 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )שָׁ קַר‬means, “the almond tree or nut” (Strong), “the
almond-tree, plural - almonds” (Holladay). Modern English translates read, “almond
blossom or flower” (ASV, NIV), or “almond” (KJV, RSV). Thus, the Hebrew word (‫)משֻׁ קָּד‬
ְ
means, “shaped like almonds” (HALOT).
25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their
flowers.
25:35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of
the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out
of the candlestick.
25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure
gold.
25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they
may give light over against it.
25:37 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )נִ יר‬means, “a lamp, i.e., the burner, or light” (Strong), “a
light, lamp” (Holladay). It normally refers to “a small clay lamp filled with oil” (HALOT),
but the menorah held seven golden lamps. The lamp provided light “in front of it” (NIV,
RSV) to light the room.
25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
25:38 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )מֶ לְ קָ ח‬means, “tweezers, tongs, snuffers” (Strong),
“snuffers to cut wick” (Holladay), “a snuffer” (RSV), or “wick trimmer” (NIV). Webster
says a snuffer is “a device with a cone on the end of a handle, for extinguishing a burning
candle.” These tongs were used to snuff the flames of the candle or to trim the wick
(HALOT).
The Hebrew word (‫ )מַ חְ תָּ ה‬means, “a pan for live coals, container with incense burnt, censer,
fire pan, snuff dish” (Strong), “a small pan as an accessory of lamp stand” (Holladay),
“trays” (NIV, RSV). It was a small pan for carrying embers or ashes (HALOT).
25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
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25:40 Concluding Statement – Exodus 25:40 serves as a conclusion to the description of the
building of the articles of the Tabernacle described in Exodus 25:10-39.
25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
25:40 Comments – The Lord showed Moses the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle (Exo 25:9, 40,
Acts 7:44, Heb 8:5). The Lord also showed David the pattern of the Temple by the Spirit of
God (1 Chron 28:11-13, 19, 2 Chron 3:1).
26:1-37 The Building to House the Articles of the Tabernacle – Exodus 26:1-37 gives a
description of the construction of the building which is to house the articles of the
Tabernacle.
26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and
purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
26:2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four
cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
26:3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be
coupled one to another.
26:4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the
coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the
second.
26:5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the
curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
26:6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it
shall be one tabernacle.
26:7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains
shalt thou make.
26:8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and
the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
26:9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt
double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
26:10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling,
and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
26:11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent
together, that it may be one.
26:12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth,
shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
26:13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length
of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to
cover it.
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26:14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of
badgers' skins.
26:15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
26:16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one
board.
26:17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make
for all the boards of the tabernacle.
26:17 Comments – The Hebrew (‫ )יָר‬has a broad range of meanings; but in Exodus 26:17, it refers
to tenons or pegs used to fasten the boards togethers. Webster says a tenon is “a projecting
part cut on the end of a piece of wood for insertion into a corresponding hole.” This word is
translated “a projection” (NIV) “a tenon” (RSV).
26:18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
26:19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one
board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
26:19 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )אֶ דֶ ן‬means, “a base of a building or column etc.,
foundation, socket” (Strong), “socket pedestal (bottom support a column)” (Holladay,
HALOT).
26:20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
26:21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another
board.
26:22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.
26:22 Comments – Scholars believe that the Tabernacle was set up in the wilderness so that its
entrance faced to the east. Although the Scriptures do not make this statement, it implies this
setup from several passages. The Tabernacle was rectangular in shape, fifty by one hundred
cubits, with the long side facing east and west (Exo 27:9-18). Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s
sons were to encamp close to the Tabernacle on the east side in order to be available to
minister to the needs of the children of Israel (Num 3:38). In addition, the tribe of Judah
encamped on the east side of the Tabernacle (Num 2:1-34). The rear of the Tabernacle was
on the west side (Exo 26:22). We know from the book of Ezekiel that the Temple door faced
to the east (Eze 8:16; 11:1), and the new Temple that is not yet built will face east as well
(Eze 43:1; 47:1).
26:23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
26:24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head
of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
26:24 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )תָּ אַ ם‬means, “duplicate or jointed” (Strong). The Hebrew
word (‫ )תָּ ם‬means, “coupled together” (Strong).
26:25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under
one board, and two sockets under another board.
26:26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
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26:26 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )בְּ ִריח‬means, “a bolt, bar, fugitive” (Strong), “a cross piece
joining wooden frames” (Holladay), or “a bar on a door” (HALOT).
26:27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of
the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
26:28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
26:29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the
bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
26:30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee
in the mount.
26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning
work: with cherubims shall it be made:
26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be
of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
26:32 Comments - The Hebrew word “hooks” (‫ )וָו‬means, “a hook” (Strong), “a nail from which
the curtains hang in the tent of meeting” (Holladay) or “nails, pegs” (HALOT).
26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the
vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most
holy.
26:33 Comments - The Hebrew word “taches” (‫ )קֶ ֶרס‬means, “hook” (Holladay, HALOT), “clasps”
(The NIV, RSV). These clasps were used to connect the strips of canvas together (HALOT).
Juanita Bynum said that the Lord told her the reason the vail was hung to cover the holy of
holies is that if it had been made visible to them the children of Israel would have begun to
worship the beauty of the mercy seat and the ark rather than the Lord Himself. 81 P1F
26:34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
26:35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the
side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
26:36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold,
and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
27:1-8 The Altar of Burnt Offering – Exodus 27:1-8 gives a description of the building of the
altar of burnt offering.
27:1 And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar
shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
81
Juanita Bynum, Weapons of Power, on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television
program.
164
27:2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the
same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
27:2 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )קֶ ֶרן‬means, “a horn, as projecting” (Strong) or “a horn as a
protrusion at corners” (Holladay). It refers to the horns placed at the corners of the altar
(HALOT). These horns were used to secure the ropes that bound the sacrificial animal, as we
see in Psalm 118:27, “God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with
cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”
27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his
fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
27:4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four
brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
27:4 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )מַ כבֵּ ר‬means, “a grate” (Strong), “something twisted or
interlaced” (Holladay), or “a grid” (HALOT). Webster says a grate is “a frame of metal bars
for holding fuel in a fireplace, stove, or furnace.”
The Hebrew word (‫)רשׁת‬ ֶ means, “a net (as catching animals), network” (Strong), or “a net
(as catching animals), network” (Holladay). It refers to the bronze grid work upon which the
animal was placed (HALOT).
27:5 And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the
midst of the altar.
27:5 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )כּ ְַרכֹּ ב‬means, “a rim or top margin compass” (Strong),
“edge or rim (of altar)” (Holladay), “a rim” (HALOT), or “a ledge” (NIV, RSV).
27:6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
27:7 And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar,
to bear it.
27:8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
27:9-19 The Court of the Tabernacle – Exodus 27:9-19 gives a description of the construction of
the court of the Tabernacle.
27:9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be
hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
27:10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the
pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
27:10 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )חָ שֻׁק‬or (‫ )חָ שׁוּק‬means, “a rod or fenced rail connecting
posts or pillars” (Strong), “bands on the pillars of the Tabernacle” (Holladay), “bands”
(NIV), “fillets” (RSV). It refers to the connections or rings on the pillars or crossbars
(HALOT).
Webster says the word “fillet” means, “a. A flat square moulding separating other
mouldings. b. A narrow band between two flutings (grooves in a column).” Webster says
the word “band” (in architecture) means, “a thin layer of moulding.”
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27:11 And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and
his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
27:12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars
ten, and their sockets ten.
27:13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
27:14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets
three.
27:15 And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets
three.
27:16 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their
sockets four.
27:17 All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver,
and their sockets of brass.
27:17 Comments - The Hebrew word (‫ )חָ שַׁ ק‬means, “to bind” (Holladay) or “join together”
(HALOT).
27:18 The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the
height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
27:19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the
pins of the court, shall be of brass.
27:20-21 The Care of the Lampstand – Exodus 27:20-21 gives instructions on the care of the
lampstand.
27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for
the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
27:21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and
his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto
their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
28:1-43 The Garments for the Priesthood – Exodus 28:1-43 gives a description of the making of
the garments for the priesthood.

28:1-4 An Introductory Description of the Garments of the Priesthood – Exodus 28:1-4 serves
as an introductory description of the garments of the priesthood.
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28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of
Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and
Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,
that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's
office.
28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and
a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and
his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
28:5-14 The Ephod – Exodus 28:5-14 describes the making of the ephod as a piece of the priestly
garment.
28:5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
28:6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen,
with cunning work.
28:6 Comments - The “ephod” (‫ )אֵ פוּד‬was the chest plate that was placed over the shoulders of
the high priest. The first ephod was made of gold, but during the time of Samuel and David,
the priests used a linen ephod (1 Sam 2:18, 2 Sam 6:14, 1 Chron 15:27).
28:7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be
joined together.
28:8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work
thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
28:9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
28:10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone,
according to their birth.
28:11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the
two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
28:12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto
the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for
a memorial.
28:13 And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
28:14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten
the wreathen chains to the ouches.
28:15-30 The Breastplate of Judgment – Exodus 28:15-30 describes the making of the breastplate
of judgment as a piece of the priestly garment. We see a similar covering with precious
stones when discussing Lucifer’s apparel in Heaven in Ezekiel 28:13, “Thou hast been in
Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the
diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle,
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and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day
that thou wast created.”
28:15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the
ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt
thou make it.
28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the
breadth thereof.
28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a
sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
28:18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their
inclosings.
28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their
names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve
tribes.
28:22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the
two ends of the breastplate.
28:24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of
the breastplate.
28:25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put
them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
28:26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the
breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
28:27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod
underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious
girdle of the ephod.
28:28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace
of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed
from the ephod.
28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon
his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall
be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the
children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
28:30 Comments – The Hebrew word “urim” literally means “lights,” or “revelation.” The
Hebrew word “thummim” literally means “perfection,” or “truth.” The Urim and Thummim
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were stones kept in a pouch on the high-priest’s breastplate, used in determining God's
decision in certain questions and issues. Adam Clarke cites the Latin poet Ovid, who writes
of just such a casting of stones. In the ancient custom of casting lots, two stones of black and
white were used in casting a vote. The white stone was a symbol of good fortune or of
innocence while the black stone symbolized bad luck or guilt.
“It was the custom in ancient times to use white and black pebbles, the black for
condemning prisoners, and the white for freeing them from the charge. At this time also
the fatal vote was taken in this way; and every pebble that was dropped into the pitiless
urn was black! But when the urn was turned and the pebbles poured out for counting,
the colour of them all was changed from black to white; and so, by the will of Hercules,
the vote was made favourable, and Alemon's son was freed.” (Metamorphoses 15.41) 82
The Urim and Thummim are mentioned times in the Scriptures (Exo 28:30, Lev 8:8, Num
27:21, Deut 33:8, 1 Sam 28:6, Ezra 2:63, Neh 7:65).
28:31-42 The Robe, Mitre, Girdle, and Linen Breeches – Exodus 28:31-35 describes the making of
the robe of the ephod, the mitre or headpiece, the girdle and the linen breeches as a piece of
the priestly garment.
28:31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
28:32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven
work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
28:33-35 The Helm of the Robe (Ex 39:24-26) – Windell Parr suggests that the pomegranates were
placed between the bells so that each bell would have its own distinct sound. If two bells
clanged together, their sounds would conflict with each other so that neither bell would
sound clearly. He suggests that the pomegranates symbolize the fruit of the Holy Spirit
while the bells symbolize the gifts of the Spirit. 83
28:33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of
scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
28:33 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ ִ)רמֹּ ון‬means, “a pomegranate,” either as a tree or as a fruit,
and as pomegranate shaped ornaments in Temple (Strong). Webster says that the
pomegranate refers to the fruit of the tree Punica Granatum; as well as the tree itself, which
is native in the Orient, but is successfully cultivated in many warm countries, and as a house
plant in colder climates.”
28:34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe
round about.
28:35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the
holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
28:36-38 Comments – Exodus 28:36-38 describes the golden nameplate that is to be fastened to the
front of the mitre, or turban, which is the headpiece of the priestly garment.
82
Frank J. Miller, Ovid, vol. 4, in The Loeb Classical Library, eds. T. E. Page, E. Capps, and W. H. D. Rouse
(London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1958), 367-368. See Adam Clarke, The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, vol. 1 (New York; G. Lane and C. B. Tippett, 1846), 979.
83
Windell Parr, “Sermon,” Calvary Cathedral International, Fort Worth, Texas.
169
28:36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet,
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
28:37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the
mitre it shall be.
28:38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things,
which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his
forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
28:39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and
thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
28:40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets
shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
28:41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint
them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the
thighs they shall reach:
28:43 Concluding Statement – Exodus 28:43 serves as a concluding remark about all of the
pieces of the priestly garment.
28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the
congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not
iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
29:1-35 The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Exodus 29:1-35 describes the lengthy
consecration that Aaron and his sons were to partake of in order to prepare them for the
service of the priesthood.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews goes to great length comparing
the weakness of the Aaron and his sons and the Levitical priesthood to the perfect
priesthood of Chris Jesus (Heb 4:14-5:10; 6:20-8:4).
29:1 And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the
priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
29:2 And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened
anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
29:3 And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the
two rams.
29:4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and shalt wash them with water.
29:4 “wash them with water” - Comments - This act of washing with water foreshadowed the
New Testament act of water baptism. The total washing of the priest only took place once
(Exo 29:4). Later, the priest only had to wash his hands and feet (Ex 30:20-21).
29:5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and
the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
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29:6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
29:7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
29:8 And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
29:9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the
priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
29:10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and
Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
29:11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation.
29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy
finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
29:12 “pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar” – Comments - The blood was poured
beside the altar because it could not be eaten with the sacrifice (Lev 17:11-14).
29:13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver,
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
29:14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the
camp: it is a sin offering.
29:15 Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of
the ram.
29:16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon
the altar.
29:17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them
unto his pieces, and unto his head.
29:18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a
sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
29:19 And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head
of the ram.
29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of
Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon
the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
29:21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it
upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him:
and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
29:22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and
the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for
it is a ram of consecration:
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29:23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the
unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
29:24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them
for a wave offering before the LORD.
29:25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering,
for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
29:26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave
offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
29:27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering,
which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for
Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
29:27 Comments - The first mention of the heave offering is found in Exodus 29:27. The word
“heave” means to lift with great effort. It refers to the fact that this offering is lifted, or
heaved, from the altar, and is waved before the Lord, as we see in Leviticus 7:34, “For the
wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the
sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his
sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.” Specifically, the shoulder of
the ram is lifted up and waved before the Lord in the heave offering.
29:28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an
heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their
peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.
29:29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be
consecrated in them.
29:30 And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the
tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
29:31 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
29:32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
29:33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to
sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
29:34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then
thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
29:35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have
commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
29:36-46 The Consecration and Service of the Altar of Burnt Offering – Exodus 29:36-46
describes the consecration and service of the altar of burnt offering.
29:36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt
cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
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29:37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar
most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
29:38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day
continually.
29:39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
29:40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil;
and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
29:41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering
of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by
fire unto the LORD.
29:42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my
glory.
29:44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both
Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.
29:45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
29:46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of
Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
30:1-10 The Altar of Incense – Exodus 30:1-10 describes the construction of the altar of incense.
Redemptive Message - There are a number of Scriptures that teach us that the incense
offered on this altar symbolized the prayers of God’s people (Ps 141:2, Rev 5:8; 8:3-4):
Psalms 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my
hands as the evening sacrifice.” Revelation 5:8, “And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” Revelation 8:3-4,
“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given
unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden
altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.”
In addition, a number of New Testament Scriptures allude to this sweet-smelling sacrifice as

man’s prayers and offerings unto the Lord (Lk 1:10, 2 Cor 2:15, Phil 4:18): Luke 1:10,
“And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.” 2
Corinthians 2:15, “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and
in them that perish:” Philippians 4:18, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having
received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a
sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”
30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
30:1 Comments - The practice of offering incense was widespread in the ancient world, being
testified in extra-biblical literature. For example, King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that
incense be offered in behalf of Daniel for interpreting his dream in Daniel 2:46, “Then the
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king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they
should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.” In contrast, the concept of falling out
of favour with someone is metaphorically described as “stinking,” as in Genesis 34:30,
“And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the
inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number,
they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I
and my house.”
30:2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and
two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
30:2 Comments – The horns on the altar of incense were smeared with the blood of the burnt
sacrifice for the sin offering (Lev 4:7, 18) and on the day of atonement to ceremonially
sanctify the altar each year (Lev 16:18). The horns of the brazen altar had several functions.
Its horns were smeared with blood during the ceremony of sanctifying the priests (Ex
29:12). In addition, these horns were used to tie down the live sacrifice (Ps 118:27).
30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and
the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
30:4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof,
upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
30:4 Comments – While the burnt altar (Ex 27:4), the table of showbread (Ex 25:26), and the ark
of the covenant (Ex 25:12) had four rings, the altar of incense had only two rings through
which to insert the poles.
30:5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
30:6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat
that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
30:6 Comments – The altar of incense was the only article of the Tabernacle that shared a
position, or association, with both sanctuaries, both the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.
It is prayer that brings earthly man into the presence of Heaven and to the throne of God. In
fact, the author of Hebrews places the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies in Hebrews 9:3-
4, “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had
the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was
the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.”
He described it thus perhaps because the veil had been torn at the time of Christ’s death on
Calvary; so the altar of incense now stood beside the mercy seat.
30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he
shall burn incense upon it.
30:8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense
before the LORD throughout your generations.
30:7-8 Comments – While the ill smell of the burnt sacrifice still lingered in the air, the priest made
his way into the Tabernacle to offer a sweet aroma before the mercy seat.
30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye
pour drink offering thereon.
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30:9 Comments - It is interesting to note that the only warning for abusing the procedures for
making an offering on the altar of incense of the Tabernacle (Ex 25-30) is made in Exodus
30:9. In this warning, the priests were not to offer strange incense, or any burnt offerings,
meat offerings or drink offerings upon this altar. The Scriptures record two incidences in
which an offense was made upon the altar of incense, which immediately invoked divine
judgment. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, committed an offense before the Lord
regarding this offering, and were consumed by fire from the Holy of Holies, as we see in
Leviticus 10:1-2, “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer,
and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD,
which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured
them, and they died before the LORD.” Also, when the heart of King Uzziah was lifted up
with pride, he attempted to make an offering upon the altar of incense and was struck with
leprosy (2 Chron 26:16-21).
30:10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the
sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your
generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
30:11-16 The Ransom Money – Exodus 30:11-16 describes the requirement of ransom, or
atonement, money for each Israelite as a means of financing the service of the Tabernacle.
Everyone gave a ransom that was older than twenty years old.
Redemptive Message - The price for each person was equal, regardless of whether they were
rich or poor, implying that everyone was equally a sinner. It is interesting that at the age of
twenty-one, the Lord dealt with both my older brother and myself about our sins. It was as if
it was time to become accountable for our lives. We had become responsible adults in God's
eyes. Here in this passage, it was at this age that a person has to account for his sins,
symbolized in the ransom money.
30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give
every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague
among them, when thou numberest them.
30:12 Comments - Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the Law through His shed blood. He
paid the ransom with His blood, rather than with silver or gold, as we see in 1 Peter 1:18-19,
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Therefore, no
“plague” or judgment would come upon those covered by this blood. However, King David
failed to offer a ransom for the people before counting them in 2 Samuel 24:1, “And again
the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say,
Go, number Israel and Judah.”
30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after
the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the
LORD.
30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall
give an offering unto the LORD.
30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give
an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
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30:15 Comments - Since God is not a respecter of persons, He made a way for everyone to give
according to their ability.
30:16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the
service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel
before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
30:17-21 The Bronze Laver – Exodus 30:17-21 describes the building of the bronze laver. The
purpose of this bronze laver was for the priests to wash their hands and feet only on a daily
basis prior to ministering at the bronze altar or within the Tabernacle. The Lord had
commanded the priests to wash their entire bodies before the door of the Tabernacle as part
of a larger one-time ceremony to sanctify an individual for the priesthood (Ex 29:1-4). Now,
these same priests who have gone through a full washing and consecrated themselves for
this office are required to daily cleanse themselves by only washing their hands and feet (Ex
30:19).
Redemptive Message - During the Last Supper, after the meal Jesus girds Himself with a
towel and begins to wash the feet of His disciples, to which Peter objected. Jesus replied that
they need not wash their entire bodies, but their hands and feet only (Jn 13:1-10). Thus, we
can interpret the full-body washing of the priests as a type and figure of an individual’s
initial salvation experience in which all of his sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The
washing of hands and feet only are a type and figure of a believer’s need for daily cleansing
after his salvation experience, a distinction that is clearly made in Hebrews 10:22, “Let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Our bodies are “washed with pure
water” at the time of our salvation, and our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience by
the blood of Jesus, reflecting man’s daily cleansing through the High Priesthood of Jesus
Christ. Peter makes this same distinction, saying, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1 Pet 1:2) Our obedience
to Christ through faith in Him reflects man’s initial salvation, and the sprinkling of His
blood reflects our daily cleansing. Thus, the priests who served in the Tabernacle had their
entire bodies ceremonially washed to consecrate them for divine service’ but they were
required to daily cleanse their hands and feet at the brazen laver before entering the
Tabernacle. Thus, the bronze laver symbolizes a believer’s relationship to Christ as his
Great High Priest, who offers daily cleansing so that he can perform the divine service to
which every believer has been called.
30:18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt
put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
30:18 Comments – Webster says a “laver” is “a large basin to wash. A basin is a round, wide,
shallow container.” The bronze laver was made from the mirrors that the women brought
out of Egypt (Exo 38:8). Therefore, the priests would have been able to see their reflection
when washing themselves in the laver.
Unlike the other articles and dimensions of the Tabernacle and its courtyard, the Lord gave
Moses no measurements on the building of the brass laver. As with various aspects of
particular details during the construction of the Temple, the Lord anointed the craftsmen and
allowed them to participate in its design.
30:19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
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30:20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die
not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever
to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
30:21 Comments - Earlier in Exodus 29:4, the priests were commanded to wash their entire body.
The total washing only took place once. Later, the priests only had to wash their hands and
feet. This act symbolized initial salvation and water baptism experience and later the daily
cleansing of our sins as believers, as we see in John 13:6-10, “Then cometh he to Simon
Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto
him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him,
Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part
with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my
head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean
every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”
30:22-33 The Holy Anointing Oil – Exodus 30:22-33 describes the contents of the holy anointing
oil.
Redemptive Message – The oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit throughout the
Scriptures. The holy anointing oil symbolized the need for the priests to walk in the
anointing. Its various ingredients symbolized the various aspects of the character and
anointings of the Holy Spirit.
30:22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet
cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and
fifty shekels,
30:24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
30:23-24 Comments - Five ingredients were combined together into the holy oil, they made a pleasant
fragrance. The ingredients were two parts myrrh, one part cinnamon, one part calamus, two
parts cassia, and three parts olive oil.
The Hebrew word (‫“ )מֹר‬myrrh” is used twelve times in the Old Testament. The ISBE says
myrrh is most likely “a stunted tree growing in Arabia, having a light-gray bark; the gum
resin exudes in small tear-like drops which dry to a rich brown or reddish-yellow, brittle
substance, with a faint though agreeable smell and a warm, bitter taste.” 84 Vine says, “The
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taste is bitter, and the substance astringent, acting as an antiseptic and a stimulant.” It is
probably this ingredient that causes the heat that is felt when this holy oil is applied to the
skin.
Myrrh had a number of uses in the Scriptures. It was used in the holy anointing oil of the
Tabernacle (Ex 30:23), and in perfumes (Ps 45:8, Provb 7:17, Songs 3:6), and in Esther’s
purification for the king (Esth 2:12). It was one of the gifts brought by the magi to baby
Jesus (Matt 2:11), was offered to Jesus while on the cross (Mk 15:23), and was prepared as
a spice in the burial of Jesus’ body (Jn 19:39).
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E. W. G. Masterman, “Myrrh,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Chicago: The
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It comes from a root verb that literally means, “to be bitter,” and figuratively, “to be grieved,
to be vexed.” Therefore, some preachers say that myrrh represents the sufferings of Christ;
some say it represents the office of the Apostle, as seen in the book of Acts.
The Hebrew word (‫“ )קָ נֶה‬calamus” is used twenty-eight times in the Old Testament.
The Hebrew word “cassia” (‫“ )קִ דָּ ה‬cassia” refers to a flowering plant that smells like
cinnamon. The ISBE says that it was an article of commerce, as we see in Ezekiel 27:19,
“Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus,
were in thy market.” Its inner bark resembled the cinnamon, and “it is probable that this is
Cassia lignea, the inner bark of Cinnamomum cassia, a plant growing in eastern Asia closely
allied to that which yields the cinnamon of commerce. It is a fragrant, aromatic bark and
was probably used in a powdered form.” It was probably imported from India. 85 P15F
It is of interest to note that when I was anointed with this combination of ingredients during
a service in August 2002, the oil produces a warm heat upon my skin.
30:25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the
apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
30:25 Comments - Josephus makes a reference to the holy anointing oil:
“Moses now purified the tabernacle and the priests; which purification was performed
after the following manner:—He commanded them to take five hundred shekels of
choice myrrh, an equal quantity of cassia, and half the foregoing weight of cinnamon
and calamus (this last is a sort of sweet spice); to beat them small, and wet them with an
hin of oil of olives (an hin is our own country measure, and contains two Athenian
choas, or congiuses); then mix them together, and boil them, and prepare them after the
art of the apothecary, and make them into a very sweet ointment; and afterward to take
it to anoint and to purify the priests themselves, and all the tabernacle, as also the
sacrifices.” (Josephus, Antiquities 3.8.3)
30:26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the
testimony,
30:27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
30:28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
30:29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be
holy.
30:30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto
me in the priest's office.
30:31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto
me throughout your generations.
30:32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the
composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
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E. W. G. Masterman, “Cassia,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Chicago: The
178
30:33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even
be cut off from his people.
30:34-38 The Incense – Exodus 30:34-38 describes the making of the incense.
30:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and
galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
30:34 Comments – The Hebrew (‫ )נָטָ ף‬means, “a drop, stacte” (Strong). Easton says it refers to a
fresh resin from the storax tree. 86
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30:35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered
together, pure and holy:
30:36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of
the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
30:37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the
composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
30:38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
31:1-11 The Appointment of Craftsmen for the Building of the Tabernacle – Exodus 31:1-11
records the Lord’s appointment of Bezaleel to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle. 87 P17F P
While the tribe of Levi was assigned the task of divine service in the Tabernacle, its
construction was assigned to Israelites from various tribes. Bezaleel was from the tribe of
Judah and his assistant Aholiab was a Danite.
Redemptive Message - It is important to note that God gave Moses general instructions on
the building of this Tabernacle and of the making of the priestly garments. However, God
left it up to the creativity of the craftsmen, being inspired under their anointing, to design the
details of each item they made. In the same way, God will give us instructions for our lives,
but He often allows us to make the decisions about many of the details as we are inspired by
the Holy Spirit each day.
31:2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship,
31:4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
31:4 Comments – The Hebrew word (‫ )חָ שַׁ ב‬literally means, “to think, meditate” (Gesenius), thus,
“to devise, invent” (HALOT). The Hebrew word (‫ )מַ חֲשָׁ בָ ה‬means, “an artificial work”
(Gesenius), “an invention” (HALOT).
God anointed Bezaleel so that he could “devise cunning works.” This phrase tells us that he
was going to build and carve and create a work that had never been done on earth before, a
work so beautiful and unique that it could only have come from the mind of God and
86
Matthew George Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography,
Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1893), s.v. “Stacte.”
87
Exodus 31:1-16 is repeated in Exodus 35:30-35.
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imparted to man by the Spirit of God. Bezaleel began to have “God ideas” on how to design
and construct the Tabernacle. These thoughts were inspired by the Spirit of God.
31:5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of
workmanship.
31:6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in
the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have
commanded thee;
31:7 The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is
thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
31:8 And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of
incense,
31:9 And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,
31:10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his
sons, to minister in the priest's office,
31:11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have
commanded thee shall they do.
31:12-18 Instructions Concerning the Sabbath Day – Exodus 31:12-18 describes the Law of the
Sabbath in which the Israelites were to rest on the seventh day from their works.
Redemptive Message - The author of the epistle of Hebrews deals with the “Sabbath rest”
that Christ has made available for the New Testament believer (Heb 4:1-11). Under the
Mosaic Law, the Israelites were to cease from their labours on the Sabbath day (Exo 31:12-
18). In the epistle of Hebrews, Israel failed to enter into the rest that God had provided for
them, so there remains a rest for the people of God.
31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a
sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that
doth sanctify you.
31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall
surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among
his people.
31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD:
whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout
their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai,
two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
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31:18 Comments – Exodus 31:18 contains the first testimony of a written language for the
children of Israel. One has to wonder in what language God wrote the first copy of the Ten
Commandments in stone. Moses evidently used this same text when inscribing the second
copy on stone after breaking the first. Archaeologists have confirmed the existence of
Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Sumerian cuneiform script at this time in biblical history,
both of which emerged in the late fourth millennium B.C. However, the time and place of
the origin of the Hebrew language remains unclear.
We believe that Moses wrote the Pentateuch using the twenty-two characters of the Hebrew
language during the period of Israel’s wilderness journeys, perhaps the fifteenth century
B.C. Douglas Petrovich believes that the Hebrew alphabet evolved from ancient
pictographs, which he has identified in a number of inscriptions of Egypt’s Middle
Kingdom, inscriptions that appear similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics. He approached these
pictographs as “proto-consonantal letters” from which the Hebrew alphabet evolved.
Equipped with these proto-Hebrew letters, he proposes translations for a number of
hieroglyphics inscribed on several ancient stones using proto-Hebrew letters. He concludes
that the Hebrew language is reflected in the world’s oldest alphabet. 88 Although his work is
controversial, he nonetheless provides a logical answer as to the origin of the Hebrew
alphabet. Although Egyptian hieroglyphics share some common shapes with proto-Hebrew
letters, the Israelites developed their own distinct alphabet that Moses used in writing the
Pentateuch.
32:1- 35 Israel’s Idolatry: The Golden Calf – Exodus 32:1-35 records Israel’s first act of idolatry
against the God of Israel as they make a golden calf to worship while Moses is on Mount
Sinai. Prior to entering into a covenant with the Lord, the children of Israel murmured and
complained in the wilderness, but God dealt with them in His infinite grace and patience.
However, in Exodus 24:1-18 they made a covenant with the Lord ratified with blood
saying, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedience.” (Ex 24:7)
Redemptive Message – Under the old covenant, God dealt with sin by requiring instant
judgment rather than grace and forgiveness. Therefore, God judged His children when they
built the golden calf by having the sons of Levi slay the men of Israel. The Law was holy
and righteous and good as Paul the apostle writes, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good.” (Rom 7:12) However, it could not make the
children of Israel holy and good. The Law could only exposed their sins (Rom 7:7-13, Gal
3:19-24). Under the new covenant in Christ Jesus, grace and truth reign over judgment. We
can find forgiveness of sins at the foot of the Cross. However, Paul warns the church against
various forms of idolatry, knowing that such intentional behavior can remove one from the
grace of Christ (1 Cor 10:1-14).
32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people
gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before
us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is
become of him.
32:1 Comments - The people needed to put their eyes on the Lord, and not on a leader. We need
to be led by the Spirit of the Living God Almighty. Amen!
88
Douglas Petrovich, “Hebrew as the World’s Oldest Alphabet: Palaeography and Translation of the Proto-
Consonantal Inscriptions of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (Sinai 115, Wadi el-Hol 1 and 2, and the Lahun Bilingual
Ostracon),” Annual Meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research, San Antonio, November 17, 2016,
accessed 5 December 2016; available from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/oldest-alphabet-identified-hebrew;
Internet.
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We find a reference to Exodus 32:1 in Acts 7:40, “Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go
before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what
is become of him.”
32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of
your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them
unto Aaron.
32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a
molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt.
32:4 “And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had
made it a molten calf” - Comments - Aaron built the calf that the people requested. He
sinned before Moses and died before him in the wilderness.
32:4 “and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt” - Comments - So quickly did the Israelites forget God, even after His appearance on
Mount Sinai in Exodus 19-20. Evidently, many of the Israelites had embraced pagan
Egyptian polygamy.
32:5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To
morrow is a feast to the LORD.
32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings;
and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
32:6 Comments – The apostle Paul dealt with this problem of eating, drinking, and making merry
as a dishonour to the Lord in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
Paul then refers to Exodus 32:6 in 1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some
of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of
the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
32:7 Comments - In other words, God denied them by saying to Moses, “your people.”
32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them
a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O
Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
32:8 Comments - The apostle rebuked the Galatians for so quickly moving away from the Gospel
in Galatians 1:6, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel.”
32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
32:9 “a stiffnecked people” - Comments - God speaks the facts as He sees them by calling the
Israelites “a stiffnecked people.” God is a jealous God, His name is Jealous.
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32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume
them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
32:10 Comments – The Lord makes a similar statement in Numbers 14:12, “I will smite them with
the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than
they.”
32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against
thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a
mighty hand?
32:11 Comments – Moses offers up one of the greatest intercessory prayers in the Bible. Other
great intercessors have been Abraham praying for Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jesus Christ
receiving in His own body the sins of the world.
32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against
thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a
mighty hand?
32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay
them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath,
and repent of this evil against thy people.
32:11-12 Comments - Moses denied the people also and said “God's people”.
32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self,
and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have
spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
32:14 Comments - God, His purpose and character does not change, but His way of dealing with
people does change in different dispensations. God kept His Word (verse 13).
32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in
his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they
written.
32:16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the
tables.
32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a
noise of war in the camp.
32:17 Comments - Joshua was a man of war. He had just defeated the children of Amalek and was
thinking about battles.
32:18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them
that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
32:18 Comments – It was not the sound of winning or losing a battle, but the sound of a party.
32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the
dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath
the mount.
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32:19 Comments - The Scriptures record several occasions when Moses displayed negative
actions as a result of his anger. All of these actions resulted in consequences in the life of
Moses. Moses’ anger at the abuse of his people moved him to murder an Egyptian in
Exodus 2:11-12, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went
out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an
Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that
there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.” Moses was angry with
Pharaoh in Exodus 11:8, “And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow
down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after
that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.” Moses was angry with
the children of Israel in Exodus 16:20, “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses;
but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was
wroth with them.” God commanded Moses to speak to the rock; but in his anger, he smote
the rock twice in Numbers 20:11, “And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote
the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their
beasts also.” This cost Moses his trip into the Promised Land according to Numbers
20:12, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to
sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this
congregation into the land which I have given them.”
32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder,
and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
32:21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a
sin upon them?
32:22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are
set on mischief.
32:23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
32:23 Comments - Stephen the martyr cites Exodus 32:23 in Acts 7:40, “Saying unto Aaron,
Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of
Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”
32:24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I
cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
32:24 Comments - We try to make our wrong sound minimum when we have to confess our
faults.
32:25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their
shame among their enemies:)
32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come
unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his
side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and
every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
32:27 Comments - Moses was carrying out God’s commandments, which he was given in Exodus
22:20, “He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly
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destroyed. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the
land of Egypt.”
32:28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that
day about three thousand men.
32:29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son,
and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
32:30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin:
and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
32:31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and
have made them gods of gold.
32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which
thou hast written.
32:32 Comments – In Exodus 32:32 Moses mentions the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Holy
Scriptures mention different types of heavenly books, giving us a glimpse into the library of
Heaven itself. For example, the Book of Life is mentioned most frequently which records
those names that have an eternal place in heaven. We find also the Book of the Lord which
records God’s divine judgment for the nations and for Israel. We find a book written
specifically for the redemptive work of the Messiah. We even find books that record the
deeds of the wicked and a book of remembrance of the deeds of the righteous. Finally, we
find that God has a book written about the life and destiny of each of His children in this
heavenly library.
The Lamb’s Book of Life - We are most familiar with the Book of Life which records the
names of all those who have an eternal place in heaven. This book is mentioned by Moses,
by the psalmist, by the prophets Isaiah and Daniel, by Jesus Christ Himself, by the apostle
Paul, but most frequently by the apostle John in the book of Revelation: Exodus 32:32-33,
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book
which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against
me, him will I blot out of my book.” Deuteronomy 9:14, “Let me alone, that I may destroy
them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier
and greater than they.” Deuteronomy 29:20, “The LORD will not spare him, but then the
anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are
written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under
heaven.” Psalms 69:28, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written
with the righteous.” Isaiah 4:3, “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he
that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the
living in Jerusalem.” Daniel 12:1, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall
be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Luke 10:20,
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven.” Philippians 4:3, “And I intreat thee also, true
yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also,
and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.” Hebrews 12:23,
“To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Revelation 3:5, “He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out
of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
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written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation
17:8, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,
and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that
was, and is not, and yet is." Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise
enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a
lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Revelation 22:19, “And if any
man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in
this book.”
The Book of the Lord’s Divine Judgments - One heavenly book is called the Book of the
Lord, in which God’s redemptive plans of divine judgments for the Gentile nations are
recorded, as we read in Isaiah 34:16, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no
one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his
spirit it hath gathered them.”
There is a heavenly book written that records the divine judgments specific to the nation of
Israel, as we read in Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, “And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto
me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written
within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto
the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said
unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.
Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.”
There is a book written that records the specific events of the Great Tribulation Period, as
we read in Revelation 5:1-9, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a
book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” In addition, there is a
little book given to the apostle John which records additional judgments during the Great
Tribulation Period, as we read in Revelation 10:1-11, “And he had in his hand a little book
open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. . . And I took the
little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and
as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy
again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
The Book of the Messiah - There is a heavenly book written about the life and mission of the
Messiah, which I will call the Book of the Messiah, as we read in Psalms 40:7-8, “Then said
I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my
God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” This book is mentioned in the New Testament in
Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do
thy will, O God.”
The Books of the Deeds of the Wicked - Not only is there a Book of Life, but there are
heavenly books that record the deeds of the wicked, as we read in Revelation 20:12, “And I
saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another
book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.” Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore,
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come
from the presence of the Lord.”
The Book of Remembrance – The books that record the deeds of the wicked suggest that
there are books that record the deeds of the righteous, who must stand before the Judgment
Seat of Christ and give an account of their lives, as we see implied in Nehemiah 13:14,
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“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have
done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.” The books that record the deeds
of the righteous may be the same as the Book of Remembrance mentioned in Malachi 3:16,
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and
heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD,
and that thought upon his name.”
Books that Record Men’s Destinies - One aspect of God’s intimate knowledge of us is that
fact that He has written a book about our individual lives before we were born. According to
Kevin Zadai, there are individual books in heaven that record God’s plan of redemption for
each person’s life. He is the architect of our spiritual journey and destiny. The angels are
able to read these books and look at our individual plans in divine service. There are angels
assigned to our lives to bring to pass the events written in the specific book about our
lives. 89 Thus, the psalmist says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained
for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Ps 139:16) (NIV) These
books of individual lives are mentioned again in Psalm 56:8, “Thou tellest my wanderings:
put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” Perhaps these books are titled
by our individual names, since each person has their own heavenly book in this royal
library. In fact, this is exactly what we see taking place when Mary K. Baxter is escorted by
an angel to the gates of Heaven. Her heavenly guide approached the two angels guarding
these gates to discuss the guest that he was bringing from earth. She writes:
“As I watched the angels of the Lord, I could hear some of the conversation they were
having. One of them went inside the gate and returned almost immediately with a small
volume. The book had a gold cover, and the printing inside was also of gold. It seemed
to be a book about my life’s history. My name was stamped on the cover.” 90
32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my
book.
32:33 Comments - This is a clear example of people losing their salvation.
32:34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold,
mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
32:35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
32:35 Comments – The children of Israel partook of pagan idolatry while in Egypt, but they were
not judged by the Lord for such behaviour. Instead, those Israelites who did intercede for
their people moved His hard with compassion. Now, the children of Israel were in covenant
with the Lord, and the terms and conditions of how the Lord dealt with them has changed.
Sin brought immediate judgment under the Mosaic Law, and the Lord was obligated to
uphold His responsibilities in this covenant by sending a plague as judgment.
33:1-11 God Limits His Presence to the Tabernacle of Meeting – In Exodus 33:1-11, the Lord
limited His presence before the children of Israel to the Tabernacle of Meeting because of
their sins.
89
Kevin Zadai, The Agenda of Angels (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2019), 9, 61, 182-
183, 203.
90
Mary K. Baxter, A Divine Revelation of Heaven (New Kensington, Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1998),
18-19.
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Redemptive Message – The Lord will not dwell in the midst of sin. The New Testament
believer does find grace as he learns to overcome sins. But such carnal behaviour limits
God’s work of grace in him and through him in ministering to the body of Christ.
33:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast
brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
33:2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the
Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
33:3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a
stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
33:3 Comments - God will not dwell in the midst of sin, lest His wrath consume them. Therefore,
Moses intercedes to God for Israel’s sins in Exodus 32:31-32; 33:13-15; 34:9.
33:4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his
ornaments.
33:5 For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people:
I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy
ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
33:6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and
called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the
LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
33:7 Comments - Note that the Tabernacle was patterned from a vision on the mount, but a
temporary tent was built until it was constructed.
33:8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and
stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
33:9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood
at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
33:9 Comments - Moses stood inside the Tabernacle and the glory cloud descended without, like
Moses in the cleft of rock (Ex 33:22-23).
33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up
and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he
turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of
the tabernacle.
33:11 Comments - The Lord did not speak to Moses with dreams and visions as He did with the
prophets. He spoke to him audibly as a man hears the voice of another man speaking. God
originally intended to talk with man face to face in the Garden, for He walked with Adam in
the Garden in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). However, the Fall hindered this method and
caused God to seek ways of speaking to men. From then on, He spoke to men with dreams
and visions.
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33:12-34:35 Moses Meets the Lord on Mount Sinai – Exodus 33:12-34:35 records the story of Moses
ascending upon Mount Sinai and seeing the Lord.
Redemptive Message – In Exodus 34:1-28 God called Moses back up to Mount Sinai to
renew His covenant with the children of Israel. Upon his return from the mount, the face of
Moses shone bright so that the Israelites feared to look upon him. Therefore, he shielded his
face from them. Paul discusses the symbolic meaning of Moses’ vail in 1 Corinthians 3:6:18
when comparing the old covenant with the new one. Paul says the vail represents the
blindness of the heart of Israel in rejecting the First Coming of Jesus Christ. The brightness
may symbolize the fact that the second covenant is more glorious than the second, since this
was the second writing of the Ten Commandments, the first having been broken.
Moses Sees God’s Glory - Note these insightful words by Sadhu Sundar Singh.
“Man also has a natural desire that he should see Him in whom he believes and who
loves him. But the Father cannot be seen, for He is by nature incomprehensible, and he
who would comprehend Him must have the same nature. But man is a comprehensible
creature, and being so cannot see God. Since, however, God is Love and He has given
to man that same faculty of love, therefore, in order that that craving for love might be
satisfied, He adopted a form of existence that man could comprehend. Thus He became
man, and His children with all the holy angels may see Him and enjoy Him (Col. i.15,
ii.9). Therefore I said that he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father (John xiv.9-10).
And although while in the form of man I am called the Son, I am the eternal and
everlasting Father (Isa. ix.6).”91
33:12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast
not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast
also found grace in my sight.
33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may
know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
33:13 Comments - In an earthly relationship, a person only opens up himself to a true friend in
whom he has come to love and trust. So, does God wait for us to seek Him and be faithful
until He is able to trust us with His presence. The Lord called Paul the apostle and gave him
His anointing after he was found faithful, as we see in 1 Timothy 1:12, “And I thank Christ
Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry.” Only then will the Lord begin to open up our understanding into a deeper
relationship with Him. This intimate relationship is not for those who are show to seek the
Lord in their lives. He reserves His secrets for those who seek Him with passion.
In Exodus 33:13 Moses knows that he cannot perform God’s will of taking the land of
Canaan without God’s presence. In this passion, God reveals Himself in a way that no other
person has seen God. God shows to Moses “the way” by first telling him to hew out two
more tablets of stone. God then gives Moses the Ten Commandments and explained that if
he would follow these laws, he would prosper in the way in which God was guiding him.
33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
33:15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
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Sadhu Sundar Singh, At the Master’s Feet, trans. Arthur Parker (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1922),
20.
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33:15 Comments - Once Moses had experienced the presence of God on the Mount he did not
want to be without it. He wanted God’s presence with him everywhere he went.
33:16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not
in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are
upon the face of the earth.
33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast
found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
33:18 Comments - Benny Hinn teaches that when Moses asked to see God’s glory, it was
immediately after he had been on the mount for forty days. He could ask this question and
receive a positive reply from the Lord because there was nothing else left of Moses’ flesh.
He had crucified his flesh during those forty days and had nothing left of this world’s
desires. He has emptied himself of earthly desires and his passion was now for fellowship
with the Father. Moses had paid the price and received his reward, for God did pass before
Him. 92
33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the
LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I
will shew mercy.
33:19 Comments – The apostle Paul cites Exodus 33;19 in Romans 9:15, “For he saith to Moses, I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion.”
33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
33:21 Comments - Jesus is our rock who allows us to stand before God by grace.
33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock,
and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
33:22 Comments - Figuratively speaking, God places us in the “clift of the rock” through Christ
Jesus so that we can enter into God’s presence, lest we be consumed at God’s presence
because of our sins. Jesus is our rock.
The Scriptures record other accounts of men standing in the presence of God. Moses stood
in the tent in behalf of the children of Israel as their intercessor and spoke with God face to
face (Ex 33:9-11) and Elijah stood on Mount Horeb and experienced the presence of God (1
Kgs 19:33).
33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be
seen.
34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write
upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
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Benny Hinn, This is Your Day (Irving, Texas), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California),
television program.
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34:2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself
there to me in the top of the mount.
34:3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount;
neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
34:4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning,
and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables
of stone.
34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of
the LORD.
34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no
means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's
children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
34:6-7 Comments – The Lord’s divine character as a God of love is mentioned again in Numbers
14:18, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and
transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among
us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine
inheritance.
34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have
not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the
work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
34:11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite,
and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
34:12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou
goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
34:12 Comments – The children of Israel failed to heed this warning when they made a covenant
with the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:14-15, “And the men took of their victuals, and asked not
counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league
with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.”
34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
34:14 Comments – The apostle Paul refers to God’s divine nature of jealousy in 1 Corinthians
10:22, “Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?”
34:15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their
gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
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34:16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their
gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
34:17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
34:18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I
commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
34:19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep,
that is male.
34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then
shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear
before me empty.
34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest
thou shalt rest.
34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of
ingathering at the year's end.
34:23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
34:24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man
desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.
34:24 “go up to appear before the Lord thy God” - Comments - Perhaps God’s presence would
come into the Temple when all Israel went to Jerusalem for the Passover. The Jews
continued this practice during the time of Jesus, as we see in John 2:13, “And the Jews'
passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem”
34:25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast
of the passover be left unto the morning.
34:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
34:27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I
have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor
drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony
in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face
shone while he talked with him.
34:30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone;
and they were afraid to come nigh him.
34:31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto
him: and Moses talked with them.
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34:32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that
the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
34:33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34:34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came
out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
34:35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses
put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
35:1-39:43 The Building of the Tabernacle – In Exodus 35:1-39:43, Moses gives the children of Israel
instructions in the building of the Tabernacle.
(1) The Institution of the Sabbath Rest 35:1-3

(2) Offerings Given to Build the Tabernacle 35:4-29
(3) Moses Calls Bezalel and Aholiab to Lead Construction 35:30-6:1
(4) Moses Hands Over the Offerings for Construction 36:2-7
(5) Construction of the Curtains 36:8-38
(6) Construction of the Ark of the Covenant 37:1-9
(7) Construction of the Table of Shewbread 37:10-16
(8) Construction of the Lampstand 37:17-24
(9) Construction of the Altar of Incense 37:25-28
(10) The Anointing Oil and Incense 37:29
(11) Construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering 38:1-7
(12) Construction of the Bronze Laver 38:8
(13) Construction of the Hangings of the Court 38:9-20
(14) Inventory of Construction Materials 38:21-31
(15) Making of Priestly Garments 39:1
(16) Making of the Priestly Ephod 39:2-7
(17) Making of the Priestly Breastplate 39:8-21
(18) Making of Priestly Robe, Tunic, Turban, & Crown 39:22-31
(19) The Tabernacle Handed Over to Moses 39:32-43
35:1-3 The Institution of the Sabbath Rest – In Exodus 35:1-3 Moses institutes the observation
of the Sabbath rest. He is about to give them instructions and endorse the construction of the
Tabernacle. In the midst of this busy project, the Israelites were accountable to rest on the
Sabbath day from this work.
35:1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them,
These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath
of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
35:4-29 Offerings Given to Build the Tabernacle – In Exodus 35:4-19 Moses gives instructions
concerning the offerings needed to build the Tabernacle. In Exodus 35:20-29 the children of
Israel return to him with more offerings than needed to build.
Redemptive Message - We see the divine principle of sowing and reaping in Exodus 35:4-
29. Note that God wanted them to give their best, not leftovers, but the most valuable
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possessions they owned. In return, God would give them the Promised Land, full of
cultivated fields and livestock, homes and buildings so that they could immediately receive
an income once they entered the land. This became an economic advantage for the children
of Israel over their neighbours in that they had cultivated the strong work ethics while in
Egyptian bondage, and understood how to manage fields and livestock. They did not have to
wait for a year in order to receive a harvest. God wants us to give our best, and in return, He
give us His best.
(a) Moses Asks Israel to Give for the Tabernacle 35:4-19

(b) Israel Responds by Giving Abundantly 35:20-29
35:4-19 Moses Asks Israel to Give for the Building of the Tabernacle – In Exodus 35:4-19,
Moses asks the children of Israel to give with a willing heart for the construction of the
Tabernacle.
35:4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing
which the LORD commanded, saying,
35:5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him
bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
35:5 Comments - God could have commanded everyone to give a certain portion for the building
of the Tabernacle, but God wanted a cheerful giver with a willing heart, as we see in Exodus
25:1-9. The apostle Paul picks up on this divine principle when teaching the Corinthians
about giving in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
35:6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
35:7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
35:8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
35:9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
35:10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
35:11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and
his sockets,
35:12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
35:13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,
35:14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
35:15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the
hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
35:16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and
his foot,
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35:17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the
court,
35:18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
35:19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and
the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
35:20-29 Israel Responds by Giving to the Offering Abundantly – Exodus 35:20-29 describes how
the children of Israel responded in a positive manner by giving more than enough to build
the Tabernacle and its accessories.
35:20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made
willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and
for all his service, and for the holy garments.
35:22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets,
and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering
of gold unto the LORD.
35:23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats'
hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.
35:24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering: and
every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
35:25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which
they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
35:26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
35:27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
35:28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose
heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be
made by the hand of Moses.
35:30-36:7 Moses Calls Bezalel and Aholiab to Lead Construction – In Exodus 35:30-36:7 Moses
appoints Bezalel and Aholiab to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle.
Redemptive Message – As the New Testament believer steps into the ministry of helps in his
local church, the Lord anoints him to the degree of his service. We must not take such an
anointing lightly, because our faithful to divine service brings greater anointings and
blessings to us and those around us.
35:30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the
son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
35:31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship;
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35:32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
35:33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of
cunning work.
35:34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of
the tribe of Dan.
35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of
the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and
of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
35:31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship;
35:32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
35:33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of
cunning work.
35:34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of
the tribe of Dan.
35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of
the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and
of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
36:1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put
wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary,
according to all that the LORD had commanded.
36:2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD
had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
36:3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the
work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings
every morning.
36:4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work
which they made;
36:5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of
the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
36:6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp,
saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the
people were restrained from bringing.
36:7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
36:8-37:29 Construction of the Articles of the Inner Sanctuaries – Exodus 36:8-37:29 records the
construction of the articles of the inner sanctuaries, namely the curtain that hung before the
Holy of Holies, the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, the altar of
incense, and the anointing oil and incense.
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(a) Construction of the Curtains 36:8-38

(b) Construction of the Ark of the Covenant 37:1-9
(c) Construction of the Table of Shewbread 37:10-16
(d) Construction of the Lampstand 37:17-24
(e) Construction of the Altar of Incense 37:25-28
(f) The Anointing Oil and Incense 37:29
36:8-38 Construction of the Curtains – Exodus 36:8-38 records the construction of the curtains of
the Tabernacle.
36:8 And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten
curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made
he them.
36:9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four
cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
36:10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one
unto another.
36:11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling:
likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
36:12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was
in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
36:13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so
it became one tabernacle.
36:14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made
them.
36:15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the
eleven curtains were of one size.
36:16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
36:17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops
made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
36:18 And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
36:19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins
above that.
36:20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
36:21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
36:22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the
boards of the tabernacle.
36:23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
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36:24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for
his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
36:25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty
boards,
36:26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another
board.
36:27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
36:28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
36:29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he
did to both of them in both the corners.
36:30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every
board two sockets.
36:31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
36:32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of
the tabernacle for the sides westward.
36:33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
36:34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars,
and overlaid the bars with gold.
36:35 And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims
made he it of cunning work.
36:36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks
were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
36:37 And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
twined linen, of needlework;
36:38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with
gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
37:1-9 Construction of the Ark of the Covenant – Exodus 37:1-9 records the construction of the
ark of the covenant that was placed behind the veil in the Holy of Holies.
37:1 And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a
cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
37:2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round
about.
37:3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the
one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
37:4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
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37:5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
37:6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one
cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
37:7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of
the mercy seat;
37:8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the
mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
37:9 And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy
seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.
37:10-16 Construction of the Table of Shewbread – Exodus 37:10-16 records the construction of
the table of showbread that was placed in the Holy Place.
37:10 And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the
breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
37:12 Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold
for the border thereof round about.
37:13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the
four feet thereof.
37:14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
37:15 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
37:16 And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls,
and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
37:17-24 Construction of the Lampstand – Exodus 37:17-24 records the construction of the
lampstand that was placed in the Holy Place.
37:17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft,
and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
37:18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one
side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
37:19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three
bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches
going out of the candlestick.
37:20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
37:21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a
knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
37:22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
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37:23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
37:24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
37:25-28 Construction of the Altar of Incense – Exodus 37:25-28 records the construction of the
altar of incense that was placed in the Holy Place.
37:25 And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of
it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
37:26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the
horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
37:27 And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the
two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
37:28 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
37:29 The Anointing Oil and Incense – Exodus 37:29 records the making of the anointing oil
and incense.
37:29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work
of the apothecary.
38:1-20 Construction of the Articles of the Outer Court – Exodus 38:1-20 records the
construction of the articles of the outer court, namely, the altar of burnt offering, the laver,
and the hangings to mark the outer court.
Here is a propose outline:
(a) Construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering 38:1-7

(b) Construction of the Bronze Laver 38:8
(c) Construction of the Hangings of the Court 38:9-20
38:1-7 Construction of the Altar of Burnt Offering – Exodus 38:1-7 records the construction of
the altar of burnt offering that was placed before the entrance of the Tabernacle.
38:1 And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and
five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
38:2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and
he overlaid it with brass.
38:3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the
fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
38:4 And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the
midst of it.
38:5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
38:6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
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38:7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar
hollow with boards.
38:8 Construction of the Bronze Laver – Exodus 38:8 records the construction of the bronze
laver that was placed before the entrance of the Tabernacle.
38:8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women
assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
38:9-20 Construction of the Hangings of the Court – Exodus 38:9-20 records the construction of
the hangings of the outer curtains of the court.
38:9 And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine
twined linen, an hundred cubits:
38:10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their
fillets were of silver.
38:11 And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and
their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
38:12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the
hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
38:13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
38:14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets
three.
38:15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen
cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
38:16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
38:17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver;
and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
38:18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits,
answerable to the hangings of the court.
38:19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the
overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
38:20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
38:21-31 Inventory of Completed Articles of the Tabernacle – Exodus 38:21-31 records the
inventory made of the vast amount of material after the items were constructed.
38:21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted,
according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to
Aaron the priest.
38:22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD
commanded Moses.
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38:23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning
workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
38:24 All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of
the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the
sanctuary.
38:25 And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a
thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
38:26 A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one
that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three
thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
38:26 Comments – The bekah (‫)בּקַ ע‬, ֶ ֫ being derived from the Hebrew verb (‫“ )בָּ קַ ע‬to divide,” was
the weight of a half shekel silver coin. 93 This word is used twice in the Old Testament, both
P123F P
time referring to a weight (Gen 24:22, Exo 38:26). In recent years, archaeologist have
discovered a small, white stone with the Hebrew word “bekah” inscribed upon it, as well as
an ancient Hebrew half shekel coin. This “bekah” weight was used to authenticate that each
man was giving a true half shekel to the sanctuary.
38:27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of
the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
38:28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and
overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
38:29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
38:30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the
brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
38:31 And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of
the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.
39:1-31 Making of the Priestly Garments – Exodus 39:1-31 records the making of the priestly
garments, namely, the ephod, the breastplate the robe, the tunic, the turban, and the crown.
(a) The Clothes Used for the Priestly Garments 39:1

(b) Making of the Priestly Ephod 39:2-7
(c) Making of the Priestly Breastplate 39:8-21
(d) Making of Priestly Robe, Tunic, Turban, & Crown 39:22-31
39:1 The Clothes Used for the Priestly Garments – Exodus 39:1 records the making of the
priestly garments.
39:1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy
place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
93
Michael Carasik, transl. and ed., Exodus: Introduction and Commentary, in The Commentators’ Bible, first
edition (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2005), 328, Logos.
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39:2-7 Making of the Priestly Ephod – Exodus 39:2-7 records the making of the priestly ephod.
39:2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the
purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
39:4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
39:5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work
thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
39:6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the
names of the children of Israel.
39:7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the
children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
39:8-21 Making of the Priestly Breastplate – Exodus 39:8-21 records the making of the priestly
breastplate.
39:8 And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
39:9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span
the breadth thereof, being doubled.
39:10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this
was the first row.
39:11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
39:12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
39:13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their
inclosings.
39:14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their
names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
39:15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
39:16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of
the breastplate.
39:17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
39:18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on
the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
39:19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the
border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
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39:20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath,
toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the
ephod.
39:21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue,
that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed
from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
39:22-31 Making of Priestly Robe, Tunic, Turban, and Crown – Exodus 39:22-31 records the
making of the priestly robe, tunic, turban, and crown.
39:22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
39:23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round
about the hole, that it should not rend.
39:24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and
twined linen.
39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of
the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
39:26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to
minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
39:27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
39:28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined
linen,
39:29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the
LORD commanded Moses.
39:30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the
engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
39:31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD
commanded Moses.
39:32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the
children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
39:32-43 The Tabernacle Handed Over to Moses – Exodus 39:32-43 records the handing over of
the Tabernacle to Moses upon the completion of its construction.
39:33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his
boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the
covering,
39:35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
39:36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
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39:37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the
vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
39:38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the
tabernacle door,
39:39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
39:40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his
cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
39:41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest,
and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.
39:42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had
commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
40:1-38 The Consecration of the Tabernacle – Exodus 40:1-38 records the consecration of the
Tabernacle.
40:2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the
congregation.
40:3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
40:4 And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it;
and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
40:5 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the
hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
40:6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of
the congregation.
40:7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put
water therein.
40:8 And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
40:9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt
hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
40:10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar:
and it shall be an altar most holy.
40:11 And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
40:12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and wash them with water.
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40:13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he
may minister unto me in the priest's office.
40:14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in
the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their
generations.
40:16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
40:17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the
tabernacle was reared up.
40:18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof,
and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
40:19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon
it; as the LORD commanded Moses.
40:20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the
mercy seat above upon the ark:
40:21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the
ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
40:22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward,
without the vail.
40:23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:24 And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of
the tabernacle southward.
40:25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
40:26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
40:27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
40:28 And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
40:29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the
congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded
Moses.
40:30 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to
wash withal.
40:31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
40:32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they
washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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40:33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of
the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the
tabernacle.
40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode
thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
40:36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward
in all their journeys:
40:37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the
sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
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Gen 1:1-2:3—Predestination (The Creation Story)
Gen 2-11—The Calling of the Seventy Nations

Gen 12-50—The Calling of Israel as a Nation
Israel’s Theocracy
Exodus—Deliverance (Justification) & Doctrine
Leviticus—Divine Service
APPENDIX 1: THEMATIC SCHEME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Numbers—Perseverance: Persecutions
Deuteronomy—Perseverance: False Doctrines
Joshua-Judges—Israel’s Glorification (Rest) & Failure

Ruth – Predestination of the Davidic Lineage
God’s Plan of Redemption for the Nation of Israel

1 Samuel – Calling of the Davidic Lineage
(Rom 15:1, 1 Cor 6, 11)
Israel’s Monarchy
2 Samuel – Justification of the Davidic Lineage
The Acts of God

Foreknowledge of God The Father 1-2 Kings – Doctrine of the Kingdom & Redemption in Davidic Lineage
Serve the Lord with all thine heart, mind, and strength (Deut 6:4-6)
1-2 Chronicles – Divine Service of Israel & Redemption in Davidic
Lineage
208
Ezra – Perseverance of Israel (Persecution)
Nehemiah – Perseverance of the Israel (False Doctrine)
Esther – Glorification of the Davidic Lineage
Proverbs – The Mind Job – Our Example

Poetry of Israel The
Heart of God
Ecclesiastes – The Body Lamentations – Our Example
Songs – The Heart Psalms – Our Example
Isaiah – Jesus’ Role in Hosea, Amos, Jonah,

The Times of the Gentiles
Israel’s Redemption Micah

Prophecy of Israel
The Mind of God
(1 Pet 1:10-11)
Jeremiah – The
Daniel
Nahum, Zephaniah,
Father’s Role in
Obadiah, Habakkuk
Israel’s Redemption
Ezekiel– The Spirit’s

Haggai, Zechariah,
Role in Israel’s
Malachi, Joel
Redemption
Matthew – Testimony of Scripture
Mark - Testimony of Christ’s miracles
of God
Luke – Testimony of John & others
Acts - Testimony of Apostles
John - Testimony
of Jesus as the Son
Ephesians – His
Role
Philippians - Our
of the Father
Role
Foreknowledge
Colossians –- His
Role
Christ
Galatians –- Our
Thru Jesus
Justification
Role
(Rom. 8:28-30)
1&2
Church Epistles - Doctrine

Thessalonians –-
His Role
Spirit
by Holy
Romans - Justification thru God the Father
209
1 & 2 Corinthians
Sanctification
–- Our Role
1 & 2 Timothy – Role of Our Spirit
Justification in Jesus Christ

Titus – Role of Our Mind
Foreknowledge of God The Father

Pastoral
Epistles -
& Discipline
Church Order
Philemon - Role of Our Body
Hebrew – The High Priesthood of

Jesus Christ
James – Our Sanctification by the
Holy Spirit
(1 Pet. 1:2)
Persecutions
From Without
Sanctification by the Holy Spirit - New Testament Epistles

1 Peter – Our Divine Election by
God the Father
APPENDIX 2: THEMATIC SCHEME OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
the Faith
2 Peter - Mind
1, 2, 3 John - Spirit
False
Doctrines
From Within
General Epistles - Perseverance in
Jude - Body
Glorification of the The Book of Revelation

Church
APPENDIX 3: CENTRAL IDEAS FOR SERMON PREPARATION
“An exegetical outline displays a passage’s thought flow; a homiletical outline

organizes a preacher’s explanation, development, application,
and communication of a passage’s truths.” 125
(Bryan Chapell)
The introductory material of this bible commentary searches for the theological framework of the book in
order to identify the author’s thought flow, allowing for more accurate exegesis of the biblical text. The
following collection of central ideas of the text has come out of this research to aid the preacher in sermon
preparation. The three-fold sets of central ideas in this collection attempt to identify the ideas the writer
intended for his original readers (exegetical ideas), the enduring and timeless doctrinal statements that
remains true throughout history (theological ideas), and the Gospel’s call towards men for a particular
response to the text (homiletical ideas). As such, the following exegetical, theological, and homiletical ideas
provide an outline that endeavours to shape the flow of thought of the biblical text into messages that can be
clearly communicated to a modern audience. In this way, the preacher/teacher of this book of the Bible can
lead his audience towards the intended destination of the author. 126 These central ideas are an effort to
understand what the author meant to say to his original recipients and to communicate this message to a
modern audience.
Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures defines ‘exegetical idea’ as the main idea of a block, a section, a
subsection, or a pericope of the text within the theological framework of a book that best expresses what the
writer intended for his original readers. Therefore, this idea is written using verbs in the past tense. For
example, the exegetical idea of Matthew 1:1-2:12 says ‘The Old Testament Scriptures testify that Jesus
Christ was predestined to be the Messiah, having fulfilled the Messianic prophecies concerning His
humanity, deity, and Davidic kingship’.
Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures defines ‘theological idea’ as the primary theme of a block, a section, a
subsection, or a pericope of the text within the theological framework of a book that best reflects and
supports its primary theme. The theological idea is an enduring and timeless, doctrinal statement that
remains true throughout history. Therefore, this idea is written using verbs in the present perfect tense. This
idea uses the evidence of the exegetical idea to reflect the primary theme of the book. For example, the
theological idea of Matthew 1:1-2:12 says ‘Because He has proven to be both fully man and fully God,
destined to reign as Lord over all (secondary theme), Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Son of God
(primary theme)’.
Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures defines ‘homiletical idea’ as the imperative theme of a block, a section, a
subsection, or a pericope of the text within the theological framework of a book that best reflects the
125
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching – Redeeming the Expository Sermon (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2005), 129.
126
The advantage of this three-fold approach to biblical studies has been recognized by the authors of
Theologisch-homileticsches Bibelwerk: Die Heilige Schrift. Alten und Neuen Testaments mit Rücksicht auf das
theologisch-homiletische Bedürfniss des pastoralen Umtes in Berbindung mit namhasten evangelischen Theologen
(Bielefeld: Belhagen und Klasing, 1857-77), edited by Johann Peter Lange. This work was later translated into English
as A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical with special reference to ministers and
students in twenty-five volumes (Edinburgh: T & T. Clark, 1865-80) under the general editorship of Philip Schaff. The
commentary notes in this series are divided into the same three categories: (1) exegetical and critical, (2) doctrinal and
ethical, and (3) homiletical and practical. Later biblical commentary series can be grouped into three major categories:
critical, devotional, and homiletical. These groups also reflect the exegetical-theological-homiletical approach used in
Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures.
210
required response of the reader. The homiletical idea reflects the Gospel’s call towards men for a particular
response based upon the theological idea. This idea best expresses what the book means for today’s readers.
Therefore, this idea is written using verbs in the present tense. For example, the homiletical idea of Matthew
1:1-2:12 says, ‘Because Jesus is the Son of God (primary theme), as testified through His predestined birth
as the Messiah (secondary theme), the Gospel calls men to place their faith in Jesus Christ as both the Son of
man and Son of God, destined to reign as Lord over all (imperative theme)’.
This collection of central ideas provides a theme-based approach for crafting exegetical studies on a book
into a cohesive, text-driven, expository sermon series with a clear destination for its hearers. This approach
to the biblical text follows the book’s theological framework, which is the key to avoiding fragmentation.
Crafting sermons around the book’s framework aids the expository preacher in the delivery of a sequence of
connected sermons/teachings with a clearly defined destination for the hearers. 127
A sermon series requires theological cohesion at its macro and micro-levels if the expository preacher is to
take his congregation on the spiritual journey shaped from a book of the Bible. Each sermon of this spiritual
journey should continually echo the book’s central theme within its theological framework throughout the
series. A clear, central theme supported by secondary themes allows the congregation to follow the
preacher’s messages as he leads them toward the spiritual transformation specific for that book. Therefore,
an individual sermon text should hinge upon the central idea of its context, and this context should reflect
the theological framework of the book itself. 128
In addition, the preacher should design the sermon series within the Christocentric framework of the
Scriptures themselves. Specifically, the book’s theological framework should support the central theme of
the book itself, as well as the overarching theme of the major division of the Bible into which it is placed.
Therefore, every sermon should reflect an aspect of the central theme of the book, and this central theme
must fit properly within the theme of its major division in reflecting the overarching, Christocentric theme of
the Holy Scriptures. 129 In order to design a sermon series into this type of cohesive unity at all levels, the
preacher needs a theological, or theme-based approach that effectively identifies the central ideas at the
macro-level as well as micro-level of the book’s sermon pericopae. 130
This approach allows the text-driven preacher to follow the book’s theological framework when preparing
sermon outlines that reflect a clear and focused set of connected messages. He is able to develop a sermon
series that clearly navigates through the biblical text and presents a clear destination for the congregation.
This theme-based approach serves to bridge the gap between exegesis and homiletics by revealing a book’s
theological framework. A book’s theological framework is the ‘bridge’ between exegesis and homiletics.
127
Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical
Theology to Expository Preaching (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), xiv. Graeme
Goldsworthy says, “In my experience the preaching of a series of sermons, say, from an epistle, easily leads the
preacher to fragmentation. . . .” He says fragmentation disconnects Paul’s doctrinal message in the first part of the
epistle from his practical message in the last part.
128
For this reason, homileticians recommend reading the entire book numerous times in several versions in
preparation for exegesis of its individual passages.
129
Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 57. Jerry Vines and Jim
Shaddix echo the view of modern, conservative biblical hermeneutics by saying, “From beginning to end, the Bible has
one overarching theme: the redemption of God’s creation.”
130
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching—Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 2nd edition (Grand Rapids:
Baker Academic, 2005), 16. Bryan Chapell discusses the need for preachers to find a place for each passage of
Scripture in “the historical sweep of God’s redemptive plan.” He believes a preacher will find more success in
preaching sermons as he discovers the redemptive message of Scriptures at both the micro and macro-levels.
211
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Testaments mit Rücksicht auf das theologisch-homiletische Bedürfniss des pastoralen Umtes in
Berbindung mit namhasten evangelischen Theologen. Bielefeld: Belhagen und Klasing, 1857-77.
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Rawlinson, George Exodus, 2 vols. In The Pulpit Commentary. Eds. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph Exell.
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Davis, John J. Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studies in Exodus, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
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Easton, Matthew George. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography,
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Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee. London: Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, 1862.
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Interpretation. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, c2006.
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Hayes, John H. and Carl A. Halloday, Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook, revised edition.
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Articles
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Dissertations and Research Papers
Bain, Bruce Alan. “Literary Surface Structures in Mark: Identifying Christology as the Purpose of the
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Sermons and Teachings
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Old, Hughes Oliphant. “The Reading and Preaching of Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church.”
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Parr, Windell. “Sermon.” Calvary Cathedral International, Fort Worth, Texas.
216
Gary Everet t received his Mast er of Divinit y ( 1992) and

Doct or of Minist ry ( 2015) degrees from Sout hwest ern Bapt ist
Theological Sem inary. He served as a past or for fiv e y ears
and t aught in Bible college for t en years.
Since 1997, he has served as t he st at ion m anager of

Light house Television, locat ed in Kam pala, Uganda, an
affiliat e of Trinit y Broadcast ing Net work. The st at ion is owned
by Calvary Cat hedral I nt ernat ional in Fort Wort h, Tex as, and
t he chairm an of t he board and president of Light house
Television is Dr. Robert B. Nichols.
Gary served seven years as t he direct or of t he Joy ce Mey er

Minist ries out reach in Uganda. He current ly serves on t he board of direct ors of Andrew
Wom m ack Minist ries Uganda.
Gary is t he aut hor of St udy Not es on t he Holy Script ures, a 10,000 page com m ent ary on t he
Holy Bible, published by Logos Bible Soft ware, e- Sword, t he Word, Bible Analyzer, as well as
an online version at St udyLight .org. St udy Not es is also available along wit h his serm ons and
t eachings on his websit e www.geveret t .org. His com m ent aries are also available at
ht t ps: / / swbt s1.academ ia.edu/ GaryEveret t .
Gary was m arried t o Menchu in 1996. They have four children, t hree of whom were born and
raised in Uganda.

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STUDY NOTES ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

Using a Theme-based Approach

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

© Gary H. Everett, 1981-2022

The Three-Tiered Thematic Scheme Shaping the Book of Exodus:

Foundational Theme – The Lord God is the One, True God

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

Structural Theme (1) – God Redeemed the Children of Israel

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods:

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS .................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS1

II. Historical Background

LITERARY STYLE (GENRE)

1. Life Setting – Discussions on the occasion

II. Genre and Characteristics of the Book

False Doctrines from within

Leviticus – Divine Service

Persecutions from without

Predestination (The Creation Story)

Thematic Scheme of the Pentateuch

II. Literary Structure

The Pentateuch Central Claim (Deut 6:4-5)

The Thematic Arrangement of the Old Testament

Predestination Genesis - The Creation Story

The Thematic Arrangement of the New Testament

Predestination Genesis 1:1-2:3

The Thematic Arrangement of the Hexateuch

The Three-Tiered Theological Framework for the Book of Exodus

Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Deliverance) 1:1-2:22

The Super-Structure for the Book of Exodus

Christological-Redemptive Symbolism in the Pentateuch – Christological-Redemptive symbolism is

The Theological Framework of the Books of the Bible

The Super-Structure of the Book of Exodus

The Macro-Structure of the Book of Exodus

Here is a proposed summary:

5th Commandment (Ex 20:12) - Honour father and mother.

d) Instructions to Build the Tabernacle (Ceremonial Laws) (24:9-31:18) – In Exodus 24:9-31:18

(a) An Introductory Description of the Garments of the Priesthood (28:1-4) – Exodus

In addition, a number of New Testament Scriptures allude to this sweet-smelling sacrifice as

III. Outline of the Literary Structure

Note the proposed outline for the book of Exodus:

1. The Prologue (The Setting for Israel’s Exodus) 1:1-2:22

(5) The Fourth Plague of Flies 8:20-32

3. Israel’s Indoctrination (Giving of Laws and Statutes) 19:1-40:38

(c) The Breastplate of Judgment 28:15-30

Here is a proposed outline:

a) Jacob and His Clan Move to Egypt 1:1-7

1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

1:3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

1:4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Redemptive Message – Symbolism in Exodus 1:8-22 allows us to compare the hardships of

Here is a proposed outline:

a) Moses’ Divine Commission 2:23-4:17

2:23- 25 Comments - God hears the cry of His children.

There is no virtue in activity as such – neither in inactivity. I minister to thee in solitude

6:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Here is a proposed outline:

(a) Aaron’s Rod becomes a Serpent 7:8-13

Divine Judgment as a Call to Repentance and Justification through Faith in God -