EXODUS: BEHOLD OUR GOD

The book of Exodus continues the story that began in Genesis. In Genesis, God created man. Man rebelled against God. God promised to send a ’Seed’ of a woman who would rescue man from his fallen state. God chose Abraham from all the people of the world to make of him a great nation. The ‘Seed of a woman’ would be one of Abraham’s descendants. The book of Genesis ends with Abraham’s descendants migrating to Egypt.

Exodus starts with Abraham’s descendants, (the Israelite - God’s chosen people) growing in number and being enslaved by a new Pharaoh. The Israelites cried out and God raised Moses to lead them out of Egypt after mighty signs and wonders. God led them into the wilderness. God gave his people rules and regulations, including the ten commandments to govern them. God also gave Moses detailed instructions to build a mobile worship Tabernacle.

Exodus ends with God’s presence dwelling with His people. When Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle,

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“Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For THE CLOUD OF THE LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR JOURNEYS.” (Exodus 40)

 

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness with God providing and leading them to a land where they would settle. God’s intention was to REVEAL HIMSELF to them and to the rest of the world. Eventually God’s self-revelation would come from a virgin descendant of King David, a descendant of Abraham, ‘the seed of the woman’, a saviour would be born - Jesus of Nazareth. This is the ultimate promised rescuer of man from sin.