The Heart of God: Exodus through Joshua (2)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Exodus 12-15.
Like the flood, the deliverance from Egypt represented an act both of God’s judgment and His deliverance. We see Him moving against the sins of hardened people and for the welfare of His people. At the same time, we see Him covering the sins of His people through an act of sacrifice. Here is another type of Jesus to come.

For reflection
1.  Summarize the specific details of the sacrifice which was to be prepared for the Passover. What do we learn from this about the nature and role of sacrifice when it comes to protecting God’s people from His wrath?

2.  In view of this, why is John the Baptist’s comment in John 1.29 important for our understanding of Christ and His role in God’s economy and covenant?

3.  The Passover was designed to link Israel’s past with her present and future. How can you see this, especially in Exodus 15.1-17? Why is it important that God’s people have such a perspective? How did this seem to affect their confidence as they began moving toward the land of promise (vv. 14-17)?

4.  Meditate on Romans 9.16-18. What does Israel’s deliverance from Egypt reveal about the glory of God?

5.  Meditate on Exodus 15.22-27. At this point, Israel didn’t really have any commandments or statutes from God, except to follow Moses out of Egypt. How can you see that God was preparing His people for the next stage of development of His covenant? What does this suggest about how we must pursue the promises of God’s covenant?

Summary
God delivered His people from Egypt by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. He showed His glory both in His strong love for them and His powerful wrath against their enemies. And He began preparing them for the next stage in the development of His covenant relationship with them. What are we learning about the role of faith in the life of God’s covenant people from Exodus?

Closing Prayer
He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
For He remembered His holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.

Psalm 105.37-42

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your God develops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.