THE BOOK OF EXODUS
INTRODUCTION AND ISRAEL IN BONDAGE
——by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison
Exodus 1:1-22
Memory Verse: 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.”
I. INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS.
The title of this Book is derived from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
A. The Author.
1. The Holy Spirit is the author:
a. Not by the will of man, 2 Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
b. It was given by inspiration of God, 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
2. Moses the human writer.
a. The testimony of God, Exodus 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.” Exodus 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.”
b. The testimony of God to Joshua, Joshua 1:7-8, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
c. The Testimony of Christ, Mark 12:26, “And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?”
1) The Lord’s testimony regarding Moses, Luke 20:37, “Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
2) The Lord’s testimony concerning himself in Moses’ writings to the men on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:27, 44, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
B. It’s Place in the Old Testament Canon.
1. MOSAIC (The Law)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
2. HISTORY
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
I Samuel
II Samuel
I Kings
II Kings
I Chronicles
II Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Ester
3. POETIC
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Soloman
4. PROPHETIC
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
C. Its Place in the Pentateuch.
1. The first five books were written by Moses and they are called the Pentateuch, (Greek = pentateuchos, ‘five-volumed [book]’) and they are also known as the ‘five-fifths of the law’.
2. It is evident that these five books form one narrative.
The FIRST Hebrew WORD of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is a conjunction. It is a conjunction, such as our “AND,” and is used to connect the narrative to the previous book. —ELB.
3. The first six verses of Exodus tie it effectively to Genesis, Exodus 1:1-6.
C. The Purpose of Exodus.
1. Exodus means “GOING OUT” or “the way out,” and thus it describes Israel’s “going out” of Egypt, 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.”
2. It is the Book of REDEMPTION, Exodus 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.
a. It records the redemption of Israel FROM Egyptian bondage, Deuteronomy 7:8, “But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
b. It teaches that redemption is NECESSARY, if a person is to have A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with a holy God.
c. It teaches that a redeemed people MUST BE CONSTANTLY CLEANSED from defilement, in order TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP with God.
d. According to W. H. Griffith Thomas, it presents REDEMPTION in THREE ASPECTS:
1) The SOURCE and INSTRUMENT of Redemption – God THROUGH Moses, (chapters. 1 to 6).
2) The NEED and FACT of Redemption – BONDAGE and PASSOVER, (chapters. 7 to 12).
3) The OUTCOME and OBJECT of Redemption – SALVATION, SEPARATION, and SERVICE, (chapters. 13 to 40).
D. The Types of Exodus.
1. The PERSON types: Moses and Aaron — TYPES of Christ, Hebrews 3:1-2, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”
2. The PLACE types:
a. Egypt, a type of the WORLD.
b. The Red Sea, a type of POWER.
3. The THING types.
a. LAMB—-redemption by Christ.
b. HERBS—-discipline.
c. PILLAR—-protection.
d. MANNA—-bread of life, Christ.
e. ROCK—-Christ.
f. TABERNACLE—-of Christ and the presence of God.
4. The HISTORY type, 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 11- 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.”
E. The OUTLINE of Exodus. (J. Sidlow Baxter)
1. The Exodus. Ch. 1-18.
a. Projected, Ch. 1-4.
b. Obstructed, Ch. 5-11.
c. Effected, Ch. 12-18.
2. The Law, Ch. 19-24.
a. Commandments, (Moral).
b. Judgments, (Social).
c. Ordinances, (Religious).
3. The Tabernacle, Ch. 25-40
a. Designed, Ch. 25-31.
b. Delayed, Ch. 32-34.
c. Completed, Ch. 35-40.
II. ISRAEL IN THE LAND OF BONDAGE Chapter 1:1-22
The events between the death of Joseph and the call of Moses and their deliverance from Egyptian bondage seems to have been around 198 years.
A. Israel in Egypt, vv. 1-6.
1. These verses form the connecting link with the book of Genesis, vv. 1-6.
2. The names of the Israelite households, vv. 1-5. How did they get there? They came with Jacob the CARNAL man, NOT Israel the SPIRITUAL man.
3. The termination of that generation, v. 6.
B. Israel’s Multiplication and the Resulting Bondage, vv. 7-14.
1. Their great increase, v. 7; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 15:5-6; Genesis 22:16-18.
2. A NEW king’s EVALUATION of them, vv. 8-9. Acts 7:18, “Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.” A new king. Probably Rameses Miamum, or his son Amenophis, who succeeded him about this period; and by his not knowing Joseph is meant his not acknowledging his obligation to him. —Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge. He had not known Joseph and greatly feared the strength of Israel. Why did they stay so long in Egypt?
a. They suffered because they mistreated Joseph, Matthew 23:32, “Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.”
1) Their sins were coming to maturity, 1 Thessalonians 2:16, “Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”
01. Later generations despised Moses’ Law, Hebrews 10:28, “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:”
02. They disrespected the Lord Jesus Christ, Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
2) Sin will always be found out, Numbers 32:23, “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”
b. The iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full, Genesis 15:16, “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”
c. In order for Israel to multiply and be strong, Genesis 46:3, “And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:”
d. That they might gain the good wisdom of Egypt and not the bad, Acts 7:22, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”
2. He did not trust their loyalty, v. 10. Their number included 600,000 men in Exodus 12:37, “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.”
3. He determined to suppress their numbers and strength by bondage, v. 11. The world always HATES the people of God, John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” Proverbs 12:10, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
4. The more they were afflicted, the more they increase, v. 12; Acts 12:1-2, 24, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.”
5. Their affliction increased without accomplishing the desired results, vv. 13-14.
Philo in the above place says, the king not only compelled them to servile works, but commanded them heavier things than they could bear, heaping labours one upon another; and if any, through weakness, withdrew himself, it was judged a capital crime, and the most merciless and cruel were set over them as taskmasters. —John Gill’s Expositor.
C. Pharaoh’s Attempt to Destroy the Males, vv. 15-22.
1. The midwives ordered to kill the male babies, vv. 15-16.
a. There is more cruelty in the corrupt heart of man than one would imagine, Romans 3:15, “Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:”
b. Pharaoh and Herod sufficiently proved themselves agents for that great red dragon, Revelation 12:3-4, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”
2. The midwives’ disobedience, v. 17; Proverbs 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” The king’s command was wrong and they were right to disobey.
a. The midwives hated the evil, Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
b. Jonathan refused to kill David, as his father Saul ordered, 1 Samuel 19:1-5.
c. The three Hebrew children disobeyed Nebuchadnezzar when he demanded they worship the golden image, Daniel 3:18, “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
d. The Apostles disobeyed the Sanhedrin when they commanded them not to preach in the name of the Lord Jesus, Acts 4:18, “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
3. The king rebukes the midwives, v. 18.
4. The explanation of the midwives, v. 19.
5. God’s blessing on the midwives, vv. 20-21; 1 Samuel 2:30, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
6. The king’s cruel command to all the people, v. 22.
D. Lessons from this Chapter:
1. God’s power — increase of Israel.
2. God’s purpose — preservation of Israel.
3. God’s plan — severe discipline for Israel.
If Pharaoh’s plan had been successful, then he would have DESTROYED ISRAEL and there could have been NO BIBLE, and NO PROMISED SEED. There would have been NO CHRIST. Satan tried this many times, beginning with the murder of Abel.
For other attempts, see: Exodus 14; 2 Chronicles 21:4, 17; 22:10; Esther 3:6, 12-13; Matthew 2:13-18.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY
1. How many chapters does Exodus contain?
2. What is the meaning of Exodus?
3. Who is the Author of Exodus?
4. Who was the writer?
5. If the writer was not Moses, how does this affect the word of Christ?