For this week, read Exo 1:1-22,
Exod 1:1–7
The opening verses of the book of Exodus provide the narrative backdrop for the events to follow in Exod 1–19. The descendants of Jacob (or Israel) have been in Egypt for generations. By the time they leave Egypt, they will have spent 430 years there (Exod 12:40–41). Since the date of their arrival in Egypt is uncertain, this chronological clue only provides a rough approximation. The exodus most likely occurred sometime in the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 BC). The two best options for the narrative’s historical setting are mid-15th century BC and early 13th century BC. ---Faithlife Study Bible [1]
Although most translations do not include it, the book of Exodus begins with the Hebrew conjunction usually translated “and.” This connects Exodus with the events that concluded Genesis.
the sons of Israel
See Gen 29:31–30:24; Gen 46:5–27.
See Gen 29:31–30:24; Gen 46:5–27.
who came to Egypt
This opening verse indicates that the narrative of Exodus is a continuation of the story of Abraham’s descendants that began in Gen 12–50. By the end of Genesis, Abraham’s grandson Jacob (also known as Israel) has moved his family to Egypt due to famine (Gen 45:5–8). The story of Exodus picks up many years later with the descendants of Israel living under Egyptian rule.[2]
This opening verse indicates that the narrative of Exodus is a continuation of the story of Abraham’s descendants that began in Gen 12–50. By the end of Genesis, Abraham’s grandson Jacob (also known as Israel) has moved his family to Egypt due to famine (Gen 45:5–8). The story of Exodus picks up many years later with the descendants of Israel living under Egyptian rule.[2]
The Second Book of Moses CalledEXODUS
Author In the New Testament Jesus calls Exodus “the book of Moses” (Mark 12:26; cf. Mark 7:10), and there are no compelling reasons to deny the Mosaic authorship of the book (Introduction to the Pentateuch: Author and Date).
The title of the book, “Exodus,” is derived from the Greek word exodos (Luke 9:31), which means “exit” or “departure.” The book takes its name from the central event of Israel’s departure from Egypt, recorded in the book’s first fifteen chapters.
Date and Occasion Given Moses’ authorship of Exodus, we should date the book after the exodus event (c. 1450–1440 B.C.) and before his death about 1406 B.C. According to the dating below, Moses’ birth would have just fallen within the reign of Thutmose I. Hatshepsut, the widowed queen of Thutmose II, assumed male titles and even a beard as she reigned from 1504–1483 B.C. Perhaps she was the Pharaoh upon whose death Moses returned to Egypt from Midian.
Exodus carries forward the story of God’s fulfillment of His promise to Abraham to bless him and make of him a great nation (Gen. 12:2). It begins by referring to the descent of Israel into Egypt (1:1–7); this connects through Gen. 46:8–27 with the Genesis narratives. The book concludes with Israel at Sinai where the tabernacle is completed. The events covered in the book may be placed against their historical background as follows.
Joseph’s rise to power (1:5) is best set in the favorable conditions for Jacob’s family created by the rule over Egypt of the Semitic Hyksos (c. 1700–1550 B.C.). The reference at 1:8 to a new king “who did not know Joseph” likely refers to the expulsion of the Hyksos by the eighteenth dynasty founder Ahmosis I (1570–1546 B.C.). If the Exodus is dated c. 1450–1440 B.C. (Interpretive Difficulties below), the Pharaoh of the oppression was probably Thutmose I (1526–1512 B.C.), while the Pharaoh of the Exodus was Thutmose III (1504–1450 B.C.) or Amenhotep II (1450–1425 B.C.). This dating would allow a possible identification of the incoming Israelites with the Habiru, a group mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna letters (correspondence between Egypt and its Syro-Palestinian vassals during the fourteenth century B.C.). The Habiru were a social or occupational class commonly attested in texts from 2000 B.C. onwards. They were political outcasts in Palestine (Gen. 14:13 note).
The written preservation of the words of God’s covenant has central importance for the theology of the Book of Exodus. God not only speaks His words to His assembled people at Sinai, He also gives them His Ten Commandments in writing, “written with the finger of God” on tablets of stone (31:18; cf. 32:15, 16; 34:1, 28). The terms of the covenant were further specified by the so-called “Book of the Covenant” (20:22–23:19), the words of God written down by Moses, the mediator of God’s covenant (24:4, 7; 34:27).
The Sinai covenant (19:1–20:21; ch. 24) resembles in both form and content the state treaty form of the second millennium B.C., particularly the Hittite state treaties. These treaties included a preamble (20:2), stipulations (20:3–17), ratification (24:1–11), and blessings and curses. A copy of the treaty was often preserved at the sanctuaries of the parties (e.g., the two tablets of 31:18). Also, the similarity of the content of the case laws of chs. 21–23 to ancient Near Eastern codes (particularly the Code of Hammurabi of Babylon, c. 1750 B.C.) has often been noted.
Interpretive Difficulties The date and route of the Exodus have been subjects of considerable debate. Biblical chronology dates the exodus event at 480 years before the reign of Solomon (1 Kin. 6:1). This would place the event at about 1440 B.C. This early date is consistent with Judg. 11:26, which declares that three hundred years had elapsed since Israel entered Canaan. The c. 1440 B.C. date is also supported by 12:40, 41, where 430 years is the duration of Israel’s stay in Egypt. The Pharaoh of the Exodus would then be Thutmose III or Amenhotep II.
Advocates of a much later date appeal to the name “Raamses” (or “Rameses,” Gen. 47:11) as one of the store cities built with Israelite labor (1:11). Rameses II (1304–1236 B.C.) is taken to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, and the approximate date set at 1270 B.C. This is held to be more consistent with the archaeology of cities destroyed in Palestine and with the lack of earlier settlement in Transjordan (the region east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea). However, more recent discoveries in Transjordan and a new evaluation of the destruction of Jericho have weakened the case for the late date.
The route of the Exodus began at Rameses. Its exact location is the subject of considerable debate, though modern Qantir is the site most favored (Tell el-Daba). From there the Hebrews journeyed south to Succoth (13:20). Here, apparently unable to move on, the Hebrews turned northward (14:2). Three sites are mentioned, Baal Zephon, Migdol, and Pi Hahiroth. Baal Zephon is associated with Tahpanhes, bordering Lake Menzaleh, one of the salt lakes between the Mediterranean and Gulf of Suez. There were three possible routes of Israelite escape. The “way of the land of the Philistines” (13:17) connected Egypt with Canaan by the heavily fortified coastal route. A second route, the way of Shur, began near the Wadi Tumilat in the Delta area, crossed to Kadesh Barnea, and branched off to Canaan. The Egyptian boundary wall of Shur may have been a major obstacle to this route. In leading the people south to southern Sinai, the Lord not only brought them to the mountain He had designated to Moses, but distanced them from further contact with the Egyptians. The deliverance through the sea may have been on a southern extension of Lake Menzaleh.
The Sinai peninsula is a triangle of land measuring approximately 150 miles across at the top and 260 miles along the sides. Two arms of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, flank it. The Hebrews proceeded south along the west coast of the Sinai. The bitter waters of Marah (15:22–25) are usually identified with Ain Hawarah (some forty-five to fifty miles south of the tip of the Gulf of Suez), but Ain Musa may be the correct location. Elim with its many springs and trees has been identified as Wadi Gharandel, the encampment by the Red Sea (Num. 33:10), about seven miles south of Ain Hawarah. The wilderness of Sin would best be identified with Debbet er-Ramleh, a sandy plain along the edge of the Sinai Plateau. If the traditional location of Mount Sinai as Jebel Musa is correct, Israel would have then turned inland by a series of valleys to Jebel Musa, traveling through the desert of Rephidim, where they fought against the Amalekites (17:8–16). Rephidim was the last encampment in the wilderness of Sinai before the sacred mountain. Then they proceeded to Mount Sinai (ch. 19) where they received the law.
Characteristics and Themes Several major themes are evident in the Book of Exodus. First, it tells how the Lord liberated Israel from Egypt to fulfill His covenant with the fathers. A second major element of the book is the covenant revelation at Sinai, which specified the terms of relationship between the holy God and His people. The third theme issues from the first two and is their consummation: the reestablishment of God’s dwelling with man. Each of these themes involves a triumph of divine grace: God’s mighty rescue of His people from slavery in Egypt, His thunderous self-revelation at Sinai, and His gracious condescension to dwell with His erring people in the tabernacle. The unfolding of these themes also reveals the Lord’s holiness and grace in His covenant law and in the ceremonial symbolism of Israel’s life and worship.
Crucial to the narrative is Moses’ role as mediator between God and man. As God’s chosen servant, Moses is the mediator of judgment against Egypt, and is the one through whom God delivers Israel. Through Moses God gives His revelation at Sinai. Moses also shepherds the people through the wilderness to the Promised Land. He pleads for the people, and he is the one through whom the Lord provides food and water. But Moses’ role in the history of redemption prepares pointedly for Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant (Deut. 18:15). The revelation that Moses receives of God’s name “abounding in goodness and truth” (34:6) justifies the building of the tabernacle, but that description of the Lord points forward to the coming of the true tabernacle, the incarnate Christ, the greater Servant of the Lord (John 1:14, 17; Heb. 3:1–6).
God’s law reveals His holy nature and requires holiness of the people among whom God will dwell. The ceremonial regulations for Israel’s life and worship (chs. 25–31; 35–40) mark out the separation of Israel as the people among whom God lives and rules, demonstrating His kingdom before the nations.
In addition to its description of the historical events by which Israel was delivered to become God’s people, Exodus also presents a major illustration of God’s saving work throughout history. The savior God redeems His chosen people from the powers of evil, judges those powers, and claims His people as His firstborn son, a holy nation of priests among whom He dwells by His Spirit. The pattern of divine victory over enemies, followed by the establishment of the divine dwelling place, is repeated in Christ’s first and second advents (e.g., Eph. 2:14–22; Rev. 20:11–22:5).
The symbolism found in Exodus becomes reality in the new covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1). The sprinkled blood of animal sacrifice is now replaced by the blood of Christ (24:8; Matt. 26:27, 28; Heb. 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:2). The symbolic substitution of the Passover lamb is fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, our Passover sacrifice (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). His “exodus” at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31) accomplishes the salvation of the true people of God. God’s new covenant people are joined to Jesus Christ, in whom the Gentiles become the people of God, members of the commonwealth of Israel and fellow citizens with the Old Testament saints (19:5, 6; Eph. 2:11–19). The full meaning of the description of Israel in Exodus may now therefore be applied to the churches of the Gentiles (1 Pet. 2:9, 10).❑
Outline of Exodus
I. God Delivers His People: The Exodus (1:1–15:21)
A. God in Faithfulness Remembers Israel (chs. 1; 2)
B. God Calls Moses to Deliver Israel (3:1–4:26)
C. Pharaoh Rejects God’s Demand (4:27–7:13)
D. God’s Judgment Against Egypt (7:14–10:29)
E. God Delivers Israel from Egypt (11:1–13:16)
F. God Saves Israel at the Red Sea (13:17–15:21)
II. God Leads His People: The Wilderness Testing (15:22–18:27)
A. Marah to Elim: God Brings Healing (15:22–27)
B. Wilderness of Sin: God Provides Food (ch. 16)
C. Rephidim: God Provides Water (17:1–7)
D. Rephidim: God Provides Protection (17:8–16)
E. Mountain of God: God Provides Organization (ch. 18)
III. God and Israel Enter into Covenant (chs. 19–24)
A. Preparations for the Covenant (ch. 19)
B. God Proclaims the Covenant (chs. 20–23)
C. Israel Ratifies the Covenant (ch. 24)
IV. God Reveals the Pattern of the Tabernacle and Its Ministry (chs. 25–31)
A. The Tabernacle, Courts, and Furnishings (chs. 25–27)
B. The Priestly Ministry (chs. 28–30)
C. Artisans for the Tabernacle Construction (31:1–11)
D. Sign of the Covenant and the Tablets (31:12–18)
V. Israel’s Rebellion, Judgment, and Restoration (32:1–34:35)
A. Israel’s Idolatrous Worship (32:1–6)
B. Israel Judged for Idolatry (32:7–29)
C. God Threatens to Withdraw His Presence from Israel (32:30–34:9)
D. God Renews His Covenant (34:10–35)
VI. Israel’s Artisans Prepare the Tabernacle (chs. 35–39)
A. Israel Admonished to Remember the Sabbath (35:1–3)
B. Freewill Offerings for the Tabernacle (35:4–29)
C. Craftsmen Called to Begin the Work (35:30–36:17)
D. The Curtains, Boards, and Veils are Made (36:8–38)
E. The Furnishings are Fashioned (37:1–38:8)
F. The Courtyard is Made (38:9–20)
G. Summary: Treasurer’s Report (38:21–31)
H. The Priestly Garments Are Sewn (39:1–31)
I. The Work Completed (39:32–43)
VII. Israel’s Artisans Erect the Tabernacle (ch. 40)
A. Instructions for the Tabernacle Erection (40:1–16)
B. Moses Supervises the Raising of the Tabernacle (40:17–33)
C. God’s Glory Fills the Tabernacle (40:34–38)
§ 1:1–4 Exodus and Genesis are linked by this introduction (Gen. 46:8–27). God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled by Israel’s fruitfulness (Gen. 12:2).
§ 1:5 seventy. See notes Gen. 46:15–27. The number going into Egypt is sometimes given as seventy-five (text note; Acts 7:14), with the difference due to who is counted. The Septuagint text (the Greek Old Testament) adds five of Joseph’s further male descendants, yielding a total of seventy-five. With women and children the total number was over 150.
§ 1:7 multiplied … exceedingly. The terms “fruitful,” “multiplied,” and “the land was filled” remind us of Gen. 1:26–28. Israel fulfills the mandate given to humankind in Gen. 1. The land was probably the land of Goshen in northeastern Egypt, in the Wadi Tumilat in the Delta, a valley 30 to 40 miles long (cf. Gen. 47:4).
§ 1:8–22 God’s multiplication of Israel leads to their oppression by the Egyptians.
§ 1:8 a new king. The beginning of a new era is marked off by the advent of a new Pharaoh. This Pharaoh may have been Ahmosis I (1570–1546 B.C.) of the eighteenth dynasty, who expelled the Hyksos, the Semitic rulers of Egypt from about 1700–1550 B.C. (Introduction: Date and Occasion; Acts 7:18 note).
§ 1:11 Pithom and Ramses. These cities for storing agricultural provisions and military supplies were located in the strategic Nile Delta region. Pithom was probably located at modern Tell er-Ratabah or Tell el Maskhutah, and Ramses is identified as modern Qantir. This item comes too early in the oppression cycle to be identified as the work of Ramses II (1304–1236 B.C.) who is often identified as the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Introduction: Interpretive Difficulties; Gen. 47:11 note). The only other Pharaoh with the necessary forty years’ reign was Thutmose III (1504–1450 B.C.). By the nineteenth dynasty the term “Pharaoh” (Egyptian for “great house”) became a royal title. Earlier it was a synonym for governmental authority.
§ 1:14 bitter. The bitter oppression of Egypt was later commemorated by the bitter herbs of the Passover meal (12:8).
§ 1:15 Hebrew. See note Gen. 14:13.
midwives. Two midwives to serve such a large population seem far too few; they may have been guild leaders. Their names are Semitic and v. 15 identifies them as Israelite.
§ 1:16 birthstools. These consisted of two stones upon which women in labor squatted[3].
§ 2:2 beautiful child. Moses was a healthy child and likely to survive. Jesus Christ, antitype of Moses and founder of the new Israel, was also born under an edict of death and miraculously spared in Egypt (Matt. 2:13–23).
§ 2:3 ark of bulrushes. A box of woven papyrus reeds, daubed with tar to make it watertight (cf. Job 9:26 text note; Is. 18:2). Moses is perhaps depicted as a second Noah—the Hebrew term translated ark is used for Noah’s craft in Gen. 7–9. Sargon of Accad (c. 2350 B.C.) was said to have been exposed in a similar chest and left to float in the Euphrates.
§ 2:5 daughter of Pharaoh. Some suppose that this princess became the famous Hatshepsut, the queen of Thutmose II who ruled Egypt after his death (1504–1483 B.C.).
§ 2:10 Moses. This name is Semitic (text note), though perhaps it was compatible with Egyptian Mose meaning “is born” (e.g., Thutmose, meaning “Thut is born”). There is evidence that Semitic names were not uncommon in the royal court, and it is possible that the child was given a Semitic name by the princess. He was educated in the Egyptian court as a promising young noble (Acts 7:22).
§ 2:11–15 Now forty years old (Acts 7:23), Moses identifies himself with God’s people (Heb. 11:24–27). His effort to deliver an Israelite from oppression proves vain when he seeks to be a judge of Israel (v. 14).
§ 2:15 Midian. Probably the name of an early tribal confederacy operating in the Arabian desert. The nomadic Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1–6; Num. 10:29–32; Judg. 6).
§ 2:16 drew water. The women did the difficult task and then were driven off.
§ 2:17 helped them. This was Moses’ third intervention in defense of the weak. Nomadic strife over water rights was common.
§ 2:18 Reuel. The name means “Friend of God.” Moses’ father-in-law was known by two names: Reuel and Jethro (3:1; 4:18). Jethro and Reuel may be variant names, or Reuel a clan name.
§ 2:22 Gershom. See text note. Moses had not forgotten his Egyptian home. Yet he will lead Israel from Egypt to the homeland of the people of God.
§ 2:23 groaned … cried out … came up. Israel’s anguished cry is balanced by a fourfold description of God’s response. God “heard … remembered … looked upon … acknowledged” (vv. 24, 25). This summary prepares for the call of Moses and underscores the book’s theme of divine faithfulness to the covenant promises.[4]
Exo 3:1-22.
§ 3:1 desert. An uncultivated area but capable of sustaining grazing. According to 34:3 and Num. 10:11, the desert of Sinai sustained Israel’s flocks for a year. Horeb and Sinai are terms that possibly distinguish Horeb as an entire range from Mt. Sinai (19:18, 20; cf. Deut. 4:15).
mountain of God. This term describes the mountain as a sanctuary, a designation that anticipates ch. 19. Moses is now eighty years old (7:7) and has been in Midian forty years.
§ 3:2 Angel of the LORD. This was a theophany, a visible manifestation of God (v. 4). See note Gen. 16:7.
fire. A frequent biblical symbol for God’s presence (13:21; 19:18; Gen. 3:24; 1 Kin. 18:24, 38); it particularly expresses His all-consuming holiness (Heb. 12:29).
§ 3:3 bush. A real bush was illumined with supernatural fire. God is transcendent, but reveals Himself in the bush to call Moses.
§ 3:5 holy. The spot was made sacred by God’s presence. See 19:23; 24:2. The question of how to approach the holy God is central for Exodus. It is resolved in the symbolism of the tabernacle.
§ 3:6 God of your father. God remembers His covenant promises to the patriarchs and identifies Himself as their God. See Gen. 26:24; 28:13; 31:42; 32:9.
§ 3:8 Canaanites. The inhabitants of the Syro-Palestinian coastland.
Hittites. See note Gen. 10:15.
Amorites. See note Gen. 10:16.
Moses’ Flight and Return to Egypt.
Being sought by Pharaoh for the slaying of an Egyptian, Moses fled through the Sinai desert and settled in the land of Midian. In the vicinity of Horeb, located by tradition in the Sinaitic Peninsula, Moses was tending the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law. Here God revealed Himself in the burning bush and called Moses to go back to Egypt. Returning to Jethro in Midian, Moses gathered his family and began the journey to Egypt. He met Aaron at Horeb, and together they returned to Pharaoh’s court in Ramses.
Perizzites. Possibly the peasantry located in central Palestine (Josh. 17:15).
Hivites. See note Gen. 10:17.
Jebusites. The original occupants of Jerusalem, later dispossessed by David (Gen. 10:16 note; 2 Sam. 5:6–9).
§ 3:10 Pharaoh. Probably Thutmose III (1504–1450 B.C.). See Introduction: Date and Occasion.
§ 3:11 Who am I. Moses felt inadequate for the task, as did Gideon (Judg. 6:15) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6). This is the first of his four objections (v. 14; 4:1, 10).
§ 3:12 sign. God’s call will be confirmed by His future action. God will be with Moses to bring him back to worship (“serve God”) on this same mountain. Having served the Egyptians, Israel will become God’s servants in covenant worship.
§ 3:13 What is His name. Moses anticipates a question from the people that is also his own. Already Moses seeks God’s revelation of Himself. If God’s deliverance was to be fully appreciated and assured, He who would be worshiped at this mountain must be known (33:12 and note). A personal name was not merely a form of address but a description of character and personality (Ps. 9:10; cf. 1 Sam. 25:25).
§ 3:14 I AM WHO I AM. The Lord is not defined or determined by any other than Himself. As the self-existent One, His promise is sure; He will reveal Himself in His saving deeds.
§ 3:15 The LORD. The Hebrew is Yahweh, probably derived from the Hebrew verb for “to be” (thus meaning “he is” or “he will be”). The corresponding first person is ’ehyeh, “I am.” Note the parallels: “I Am has sent me” (v. 14) and “The LORD [Yahweh] … has sent me” (v. 15). See theological note “ ‘This Is My Name’: God’s Self-disclosure.”
My memorial to all generations. Yahweh, the divine name particularly associated with God’s covenant relationship with Israel, was henceforth to be used in worship. English versions of the Old Testament usually render this Hebrew name as “the LORD,” following the practice of the New Testament, and of the Jews in the intertestamental period. The Jews thought the name too holy to pronounce, and when reading the text substituted ’adonay (“my Lord”). The vowel signs for ’adonay were later added to the Hebrew consonants of Yahweh as a pronunciation reminder, and this hybrid form was rendered “Jehovah” by William Tyndale’s English translation (A.D. 1530). In the New Testament, LORD (Yahweh) is applied to Jesus (Rom. 10:13, citing Joel 2:32).
§ 3:16 elders. Lit. “bearded ones.” These are family heads who would represent Israel. They will be assembled to hear of God’s faithfulness (4:30, 31).
§ 3:17 milk and honey. The usual biblical description of Canaan.
§ 3:18 three days’ journey. Possibly an expression for a short period of time.
§ 3:20 wonders. This mention of extraordinary deeds anticipates the plagues (7:14–12:30).
§ 3:21 not go empty-handed. As He promised (Gen. 15:14), God would see that their years of bondage were recompensed.[5]
Introduction to Exodus
Exodus begins where Genesis leaves off: The descendants of Jacob are living in Egypt and have multiplied into a large community. But Egypt’s new king, the pharaoh, regards the Israelites as a threat and forces them into slavery. Exodus tells the story of how God hears the cry of His people, delivers them from Egyptian bondage, and leads them to freedom.
Background
The title, Exodus, comes from a Greek word that means “going out,” which is fitting for the book’s subject: the exit of the Hebrew people from Egypt. The text does not name its author, but Jewish and Christian traditions ascribe the book to Moses. However, there is debate about how the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch, were compiled (see the “Introduction to Genesis”).
Assigning the events of Exodus to a specific historical period is difficult because there is little evidence from outside the Bible. The exodus can be dated to sometime during the 15th–13th centuries BC. The story is set mostly in Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula—particularly Mount Sinai. The events surrounding God’s call of Moses (Exod 2–4) take place in Midian, just east of Sinai. [6]
For background, notice in Exo 2:1 that it mentions a man of Levi. Why do you think Levi is mentioned? I am guessing but I believe Moses wanted the reader to consider his words to be of greater significance because he had the priesthood in his background as I have explained in a previous post on this blog
Does it have importance to understand Moses and who he is? I think it is If so, why? The background of Moses is more like the background of a former Prince of Egypt than it is just a typical Hebrew.
After reading Exo 2:11-22, go to
After reading Exo 2:11-22, go to
Gen 25:1-2…..
25:1 Abraham See note on 11:26; note on 17:5.
again took a wife
Earlier Abraham’s age was once considered an obstacle to having children (17:17; compare Heb 11:11–12); now he takes another wife and has six more children. Genesis 25:1–6 may be out of chronological sequence. First Chronicles 1:32, which refers to Keturah as a concubine, favors this suggestion. Compare note on Gen 25:12–15.
Earlier Abraham’s age was once considered an obstacle to having children (17:17; compare Heb 11:11–12); now he takes another wife and has six more children. Genesis 25:1–6 may be out of chronological sequence. First Chronicles 1:32, which refers to Keturah as a concubine, favors this suggestion. Compare note on Gen 25:12–15.
25:2 Midian
The term here refers to the land of Midian, which was in northwest Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. As a clan (or confederacy of clans), the Midianites were located in a widespread area from Midian to the northern borders of Egypt. Midianite traders purchased Joseph from his brothers (37:25,28; compare Judg 8:24) and sold him to Ishmaelites (Gen 37:28).[7]
The term here refers to the land of Midian, which was in northwest Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. As a clan (or confederacy of clans), the Midianites were located in a widespread area from Midian to the northern borders of Egypt. Midianite traders purchased Joseph from his brothers (37:25,28; compare Judg 8:24) and sold him to Ishmaelites (Gen 37:28).[7]
what is the reason to name Midian?
The Midianites were brothers from another mother to the children of Abraham and Sarah, her name was Keturah
What is his heritage and why do you think it’s included in the biblical history?
Jethro had a significant role to play as Father in Law to the person who lead the Children of Israel out of Bondage of Slavery in Egypt
Can you see how God works in this world through these verses? Yes Is Midian part of Israel? Not by the three names, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, no, Midian was a son of Abraham only, he was in the same category with Ishmael, half brother to Isaac but from a different mother than Hagar and Sarah, who's name was Keturah.
The Midianites were brothers from another mother to the children of Abraham and Sarah, her name was Keturah
What is his heritage and why do you think it’s included in the biblical history?
Jethro had a significant role to play as Father in Law to the person who lead the Children of Israel out of Bondage of Slavery in Egypt
Can you see how God works in this world through these verses? Yes Is Midian part of Israel? Not by the three names, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, no, Midian was a son of Abraham only, he was in the same category with Ishmael, half brother to Isaac but from a different mother than Hagar and Sarah, who's name was Keturah.
When it was time to bury Midian, they did not choose to use the burial location of Abraham and Sarah in Hebron, the list of names of relatives of Midian buried in Hebron is located here:
Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Sarah,Rebecca, Eve, Hai Gaon and Leah
We’ll close by reading the call of Moses in Exo 3……how does God call Moses? He has Moses climb Mt Sinai and appears to him in the burning bush
What is Moses’ reaction? Moses said it sounds impossible and extremely dangerous but the staff turning into a snake and then turning back into a staff helped Moses to come around to God's view of it.
Come prepared to discuss Exo 1-3 on Tuesday……
Structure
The book of Exodus divides naturally into two halves (chs. 1–18 and chs. 19–40). The first half tells how God rescues the Israelites from Egypt and leads them to Mount Sinai. God saves the infant Moses and later commissions him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (chs. 1–4). As God’s representative, Moses repeatedly confronts Pharaoh, who refuses to let the Israelites leave despite the devastating plagues sent by God (chs. 5–10). After the 10th plague kills all of the firstborn throughout Egypt, Pharaoh relents; the Israelites leave Egypt and walk across the sea as God holds back the waters (chs. 11–15). In the wilderness, they soon run out of supplies, but God miraculously provides food and water (chs. 16–18).
The second half of Exodus deals with the covenant God makes with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. This section begins with the Israelites camping at the mountain and receiving the Ten Commandments, which are followed by other regulations (chs. 19–24). God also gives Moses detailed plans for the Israelites’ worship, including instructions for the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle (Israel’s portable tent-shrine), and the priesthood (chs. 25–31). While Moses is up on the mountain, the Israelites decide to worship a golden idol shaped like a calf; in the fallout, God teaches the people how important it is to worship Him alone (chs. 32–34). The remaining chapters record the Israelites constructing the tabernacle and preparing for worship (chs. 35–40).
Outline
• Deliverance from Egypt (1:1–15:21)
• Journey to Sinai (15:22–18:27)
• The law is given at Sinai (19:1–31:18)
• The Israelites rebel at Sinai (32:1–34:35)
• The tabernacle is completed (35:1–40:38)
Themes
The core message of Exodus is that God alone can set people free from bondage. The Israelites cannot rescue themselves. Throughout the book, God reveals Himself with the repeated statement “I am Yahweh” (e.g., 6:6–8; 20:2; 34:10; this name often appears as “the LORD” in English translations). In doing so, Yahweh affirms that Israel is indeed His people.
God gives His people guidance about how to live and how to worship. Idolatry is not an option; Yahweh is not like other gods and cannot be worshiped in the same way. By giving the Israelites His law, God teaches them how to live justly. But as Moses indicates, the people need more than God’s law; they need His presence to dwell among them (33:15–17; 40:36–38).
Exodus proclaims God’s deliverance of Israel. God frees His people and sustains them. He is their great rescuer. This act of deliverance is remembered throughout the Bible as the quintessential example of Yahweh’s power to save (Neh 9:9–15; Psa 78; Isa 48:20–21). Just as Yahweh saved them before, He would save them again (Isa 51:9–11; Hos 11:1–11). And, in Christ—the one greater than Moses—we too have a great rescuer (Heb 3:1–6). Jesus came to fulfill the law of Moses and free us from the bondage of sin (Matt 5:17–20; Gal 5:1). Thanks to Christ’s actions on the cross, we also have God’s very presence among us, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17; 16:17).
The message of Exodus is that God has set the captives free and continues to do so. God hears the cries of all who are oppressed, from sin or any worldly or spiritual powers, and He is faithful to answer (Rom 8:31–39; Heb 2).
Further Reading
The Pentateuch
Cosmic Garden and Mountain Imagery in the Old Testament
Holiness and Sacred Space in Israelite Religion
Exodus, Book of LBD [8]
Grace be with you!
Nathan
This concludes the blog post
Appendix / Bibliography
All the items in the Bibliography are from my Logos 8 resources as digital files- Rick Livermore
[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ex 1:1–7). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.[2] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ex 1:1). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ge 25:1–2). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[8] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ex 1:1–16). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[4] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ex 1:16–2:23). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[5] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ex 3:1–21). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[5] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ex 3:1–21). Nashville: T. Nelson.
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