Introduction to Exodus

The book of Exodus plays a key role in the unfolding history of redemption. After the promises to the patriarchs as described in Genesis, we now see in Exodus that God is beginning to fulfill those promises by creating a people through redemptive judgment and forming them into a royal priesthood and a holy nation (Exod 19:6). The book has a major focus on the person of Moses, the human instrument through whom God will do all this.

Outline of Exodus

ESV Study Bible (modified)

1. The Exodus of Israel from Egypt (chs. 1–18)
   1. Setting: Israel in Egypt (chs. 1–2)
   2. Call of Moses (chs. 3–4)
   3. Moses and Aaron (chs. 5–6)
   4. The Ten Plagues and the Exodus (chs. 7–14)
   5. The Song of Moses (ch. 15)
   6. Journey in the Wilderness (chs. 16–18)
2. The Establishment of the Covenant at Sinai (chs. 19–40)
   1. Setting: Israel at Sinai (ch. 19)
   2. The Ten Words and Other Laws (chs. 20–23)
   3. Covenant Ratification Ceremony (ch. 24)
   4. Instructions for the Tabernacle (chs. 25–31)
   5. The Covenant Broken and Renewed (chs. 32–34)
   6. Building the Tabernacle (35:1–40:33)
   7. The Glory-Cloud Fills the Tabernacle (40:34–38)

Parallels Between Exodus and the Gospels

Adapted from Meredith Kline, “The Old Testament Origins of the Gospel Genre.” https://meredithkline.com/klines-works/articles-and-essays/the-old-testament-origins-of-the-gospel-genre/

EXODUS	GOSPELS
Basic contents of the book of Exodus	Basic contents of the Gospels
Life and teachings of Moses	Life and teachings of Jesus
Covenant establishment with an extended introduction	Covenant establishment with an extended introduction
Life of the covenant mediator	Life of the covenant mediator
Begins with the birth of the covenant mediator	Begins with the birth of the covenant mediator
Moses’ extraordinary birth	Jesus’ extraordinary birth
Survival of Pharaoh’s attempt to kill the seed	Survival of Herod’s attempt to kill the chosen seed
Foreshadowing of the future misunderstood Moses (2:11–15)	Foreshadowing of the future misunderstood Jesus (Luke 2:41ff.)
Kingly office of Moses	Kingly office of Christ
Kingdom of God has arrived (15:18)	Kingdom of God has arrived
Signs and wonders herald the kingdom	Signs and wonders herald the kingdom
Judgment on the gods of Egypt (12:12)	Casting out demons
Plundering the Egyptians	Plundering Satan’s kingdom
Divinely appointed deliverer	Divinely appointed deliverer
Moses gathers the twelve tribes	Jesus gathers the twelve apostles
Birth of Israel	Birth of the church
Priestly office of Moses	Priestly office of Christ
The Passover lamb	“Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Passover on the eve of the Exodus	Last Supper/Passover on the eve of the cross/exodus
Establishment of the sacrificial system	Christ’s eternal priesthood and intercession
Prophetic office of Moses	Prophetic office of Christ (Deut. 18:18)
Reveals the divine name, YHWH	Reveals God the Father
Covenant establishment on a mountain	Covenant establishment on a mountain
Regulations governing the covenant community	Regulations governing the covenant community
Tabernacle	Temple
Battle with the dragon leads to tabernacle building—the dwelling place for the victorious God	Battle with the dragon leads to temple building—the dwelling place for the victorious Christ
Glory-cloud takes up residence in the tabernacle	The Spirit dwells in the temple/church

New Testament Use of Exodus

Exodus	New Testament
Exod 2:13–14 — The Hebrew man who struck his companion: “Who made you (Moses) a prince or a judge over us?”	Acts 7:27–28 — Stephen’s narration of the story of Israel.
Exod 3:5 — “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”	Acts 7:33 — Stephen’s narration of the story of Israel.
Exod 3:6 — “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”	Matt 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37 — Jesus appeals to this verse as an argument for the resurrection of believers. Also Acts 7:32.
Exod 3:7-10 — “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them.”	Acts 7:34 — Stephen’s narration of the story of Israel.
Exod 4:19 — The LORD told Moses to go back to Egypt, “for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”	Matt 2:20 — Angel of the Lord told Joseph: “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead” (cp. LXX).
Exod 9:16 — “But for this purpose I have raised you (Pharaoh) up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”	Rom 9:17 — Paul’s teaching on the negative implication of election, the doctrine of reprobation.
Exod 12:46 — The Israelites must not break any of the bones of the Passover lamb.	John 19:36 — “These things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken’” (with Ps 34:20).
Exod 13:2 — “Consecrate to me all the firstborn.”	Luke 2:23 — The presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple.
Exod 16:18 — “Whoever gathered much (manna) had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”	2 Cor 8:15 — Paul quotes Exod 16:18 to support his call for the Gentiles to provide financial help for the suffering Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
Exod 19:6 — “and you shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation.”	1 Pet 2:9 — “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation …”
Exod 19:13 — Instructions for meeting with God at Sinai.	Heb 12:20 — “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”
Exod 20:12 — the 5th commandment	Matt 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Eph 6:2–3
Exod 20:13 — the 6th commandment	Matt 5:21; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11
Exod 20:14 — the 7th commandment	Matt 5:27; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11
Exod 20:15 — the 8th commandment	Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9
Exod 20:16 — the 9th commandment	Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20
Exod 20:17 — the 10th commandment	Rom 7:7; 13:9
Exod 21:17 — “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.”	Matt 15:4; Mark 7:10 — Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They make excuses for breaking explicit commandments while enforcing man-made tradition.
Exod 21:24 — “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”	Matt 5:38 — Jesus’ followers are called to love their enemies.
Exod 22:28 — “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”	Acts 23:5 — Paul before the high priest and Jewish council.
Exod 24:8 — “And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words’” (ESV).	Matt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 9:20; 10:29; 12:24; 13:20 — “the blood of the new covenant.”
Exod 25:40 — “And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain” (ESV).	Heb 8:5 — The earthly tabernacle was a replica modeled after the heavenly sanctuary.
Exod 32:1 — When Moses was delayed, Aaron enticed the Israelites to make a golden calf.	Acts 7:40 — Stephen’s narrative of Israel’s repeated sin.
Exod 32:6 — “And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”	1 Cor 10:7 — Paul uses this moment of Israelite sin and idolatry as a warning to the Corinthians to flee idolatry.
Exod 33:19 — “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”	Rom 9:15 — Paul quotes this key verse to demonstrate that election is based on sovereign mercy.
Exod 34:29–35 — Moses would put a veil over his radiant face.	2 Cor 3:7-18 — Paul argues that Moses’ veil was connected to the temporary nature of the Old Covenant. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18 NASB).