Exodus Overview

Who wrote the Book? 

Early Jewish tradition names Moses as the most likely and qualified person to be the author of Exodus. There are several reasons for this. We know that Moses was educated in Egypt's royal courts which would have prepared him for this (Acts 7:22). There are many conversations, events and details that could have only been known by an eye witness or a participant. For example, Exodus 24:4 says, “Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.” Books of Joshua and 1 Kings refer to Exodus as “the law of Moses” (Joshua 1:7, 1 Kings 2:3), implying that the rules within the book were written by Moses himself. 

The title of the book - Exodus - comes from the Septuagint, which got the name from the primary event found in the book. The deliverance from slavery and the “exodus” of the Israelites out of Egypt. 

What’s the Big Idea? 

Though Exodus takes place roughly four centuries after the death of Jacob, we see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Issac and Jacob in Genesis. We also see God miraculously save the children of Israel while they were enslaved in a foreign land and dramatically deliver them to freedom. In Exodus, God established Israel as a nation under His covenant at Mount Sinai. These were His chosen people. Exodus records the ten plagues, passover, the receiving of the 10 commandments, the building of the tabernacle, all foundational elements of the Jewish faith. And just as importantly, Exodus provides  crucial context in understanding of the Bible’s redemption story as a whole. 

How do I apply this?

Under the Mosaic Covenant, the Israelites would offer sacrifices of unblemished animals for the forgiveness of sin. In the New Testament, we know that Jesus’ sacrifice was the perfect fulfillment of the Law. Jesus was the unblemished lamb who took away our sin permanently when He sacrificed Himself on our behalf. Through this series, our hope and prayer is to find what it means to be freed and live free in Christ as we journey with the nation of Israel.

Interesting Facts 

-It took one night to take the Israelites out of Egypt, but 40 years to take Egypt out of the Israelites.  

-During the time Israel was in Egypt, Egypt became a world empire. 

-Approximately 3-4 million people left Egypt in the Exodus.

-The story of Moses constitutes 1/7th of the whole Bible.