The organic development of the covenant is clearly seen as it unfolds in the line of the generations. It continues on from the Patriarchs in Genesis into the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. The title ‘deliverance’ would be better than ‘Exodus’ for the term is an active one, it is the story of God at work. And it is his people who are the object of that work. So deliverance is essentially what Exodus is about and an important part of the revelation of God (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44). It is part of the unfolding mystery of redemption. We are reading about things that actually took place, it is history. And God was in these historical events as they took place. He was dynamically present with his people. This is the very heart of the Exodus, God with and delivering Israel from their bondage.

It is the revelation of God delivering his people out from, and into. Bringing them into the new land of promise, into new life. And it was an event that Israel was commanded to recall constantly (Exodus 13:3). It was when Israel failed to remember that they owed their existence and destiny to this gracious deliverance they began to fall away, spiritually and morally. Likewise in the New Testament believers are commanded to remember God’s gracious deliverance (1 Peter 1:18-20). It is also partly, the reason for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, remembrance. Notice too the ethos and attitude of the world-power then, it has not changed in the least, always the same, “And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do know not the LORD, and moreover, neither will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2).

(© James R Hamilton, written Spring, 2015)

Facebook
Twitter
Sermon Audio