Approaching the Bible - Old Testament [Part 2]: Exodus
- Jun 8
- 4 min read
Read Aloud
Exodus: The God Who Delivers
If Genesis is the story of beginnings, Exodus is the story of rescue.
It is one of the most powerful books in all of Scripture, revealing God's power, faithfulness, holiness, and desire to dwell with His people.
Exodus tells the story of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt and introduces some of the most important events in biblical history.
The burning bush.
The ten plagues.
The Passover.
The crossing of the Red Sea.
The Ten Commandments.
The Tabernacle.
Throughout the book, one truth becomes clear:
God hears the cries of His people and faithfully delivers them.
📖 Background & Context
Author: Traditionally Moses
Audience: The people of Israel and future generations
Theme: God's deliverance of His people and His covenant relationship with them
The word Exodus means "departure" or "going out."
The book begins hundreds of years after Joseph's death.
The descendants of Abraham had multiplied greatly in Egypt, but a new Pharaoh arose who feared their growing numbers.
As a result, Israel was enslaved and oppressed for generations.
Yet God had not forgotten His promises.
Exodus reveals how God rescued His people and began forming them into a nation set apart for His purposes.
🔎 What Makes Exodus Unique?
Exodus contains some of the most recognizable events in the entire Bible.
It is the defining story of deliverance in the Old Testament.
Again and again, Scripture points back to the Exodus as evidence of God's faithfulness.
More importantly, Exodus points forward to Jesus Christ.
Just as Israel was delivered from physical slavery, Jesus delivers us from the slavery of sin.
The rescue of Israel becomes a picture of the greater rescue God would one day provide through Christ.
💡 Key Themes in Exodus
1. God Hears His People
For hundreds of years, Israel suffered in bondage.
It may have seemed as though God was silent.
But Scripture tells us:
"God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant."
God had not abandoned them.
He was preparing to act.
This reminds us that even when we do not see God working, He is still faithful.
God hears every prayer and sees every struggle.
2. God Uses Ordinary People
When God chose a leader to confront Pharaoh, He selected Moses.
Moses did not feel qualified.
He doubted himself.
He questioned God's plan.
Yet God used him anyway.
Exodus reminds us that God does not call the equipped.
He equips the called.
God often works through ordinary people willing to trust Him.
3. Deliverance Comes Through God's Power
The ten plagues demonstrated that God alone is sovereign.
Egypt was one of the most powerful nations in the world, yet Pharaoh could not stand against God.
The crossing of the Red Sea further revealed God's power.
When there seemed to be no way forward, God made a way.
Exodus teaches us that our greatest victories come not through our strength but through God's.
4. The Passover Points to Jesus
One of the most important moments in Exodus is the Passover.
God instructed each family to sacrifice a lamb and place its blood on their doorposts.
When judgment came upon Egypt, those covered by the blood were spared.
This event points directly to Jesus Christ.
Just as the Passover lamb provided protection, Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Gospel is foreshadowed long before the New Testament begins.
5. God Desires a Relationship With His People
After delivering Israel, God gave them His Law and established a covenant with them.
The Ten Commandments were not given as a way to earn salvation.
Israel had already been rescued.
Instead, the Law taught God's people how to live in relationship with Him.
God also instructed them to build the Tabernacle.
For the first time, God's presence would dwell among His people in a special way.
This reveals God's heart.
He is not distant.
He desires fellowship with those He loves.
✨ Why This Matters Today
Exodus reminds us that God is still a Deliverer.
We may not face Pharaoh, but we all face struggles, fears, temptations, and seasons that seem impossible.
Just as God made a way for Israel, He still makes a way today.
Exodus also reminds us that freedom has a purpose.
God did not simply rescue Israel from something.
He rescued them for something.
Likewise, Jesus does not simply save us from sin.
He calls us into a relationship with Him and a life that honors Him.
🕊 Reflection Questions
Have I trusted God to deliver me from the things that hold me captive?
Am I relying on my own strength or God's power?
Where have I seen God make a way when there seemed to be no way?
How does the Passover deepen my understanding of Jesus?
Am I living as someone who has been set free?
❤️ Final Encouragement
Exodus is a powerful reminder that God never forgets His promises.
He heard the cries of Israel.
He raised up a deliverer.
He parted the sea.
He provided a path to freedom.
And He still does.
The same God who rescued His people from Egypt is the same God who rescues people today.
No situation is too difficult.
No obstacle is too great.
No cry goes unheard.
As we continue our journey through the Old Testament, Exodus leaves us with a powerful truth:
The God who delivers His people is still faithful, still powerful, and still making a way where there seems to be none.
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