Genesis ends with a coffin in Egypt. Exodus opens about four centuries later with Jacob’s family grown into a nation, but enslaved, crushed under Pharaoh’s brickmaking quotas. If Genesis is the book of beginnings, Exodus is the book of redemption. It is the Old Testament’s great picture of what God does for sinners in Christ: He hears, He comes down, He judges, He redeems by blood, and He brings His people to Himself.

At a glance

• Author: Moses
• Date: Written during the wilderness wanderings, after the exodus (traditionally dated around 1445 BC on the early date)
• Setting: Egypt, the Red Sea, the wilderness, and Mount Sinai
• Original readers: The redeemed nation of Israel, learning who their God is and how they are to live in His presence

Structure

Exodus falls into three movements. Chapters 1–18: Redemption from Egypt. Israel’s slavery, Moses’ birth and call, the ten plagues, the Passover, and the crossing of the Red Sea. Chapters 19–24: Covenant at Sinai. God gives His law to a people He has already saved. Chapters 25–40: God dwelling with His people. The tabernacle is described, the golden calf nearly destroys everything, and in the end God’s glory fills the tent.

Key themes

God remembers His promises

When Israel groaned under slavery, “God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24, NASB 1995). The exodus is not a new plan. It is God keeping the promises He made in Genesis.

God reveals His name

At the burning bush God tells Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14, NASB 1995). He is self-existent, unchanging and dependent on no one, and so He can be trusted completely. Later He proclaims His character: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6, NASB 1995).

God redeems by power and judgment

“I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6, NASB 1995). The plagues are not random disasters. They are God’s judgment on Egypt’s gods and on Pharaoh’s hard heart.

Redemption by blood

At the Passover, Israel was spared not because they were better than the Egyptians, but because of the blood of a lamb: “The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13, NASB 1995). As the Grace to You blog puts it, “death always follows sin, and atonement for sin was not available without a sacrifice.”

Saved to worship and obey

The law comes after redemption, not before it. The Ten Commandments begin, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2, NASB 1995). God does not say, “Obey, and I will save you.” He says, “I have saved you; now live as My people.”

How Exodus points to Christ

• The Passover lamb: “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7, NASB 1995).
• Moses the mediator: a prophet who stood between God and the people, pointing to the one Mediator, Christ.
• The Red Sea: a salvation God alone accomplishes. “Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today” (Exodus 14:13, NASB 1995).
• Manna and water from the rock: pictures of Christ, the bread of life and the true rock (John 6; 1 Corinthians 10:4).
• The tabernacle: God dwelling among His people, fulfilled when the Word “became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, NASB 1995).
• The I AM: Jesus takes the divine name on His lips in John 8:58.

Key verses to underline

• Exodus 2:24 – God remembers His covenant
• Exodus 3:14 – “I AM WHO I AM”
• Exodus 6:6 – “I will also redeem you”
• Exodus 12:13 – “when I see the blood”
• Exodus 14:13 – “see the salvation of the LORD”
• Exodus 20:2-3 – redemption, then commandment
• Exodus 34:6-7 – the LORD’s character

Learn – Grow – Change

• Learn: God saves by grace, through a substitute, before He gives His law. Exodus was never a story of salvation by law-keeping.
• Grow: When you feel forgotten in hardship, remember Exodus 2:24. God hears, and He remembers His promises.
• Change: Let your obedience flow from gratitude for redemption. Read the Ten Commandments this week through the lens of Exodus 20:2.

Going deeper

• Grace to You’s blog series The Passover and the Cross, starting with “Deliverance Demands a Sacrifice”.
• Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Preaching the Word) – a full, warm expository commentary, at Good Neighbours (R600 at the time of writing).
• Allan Harman, Exodus (Focus on the Bible) – a shorter, readable option, at Good Neighbours (R185 at the time of writing).

Next in the series: Leviticus – the God who is holy.