Exodus - Introduction

God’s justice is seen in His dealing with the Egyptians, in His giving of the Law, in His demand for HOLINESS and obedience on the part of His people, and in His punishing the Israelites after they had made a golden calf to worship.

But the supreme example of the mercy and justice of God in the book of Exodus is seen in the account of the PASSOVER (Exodus Chapter 12). God provided a means for the Israelites to escape the punishment of the destroying angel: namely, the sacrifice of a lamb in place of their firstborn sons. Justice was demanded, but in mercy God provided a way of escape—redemption.

The New Testament teaches that mankind’s final and permanent redemption has been made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Paul called Jesus our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), and John the Baptist called Him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Passover account in Exodus thus prefigures the redemption made available through FAITH in Christ. The Passover is the focal point of the book of Exodus, where God’s mercy and justice intersect.

Throughout Exodus the eternal purpose of God continues to unfold. Through the mediation of Moses, God redeemed His people from earthly bondage, taught them how to live, and graciously agreed to dwell among them. All of this foreshadows the coming of Jesus, through whose mediation God redeems us from spiritual bondage, enables us to truly live, and graciously dwells within us.