Two books into the Bible, and already we have reached the peak! Seriously, of all the stories recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, three stand out as the most important stories, the ones through which all other stories are read. We have already read one–the story of Creation. That God created everything that is is a key scriptural truth upon which much depends. No less important, however, is the story we have reached today: EXODUS. Everything else that happens in the story of Israel will look back to this crucial event.* This story tells us key truths about the central themes of Scripture: Who is God, and who are God’s people?
Exodus (both the book and the experience) can be divided into three interlocking components:
- Deliverance
- Covenant
- Presence
Who is this God who delivers his people out of Egypt?
- This is the God who hears the cry of the oppressed. God’s part in the story doesn’t begin until two chapters in, when the people of Israel cry out in their suffering. The story indicates (although it isn’t clear) that this suffering hasn’t gone on long, even though the people have lived in Egypt for over 400 years. At this point we really know nothing of Israel’s religious practices. Do they remember the Covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Do they know who they worship? The Exodus will show them.
- God is God. Pharaoh may think he is God, but he is fatally mistaken. God engages in a conflict with Pharaoh which will demonstrate where real power–glory, lies.
- God takes sides. We see both judgment and mercy, and it’s clear who receives which.
- God has chosen his people. The scandal of the particular–the Creator of all has elected one nation. Whereas before we saw that election playing out in the life of one man (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), now the well-being of the entire community is God’s concern.
- God has standards. Even before the Law is given in the Covenant, there are ways things should be done–a communal economy, observing the Sabbath–these things are in the very nature of God’s deliverance.
- The divine name is revealed. The mysterious name, if name it is, is offered for the first time to Moses. While the patriarchs named God, in relation to particular places or encounters, here God names himself with a name without boundaries or details.
Who, then, are God’s people?
- Contradictory: The story of their deliverance shows the people of Israel to be both needy and stubborn, wanting God’s help and resisting this relationship both at the same time.
- Led by Moses. No one in Scripture is like Moses. He serves as intercessor, but he is not a priest. He is the law-giver, and the exemplar in following the Law. He interprets, but his role is not prophetic. Finally, while no one enjoys the intimate relationship he has with God, Moses always acts on behalf of the people. He does not receive a covenant of his own.
The Deliverance story has three parts:
- Prequel: The birth, training and calling of Moses. It is his destiny!
- God vs. Pharaoh: It’s a battle to determine who is in charge. To our modern eyes it may appear that God is controlling both sides of the battle–does Pharaoh have a choice if God keeps hardening his heart? This theological perspective serves only to illustrate the theological issue of omnipotence. Is everything God’s will if God knows what will happen before it does? The battle with Pharaoh ends with a long description of the ritual of Passover. That’s not actually part of the story, it’s a reminder that this is more than a story. It is an identity to be embraced and lived out ritually. God’s people are the people God brings out from slavery.
- Journey: God demonstrates both generosity and high expectations. These expectations have to do both with Israel’s dependence on God, thus learning to trust, and the way thing are to be done. The rules surrounding manna ensure that the people will learn to trust God for their daily bread on a daily basis, and that they will practice an economy of egalitarian relationships. No one is superior or has riches; all have what they need and no more. Also the Sabbath is observed even before the commandment is given. Finally, the wilderness itself plays a role in this journey. Wilderness is the place of danger and potential chaos. All the dependable structures of civilization disappear in the wilderness. In such a place, new dependable structures must be built, and those will depend on God. It is the perfect place for this new relationship between God and his people to grow.
Next week: Covenant
* The third key event is the EXILE, but since even the Exile is understood in the terms of the Exodus, one might almost see them as the same story.