Exodus Outline

== Exodus:
A Going Out ==
Exodus is the second book of the Bible. The name in
English means “a going out;” this is a reference to the Hebrew slaves “going
out of” Egypt. It is an amazing book filled with miracles, blessings, and
teachings. The Israelites revere this book because it contains the law of
Moses, upon which their entire believe system is based. Its author is Moses,
who lead the people from Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land. This
book covers Moses’ life from his birth until after the exodus when he gave to
the Israelites the instructions concerning worship which God had given to him
on Mt Sinai. This paper will describe biographical details of the author, the date
of writing, historical background, the people targeted, and the purpose of the
book of Exodus.

## **Author**

As
with Genesis, Moses wrote the book of Exodus. The Bible Knowledge Commentary
says:

The Bible clearly states that Moses
had the ability to have undertaken such a task (“Moses was educated in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians,” Acts 7:22).

The Book of Exodus explicitly
verifies Mosaic authorship. God commanded Moses to write the events of Joshua’s
military encounter with the Amalekites (“Write this on a scroll,” Ex. 17:14).
Also Moses wrote the communication the Lord gave him on Sinai (“Moses then
wrote down everything the Lord had
said,” 24:4). This recording was called “the Book of the Covenant” (24:7). On
Mount Sinai the Lord told Moses, “Write down these words” (34:27) and Moses
“wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant” (34:28).[1]

Norman L. Geisler gives
more information on the authorship of Exodus in his book *A Popular Survey of the Old Testament*.

The evidence which supports the
Mosaic authorship of Genesis (see ch. 4) also applies to Exodus. No other known
person from that period had the time, interest, and ability to compose such a
record. In addition, Moses was an *eyewitness*
of the events in Exodus and as such was qualified to be the author of the
book…Some of the conversations and events involved were known directly only by
Moses.[2]

Geisler goes on to give the best reason why Exodus was
written by Moses by saying that: “Definitive for a Christian is the fact that
Jesus quoted from Exodus 20:12 using the introduction, ‘For Moses said’ (Mark
7:10; cf. Luke 20:37)” [3]
 The Bible remains the best source to
authenticate Mosaic authorship. Joshua 8:31a says, “As Moses the servant of the
LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law
of Moses,…” The New Testament states in John 1:17a, “For the law was given by
Moses,…” Because the Bible is the highest authority on truth, one can believe
that Moses wrote the book of Exodus.

## **Date**

Exodus was written in the 15th century.  B.C. Geisler gives an estimated date as to
when it was written: “The events of Exodus cover the period between 1445 and
1405 B.C.”[4] The Bible Knowledge
Commentary confirms this:

Support for the early date comes
from the biblical record and archeological evidence. First, in 1 Kings 6:1 the
time between the Exodus and the beginning of Solomon’s temple construction (in
the fourth year of his reign) was 480 years. Since the fourth year of Solomon’s
reign was 966 b.c., the Exodus was
in 1446. Also in the time of Jephthah (ca. 1100 b.c.)
Israel had been in the land for 300 years (Jud. 11:26). Therefore 300 years
plus the 40 years of the wilderness sojourn and some time to conquer Heshbon
places the Exodus in the middle of the 15th century.

Second, archeological evidence from
Egypt during this period corresponds with the biblical account of the Exodus
(see Merrill F. Unger, *Archaeology and*
the Old Testament*. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954, pp.*
140–5; and Gleason L. Archer, Jr., *A*
Survey of Old Testament Introduction*. Chicago: Moody Press, 1964, pp.*
215–6). For example, though Thutmose IV succeeded his father, Amenhotep II,
Thutmose was not the eldest son. (The eldest son was killed by the Lord on the
night of the first Passover, Ex. 12:29.) Amenhotep II (1450–1425 b.c.) repressed insurgents in the early
part of his reign. Semites were forced to make bricks (cf. 5:7–18). Several of
the Pharaohs of Egypt’s 18th dynasty (ca. 1567–1379 b.c.) were involved in building projects in northern Egypt.
“Since Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaohs were very active in Palestinian campaigns,
it would seem reasonable that they would have established garrisons and store cities
(cf. 1:11) somewhere in the Delta regions to facilitate movement between
Syro-Palestinian sites and Egypt itself” (John J. Davis, *Moses and the Gods of Egypt*, p. 27).

Third, events in Palestine about
1400 b.c. correspond with the
Conquest under Joshua. Archeological evidence suggests that Jericho, Ai, and
Hazor were destroyed about 1400. One scholar has concluded, “All the accredited
Palestinian artifactual evidence supports the literary account that the
Conquest occurred at the time specifically dated by the biblical historians”
(Bruce K. Waltke, “Palestinian Artifactual Evidence Supporting the Early Date
of the Exodus,” *Bibliotheca Sacra*
129. January–March, 1972:47).[5]

Therefore,
we can see that the date is backed up by archeological, historical, and
biblical records.

## **Historical Background**

Exodus begins with the Hebrew people in bondage. Exodus
1:11a says, “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with
their burdens…” Pharaoh became alarmed when the Israelites multiplied, and he
told the Hebrew midwives to kill the male babies and leave the female ones
alive. When they did not obey his order, he told the entire nation to do this.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “**Pharaoh**
then enacted an open, more aggressive policy to stem the Israelites’ numerical
increase. Failing to limit the growth of the people secretively through Hebrew
midwives, Pharaoh commanded **his** own **people** to police the decree.”[6]
It was in these circumstances that Moses was born. He was hidden by his mother
and found by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him as her own son. After
killing an Egyptian for oppressing one of the Hebrew slaves, Moses fled into
the desert, where after forty years as a shepherd he met with God at the
burning bush. He was sent back to Egypt to tell the Pharaoh to let God’s people
go; after Pharaoh’s refusal and subsequent ten plagues, the Egyptian ruler
released the Hebrew slaves. Moses led them across the Red Sea into the desert.
Pharaoh, who had changed his mind, sent his army after Moses; this army drowned
in the Red Sea when they tried to follow the Hebrews across.

The second part of Exodus recounts the establishing of
the Jewish religious system. God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving him
instructions as to how the Jews would worship. Moses received the Ten
Commandments from God at this time, as well as most of the law and the plans
for the tabernacle. The book of Exodus ends with God coming down in the form of
a cloud to dwell in the tabernacle. The Bible Knowledge Commentary states:
“God’s promise (“I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God,” 29:45)
was fulfilled as **the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”**[7]

## **To Whom it was Written**

Exodus is written primarily for the Jews. Geisler says,
“Exodus was written to the twelve tribes of delivered Hebrew slaves who had now
become a theocratic nation.”[8] It contains a history of
their escape from slavery in Egypt and their journey through the Sinai
Peninsula. The Jews’ main interest in Exodus, however, is in the law that Moses
was given at Mount Sinai. Exodus 34:27 says, “And the LORD said to Moses,
‘Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of my covenant
with you and with Israel.’” These laws form the basis of all Jewish doctrine.

Although it is written to the Jews, today it is available
for everyone. The Ten Commandments apply not to the Jews only, but to the rest
of the world as well.

## **Why it was Written**

Geisler has three main
purposes for the book of Exodus being written:

===*The*
historical purpose.===

The aim of Moses in writing Exodus
is to show how the family of Jacob (totaling some seventy souls) developed into
the nation of Israel (estimated at over two million)…

===*The*
doctrinal purpose.===

Several important lessons are taught
through the Book of Exodus. First, there is the obvious overall theme of
redemption and deliverance pictured by the Passover Lamb and the Red Sea
experience. Then there is the ever-present truth that obedience to God is
necessary for a holy people. Finally, there is clear evidence of God’s
faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant in which He promised to bless Israel and
to bring them into the land of promise (cf. Gen. 13:14f; Exod. 3:7f)

===*The*
Christological purpose.===

Christ is depicted in Exodus in
many ways. Like Moses He is the great deliverer of His people (cf. Deut.
18:15). Christ is also pictured in the Passover Lamb. The lamb was without flaw
or blemish and was sacrificed for the sins of God’s people (Exod. 12; cf. I
Cor. 5:7). In the Tabernacle (a portable temple) Christ is again prefigured.
According to the apostle John, this portrays Christ as He “dwelt [literally,
‘pitched His tent’] among us” (John 1:14). Finally Christ is presented as our
high priest who makes intercession for us (cf. Heb. 7:5).[9]

Herbert
Wolf says, “The book of Exodus was written to describe the difficulties of the
Israelites in Egypt and the faithfulness of the God who rescued them from their
bondage.”[10]
Exodus records the freeing of the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian bondage and their
journey to Mount Sinai.

Exodus is immensely important;
without it, the Israeli people would have no basis for their law, and we would
not have the Ten Commandments. This book has much to offer to the Bible
scholar; it is a fascinating book to study.

[1] John
D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in *The Bible*
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord*
and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 102–103.

[2] Norman L. Geisler.
*A Popular Survey of the Old Testament.*
Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 53

[3] Norman L.
Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old*
Testament. *Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 53-54*

[4] Norman L.
Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old*
Testament. *Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 54*

[5] John
D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in *The Bible*
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord*
and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 104.

[6] John
D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in *The Bible*
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord*
and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 109.

[7] John
D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in *The Bible*
Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures*, ed. J. F. Walvoord*
and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 162.

[8] Norman L.
Geisler. *A Popular Survey of the Old*
Testament. *Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 54*

[9] Norman L. Geisler.
*A Popular Survey of the Old Testament.*
Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Book House, 1977. Pg. 55

[10] Wolf, Herbert*. An Introduction to the Old Testament*
Pentateuch. *Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991, pg. 150*