Exodus Overview + Outline
🎵 Pharaoh, pharaoh! O Baby, let my people go. Huh! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! 🎵 Have you ever heard that song before? Today, we are unpacking the book of Exodus, which this song is about: God rescuing His children from the Egyptians. Let’s dig right in to understand this book's overarching narrative with a few questions!
WHAT TYPE OF BOOK IS THIS? (LAW, HISTORY, POETRY, WISDOM, GOSPEL, EPISTLE, OR PROPHECY)?
Exodus is the second book in the Pentateuch which falls into the law category.
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR?
Like Genesis, Scripture affirms that Moses is the author. (Reference Exodus 24:4, 17:14, 34:4, 20:22-23:33 that support this position.) Numbers 33:2 affirms that Moses recorded the "starting points of their journeys."
Even Scripture in the New Testament affirms Moses wrote the Law. In Luke 2:22-23, Luke refers to the purification laws "according to the Law of Moses..." Jesus quoted the Law by beginning with "For Moses said..." These references, in concordance with many others, confirm that Moses wrote the Pentateuch.
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE OF EXODUS? WHEN IS IT WRITTEN?
The immediate audience of Exodus would be the generations of Israelites brought out from the hand of pharaoh by a good and gracious God. As believers today, Exodus shows us the faithfulness of God to choose, redeem, and save His people. The events that occurred foreshadowed what Christ accomplished on the Cross. Jesus was the spotless Lamb sacrificed for those who repent and believe. As a result, Christ spares them from God's wrath. His blood saves believers!
Moses began his forty-year journey as Israel's leader at 80 years old until he was 120. He wrote this book sometime after the Exodus but before his death on Mount Nebo. Therefore, with the Exodus dated around 1445 BC, Moses penned this book likely around 1446 BC.
WHAT IS THE SETTING AND LOCATION OF THIS BOOK?
Genesis ends with the Israelites in Egypt, where the book of Exodus starts. However, the Lord heard the cries of His people and raised Moses to lead them out into the wilderness. Eventually, God's people would land at Mount Sinai.
WHAT’S THE GENERAL OUTLINE AND STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE?
There are three main sections:
Israel in Egypt (1:1-12:36)
God's people grew in number (1:1-7)
Egypt oppressed Israel under the pharaoh's rule (1:8-22)
Moses grows into the man that receives the call by God to be Israel's Deliverer (2:1-4:31)
Moses and Aaron confront Egypt's pharaoh. The plagues occur. (5:1-11:10)
Israel receives instructions for the Passover before the tenth plague, eventually leading to their mass exodus. (12:1-36)
Israel in the desert (12:37-18:27)
Israel leaves Egypt and experiences panic (12:37-14:14)
Israel crosses the Red Sea and rejoices (14:15-15:21)
Israel complains as they travel to Sinai (15:22-17:16)
Moses meets with Jethro (18:1-27)
Israel at Sinai (19:1-40:38)
God prescribes His Law (19:1-24:18)
God defines the Tabernacle dimensions (25:1-31:18)
Israel worships the golden calf (32:1-35)
God's presence confirmed (33:1-34:35)
Israel built the Tabernacle. (35:1-40:38)
HOW DOES THIS BOOK FIT INTO THE TIMELINE OF SCRIPTURE? WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT?
Exodus 1:5-8 says, "All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the Land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph." Exodus begins with the Israelites harshly enslaved by the Egyptians.
At the end of the book, the Israelites had the Law and the Tabernacle. They were not yet in the Promised Land promised to them. Until then, they waited upon the Lord for their direction. Exodus 40:36-37 says, "Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up." Leviticus will go more in-depth on laws as they wander the desert.
HOW DID CHRIST FULFILL THE TRUTH FOUND IN EXODUS?
Exodus foreshadows Christ's accomplished work on the Cross. Israel foretells Christ in the following ways.
He was the Passover Lamb required, unblemished by sin (Exodus 12:5, John 1:29).
The Passover lamb's blood spared the Israelites on the doorpost (Exodus 12:6-7). Christ laid down His life for His sheep; those who repent and believe in Him will be spared from God's wrath through His blood (Exodus 12:12-13, John 10:17-18, Hebrews 9:22).
After the Passover, God instituted the Passover meal (Exodus 12:8). Christ celebrated the Last Passover with His disciples, for He was the Lamb at the table. There was a new covenant instituted: the Lord's supper! (View Luke 22:14-15 and Luke 22:19-20 for more.)
KEY VERSES IN EXODUS
[Exodus 1:8] "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph." This verse sets the stage for Egypt's slavery over the Israelites. Egypt did not know Joseph, but more importantly, they didn't know Joseph's God.
[Exodus 6:7] "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." God declared to make the Israelites His people, promising to redeem and save His people!
[Exodus 12:24-27] "You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ And the people bowed their heads and worshiped." The Passover meal was a reminder of God's salvation for Israel! For believers today, the Passover was God's foreshadowing of Christ's atonement on the Cross. Hallelujah!
KEY THEMES IN EXODUS
Deliverance → Moses → Jesus
Covenant → Law → Grace
Worship → Tabernacle → Holy Spirit/Truth
Exodus shows a type and shadow of who was to come: Christ Jesus! Moses led His people out of slavery. Likewise, the Greater Moses, Christ, leads His people from sin and death to life in Him. If you see the overarching view of deliverance while reading this book, you'll understand the theme of Exodus!