These notes were authored by Martin Bussey (a Bible college lecturer in Africa)
mostly based upon Vern Polythress's “The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses”.
A. Exodus
We have seen that Genesis is the book of "origins" or "beginnings". It shows us the origin of
the heavens and the earth, of man, of work, of marriage, of the weekly day of rest, of sin, of
polygamy, of music, of tools, of many languages and so much more.
In particular, Genesis 12 shows the origin of God's gracious covenant (or "agreement") with
Abraham. In that covenant, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation,
that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, and that through Abraham's offspring the
whole world would receive blessing.
The rest of the book of Genesis should be understood in the light of this covenant with
Abraham. In Genesis chapters 12-50 we do not simply have some nice interesting stories that teach
moral values or give illustrations on how we should live. Genesis 12-50 has bigger concerns than
these. In these chapters we are constantly faced with such questions as, "Is God being faithful to his
gracious promises to Abraham?" and "Will human sin (e.g. Abraham's lies about Sarah being his
sister rather than his wife) bring an end to the covenant?". (For a detailed outworking of this, see the
notes on Genesis).
The questions and concerns of the book of Genesis are carried on into the book of Exodus.
Exodus shows how God continued to work out his purposes and to fulfil his promises to Abraham.
So, at the beginning of Exodus, how far have the promises made to Abraham in Genesis 12, been
fulfilled? What of the promise that from Abraham will come a mighty nation? Look at Ex. 1:6,7: "..
the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the
land was filled with them". In fact, the descendants of Abraham were so numerous that the Pharaoh
of the day was afraid of them! God had indeed been faithful to his promise that Abraham would
become the father of a great nation!
But where were the Israelites at that time? They were not in Canaan, the land that God had
promised to give them. They were in Egypt. In fact, they had been in Egypt for about 400 years, and
many generations had lived and died there. It seems they were very settled in Egypt. They showed
no interest in leaving the land. They were no longer looking to God to fulfil his promise of giving
them the land of Canaan. But God had not forgotten his promise to Abraham! And God was still at
work!
We are told (Ex 1:8-12) that Pharaoh, the pagan ruler of Egypt, became afraid of the
Israelites, because they were so numerous. He was afraid that they would join forces with his
enemies, and leave the country. So he took measures to make sure that they stayed in Egypt. And
this is the wonderful part: it was these very measures, intended by Pharaoh to keep the people in
Egypt that God actually used to stir his people up so that they wanted to leave Egypt! i.e. it was not
until the Israelites were put into hardship and slavery that they became interested in leaving Egypt.
It was only when they were oppressed that they turned to God and asked him for deliverance.
(We learn many lessons from this. We see how God uses problems and sufferings in the
lives of his people, to achieve his purposes for them. We see how God moves the hearts of pagan
rulers to further his plans of grace for his people. We see that sometimes God seems to be very slow
in fulfilling his purposes – in this case over 400 years – but he does achieve them according to his
own perfect timetable.)
As we look at the book of Exodus in more detail, we can divide the contents into three main
parts.
1. The Exodus from Egypt (chs 1-18)
This part of the book tells how God brought his people out of the bondage and slavery which they
were experiencing in Egypt, and how they began their journey to the Promised Land.
The New Testament uses this theme of the exodus from Egypt to explain something of the
work of Jesus. According to the Gospels, Jesus was achieving a new exodus for the new people of
God (or we could say, for the new Israel). Look for example in Lk 6:6-11 & then Lk 6:12ff. The
leaders of the old Israel (i.e. the physical nation of Israel, those who were physically descended
from Abraham) rejected Jesus. Since the leaders of the old Israel rejected Jesus, what did he do? He
chose new leaders for the new people of God that he was creating. So, just as the old Israel had been
founded on the 12 sons of Jacob, so the new Israel was founded on the 12 apostles.
Who is included in the new Israel? The answer given by Luke is that many of those you
would expect to be members of the new Israel (or we could say, members of the kingdom of God)
choose not to be; and it is the "unlikely" people who enter the kingdom to become members of the
new Israel. So for example, in Lk 7:36-50, it is the Pharisee who is offended by Jesus, and the
prostitute who finds forgiveness. In Lk 8:19-21 we see that it is not those who are physically
related to Jesus who are part of his family, but it is "those who hear God's word and put it into
practice" who are part of the new Israel. In Lk 18:9-14, we are again faced with the question, "Who
is acceptable to God?", "Who has a part among the people of God?". The answer we get in this
passage is that it is not the religious Pharisee, but the tax-collector (a well-known sinner) who is
accepted by God and therefore part of the people of God.
So Jesus establishes a new Israel. But he must also achieve a new exodus for his people. Lk
9:31 says that when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, he spoke with Moses and Elijah. What
did they speak about? "They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at
Jerusalem". The word "departure" is actually the Greek word "exodus". Jesus is going to Jerusalem
"to bring to fulfilment" this exodus. This means that by going to Jerusalem, and dying on the cross,
Jesus will achieve a new exodus for his people. He will deliver them not from the kingdom of
Egypt, but from the kingdom of darkness. He will set his people free from the bondage of sin and
the fear of death. He will set his people free to live in fellowship with God, both now and for ever!
2. The Giving of the Law (chs 19-24)
The second part of the book of Exodus concerns how God gave his law to his people. There is a
great emphasis on God's holiness and the people's sinfulness (see e.g. Ex 19:16- 20:2).
Notice that the law of God is not the basis for the relationship between God and the people.
It is not the case that if the people keep the law, they will enter a relationship with God. God does
not say, "If you keep the law I will become your God and you will become my people". And he
most certainly does not say, "If you keep my law I will deliver you from Egypt". He has already
delivered them from Egypt; they are already his people. The law is not the key to the establishment
of a relationship with God. Rather God says, "Because I have made you my people, because I have
delivered you from Egypt, then this is how you are to live". (See Ex 20:2.)
We can illustrate the situation by thinking of a human father giving rules to his children
about how they must behave. He does not say, "Keep the rules and you will become my children."
Instead he says, "Because you are my children, then this is how you must live if you are to please
me."
The law is divided into 2 parts: i. the 10 commandments (Ex 20:3-17) and ii. the Book of
the Covenant (Ex 21:1- 23:19 – the phrase comes from Ex 24:7). The laws in the second section
give illustrations of how the 10 commandments applied to the people of God at that particular time
in God's purposes (or we could say, at that particular stage in the history of redemption). For
example, Ex 21:28-36 is an application of the 6th commandment, Ex 23:10-13 applies the 4th
commandment, and Ex 23:1-3 gives an illustration of how the 9th commandment applied to the
people of God.
How does the New Testament understand the law given to Moses? The main teaching of the
New Testament about the Old Testament law is as follows:
i. The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ (see e.g. Gals 3:15-24):
The NT emphasises that no-one is justified by keeping the law. No-one can be declared righteous in
God's law court by works of the law. What the law does is show us what sin is, and then condemns
us for sinning! Even worse, the law stirs us up to sin more. In Roms 7:7-12 Paul says, "When the
commandment came, sin sprang to life". When the law came into Paul's life, it actually made him
want to break it.
I used to teach in a Bible College in West Africa. I taught the book of Romans most years.
When I got to Romans 7, I would suddenly say, "Now, for the next 10 minutes, no-one must look
out of the window." What happened? Immediately nearly everyone in the classroom turned their
heads and looked out of the window. They had not wanted to see what was happening outside, until
the command was given. "Do not look out of the window," had created in them the desire to know
what was happening outside. So the command actually stirred them up to sin.
The law, then, cannot justify us. It cannot put us in a right relationship with God. The law
shows us our sin, condemns us for it, and teaches us that we need a Saviour. In this way, the law
leads us to Christ, so that we can be saved.
Let us pause there and ask a question. What has been your experience of the law? Has the
law shown you that you are a guilty sinner? Have you understood the demands of the law and
realised that you cannot be saved by your good works? Has the law led you to Christ for salvation?
ii. The law still reveals God's will for us
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount brings out the depth of the OT law. God had said through Moses,
"You shall not murder". Jesus shows that means, "You shall not be angry without good cause", and
"You shall not have the feelings of hatred which lead to murder."
As Christians, we must take the OT law and apply it to the situations we find ourselves in
today. For example, what does the 6th commandment ("You shall not murder") have to say about
contraception, abortion and euthanasia? We are told, "You shall honour your father and mother".
How does that command determine our attitudes towards a military government, to employers, to
going on strike for better working conditions, and so on.
Then we must look at some of the applications of the 10 commandments which were made
in Moses' time and ask how they reapply now. For example, the OT law said that if you built a
house, you were to put a rail (or barrier) around the edge of the roof, so that when people went on
the roof (as they did in those days to rest or pray), they would not fall off and injure or kill
themselves. Today people do not walk on the roof of a house, so there is not need to put a barrier
round the edge. But the principle of protecting life and avoiding unnecessary accidents still applies.
Today, then, applications of this law would be to cover up electric sockets so that small children do
not put anything into them and get electrocuted (killed by electric shock), and to wear seat belts
when driving in the car, so that we are less likely to be seriously injured or killed in the case of road
accident.
Today if we are serious about wanting to know God's will for us, so that we can please him,
we must spend time learning what the OT law says, and how it applies to us today.
3. The Tabernacle (chs 25-40)
This part of the book of Exodus tells us that Moses received detailed instructions from the LORD
about how the Tabernacle should be constructed. It also shows us that Moses made the Israelites
follow those instructions precisely. We see this in two ways:
i. We find passages that are almost identical to each other in wording. For example, Ex
26:1-6 is almost word for word the same as Ex 36:8-13. In the first passage, we have the
instructions the LORD gave to Moses. In the second passage we have a record of what the Israelites
actually did. With the passages being almost exactly the same, the point is made very clearly that
what Moses was told to do by the LORD, is exactly what was done. The Tabernacle and all that was
in it, was made according to the specific and exact instructions given by God.
ii. We are also told in a number of places (see Ex 39:32, 42, 43) that the Israelites did "all
the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses".
The emphasis is clear: the Tabernacle was not made according to man's ideas and wishes,
but according to the ideas and wishes, indeed, the commands of the LORD himself.
But what was the Tabernacle? The Israelites at that time were in the desert. They lived in
tents. The Tabernacle was also a tent. It could be taken down, packed up and carried from place to
place.
When the people camped, the Tabernacle was to be set up in the very middle of the camp
(Num 2:1ff). In those days, when an army went out and camped before a battle, the tent in the
centre of the camp was the one belonging to the king. He stayed in the middle of the camp,
surrounded and defended on all sides, by his army. Thus we see that the Tabernacle represented the
dwelling place of Israel's king. Who is Israel's king? It is the LORD, God Almighty.
Why did the Israelites go to the Tabernacle? They went there to make sacrifices and
offerings to the LORD. So once again we see that the Tabernacle represented the dwelling place
of the LORD in the midst of the people (Ex 25:8,9).
NB: God did not really live in the Tabernacle. But God was saying to the people, "Consider
that this is where I am. If you want to have fellowship with me, then come to the Tabernacle. The
Tabernacle shows you that I am here with you and care for you."
What did the Tabernacle look like? What would you expect the Tabernacle to look like? It
is the dwelling place of Israel's king, so it should have royal splendour. Also since it is the dwelling
place of the God who lives in the highest heavens, it should reflect heaven itself. This is what we
find! What colours are the curtains? They are "blue, purple and scarlet" (Ex 26:1). These are the
colours of royalty, and the colours of the heavens themselves.
Cherubim are heavenly creatures who guard the throne of God. Cherubim are woven into
the Tabernacle veil (Ex 26:31) and the curtains (Ex. 26:1). Again we see that the Tabernacle
represents the dwelling place of God (see also Gen 3:24, where cherubim guard the way back into
Eden).
The Tabernacle speaks about communion with God and dwelling in the presence of
God. The Tabernacle is made up of a courtyard and two rooms, one called the Holy Place, and one
called the Most Holy Place. Any Israelite could go into the courtyard. Only the priests could go into
the Holy Place. But only one man, the High Priest, could go into the Most Holy Place and he could
do that only once a year, on the exact day that the LORD had established.
All this emphasises the inaccessibility of God. It was not easy for sinful man to have
fellowship with a holy God. Sinful man could not lightly and easily enter into God's presence. In
fact it was highly dangerous for even the High Priest to go into the Most Holy Place. If everything
was not done according to the directions God had given, then the High Priest would die.
The Most Holy Place measured 10 cubits by 10 cubits by 10 cubits. Thus it was a perfect
cube. To be in the Most Holy Place was to be in the very presence of God. Therefore it was fitting
for this room to reflect God's perfection, by being a perfect cube in shape. (The only other cube
found in Scripture is the New Jerusalem of the book of Revelation. The New Jerusalem is also the
dwelling place of God. It is the place where God will dwell with his people for ever.)
The Holy Place was 10 cubits by 10 cubits by 20 cubits. Thus it was less regular and perfect
in shape than the Most Holy Place. This is because it was a little way from God's immediate
presence, and therefore it was not necessary for it to reflect his perfection.
All the furnishings in the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place were covered with gold,
signifying the royal splendour of heaven. But the things in the courtyard (e.g. the altar and the
basin) were made of bronze, which was less expensive than gold. All the Israelites could worship
there.
Let us look more closely at the Tabernacle.
i. The Most Holy Place. In the Most Holy Place we find symbols of being in God's
immediate presence. There is the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:10-20). The Ark is a rectangular
shaped box. It is the shape and size of the footstools used in those days by kings as they sat on their
thrones. Thus the footstool shows that the Most Holy Place represented the throne room of God.
In the temples of other nations, next to the footstool there would be a throne, and on the
throne there would be an image of their god. But here in Israel's Tabernacle, there is just the King's
footstool. There can be no throne with an image of God on it, since the true God may not be seen,
nor are any images of him permitted.
What is inside the Ark of the Covenant? It is the copies of the covenant law, setting forth
God's standards. On the cover made for the Ark, we once again find cherubim, guarding the throne
room of God.
ii. The Holy Place. Here we find symbols to do with fellowship and mediation between
God and man.
a. The Lampstand (Ex 25:31-40; 27:20,21).
Light speaks of God as the Creator and Light-giver. The first recorded words of God in the
Scriptures are, "Let there be light". On the fourth day of creation, God created the sun, moon, and
stars to rule the day and the night.
Light also speaks of God as Redeemer. When he brought his people out of Egypt, they
were chased by the Egyptians. So the LORD sent darkness to the Egyptians, but provided light for
his people (Ex 14:19-20).
The light symbolism is of course fulfilled in Christ (Jn 1:3-5, 9:3-6). Christ is the one who
brings spiritual light and life and understanding to his people.
Why does the lampstand have 7 branches? It is because the lampstand represents the
heavenly bodies i.e. the sun, the moon and the stars, and the heavenly bodies serve as signs to mark
out time (Gen 1:14). Time in the Bible is seen to be divided into 7! (e.g. every 7th day is the
Sabbath; the Day of Atonement is in the 7th month of the year; the 7th year saw release from debts –
see Deut 15). So if the lampstand represents the heavenly lights, which divide time into 7s, then it is
fitting that the lampstand itself should be divided into 7; hence it has 7 branches.
Notice the carvings on the branches of the lampstand (Ex. 25:31-39): there are buds,
blossom and almond flowers. These point to the growth of plants and the passing of the seasons;
they point to cycles of time which God created and which sustain life.
The lampstand's tree-shape also reminded the people of another tree which was mentioned
in Genesis. i.e. the tree of life, in the Garden of Eden. Just as God used to have fellowship with
Adam and Eve in a garden with trees (including the tree of life), so God would now meet with his
people in the Tabernacle, with its tree of life. We can say then that the Tabernacle is a picture of
Eden.
b. The Bread of the Presence (Ex. 25:23-30)
The Bread of the Presence signified that to be in the Tabernacle was to be in the presence of God,
and that God invited Israel to share a meal with him. If the chief of the village invites me to have a
meal with him, it shows that he wishes to have fellowship with me. In the same way, God invites
his people to have fellowship with him.
The bread also speaks of God as the provider of food. God provides for his people either
naturally by the cycle of planting and harvesting; or he provides for them supernaturally, with bread
from heaven, as he did while they were in the wilderness (Ex 16:4). But whether naturally or
supernaturally, God is the Creator and Sustainer of his people.
Once again, Jesus fulfilled this symbolism. In John 6, Jesus miraculously provided food in
the desert to feed 5,000 people. Jesus then went on to explain the significance of this miracle. He
said it pointed to himself. He is the true bread from heaven. (Jn 6:32-35)
What does it mean to say Jesus is the true bread from heaven? Just as bread gives physical
life and strength, so Jesus is the one who gives spiritual life, spiritual strength.
Why were there 12 loaves of bread? It could be because there were 12 months in a year.
Thus the 12 loaves would show that God provides for his people not just now and again, or some of
the time, but that he cares and provides for them throughout the whole year. Or, of course, it could
be that the 12 loaves point to the 12 tribes of Israel, in which case it tells us that the LORD provides
for all his people, not just for some of them.
c. The Altar of Incense (Ex 30:1-10)
This was in the Holy Place, but just next to the curtain which led to the Most Holy Place. It was
covered with gold, to show that it was most holy. In many ways it really belongs with the Most
Holy Place.
What was offered on this altar? There were no animal sacrifices offered on it, only incense
was burnt. Why was incense burnt here? Perhaps there are two reasons:
1. The Israelites had to live with some very unpleasant smells. They were surrounded by the
smells of physical labour, of animals, of excrement, of burning animal flesh. For the LORD to have
incense burnt in his tent suggests the thoughtful hospitality of God, the host. (In the same way when
we have visitors, we like our house to be smelling pleasantly. If there are any bad smells around, we
use air freshener to get rid of them.)
2. The sacrifices offered in the courtyard are seen to be acceptable to the LORD. Burnt
offerings were constantly being made on the altar in the courtyard. These offerings produced
smoke, which makes people cough and splutter. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place represent
heaven, the dwelling place of God. The altar of incense, situated in the Holy Place, and right next to
the Most Holy Place, shows that when the smoke of the burnt offerings in the courtyard rises to
heaven, it is like sweet smelling incense to God. It is pleasing and acceptable to him.
The sacrifices offered by the Israelites are to be understood as prayers. When an Israelite
came with a burnt offering, he was really asking for forgiveness. When he brought a thank offering,
he was thanking God for his goodness. So, the altar of incense, in the Holy Place, shows that these
prayers are heard by the LORD and are pleasing to him. (cf Rev 5:8 where we are told that the 24
elders "were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints".)
iii. The Courtyard
This contained the bronze altar and the laver.
a. The Altar of Burnt Offering (Ex 27:1-8).
This was for offering blood sacrifices. Since all the sacrifices point to the Lord Jesus Christ (see
notes on the sacrifices in Leviticus), this altar points to the one Great Sacrifice, which brings about
the New Covenant. Jesus said, "This is my body broken for you… This is my blood of the new
Covenant, which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins."
b. The Laver (or Basin) for Washing (Ex 30:17-31)
The laver was a basin with water, so that Aaron and his sons (i.e. the priests) could wash their hands
and feet. This symbolised the need for cleanliness and purity for those who had fellowship with
God.
Later in the OT, we are told that the time would come when there would be "a fountain
opened… to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zech 13:1). A fountain, with running water, is
much better for washing than a basin with still water in it (and which needs to be constantly
refilled).
In Jn 4:13-14 Jesus says he is the one who provides "… a spring of water welling up to
eternal life." Those who drink the water Jesus gives will "never thirst again", as their thirst will be
satisfied. Of course Jesus is not talking about physical water and physical thirst; he is talking about
having our spiritual thirst satisfied, through experiencing fellowship with God.
Water, then, for cleansing, and water for satisfying a person's spiritual thirst by providing
eternal life. What is this water that cleanses and satisfies?
In Jn 7:37-39 we are told that the water which satisfies a person's thirst is the Holy Spirit.
We are also told that the way a person is cleansed from sin is "through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Sprit" (Titus 3:5). Putting these two ideas together, we see that it is when we
are cleansed from sin by the Holy Spirit that we have our spiritual thirst satisfied. It is when we are
cleansed from sin that we have fellowship with God, and it is fellowship with God that satisfies our
spiritual thirst. This fellowship with God is what is called eternal life (Jn 17:3).
What do we do when we have received the Spirit? We get baptised i.e. we wash our body
with water, to symbolise that our heart (or "personality") has been cleansed by the Spirit.
So, the basin in the Tabernacle, with its water, speaks of cleansing. It comes to signify
having our thirst for God satisfied. How do these things happen? By the coming of the Holy Spirit
upon us. We see then, in the light of later revelation in the OT and the NT, that the basin points us
to the Holy Spirit.
Notice, that we are not saying that the laver and its water is really the Holy Spirit; nor do we
mean that if you said to the Israelites of Moses' time, "What is the significance of the laver?" they
would say, "Oh, the laver stands for the Holy Spirit." But we are saying that the reality that the laver
and its water speaks of is fulfilled in the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Lessons from the Tabernacle
1. The Tabernacle was a symbol of heaven i.e. it was to remind the Israelites, and us, that the God
who dwells with his people, is no local, limited God. He is the God of the whole universe, the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords.
2. The Tabernacle spoke of God's care and provision for Israel, shown in daily circumstances –
light, life, food all come from him. So for us today, personal circumstances and blessings are not the
result of chance, or some impersonal process. They are provision from our God and Saviour Jesus
Christ. We pray to him for daily bread (Mtt 6:11), and seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
with confidence that all earthly needs will be met as well (Mtt 6:33).
3. The Tabernacle spoke of the unique privileges of the Israelites. Out of all the nations of the
world, only they were given the Tabernacle. God dwelt with them in a special way that made them
different from the nations around. Similarly in the New Covenant, God dwells with his people (the
church) in a special way, which makes us different from the world around us (I Cor 14:24-25).
4. The Tabernacle symbolised Eden. The entrance to Eden was barred to men. The Israelites as a
whole were barred from the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. This reminded Israelites of their
sinful, lost condition. Yet in the Tabernacle, their representative could enter, on their behalf, into the
presence of God. So the Tabernacle spoke of being lost, and yet sin being overcome by a
representative man.
5. The Tabernacle of the wilderness time was replaced by the Temple, during the Israelites' time in
the Promised Land. The Temple, in turn, was replaced by the Church, that is, the people of God. So,
the Tabernacle symbolised the people of God. Just as the Tabernacle had beauty, order, holiness
and purity, so today, the people of God are to display these same things: beauty, order, holiness and
purity. Our families and homes are to reflect the spiritual purity, beauty and orderliness which were
temporarily pictured through the Tabernacle, and are now set forth fully in Jesus Christ.
6. The Tabernacle pointed forward to the New Jerusalem, the final dwelling of God with men.
"The Israelites were supposed to look forward to God's salvation in the future and to pray for his
coming; to stir themselves up to be faithful to him and to trust him in their own day." These are
things that we too must do.
7. The Tabernacle was a revelation of God himself: his beauty, holiness, majesty, and purpose of
salvation. The Tabernacle was intended to draw us into communion with this wonderful God, so
that we might adore him and worship him, and might enjoy his presence both now and forever.
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