The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Verses 1-3: These relate to the 9th commandment. (Exodus 20:16, Leviticus 19:11, Deuteronomy 5:20, Psalm 101:5, Proverbs 10:18) God forbids the Israelites to lie to one another in matters of witness involving legal disputes (v.1), as well as participation in “mob justice”. (v.2) Legal matters are to be handled in a civil and fair manner where all cases are brought before the judges. Just going along with the angry crowd could lead to further crimes and/or perversions of justice. Likewise, the judges are to treat all parties fairly and not show partiality to one side or the other, i.e. sympathizing with someone’s cause just because he/she is poor. (v.3.) (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17, 16:19)
Verses 4-5: These two verses relate to the principle of loving one’s enemies and doing good to them that hate us. (Deuteronomy 22:4, Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:20) More specifically, God is commanding the Israelites to care for not only their own personal property but that of their neighbor’s as well. In other words, treat someone else’s goods and livestock just as well as you would your own, even if you and your neighbor aren’t currently getting along. This is a basic law of any stable society. Because God Himself is kind, loving, merciful and generous, even to those that despise Him, He expects the children of Israel to behave in the same manner towards one another and their personal property. Verses 6-9: These reiterate the theme of verses 1-3. Judges are to be fair and impartial in all their dealings in regulating legal disputes. Those appearing before them are likewise to be truthful and honest in their testimony. (v.7) (Psalm 119:29, Ephesians 4:25) God will not look kindly upon those that bear false witness for the purpose of exploiting the innocent or tearing down the righteous. (Exodus 34:7, Deuteronomy 25:1, Romans 1:18) The poor, especially, are not to be taken advantage of or oppressed in any way. (v.6) (Deuteronomy 27:19, Ecclesiastes 5:8) Bribes are forbidden. (v.8) So is the unjust slavery and oppression of foreigners. (v.9) As noted in the previous chapter, the Israelites were once themselves oppressed and made slaves in a foreign country, so they should not do likewise to the peoples of the nations around them. (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33) Verses 10-12: A sabbatical rest of every seventh year for the land is commanded in verses 10-11. This is for two reasons: 1) That the poor may eat of whatever crop grows naturally from the earth in that year of rest; 2) To remind the children of Israel that the land and all the earth belong to God. We, as His creation, are merely stewards of it. Another reminder of the sabbath day is given in verse 12. Just as God rested on the seventh day after creating the heaven and the earth, so should we have a day of rest from not only our physical labor, but also for the purpose of worship and focusing on God. This is the whole reason for church on Sunday. Verse 13 sums up the reason and meaning for all the laws that have preceded it. (Deuteronomy 4:9, 23, Joshua 23:7, Psalm 16:4, Hosea 2:17, 1 Timothy 4:16) The whole point of God’s law for His chosen people is so that they would recognize His sovereignty and His Lordship over them. He is the creator of the world and all that is in it – including you and me. As such, we should acknowledge his sovereignty and humble ourselves before Him always. The point of verse 13 is that everything we do in our daily lives should always be focused on God – and God alone – by cultivating a mindset of worship, obedience and devotion to God and all that He is. In the words of the Moody Bible Commentators: “Devotion to God will mean living and serving and worship in ways quite distinct from the surrounding culture. The Lord is a God of truth and justice and His people must be the people of truth and justice.” Verses 14-17: God commands the children of Israel to observe three feasts throughout the year (Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:16): 1. The feast of unleavened bread. This feast is to be held immediately following the day of Passover in the month of Abib, as laid out in Exodus 12. It’s a week-long memorial of God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (v.15) (Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:16, Acts 12:3) 2. The feast of harvest, a.k.a. the feast of weeks. This is a celebration of God’s provision of grain specifically. The Israelites are to bring forth the firstfruits of their harvest of wheat. (v.16) (Leviticus 23:10, Numbers 28:26) 3. The feast of ingathering, a.k.a. the feast of booths or the fest of tabernacles. This is to be celebrated at the end of the year as a memorial of God’s bounty and provision for His people by bringing forth firstfruits of all the rest of the agricultural produce. (Deuteronomy 16:13) The Believer’s Bible Commentary states that the feast of unleavened bread is a symbol for believers today of the importance of purging our lives daily of malice and wickedness. The latter two feasts are a typological foreshadowing for the day of Pentecost and the formation of the NT church (feast of harvest) and the Millennial Kingdom when Christ reigns on earth and Israel is dwelling securely in the promised land (feast of ingathering). Each of these three feasts throughout the year requires the presence of the men of Israel (and, presumably, their wives and children). (v.17) (Exodus 34:23) Nor are any of them to come empty-handed. (v.15) By requiring the assembly of the whole nation three times a year, God is providing a way for His chosen people to strengthen their bonds of familial unity and community, while also memorializing all that God has done – and will do – for them. Verses 18-19: In the context and theme of the Passover leaven symbolizes sin. Therefore it is not to be used in connection with the blood sacrifices. (v.18) (Exodus 34:25, Leviticus 2:11) The fat of the animal is the best part and is to be burned completely upon the altar so that none of it is left until morning. The best of the firstfruits are to be brought to the house of the Lord. (v. 19) (Exodus 22:29, 34:26, Deuteronomy 26:2, 10, Nehemiah 10:35, Proverbs 3:9) The specific command about boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk (Deuteronomy 14:21) has baffled scholars and commentators. The common Jewish understanding today of this law is that they are not allowed to eat any meat that has been cooked in the same pan as any sauce containing cream or milk. Most Biblical scholars believe that this commandment has to do with some pagan ritual or fertility rite that was practiced by the heathen nations of the promised land. Other commentators have stated that the real purpose of this law was that a young animal that was still suckling shouldn’t be taken away from its mother until it was weaned. To do so would traumatize the mother. Whatever the case, the point of these laws regarding the blood sacrifices and the offerings of firstfruits is that no pagan rites are to be used or mixed in with the way in which the Israelites worship God. Verses 20-23: The last part of this chapter concerns the conquest of the promised land. The Angel spoken of in verses 20-23 is the preincarnate Christ. (Genesis 16:7, 21:17, 22:11, 31:11, Exodus 3:2, Joshua 5:14) We know this because of the description given in verse 21. Only God has the power and authority to forgive sins. (Luke 5:21) God also says in the second half of that verse that “…My name is in him”, meaning that God Himself is in the form and presence of this Angel, just as He was at the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19) Until the building of the tabernacle, God’s presence among the children of Israel took the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God repeats His promise to bless His chosen people and to defend and protect them if they will obey His commandments and follow Him only. (v.21-22) “…obey His voice, provoke Him not…” (Numbers 14:11, Deuteronomy 9:7, Psalm 78:40, 56) He further promises to deliver the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land into the hands of the Israelites. (v.23) (Genesis 12:3, Numbers 24:9, Deuteronomy 30:7, Joshua 24:8, 11, Isaiah 54:15, Jeremiah 30:16, 20) Verses 24-33: God lays out His game plan to Moses, describing exactly what He will do for the children of Israel upon their entering the promised land. He begins by repeating the 1st commandment: “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works…”. (v.24) He commands the Israelites to completely overthrow the inhabitants of the land and tear down their idols and altars to their false gods. (Exodus 20:3, 5, 34:13, Numbers 33:52, Deuteronomy 7:5, 12:3, 30-31, 2 Kings 18:4) The children of Israel are to serve and obey God alone. (v.25) (Deuteronomy 6:13, Matthew 4:10) In doing so, God would bless them in multiple ways. (v.25-26) (Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 7:14-15, 28:4-5, 1 Chronicles 23:1, Malachi 3:11) Rahab’s report to the Israelite spies (Joshua 2:9) confirms God’s promise to Moses in verse 27. (Genesis 35:5, Exodus 15:16, Deuteronomy 2:25) Furthermore, Joshua 24:13 states that the children of Israel took possession of cities and vineyards that they had not built or planted. God will not drive out the inhabitants of Canaan all at once, lest the wild animals overtake it and “…the land become desolate…”. (v.29) He also mentions in verse 30 that the Israelites need time as well to increase their numbers in order to fully spread out and settle all of the vast area of the promised land. In verse 31 God describes the borders of that land. (Genesis 15:18, Deuteronomy 1:7-8, 11:24, 1 Kings 4:21, 24) According to the Holman Bible Commentary, the border starts at the portion of the Red Sea known as the Gulf of Aqaba (1 Kings 9:26) and extends all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, which at this time is known in Hebrew as “…the sea of the Philistines…” since it is they who live along its coast. There is a stern warning in verses 32-33. The children of Israel are to make no treaties with the inhabitants of the promised land, nor are they to worship their gods. (Exodus 34:12, 15, Deuteronomy 7:2) The Israelites are to leave no survivors of the heathen nations (“They shall not dwell in thy land…”) lest they cause the Israelites to sin against God by turning to idolatry. Failure to heed this warning would be a snare for the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 12:30, Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3, 1 Samuel 18:21, 1 Kings 11:4, Psalm 106:36) Sadly, that’s exactly what happened, as the children of Israel failed miserably to obey God’s command.
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