A SURVEY OF EXODUS TO DEUTERONOMY

Introduction

The first five books of the Old Testament are called “the Torah” or “the Books of Moses”. They reveal how God chose a nation, redeemed them, sanctified, guided, and instructed them.

Overview of Exodus

Exodus means a “going out” or a departure. This book begins with the Israelite nation in Egypt and ends at Mount Sinai. It covers only about two years of history and that is the last year before Israel leaves Egypt and the first year of their journey.

The theme of Exodus is redemption and shows the nature of God, whereby He is unchangeable and kept His promise to Abraham. It shows God’s choice of Moses and him being developed to be a leader, lawgiver, and liberator. The general outline of Exodus is Deliverance (Chapter 1 to 18), Covenant/Law (Chapter 19 to 24) and Tabernacle (Chapter 25-40).

Overview of Leviticus

Leviticus means “Law of the Priest” or “Law of the Levite”. This book shows the duties of the Levites and priests and follows very naturally from Exodus. The key word in the book is “holy”, and as such, the main emphasis is the holiness of Israel as a nation that is sanctified for God’s service and glory.

Leviticus contains laws to govern the Israelites in their religious and social life. It shows how a sinful person may approach a holy God. We get to know of the three annual feasts that were important to the people of Israel, which were the Passover of Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Passover Feast was to remind the people of how the angel of the Lord passed over their houses and spared their firstborn, then brought them safely across the Red Sea on dry ground. The Feast of Weeks was to take place fifty days after the Passover and was to remember the less fortunate (Leviticus 23:22). It was also known as Feast of the Firstfruits, Feast of Harvest, and in the New Testament, the Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles was also called the Feast of Ingathering and was to remind the Israelites of their wandering in the wilderness.

The five different types of burnt offerings were introduced. They were the burnt offering (purpose was dedication to God), meal offering (purpose was to show gratitude to God), peace offering (purpose was communion with God), sin offering (purpose was atonement for sin in general) and the trespass offering (purpose was atonement for specific acts of wrongdoing).

Both Leviticus and Exodus also provide types and antitypes. For example, Moses was a type of Christ and the tabernacle was a type of the Church.

Overview of Numbers

The Book of Numbers shows two separate censuses or numberings of the Israelite men. There were a total of 603,550 Israelites in the first numbering (with the tribe of Levi not being numbered) and 601,730 in the second numbering.

This book records Israel’s unfaithfulness in the wilderness between Mount Sinai and Canaan and shows their growth as worshippers and warriors. We will read of several murmurings or complaints of the people of Israel, including a rebellion. Numbers begins with the Israelites at Mount Sinai and ends with them at the east of Jordan River after wandering for forty years.

Overview of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy means “second law”. At this point in time, the older generation of Israelites had died and it was a new generation who was ready to enter the promised land. The book of Deuteronomy shows a repeating of God’s law by Moses to Israel before they entered Canaan. It is an appeal for obedience to God. The book ends with the death of Moses.

Lessons Learnt

First, there is a necessity to heed the commandments of God. The instructions on how to worship Him, what is to be done to keep one clean, the construction of the tabernacle, and many more are so precise and detailed. God is particular about us following His instructions closely. Based on this fact that we are aware of, we should be mindful of how we hear and read God’s instructions. Only when we hear and read well will we do the correct thing that pleases God. In addition, as much as details are important to God, it must also be important to us.

The law was given by God to protect His people and keep them sanctified for His purpose. This comes as a result of God’s great love for His people. Even in the Christian dispensation, God also loves us. He loves all man and is impartial. Although we do not live under the Old Law, we are now under the law of Christ where God’s love caused Him to give us His Law. As a result, our love for God should cause us to keep His Law.

God also does not approve of murmurings and disobedience. He showed His grace and mercy by taking care of the people of Israel, even though they continued murmuring and complaining. It is important to note from Numbers 16 that we need to submit to those who have rule over us and that will be the elders. They have been ordained by God and thus rejecting and not cooperating with them will mean rejecting God.

God knows and understands us. There were feasts which were instituted and all these were done to help man remember what He has done for them. God knows that we, being mortal beings, will be forgetful. For Christians today, we do not have the Passover, but we have the Lord’s Supper in which we partake of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine on the first day of the week weekly to remember Christ’s death on the cross. We also need to do so continually until He comes again. When I partake of the Lord’s Supper, I remember the cross and remind myself of God’s great love for mankind.

It is also necessary for us to have continued trust and faith in the Lord, knowing that He keeps to His promises. God made three promises to Abraham in Genesis 12 and we see how God kept His promises and took great care of His people throughout Exodus to Deuteronomy. This could be seen in how the people were led across the Red Sea on dry ground, given the Law to guide them and also God’s provision of manna in the wilderness. We also need to be contented people. The Israelites had nothing but manna everyday throughout the forty years that they were wandering in the wilderness. Imagine just feeding on manna and not having anything else to eat for such a long period of time. As such, we need to be content with our provisions, knowing that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

Conclusion

The overview of Exodus to Deuteronomy has enabled us to see several attributes of God. We see His great love, power, mercy and also compassion in taking care of His chosen people. Even though God is full of compassion, that does not mean that He will not punish. In fact, God punishes because He is holy and He loves us.

As we continue to live out our Christian life on earth, let us always remember that the Old Testament scriptures are not without use but are there for our learning. We can get much needed advice, comfort and encouragement.

Ask Yourself:

1. Is the Old Testament important?

2. How do we know that God is loving from these 4 books?

3. What will I do to show my love for God as He loves me?

Suggested Answers:

1. It is written for our learning that we may have comfort and hope (Romans 15:4).

2. God redeemed His people from bondage by taking them out of Egypt, giving them a leader in Moses to lead them, gave them laws to follow so that they could be protected, guided them in their worship of Him through a priesthood, and promised a land flowing with milk and honey.

3. You may discuss this with any Bible class teacher.

Sources:

1. Campell, Roger, D., A General Overview of the Bible, 2007.

2. Simmons, H.D., “Leviticus – An Introduction” in Studies in Leviticus, Edited by Dub McClish, 2005.