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. ______