How Exodus Prepares us for Easter

The prophet Jeremiah writes

“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Paul affirms this significance in his prayer for the Ephesians

“…I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you…”

Ephesians 1:16-18

Yet centuries before Jeremiah we find the continuing history of the family of Abraham as recorded in Exodus. There we see one magnificent demonstration of this God we are to know. Both John Piper and Ross Blackburn make a convincing argument that the central theme of Exodus is God making his greatness known both through deliverance and by judgment.

From the Nile to the Red Sea

God’s greatness is seen in his faithfulness to Abraham’s children (1:1-7; 2:23-25), the preservation of Moses (2:1-10), the miraculous signs at the burning bush, before Israel’s elders, and even before Pharaoh himself (4:1-5, 29-31; 7:10-12), his righteous judgement in the plagues (Ch.7-12), and his mercy at the passover (Ch. 12). Finally we read of the great work of God that brings all of this to a head. At the Red Sea God shows his might by bringing full judgement on Egypt, the enemies of his people, as well as deliverance to Israel, all within the same scene. The very waters that were the means of Egypts demise were the way of Israel’s deliverance.

It is here we see a shadow of the cross as we approach Easter. As James M. Hamilton notes, whenever God works judgment his mercy is close at hand. This is seen best at the cross. There we read of Jesus passing through the waters of judgement (Mark 10:38) so that God’s mercy might be given to us. The same means that fulfills judgement by Christ also delivers us from the wrath to come.

I love how John Bunyan spoke of it in Pilgrim’s Progress

“He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death.”

Christian, Pilgrim’s Progress

The work of God to show his greatness amid the exodus of his people from slavery and unto their promised land is but a shadow of the great redemptive work at the cross. God works that his plans might be accomplished, yet he does them publicly that the world might know and worship.

After the Red Sea

The next major event of Israel’s journey is the giving of the Ten Commandments. However, there is a central and significant stretch of text from Exodus 15-18 that prepares us, as it also prepared Israel, to arrive at Sinai for the receiving of the Ten Commandments.

At this point we see a sequence of events: God delivers from Pharaoh (ch. 15), provides water (15:22-27), provides bread or manna (16:1-36), provides water again (17:1-7), and once again delivers them from a dangerous king (17:8-16). Here, God is not only making known the might of his power, but also the might of his love. He is Israel’s shepherd (Gen. 48:15). He has truly demonstrated his ability by plagues and the separating the Red Sea. Now he reassures Abraham’s family how his faithful care of them that they might grow to trust him. It was amid the suffering of hunger, thirst, and fear that God proved himself trustworthy before the people.

All of God’s works of mercy and grace, paired with wrath and judgement were done for the purpose of God’s glory. God meant all of it for the end goal of the world knowing there is one God in heaven. But God’s work to put his ability on display was not only for the worship of his name, but intertwined with that was the joy of his people. The people of God have a rejuvenation of joy as they see the might of their God, for then there is hope.

Exodus and Paul

The purpose of the exodus was that Abraham’s family would see the work of their covenant making God and know he is to be trusted. We read of the Exodus to be reminded of the steadfast love and might of him who delivers out of slavery to sin.

Paul writes to the church in Rome with the same idea in mind. Just as Exodus establishes the might of this God in our minds by ways of majestic stories, so Paul reminds us of what we know to be true of our wise, righteous, and powerful savior.

• Romans 5:3, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance…” – We meet the various sufferings (James 1:2) of life with joy because we “KNOW” that it is building godly endurance in us for days to come. God builds endurance in us that we might run the race and win the battles of the faith. Endurance needs to be crafted in us as we war against the temptation of our flesh.
• Romans 6:3, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” – Again in consideration of sin, yes we need to learn to endure, yet a part of how we endure is “KNOWING” the truth. The truth of Romans 6:1-4 is that we are no longer alive with sin as our slave master, for we have been brought into service of a new master by way of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. We must know that sin has no power over us. This must fill our hearts by way of meditation upon it with our mind.
• Romans 6:9-11, “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” – Paul finishes his thought from 6:3 and focus is placed on what Christ has done to bring this to be. In short, what we “KNOW” to be true of Christ’s death (and resurrection) is to impact what we “KNOW” and “CONSIDER” regarding our new lives in Christ. This Good Friday and Easter ought to be a special time of renewing your mind with the truth of Christ’s work as our High Priest so that we will take steps in “considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God…”

This pattern of declaration goes throughout Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 1:7; 4:13-15; 5:1, 6; Galatians 2:16; 3:7; Ephesians 1:15-18; 6:8-9). God’s faithful promises and steadfast love that we are to trust in are brought to our mind’s eye here by Paul.

A Biblical Theme

From Exodus to Paul we find a large spot light on the greatness of God so as to evoke faithfulness from us to him who loves us with everlasting love. The Exodus paints wonderful portraits of such divine ability as recorded history and yet a redemptive story. This wondrous story finds its truest meaning in the cross of Jesus that we remember in the Passion Week that is ahead. As you remember your great God and Savior, allow Paul to lead you to the green pastures of the promises of the Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.