Exodus by Scott Risley (2012)

Evidence in the Old and New Testaments points to Moses as the author of Exodus. A plausible date for the Exodus is discussed. Moses's birth and early life in Pharaoh's household are revealed to be part of God's plan to fulfill his promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1,2.

The first nine plagues are unleashed on Egypt. They powerfully demonstrate that Yahweh is superior to the Egyptian gods and the Egyptians will be held accountable for their harsh treatment of the Israelites. Understanding God's unlimited power gives us a deeper appreciation for the love God demonstrated by allowing human beings to crucify his son Jesus.

God sends the tenth and final plague on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Moses explains God's detailed instructions for the Passover. Striking parallels between the Passover lamb and Jesus Christ are presented including 1) The choice of the lamb, 2) The blood of the lamb, 3) The meal of the lamb, 4) The protection of the lamb, 5) The memorial of the lamb.

God leads the Israelites out of Egypt and into an impossible situation. They are wedged up against the Red Sea as Pharaoh's army approaches. God's miraculous deliverance strengthens the faith of the Israelites and is held up as an example of God's power for thousands of years to come.

As the Israelites journey into the desert, they complain about a lack of water and food. Despite their complaints, God provides for them. God often allows challenging circumstances to show us something about ourselves and to help us grow spiritually. When we complain about the circumstances we are really complaining about God. When we trust God, we experience his provision and healing.

On the way to Mount Sinai, the Israelites defeat the Amalekites by keeping Moses's hands held high. Jethro gives Moses good advice on delegation. The Israelites learn that God is a God of rescue and wants to use them in a special way in this world. God wants to rescue us and use us in his plan to rescue others.

Living in line with God's Law is the best way to live. God requests the love of our hearts and minds, our speech, and our schedules and deeds. By loving God we can experience true freedom; the freedom to be who we're supposed to be, the freedom to not sin.

The 10 commandments can be summarized as two principles: love God, and love others. In the fifth and sixth commandments, we see that we are called to value humans as created in God's image, and we are called to honor our parents regardless of the past. Our relationship with our father and mother is more central to our dealings with other areas than we may think. We learn what honoring does and does not look like, as well as practical steps to repairing relationships with our parents.

The 10 commandments define what love is. We can see what loving God and others actually looks like, and how breaking these laws is selfish and harmful to us. The last four of the 10 commandments reveal how to love other people, and we can see how ignoring them damages our relationships.

In this portion of Exodus, we are introduced to God's ceremonial law and His plans for the tabernacle. Every piece of the tabernacle was a memory for the Israelites, and a symbol of God's character and provision. Together, the law and tabernacle demonstrate God's separateness and our need for atonement.

The Israelites learn the need for patience when waiting on God and the seriousness of sin. Moses exemplifies Christ as he steps in to mediate for Israel. As a result, we see the mercy of God and a true example of Godly leadership.

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses focused on his own failures and inadequacies and did not want to do it. God responded by challenging Moses to trust in God's plan, presence, and power. When God calls us, we must follow his lead and rely on the same promises God gave to Moses.

Moses returns to Egypt and confronts Pharaoh. Pharaoh responds by making life harder for the Israelites. What appears to be a failure turns out to be part of God's leadership training. Moses learns God is the one who will do the work. Christian leaders will experience failure, difficulties and opposition, but they can be encouraged that God uses all these things for his purposes.