Lesson Three: Exodus
“I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'akov, as G-d Almighty, but by My Name HaShem I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisrael whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of YYisrael: "I am HaShem; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your G-d. Then you shall know that I am HaShem your G-d who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am HaShem.’”
Sh'mot [Exodus] 6:3-8
The Problem, the Solution, the Redeemer
- Man was banished from the Presence of G-d – put out of the Garden because of sin.
- G-d promises a Seed to crush the “Serpent.”
- Noach blesses his sons – Shem is blessed with his tents being the dwelling place of HaShem.
- Avraham is blessed and promised with a Seed, descendants, and a Land.
- Yitzchak and Ya’akov receive the blessing given first to Avraham.
- G-d promises that He will redeem the descendants of Avraham (Gen 15).
The Descendants
- Gen 15:13-29: Prior to this point we are never given a clue that HaShem desires a relationship with anyone other than individuals. Avraham’s descendants (collective) and given a Land.
- Through Ya’akov, these are the descendants that are born in Egypt, into slavery.
- Ex 1:1-7: Sh’mot [Names]. This is the title for the book of Exodus. It is the point. These are the names… HaShem fulfills His promise to Abraham.
- Ex 3:4-6: Moses, a descendant of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.
- Ex 3:7-9: The promise to Avraham.
- Ex 3:12-15: HaShem, promises a relationship with a NATION.
The Purpose for the Covenant
- Ex 6:1-5: Because of Covenant, Israel as a nation (Avraham’s descendants) was chosen.
- Ex 6:6-8: The four “I wills” of Passover:
- I will bring out from under the burdens of the Egyptians
- I will rescue you
- I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
- I will take you as My people, and I will be your G-d
- The purpose for the covenant was to have a people as His own possession.
Redeemed for Avodah
- Ex 1:13; 4:23: From serving Egyptians, to serving HaShem. Egypt held HaShem’s firstborn, so HaShem took theirs.
- Ex 4:23; 7:16; 8:1; 8:20; 9:1; 9:13; 10:3: “Let My people go that they may serve Me.”
- Serve [avodah]: This is about what Kayin and Havel [Cain and Abel] were doing: avodah: worship.
Redeemed, Not by Works
- Ex 6:1-5: Because of grace, G-d chooses the nation of Yisrael. Because of covenant, He is bound to His choice.
- Ex 3:12: They were chosen, and redeemed in order to serve HaShem – at Sinai.
- Arriving at Sinai 47 days after being set free from Egypt, they were already people in covenant with G-d (Abraham’s descendants), and already redeemed.
- Ex 16:4; 23-30: Before Sinai, before “the Law” – the people are tested [nasah Gen 22:1] by G-d. They are given instructions to see if they will obey Him or not.
- Remember, Yisrael was not chosen because they agreed to “keep the Law.” They were chosen by grace, in order to serve [avad, avodah] G-d. Obedience to His righteous instructions was to nasah [test] them – as Avraham was tested.
Summary
- To solve the problem of sin, G-d promised a Seed.
- The Seed would come from Chava [Eve], Through Noach > Shem > Avraham > Yitzchak > Ya’akov… and now from the nation of Yisrael.
- The nation of Yisrael is firstborn… a nation in relationship with the Almighty Himself.
- He called Yisrael out of Egypt to serve Him at Sinai.
- He promised, long before He ever gave them the Torah, that He would be their G-d, and they would be His people. Period.