This week, we will tackle the first half of the Book of Exodus which is chock-full of drama. Coming out of the Book of Genesis, (the creation story, the Fall, Cain, Abel and Abraham), we now fast forward about 400 years.
Exodus is one of the most important books in the Old Testament, as it describes, in great detail, the hardships of the Israelites and how they were ultimately led out of slavery (at the hands of the Phaorah) by the Prophet Moses.
The story you will undoubtedly remember is of Moses the infant who, as the story is told, was placed in a reed basket and floated down the Nile River because newborn children were to be killed under order’s from the king of Egypt (Pharaoh). Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and takes him in as his own.
There’s also the story of Moses and the burning bush (in which God calls on Moses to be the one who who leads Israel out of slavery).
Even when it seemed like it was hopeless, Moses still trusted that God had a plan for his people.
What stands out most from the first half of Exodus? Well, in this book we find the first reference to a pair of really important themes that will show up throughout the scriptures: Redemption and salvation.
Think of redemption as being freed from slavery and salvation as being saved from danger. This is the story of the Israelites, whom God led out of Egypt. But it’s also a story about God’s faithfulness and mercy; it’s also a story about how we, as Christians, are ourselves redeemed; we who were slaves to sin are set free by the grace of God.
See you Sunday night!
The Pipe 