Through this study our desire is to come to know God more and more, day by day as we study His word. We will watch God as He deals with Moses and the Israelite nation, when they leave Egypt and journey toward the land promised to Abraham so many years earlier (Genesis 12:7). We will learn of His holiness, love, care, protection, and desire to dwell with His people. We will see Him as savior, provider, deliverer, judge, guide, lawgiver, promise keeper, and supreme object of worship.

We will also observe Moses because much can be learned by examining those with whom God dealt. Moses was the earthly leader of the Israelites during this time and Revelation 15:3 calls him “the servant of God”. Moses’ name is found in scripture nearly 700 times, 37 of which are in the gospels. He is listed in Hebrew 11 in what is often called the Hall of Faith. Surely his great faith was revealed as he obeyed God’s commands in leading His people. We will see that he was prayerful, humble and courageous as he was used by God to free the people from bondage, give His law, mold His people, and bring them to the land they would occupy. As we are all leaders in some aspect of our lives , whether at home, work, school, our church family or other activities, we can learn from Moses’ example – from both his successes and his shortcomings.

God’s chosen people, the children of Israel, can also be an example for us – both in how to follow and worship God and how not to respond to God. They followed Moses’ lead then criticized and resisted his leadership . They worshipped God and they worshipped idols. They learned God’s will for establishing and keeping an acceptable relationship with Him and their fellow man. They were sometimes rebellious and sometimes victorious. From the time they left Egypt until they were ready to enter Canaan, they were characterized by obedience, disobedience, and repentance. Today, as God’s people, we must learn to hold firmly to God and be careful not to fall into the Israelites’ repetitive patterns. We can and should learn from those who have gone before us.

In conclusion, we can see how the events of days gone by testify and point us to Jesus. In John's gospel, Chapter 5, Jesus is talking to a group of Jews who would not accept Him and even wanted to kill Him. He tells them that they have John’s testimony regarding Him but more importantly they have the Father’s testimony. These people were known for studying the Scriptures yet they refused to come to Jesus even though those Scriptures testify about Him. The Scripture they studied and to which Jesus referred was the Law of Moses. We can learn of Jesus when we study the Law of Moses as well! We will see many parallels and much foreshadowing of Jesus as we look at bondage, deliverance, sacrifice, worship, Passover and high priests. The study of the “old law” is not something to be discounted or overlooked even though we are under the “new law”. Don’t forget the scriptures I gave you in my welcome letter. Jn 14:7 tells us that the Father and Son are the same; if you know one you know the other. Heb 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I believe when you look at both of these scriptures you will realize that God does not change. Romans tells us that the things written before, referring to the Old Testament, were written for our learning. We are to learn from the Old Testament.

Text:

The Biblical account of the children of Israel as they leave Egypt and make their journey to the Promised Land is found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. You may recall that, in Genesis 15:13-16, the Lord told Abram six things regarding his future descendants. The first took place in the book of Genesis and the remaining five were fulfilled in Exodus through Deuteronomy:    

      Foretold in Genesis 15                              Fulfillment

Strangers in a country not their own             Genesis 37 - 50

Enslaved                                                          Exodus 1:8-11

Mistreated 400 years                                    Exodus 1:11-22; 5

I will punish the nation they serve                  Exodus 7 - 12

They will come out                                           Exodus 12

They will come back here                                 Exodus 13 - Deuteronomy

Although there has been some argument to the contrary, and no one is named in the books themselves, the writer of the four books noted below (along with Genesis) is generally thought to be Moses by most Biblical scholars. Moses’ writing may have been supplemented by others as in the case of Deuteronomy 34 which tells of his death. The time of the books' writing is believed to be while Moses and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Together the five books make up what is often called the Pentateuch.

Themes:

While the books in our text have the common thread of Moses and the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land, each book has its own emphasis and theme as well.

Exodus: God’s Redemption – God has seen the suffering of His people at the hand of the Egyptians and redeems them. He establishes covenant with them and provides guidance for their worship of Him. Key verses: Exodus 6:6-8 “...: 'I am the LORD; 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 God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God 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 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.' ”

Leviticus: God’s Holiness – Leviticus reveals the holiness of God and His love for His people. He calls them to pattern their lives after His holy purposes. The book of Hebrews, as well as other places in the New Testament would not make sense without the book of Leviticus as a background. Hebrews looks back to the sacrificial system spelled out in Leviticus and transposes the thinking to see its fulfillment in Christ. Key verse: Leviticus 19:2 “...: 'You shall be holy , for I the LORD your God am holy...' ”

Numbers: God’s Faithfulness – Because of Israel’s lack of faith, those who left Egypt will never enter the Promised Land. Israel makes many mistakes along the way but despite man’s failures, God is faithful and will eventually bring Abraham’s descendants home. God disciplines and trains His people to worship Him and trust Him for their ultimate victory. Key verse: Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'

Deuteronomy: Moses’ final admonition – A new generation of Israelites are on the verge of at last entering the Promised Land and Moses reviews their history, God’s laws, and challenges them to renew their commitment to God. Key verses: Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."