What is greatest thing God has ever done that mankind is aware of? Was
it the creation? How much effort was it for God to create the universe? More
likely it was the redemption of mankind. What did it cost God to redeem mankind? He had to give His Son.
The entire book of Exodus is a prophetic model. We are Israel, in bondage (sin), but chosen for greater things. Egypt is the world system, our home before we accepted grace. Pharaoh is the model of the Adversary. Moses is the type for Christ, the deliverer from bondage.
Exodus describes the battle for sovereignty between God and the hard
heartedness of men, symbolized by pharaoh’s refusal to let the
Israelites go until 10 plagues are visited on Egypt. God’s chosen
people are spared from these plagues, and rescued through the
institution of the Passover.
Christ is the I AM in the Burning Bush
Most likely, the burning bush was an Acacia. Acacia bush has thorns, which are the symbol of
the curse brought about by sin (implied in Genesis 3:18). Fire consistently is a symbol of judgment. Yet
the bush is not consumed. This represents God’s mercy, for while we
should be consumed we are not.
Who, then, was speaking from the bush?
Exodus 3:14,15 4 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation."
For anyone wondering what God calls Himself, Yahweh, and more literally, the tetragrammaton that is very difficult to pronounce. Jesus applied the name I AM to Himself as recorded by John:
John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.” The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex.
Let there be no confusion about this. Jesus was calling Himself "Yahweh", and the Jews understood His meaning and assumed it was blasphemy. How did Abraham “see” Jesus’ day? The power of his name is alluded to the night He was betrayed:
John 18:4-6 “Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene’. He said to them ‘I AM He’. And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. When therefore He said to them ‘I AM He’, they drew back and fell to the ground.”
The Plagues of Egypt Decoded
The plagues of Egypt represent God’s judgement on Earth, particularly on
false religion. Pharaoh speaks as the world, and representing the
spirit of rebellion as the Adversary of God. Pharaoh soon learns who "this Yahweh" really is....
Exodus 5:1-2 Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness.” But Pharaoh responded, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know anything about Yahweh, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”
Note that through the power of demons, Jannes and Jambres were able to
perform the miracle of the rods turning into serpents, and at least
counterfeit turning water to blood and the plague of the frogs. We
don’t often acknowledge that the Deceiver can and will perform false
miracles.
Matthew 24:24 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
The first 3 plagues were warnings to the Egyptians that they worshiped false gods
- The Nile represented life – so God metaphorically “killed” it. Three gods are associated with the Nile, Khnum, the guardian of the Nile, Hapi, the spirit of the Nile, and Osiris, had the Nile as his bloodstream.
- Swarms of frogs – directed against the Egyptian goddess Heqt, who is pictured with the head of a frog. The Egyptians were forced to pile then up in heaps when they died, which signified disrespect of their deity.
- The plague of lice interfered with the priests officiating over their religious ceremonies, no animals infected with lice could be sacrificed.
The next 3 plagues attacked the possessions (wealth) and comfort of the Egyptians.
- Swarms of flies - came into the homes of the leaders and their servants. Psalm 78:45 implies these were biting insects, and again interfered with their worship.
- Plague on cattle – destroying Egypt’s wealth, and was directed against the Egyptian fertility god Hathor who was thought to be a mother goddess in the form of a cow.
- Boils on man and animals - probably directed against the Egyptian god Imhotep, their god of medicine; and it interfered with the priests officiating over religious ceremonies.
The next 3 plagues devastated the Egyptian economy and destroyed their homes and crops.
- Hail mingled with fire – representing stoning, which was the punishment for the crime of idolatry. This showed the Egyptian sky goddess Nut, to be a false god.
- Locusts devoured what was left of the crops from the hailstones, exposing Seth, protector of crops, as a false god.
- Darkness for three days – apparently God did not even allow candles or lamps to work, demeaning the Egyptians' highest god, Ra, their god of light.
The Passover is Introduced
Christ will be the fulfillment of the Passover, as the Lamb slaughtered for the whole world. Here it is Introduced as the drama of freeing the Hebrews from the world system controlled by Egypt and the Pharaoh. Pharaoh would not give God His firstborn - Israel, so God took the firstborn of Egypt.
Exodus 4:21-23 The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' "
The first born --or first fruits -- are consecrated to God. That is how we
are to tithe; giving God the first fruits of our labor. Later, in
Joshua we will see the plunder from Jericho, the first city taken in the
promised land, was considered consecrated and belonged entirely to the Lord.
The Jews were commanded in Exodus 12 to choose a lamb (sheep or goat)
without blemish and keep it in the house from the 10th of Nisan until
the 14th. At sunset, when the 14th begins, the head of every household
was to slay the lamb, spread the blood on the doorpost and lintel with
hyssop, and then roast the lamb (so that it is directly exposed the fire
of judgement). They were instructed not break any of its bones during this process – a clear foreshadowing
of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.
During the Passover, the only bread Jews were to eat was
unleavened. Throughout scripture, leaven symbolizes sin because it corrupts by puffing up
(like pride). Pride is the root of the sin of Lucifer:
Isaiah 14:12-15 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
Crossing the Red Sea
God arranged for the Jews to be compelled out of Egypt. The pillar of
cloud and fire, representing the Holy Spirit, guides the Jews in the
wilderness.
At the Red Sea, we see the boundary of Satan’s authority. Israel was
taken through the Red Sea the same way we symbolically are taken through
death into a new life by baptism. Leaving the kingdom of Satan is
never without a fight, and he will do all in his power to keep us
cornered within the confines of his control. In a time of crisis, Moses
told the people to stop, and let God control the situation.
The Pillar of Fire blocked the progress of the Egyptian army and the people were taken symbolically out of the world and into God's protection. How often have we asked in prayer to be extracted from a worldly situation and into the protection of God? Do we stop and notice those situations when God does answer those prayers? Consider in your life how many times the Holy Spirit intervened to guide and protect you without you noticing.
Moses as a Model of Christ
Moses was a depiction of the Messiah to come. Many Jews anticipated this Messiah to resemble Moses, as this was hinted at in the Torah:
Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
There are many parallels to Christ modeled by the life story of Moses. A much longer list than this could be made, but here is a sample:
1. Satan (through Pharaoh) tried to kill him as an infant (Pharaoh)
2. He was an intercessor for his people (Exodus 17:1-6, 32:11-14, Numbers 21:7)
3. He offered himself on behalf of his people (Exodus 32:31-32)
4. He performed miracles
5. He brought his kinsmen out of the ‘world’ Egypt, and delivered them to the ‘Promised Land’
6. He spent 40 days and nights on the mountain top (Exodus 24:18)
7. He was rejected as the leader of God’s chosen people (Exodus 2:11)
8. He was a prophet, who spoke the Word of God.
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Scripture citations are from: Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN or New King James Version®. (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson
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