Saturday Apr 02, 2022

Exodus - The Shadow of the Lamb

Welcome to Founded in Truth Fellowship

Welcome to Founded in Truth, a community that sees itself as more than just a fellowship; it's a family grounded in truth and love, where the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Son of God are worshipped. As Matthew Vander Els begins, a greeting of Shabbat Shalom is extended to all present and those watching online. This community comprises diverse families and individuals who cherish the Sabbath and find joy in the entirety of the Bible. However, their central focus is on Jesus, whom they call Yeshua.

The Foundational Exodus Narrative

With Passover approaching, the teaching emphasizes the profound significance of the Exodus story. It's more than just a historical event involving Moses, the sea, and a lamb. The Exodus story is presented as the very foundation upon which the rest of the Bible is built. In fact, the entire Torah is argued to be an extension of the Exodus narrative, encompassing the wilderness experiences, promises, covenant, and events at Mount Sinai. The subsequent history of Israel, including their entry into the promised land, their own periods of becoming like Egypt, and their eventual exile, are all seen as reflections of the cyclical patterns established in the Exodus story.

Echoes of Exodus Throughout Scripture

The prophets who emerged after the exile, such as Jeremiah, Malachi, Isaiah, and Zechariah, looked back at Israel's history and prophesied about a future, greater Exodus and Passover. This future event would be fulfilled by a great king, a prophet similar to Moses. Turning to the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew immediately draws parallels between Jesus and the Exodus. The Gospel of John also echoes these themes. The Exodus story is unequivocally presented as the Bible-forming narrative. It transcends a simple tale of slavery and liberation, becoming an ancient story centered around a meal that symbolized revolution through the image of a lamb, and embodying themes of healing, hope, and reconciliation.

Genesis: The Prologue to Exodus

The Exodus event is described as the canvas upon which the entire Bible story unfolds. While Genesis is traditionally seen as chapter one, it is suggested that Genesis serves as the introduction, much like the opening crawl in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope. This crawl provides the backstory necessary to understand the main narrative. Similarly, the first twelve chapters of Genesis offer broad strokes, including creation, the fall, the flood (a story of de-creation), the Tower of Babel, and then zoom in on Abraham and his family, leading to the eventual presence of Joseph and his family in Egypt, in the land of Goshen. The end of Genesis sets the stage for the main narrative to begin in Exodus.

Exodus: The Main Narrative Begins

As the book of Exodus begins, the main narrative commences. The Torah narrates Israel's descent into slavery and God's intervention to bring them home. This liberation is the backdrop for Israel's eventual settlement in the promised land and their subsequent cycles of rebellion, leading to exile, which again mirrors the Exodus pattern. Events like the golden calf incident in the wilderness and its recurrence in the northern kingdom illustrate this cyclical nature. The exile in Babylon and subsequent prophecies of a new exodus, not just from physical bondage but from the selfish desires of the human heart and the oppressive world, pave the way for the anticipation of the Messiah. This Messiah would break the cycle of sin, free humanity from slavery, and bring them home from exile. The book of Exodus concludes with the building of the tabernacle and the filling of it with God's Spirit, symbolizing God dwelling among His people. This is directly connected to the opening of John's Gospel, where it states that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John's Gospel is not simply retelling creation but the new creation that came through Yeshua.

A Cosmic Battle: Life Versus Death

The Exodus is not just a story of Israel's liberation; it's also a cosmic battle between the God of creation and life, and the king of death and darkness. The opening chapter of Exodus introduces the antagonist: a new king, Pharaoh, whose name is deliberately not given to emphasize his symbolic representation of anti-creational forces opposing the God of life. This Pharaoh's defining characteristic is that he does not know Joseph. Joseph here symbolizes the one through whom God preserved Israel. Pharaoh's concern over the rapid multiplication of the Israelites is a direct opposition to the life-giving creative activity of Yahweh, echoing the command in Genesis 1 to multiply and fill the earth. Pharaoh perceives the growing Israelite population as a threat to his empire.

Application for Everyday Life

Recognize the ongoing cosmic battle between life and death and choose to align yourself with the God of life in your thoughts, words, and actions.
Identify and actively purge the "leavening" in your life – those habits, attitudes, or sins that represent old ways of living and hinder your spiritual growth.
Embrace the irony of God's power working through weakness and be willing to be used by God even if you feel unqualified or insignificant.
See yourself as a representative of Jesus (an ambassador) and strive to reflect His love, mercy, and grace in your interactions with others.
Remember that deliverance requires action on your part; God opens the way, but you must choose to walk through it.
Reflect on the true meaning of Passover as freedom from sin and darkness through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Continuously examine your loyalties and ensure you are not still holding onto the "ways of Egypt" – those things that God has delivered you from.
Actively participate in the story of redemption by living a life that bears witness to the power of God and the victory of life over death.

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References

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