Lessons From Exodus

Hello again!
As was discussed in my last post, I am taking a class in Jewish literature this semester. Just as the last post gave lessons from Genesis, this post will give lessons from Exodus and rest of the Torah
Lesson #1
Moses, the hero of Exodus, is unlike Noah and Abraham in that he originally balks at God's Command, but he does obey and in fact it is Moses who receives the name of God at the Burning bush-YHWH- I AM THAT I AM!
Lesson #2
Throughout the Torah, God reaches out to man in incredible ways-He makes the first move at the Burning Bush by starting the fire
Lesson #3
God refers to Himself as I AM THAT I AM-God is not just the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob, He is Our God still today. He is not Just the God of yesterday or the God of tomorrow, but He is the God of our Todays. He cares about what we are going through right now, and He is in control- a comforting thought.
Lesson # 4
The Ten Plauges of Egypt were "a battle of the Gods"- God Reveals His Supremacy over Pharaoh, who is considered to be a god by turning Aaron's rod into a serpent-Moses, unlike the Pharaoh's magicians, doesn't use sorcery. Additionally Each of the Ten plagues messes with a particular deity of Egypt. God was revealing His Power in a way that spoke to Both the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Lesson #5
“Pharaoh's Cardiac Problem”- At the Burning Bush, God tells Moses that He will “harden Pharaoh's heart” The term God uses has the meaning of making Pharaoh's heart “heavy”, as well as the sense of stubbornness normally associated with the term hardness of heart. The Egyptians would weigh the heart of the king after he died. If the heart was heavier than what was on the other side of the scale, it would bad for the king in the after life. Pharaoh was going to pay for his wicked cruelty towards the Children of Israel. Pharaoh hardens his own heart in the sense that he stubbornly refuses to let the “children of Israel go”
Lesson #6
Exodus 19-2o (the Giving of the Law at Sinai) is THE Defining Moment in the Book of the Exodus. Without the giving of the Law, the escape from Egypt would have lost much of its significance. God calls The Israelites to be a Kingdom of Priests, and a Holy Nation (Exodus 19:5-6: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. ) What does that bring to Mind? I Peter 2:9- "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light". God's standards for His people is the same in both the Old and New Testaments. In Both Covenants, God shows His power to His People by delivering them-Physically from Egypt in Exodus, Spiritually from Sin and Hell in the New Testament. Because He has set us free, we are called to be a "royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation" that reflects his glory to Those around us
Lesson # 7
I referred earlier to the concept of God's Covenant with his people. The Ten Commandments are in fact the beginnings of a covenant. The Ten Commandments explain how Israel is to become the Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. Can You name ALL of The Ten Commandments? (Bonus points if you don't look them up)With the Ten Commandments, Israel is entering a covenant with God This covenant was different from other covenants. 1. This covenant is eternal, because God is eternal 2. This Covenant is between God and man, but It deals with not only man's relationship with God, but also man's relationship with his fellow man-.To mistreat man is to sin against God, because man is created in the image of God
In the Ten Commandments There is no difference between the relationship between God and man and man and man This is also laid out in the New Testament In the Gospel Of Matthew
Matthew 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The first 5 Commandments deal with God and Man. The last 5 deal with man and his fellow man. Additionally, God uses the personal you in Commandments 6-10, making those commandments personal to each person hearing Moses
The Ten Commandments are a call to action, because man is created in the image of God
The Ten Commandments are not the end of the Law- They are the Beginning of a greater law code-some 613 laws, which are given in Leviticus and Deuteronomy
The Laws of the Torah were to be memorized by all of the people (see Psalm 119:11)
Lesson #8
The Tabernacle. God Directs Moses to build the Tabernacle in Exodus 25. The Tabernacle was the travelling Temple. Like other Temples in the Ancient World The Tabernacle had a Holy of Holies, where only the high priest could go to perform their religious duties. Unlike other Temples, the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle did not contain an image of the god being worshiped. Instead the Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant , which contained The Ten Commandments and the Torah. The message of the Tabernacle is two fold. First, God is always with his people (Matthew 28:20) and Secondly, The way to get close to God is to keep His Words (See John 14:15) When Israel sinned, it was a violation of the Tabernacle, which is why the Tabernacle had to be purified every year at Yom Kippur with Sacrifices
Lesson # 9
Sacrifices were a way to get close to the gods in many ancient cultures. In Israel, though, sacrifices were only to be held in the Tabernacle (later the Temple after it was constructed), because that was where God chose to reveal Himself in a tangible way. Additionally, It wasn't THAT one sacrificed, it was HOW one sacrificed. Sacrifices occurred, When one was in need When one wished to thank God. When one transgressed Sacrifices for transgressions were made only after restitution was given to the wronged party (see Psalm 51)
These are the lessons that I have learned from my Jewish literature class. Hope you enjoy them!