Tag: Exodus

All the Johns agree:

JOHN CALVIN:
But let us inquire who this Angel was? since soon afterwards he not only calls himself Jehovah, but claims the glory of the eternal and only God. Now, although this is an allowable manner of speaking, because the angels transfer to themselves the person and titles of God, when they are performing the commissions entrusted to them by him; and although it is plain from many passages, and especially from the first chapter of Zechariah, that there is one head and chief of the angels who commands the others, the ancient teachers of the Church have rightly understood that the Eternal Son of God is so called in respect to his office as Mediator, which he figuratively bore from the beginning, although he really took it upon him only at his Incarnation. And Paul sufficiently expounds this mystery to us, when he plainly asserts that Christ was the leader of his people in the Desert. (1 Corinthians 10:4.) Therefore, although at that time, properly speaking, he was not yet the messenger of his Father, still his predestinated appointment to the office even then had this effect, that he manifested himself to the patriarchs, and was known in this character. Nor, indeed, had the saints ever any communication with God except through the promised Mediator. It is not then to be wondered at, if the Eternal Word of God, of one Godhead and essence with the Father, assumed the name of “the Angel” on the ground of his future mission.

JOHN OWEN
He is expressly called an “Angel” Exod. 3:2 – namely, the Angel of the covenant, the great Angel of the presence of God, in whom was the name and nature of God. And He thus appeared that the Church might know and consider who it was that was to work out their spiritual and eternal salvation, whereof that deliverance which then He would effect was a type and pledge.  Aben Ezra would have the Angel mentioned verse 2, to be another from him who is called “God,” v 6: but the text will not give countenance to any such distinction, but speaks of one and the same person throughout without any alteration; and this was no other but the Son of God.

JONATHAN EDWARDS:
This redemption was by Jesus Christ, as is evident from this, that it was wrought by him that appeared to Moses in the bush; for that was the person that sent Moses to redeem the people.  But that was Christ, as is evident, because he is called 'the angel of the LORD' (Exodus 3:2).

Given such unanimity among our reformed forebears (who themselves appealed to 'the ancient teachers of the Church') our modern reluctance to identify Him who dwells in the bush is deeply concerning.  Martin Downes puts it well in a recent post:

It is somewhat ironic that the championing of progressive revelation has gone hand in hand with a diminished confidence in the revelation of Christ in the Old Testament.  Historically it is as if the church has regressed and not progressed in her confidence that it was "Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt" (Jude 5, ESV).

Amen!  Read his whole post here.

My sermon on Exodus 1-3 is here.

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Previously I've written an overview of Exodus.

This is an introduction from another angle:

Introduction to Exodus

Exodus is not the beginning.  Exodus continues the story of God’s people.

In the beginning, the promise was given to humanity that the Offspring of the woman would crush Satan’s head, even though His own heel would be struck (Genesis 3:15).  This was the first prophesy of the sufferings and glory of the coming Messiah (1 Peter 1:10-11).  Though it would cause Him to suffer, the Offspring would defeat the powers that Adam and Eve had unleashed on the world.

From that point onwards, offspring in general became a consuming passion for the people of God.  This is because the Offspring in particular – Christ – is our one true hope (cf Galatians 3:16,29).

In Genesis 12, Abraham is told that the Offspring will come through him (Genesis 12:7; cf Galatians 3:16).  Thus Abraham’s many offspring would become the nation of Israel through whom the Offspring (the Messiah) would come. The people of the Messiah would therefore be the conduit for all God’s blessings on the world:

² "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  (Genesis 12:2-3)

In Genesis 15 the Word of the LORD repeats the promises, reassuring Abraham that  his childlessness will not be a problem (Genesis 15:1-6).  His offspring would be innumerable.  But just as the singular Offspring (Christ) would suffer and then be glorified, so the plural offspring (Abraham’s descendants) would suffer and be glorified.  Abraham is told:

¹³ "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated four hundred years. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions.”  (Genesis 15:13-14)

The story of Exodus is the fulfilment of these verses.  It’s the story of the offspring of Abraham, called up out of Egypt – the land of darkness and slavery – brought through curses and judgements, through wilderness and trial, towards the land of blessings and freedom.

Exodus therefore works on many levels.

It is a grand prophesy of the work of the Offspring, Christ.  Jesus is the true Son called up out of Egypt (Matt 2:15) who accomplishes His own exodus/departure by undergoing the judgement of the cross (Luke 9:31, ‘exodus’ and ‘departure’ are the same word).  Reading Exodus will show us a vivid pattern for Christ’s own sufferings and glory.

Exodus is also a presentation of the sufferings and glories of God’s people in every age.   For those who trust in the Messiah – whether in Old or New Testament times – the exodus is a paradigmatic experience.  Paul underlines this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, and insists that the events of the exodus “happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.” (v11)  We too have had an Exodus experience – once we were in the darkness and slavery of sin but have been brought out through the bloody redemption of the LORD Jesus.  Now we experience wilderness times of hardship and testing before we enter the promised land of His presence.  Exodus will teach us all about the Christian life.

But if the Exodus experience defines the people of God, it’s even more true to say that the Exodus experience defines the God of the people.  From this event onwards, God would always be known as “the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt.”  (e.g. Exodus 20:2; Leviticus 11:45; Judges 2:1).  In Exodus we will see the promise-keeping, compassionate, rescuing, judging, providing, incomparable I AM who saves His people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

⁸ He saved them for His Name's sake, to make His mighty power known. ⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. ¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy He redeemed them. ¹¹ The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. ¹² Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.  (Psalm 106:8-12)

Our experience of Exodus should be the same – to believe His promises and sing His praise!

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