Page 20 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

other words, it became the primary teaching pattern to teach the next generations. This continued
throughout the exiles during the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Roman. Exodus 13:8 makes
this pattern of teaching standard when Moses said to the people “You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It
is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt” (ESV). The work of God in the exodus
is what gave hope to the Jews in the exiles that were to come. God had delivered once and established
His people in the promised land. He would do so again. This language is seen throughout Isaiah. Isaiah
says that because of the sin of the people of God there will be an exile. The people will be delivered by
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God who will establish His kingdom in Jerusalem and reign on the throne of David.

This view of the exile and the saving work of God is picked up by the predominantly Jewish early church.
Notice that in Hebrews the Christians are told not to go back and perish with the Jews but to come out
from among them into the wilderness and seek the city that was to come. God was going to establish
the New Jerusalem. If they were faithful, they would receive the promise.

Revelation also takes up the language of the exodus concept. There is a great oppression on earth as the
whore of Babylon and the dragon persecute God’s people. God supernaturally defends His people. He
destroys the evil empire, judges it for its wickedness, and establishes His kingdom where He will reign
from Jerusalem. Then God beings down the new heavens and the new earth. In them is a New
Jerusalem.

Jesus’ own work can be seen as a second exodus. Through His blood He conquered sin and death to set
the captives free. He is taking them to a new land He promises. One in which He will reign on the throne
of David forever. This is why Jesus, and later John use the terminology of passing form death to life (John
5:24 and 1 John 3:14).

Ancient Egypt 101

42 R. Michael Fox. Ed. Reverberations of the Exodus in Scripture. United States: Pickwick Publications, 2014.

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