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Reading the Bible Today Series
Exodus: Saved for Service
The book of Exodus is a keystone in the Bible, crucial for understanding the epic journey of God's people throughout the Old Testament, and for grasping the key themes and events of the New Testament, especially the sacrificial death of Jesus for the redemption of all of God's people.
Andrew skillfully and clearly explains this extraordinary book, drawing from years of experience as a gifted scholar and pastor. From slavery in Egypt to the building of the tabernacle, Andrew encourages readers to explore the amazing work of God through his servant Moses and the miraculous acts he performed to rescue his people and show the world his character and glory.
Andrew skillfully and clearly explains this extraordinary book, drawing from years of experience as a gifted scholar and pastor. From slavery in Egypt to the building of the tabernacle, Andrew encourages readers to explore the amazing work of God through his servant Moses and the miraculous acts he performed to rescue his people and show the world his character and glory.
353 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2013
About the author
Andrew Reid
4 books4 followersAndrew Reid has a rich background in ministry, having been national director of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students, chaplain at Macquarie University in Sydney, senior minister of St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Shenton Park, Western Australia, church planter at Curtin Community Church, and lecturer in Old Testament at Ridley College, Melbourne. He is currently lead pastor at Holy Trinity Doncaster in Melbourne.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 17, 2015
An excellent, solid overview of the Book of Exodus which, at times, provides meaty insight into the key themes of redemption dominating Hebrew history and Christian theology. It treads a well-worn path with sensitivity and a balanced orthodox approach.
It was disconcerting at first to realise the obscure and difficult incident involving the 'bridegroom of blood' and God's attack on Moses, who was saved by Zipporah's intervention, received comparatively more discussion than the crossing of the Red/Reed Sea. The Passover and the Exodus did seem as if they were dashed through; I was convinced for a moment I'd accidentally flicked over more than one page.
However on reflection this was a strength of the book: it delved into areas often overlooked by other commentators, even if this meant lessening the focus on those which are done so well elsewhere.
If I have any quibble with the commentary it's that, in this day and age, it is so easy to discover the treasures Jewish thinkers have uncovered in the book of Exodus, so I felt it was a loss not to have that kind of input. This is particularly true for any commentary on Exodus 32 and the episode of the golden calf. Jewish writers mention that the text has clear nuances, indicating that not only did the women of Israel not participate in it nor give any gold jewelry towards it but also were the first to give up their gold ornaments for the decoration of the Tabernacle.
This is not the only significant matter in Exodus Jewish writers routinely deal with that is completely under the radar of Christian writers.
However, to me, it is one of the more interesting. I am now starting to judge commentaries by how far they have examined the Jewish testimony to the Torah as well as distilled from the wealth of other Christian writing out there.
Some great thoughts:
On the one hand, the name ‘Moses’ is linked to the Egyptian verb with means ‘to give birth to’ and to a noun meaning ‘a son’. In this case, the name ‘Moses’ itself can convey the sense of adoption. However on the other hand it also sounds like the Hebrew word mōšeh, which is the active participle of the rare verb māšâ which means ‘to draw up/out (of water)’. It therefore has the sense of ‘he who draws out’. So we may read it as both looking back to his origin while also looking forward to the future crossing of the Sea of Reeds and God’s future plans to use him in a great deliverance of his people. Pg 34-35
(Referring to opening chapters of Exodus where God is not mentioned): …in the absence of God, five women make their presence known, three of whom are unnamed. If there are heroes in the text, it is these, for they act to preserve God’s future for his people through protecting male children in general and Moses in particular. …on a significant number of occasions [throughout Scripture], the background to their godly action is the failure of male leadership or the absence of God-fearing men. Pg 35
In verses 8 and 9 [of Exodus 7] the Lord briefs both Moses and Aaron, noting that Pharaoh will request a miracle and they are to oblige. The word used here for ‘serpent’ (tannin) is a word with elsewhere in the ESV is translated as ‘great sea creatures’ (Genesis 1:21; Psalm 148:7), ‘serpent(s)’ (Deuteronomy 32:33; Pslam 91:13, paralleled with the Hebrew word for ‘cobra’), ‘sea monster/s’ (Job 7:12; Psalm 74:13), ‘dragon’ (Isaiah 27:1; 51:9) and ‘dragon in the streams/seas’ (identified as ‘Pharaoh King of Egypt’, Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2). Clearly we are therefore not talking about the ‘snake’ (nāḥâš) of Exodus 4:3. pg 87
(Referring to the battle between Joshua and the Amalekites): While the secret to the success might initially appear to be simply the raising of the hands of Moses, the real reason is probably given in the very difficult Hebrew of verse 16, which the ESV translates, ‘A hand upon the throne of the Lord!’ This might also be translated ‘A hand on/toward the throne of the Lord!’ or even ‘A hand against the throne of the Lord!’ … One commentator suggests that Moses was saying, ‘When I held up that staff I was symbolising the presence of Yahweh right with us, sitting on his throne [ruling over the battle and helping us win.]’ pg 172
(On Jesus’ command to let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no): In all likelihood the words of Jesus were not about taking oaths in a courtroom or oaths of allegiance (even Paul took oaths… Romans 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:23) Rather Jesus was making the point that, by their nature, oaths were designed to make truthfulness more solemn and sure. However in a world where the Jews had devised a whole system around the Old Testament teaching about oaths and truth-telling, the swearing of oaths had degenerated into a terrible system of rules that effectively let you know when you could and couldn’t get away with lying and deception. In other words, these systems of oath-taking actually fostered lying, not truth-telling. Pg 244
Reid points out in Exodus 24 there are 3 zones;
(1) outer area at the foot of the mountain where common people are gathered
(2) middle area part way up the mountain where priests and rulers (70) are gathered
(3) top where Moses the appointed mediator was
Altar with 12 pillars was constructed, blood sacrifice was made, blood was sprinkled on people – the people beheld the face of God and ate a meal in his presence. (This may be the 70 – as Reid remarks: ‘The picture in 24:9-11is both delightful and awesome. Here were the representatives of God who were allowed up the mountain where God gave them a small glimpse of himself or his glory. Then here, or more likely at the base of the mountain, they sat down and ate a meal in his presence.’ (pg 266)
Exodus 24:15 – cloud of glory covers the mountain for 6 days. 24:17 – God speaks to Moses out of the cloud.
On names: Names capture events, encase reputations, and encapsulate entire networks of ideas. …When God revealed his name to Moses, he was in effect saying that from Egypt on, when Israel heard and used his name they should understand that its meaning should be filled with the knowledge of his acts in delivering them from Egypt.
On ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain’: The basic meaning of the root Hebrew behind ‘take’ (nś’) is ‘to lift, bear’. It can have the sense of ‘carry’, in which case this is all about how God’s name is borne or carried about in a public context.
It was disconcerting at first to realise the obscure and difficult incident involving the 'bridegroom of blood' and God's attack on Moses, who was saved by Zipporah's intervention, received comparatively more discussion than the crossing of the Red/Reed Sea. The Passover and the Exodus did seem as if they were dashed through; I was convinced for a moment I'd accidentally flicked over more than one page.
However on reflection this was a strength of the book: it delved into areas often overlooked by other commentators, even if this meant lessening the focus on those which are done so well elsewhere.
If I have any quibble with the commentary it's that, in this day and age, it is so easy to discover the treasures Jewish thinkers have uncovered in the book of Exodus, so I felt it was a loss not to have that kind of input. This is particularly true for any commentary on Exodus 32 and the episode of the golden calf. Jewish writers mention that the text has clear nuances, indicating that not only did the women of Israel not participate in it nor give any gold jewelry towards it but also were the first to give up their gold ornaments for the decoration of the Tabernacle.
This is not the only significant matter in Exodus Jewish writers routinely deal with that is completely under the radar of Christian writers.
However, to me, it is one of the more interesting. I am now starting to judge commentaries by how far they have examined the Jewish testimony to the Torah as well as distilled from the wealth of other Christian writing out there.
Some great thoughts:
On the one hand, the name ‘Moses’ is linked to the Egyptian verb with means ‘to give birth to’ and to a noun meaning ‘a son’. In this case, the name ‘Moses’ itself can convey the sense of adoption. However on the other hand it also sounds like the Hebrew word mōšeh, which is the active participle of the rare verb māšâ which means ‘to draw up/out (of water)’. It therefore has the sense of ‘he who draws out’. So we may read it as both looking back to his origin while also looking forward to the future crossing of the Sea of Reeds and God’s future plans to use him in a great deliverance of his people. Pg 34-35
(Referring to opening chapters of Exodus where God is not mentioned): …in the absence of God, five women make their presence known, three of whom are unnamed. If there are heroes in the text, it is these, for they act to preserve God’s future for his people through protecting male children in general and Moses in particular. …on a significant number of occasions [throughout Scripture], the background to their godly action is the failure of male leadership or the absence of God-fearing men. Pg 35
In verses 8 and 9 [of Exodus 7] the Lord briefs both Moses and Aaron, noting that Pharaoh will request a miracle and they are to oblige. The word used here for ‘serpent’ (tannin) is a word with elsewhere in the ESV is translated as ‘great sea creatures’ (Genesis 1:21; Psalm 148:7), ‘serpent(s)’ (Deuteronomy 32:33; Pslam 91:13, paralleled with the Hebrew word for ‘cobra’), ‘sea monster/s’ (Job 7:12; Psalm 74:13), ‘dragon’ (Isaiah 27:1; 51:9) and ‘dragon in the streams/seas’ (identified as ‘Pharaoh King of Egypt’, Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2). Clearly we are therefore not talking about the ‘snake’ (nāḥâš) of Exodus 4:3. pg 87
(Referring to the battle between Joshua and the Amalekites): While the secret to the success might initially appear to be simply the raising of the hands of Moses, the real reason is probably given in the very difficult Hebrew of verse 16, which the ESV translates, ‘A hand upon the throne of the Lord!’ This might also be translated ‘A hand on/toward the throne of the Lord!’ or even ‘A hand against the throne of the Lord!’ … One commentator suggests that Moses was saying, ‘When I held up that staff I was symbolising the presence of Yahweh right with us, sitting on his throne [ruling over the battle and helping us win.]’ pg 172
(On Jesus’ command to let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no): In all likelihood the words of Jesus were not about taking oaths in a courtroom or oaths of allegiance (even Paul took oaths… Romans 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:23) Rather Jesus was making the point that, by their nature, oaths were designed to make truthfulness more solemn and sure. However in a world where the Jews had devised a whole system around the Old Testament teaching about oaths and truth-telling, the swearing of oaths had degenerated into a terrible system of rules that effectively let you know when you could and couldn’t get away with lying and deception. In other words, these systems of oath-taking actually fostered lying, not truth-telling. Pg 244
Reid points out in Exodus 24 there are 3 zones;
(1) outer area at the foot of the mountain where common people are gathered
(2) middle area part way up the mountain where priests and rulers (70) are gathered
(3) top where Moses the appointed mediator was
Altar with 12 pillars was constructed, blood sacrifice was made, blood was sprinkled on people – the people beheld the face of God and ate a meal in his presence. (This may be the 70 – as Reid remarks: ‘The picture in 24:9-11is both delightful and awesome. Here were the representatives of God who were allowed up the mountain where God gave them a small glimpse of himself or his glory. Then here, or more likely at the base of the mountain, they sat down and ate a meal in his presence.’ (pg 266)
Exodus 24:15 – cloud of glory covers the mountain for 6 days. 24:17 – God speaks to Moses out of the cloud.
On names: Names capture events, encase reputations, and encapsulate entire networks of ideas. …When God revealed his name to Moses, he was in effect saying that from Egypt on, when Israel heard and used his name they should understand that its meaning should be filled with the knowledge of his acts in delivering them from Egypt.
On ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain’: The basic meaning of the root Hebrew behind ‘take’ (nś’) is ‘to lift, bear’. It can have the sense of ‘carry’, in which case this is all about how God’s name is borne or carried about in a public context.
July 11, 2014
Two reviews from our CALEB reviewers:
(1)
In this book Andrew Reid has explored the book of Exodus. He explains that we read Exodus as both literature and story; it is also God telling us about himself and how he regards humanity. It is about how God loves us and how he wants us to live. Also understanding Exodus point us to Christ. There is much more than this to find out and Reid unfolds so much more than an ordinary reader could do. It is about the Ten Commandments, Covenant, and the Tabernacle and judgement. Reid’s comments on the Ten Commandments have a little twist which surprised me but which seems perfectly correct. I wish I had the time to thoroughly study this book. LS
(2)
A thorough understanding of the book of Exodus is a pre-requisite for a first-rate understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures and in this book Andrew Reid deepens, enriches and enhances the usual awareness of the second book of the Old Testament. He digs below the surface to levels of knowledge not often encountered and is meticulous in his approach to give balance to new insights.
This is a book for both the serious Biblical scholar and equally those who want to know the ‘more’ about why Christians do and believe as we do. Exodus – Saved for Service should have a special place in every Church library and as a reference book in the home of every serious Scripture scholar.
I cannot do better than to quote from the statement on the back cover: “Andrew encourages readers to explore the amazing work of God through His servant Moses and the miraculous acts He performed to rescue His people and show the world His character and glory.” DS
(1)
In this book Andrew Reid has explored the book of Exodus. He explains that we read Exodus as both literature and story; it is also God telling us about himself and how he regards humanity. It is about how God loves us and how he wants us to live. Also understanding Exodus point us to Christ. There is much more than this to find out and Reid unfolds so much more than an ordinary reader could do. It is about the Ten Commandments, Covenant, and the Tabernacle and judgement. Reid’s comments on the Ten Commandments have a little twist which surprised me but which seems perfectly correct. I wish I had the time to thoroughly study this book. LS
(2)
A thorough understanding of the book of Exodus is a pre-requisite for a first-rate understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures and in this book Andrew Reid deepens, enriches and enhances the usual awareness of the second book of the Old Testament. He digs below the surface to levels of knowledge not often encountered and is meticulous in his approach to give balance to new insights.
This is a book for both the serious Biblical scholar and equally those who want to know the ‘more’ about why Christians do and believe as we do. Exodus – Saved for Service should have a special place in every Church library and as a reference book in the home of every serious Scripture scholar.
I cannot do better than to quote from the statement on the back cover: “Andrew encourages readers to explore the amazing work of God through His servant Moses and the miraculous acts He performed to rescue His people and show the world His character and glory.” DS
May 27, 2015
Very accessible introductory commentary, yet doesn't dodge the hard issues. Gives overviews for some longer sections rather than examining every verse. Periodic "Biblical Theology Reflections" are excellent.
July 8, 2016
Excellent summary of the main themes of Exodus. Really interesting to see the way the links between the beginning of Exodus and the opening chapters of Genesis. Helpful analysis of the structure of the text at each point.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews