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Preaching the Word
Exodus: Saved for God's Glory
To read Exodus is to encounter God. The book is about the mercy, justice, holiness, and glory of almighty God, who rules history by his sovereign power, saves the people of his covenant, and delivers his people from bondage. Once heard, the stories recorded in Exodus leave a lasting impression. Readers return to these great acts of redemption again and again because they give captives the hope of freedom. In this Preaching the Word volume, Philip Graham Ryken mines the majestic book of Exodus for knowledge of God's character and instruction for his followers. So much can be learned about God through the accounts of his deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, his many divine interventions for them, and his transformation of them into an independent nation. At once theologically instructive and decidedly practical, this commentary moves readers to great rejoicing at God's work in the life of every person following him on the path to spiritual freedom. Ryken skillfully relates how the Israelites' deliverance from slavery anticipated the salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ, proving that God remembers his covenant and always delivers on his promises. For those who preach, teach, and study God's Word, this book is more than just a commentary; it is a celebration of God's faithfulness.
1248 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2005
42 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Philip Graham Ryken
109 books71 followersPhilip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 11, 2025
“For Christians, Exodus is the Gospel of the Old Testament.” // Ryken
This is one of the best commentaries I’ve ever read. Few understand the Old Testament better than Philip Ryken, and my preaching through Exodus for the last year and a half wouldn’t have been half as good without his insights. My only wish is that this were an exegetical commentary rather than purely pastoral. I often found myself wishing for a verse-by-verse format, as there were times I had to search a bit to find information on a specific verse.
But overall, Ryken is a poet, pastor, and theologian in one and he doesn’t skip the hard parts. The vast majority of pastors and commentaries would take huge sections of Exodus and do a quick overview. Ryken is one of the few willing to take on every chapter of the tabernacle instructions with care and pastoral wisdom, making the latter half of Exodus come alive in a way I never thought possible. Can’t recommend this highly enough.
This is one of the best commentaries I’ve ever read. Few understand the Old Testament better than Philip Ryken, and my preaching through Exodus for the last year and a half wouldn’t have been half as good without his insights. My only wish is that this were an exegetical commentary rather than purely pastoral. I often found myself wishing for a verse-by-verse format, as there were times I had to search a bit to find information on a specific verse.
But overall, Ryken is a poet, pastor, and theologian in one and he doesn’t skip the hard parts. The vast majority of pastors and commentaries would take huge sections of Exodus and do a quick overview. Ryken is one of the few willing to take on every chapter of the tabernacle instructions with care and pastoral wisdom, making the latter half of Exodus come alive in a way I never thought possible. Can’t recommend this highly enough.
March 21, 2024
In every sermon series, there are resources that emerge as your go-to. Ideally, they have a deep knowledge of the text, engagement with a broad swath of scholarly writing, a pastor’s skillful scalpel in rightly dividing the Word, and an eye toward everyday life. Ryken’s gigantic work on Exodus has all of these. It became the one work that if I didn’t have time to read anything beside the text, I would find time to work through it. Of the many great resources on Exodus, for studying and applying the text, this is my first recommendation.
May 12, 2018
This book is a real treasure! God’s plans to create a people for his own possession are articulately explored. Ryken draws out the details and explanations for the plagues, the Exodus, God’s commandments, his establishment of a covenant relationship with his people, and the meaning and purpose of the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place with his people - all pointing to their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
October 19, 2020
A delightful, thorough, and insightful aid for me as I preached through Exodus. If you are considering studying Exodus or would like to bless a Bible teacher, I highly recommend this commentary on Exodus.
December 13, 2014
The book of Exodus is full of history, personalities, action, miracles, and theological important teaching. Most likely associate this book with Moses and the 10 commandments and in doing so, they are mostly correct in that approach. However, the book of Exodus is more than just an exciting story with interesting characters who did some rather amazing things by the power of God. This book of Scripture reveals God’s salvation plan, one that focuses on the people of Israel. Moreover, it is a story that continues to have great importance for us today. Philip Ryken, in his contribution to the excellent commentary series Preaching the Word, shares with the reader the message of deliverance for the glory of God.
Ryken’s commentary on Exodus is rather lengthy and rightly so given all the important events and information found throughout the book of Exodus. At over 1200 pages, some may be initially taken aback and scared away from tackling this commentary. To those concerned over its length, remember this is a commentary. Most commentaries are not intended to be read from beginning to end. A work such as this should be used as a valuable resource when engaging elements of Exodus that may require additional insight.
Furthermore, while Ryken is most certainly a scholar and approaches the book of Exodus in a scholarly manner, this commentary is one that is highly accessible to all believers. The goal of the Preaching the Word commentary series is after all to provide pastors with salient theological insight on the books of Scripture that they in turn can share with their parishioners. This means those parishioners should also feel quite comfortable tackling even a commentary as large as this particular volume. There may be aspects of Ryken’s discussion that will force the reader to grow in their knowledge of Scripture which is yet another positive aspect of this commentary.
At the outset of this commentary, Ryken aptly notes in regards to the story found in Exodus, “Once heard, the story is never forgotten. For Jews it is the story that defines their very existence, the rescue that made them God’s people. For Christians it is the gospel of the Old Testament, God’s first great act of redemption.” The significance of the exodus and events such as the Passover and the giving of God’s law at Mt. Sinai cannot be overstated. Throughout this vital biblical book, we find that underlying biblical message of redemption from bondage.
Ryken correctly states this book must be understood as completely historical in nature. The events that are noted throughout Exodus actually took place in history. They are not mere symbolism to note how much God loves His people. God actually and actively worked within history and we should have the utmost confidence that He actually delivered a real people (Israel) from a real country (Egypt) and took them across a real body of water (Red Sea) towards a real land of promise (the land of Israel). Ryken does an excellent job of noting the historical “difficulties” that have been asserted by those who desire to question the historical validity of the Exodus account. He aptly interacts with historical research and archaeological accounts to demonstrate what we should not to be true already, namely that the biblical account is completely accurate.
There are certain areas of every book of Scripture that seem to cause a great deal of debate. When it comes to Exodus, it seems the continued validity of the law falls into that category of fervent debate. Ryken does a great job of first affirming that God’s law is still applicable for us today. He then focuses on the moral law, that aspect of the law that demonstrates exactly how we are to love God and love others. He correctly notes “The more clearly we see what God’s law requires, the more obvious it becomes that we cannot keep its commands, which is exactly why we need the gospel.”
In the book of Exodus, we find a magnificent demonstration of salvation from bondage. We see the message of the gospel revealed. Furthermore, we find what Ryken clearly notes as an important “connection between God’s grace and God’s law.” God has delivered us from bondage by His grace. In response to that grace, we are provided with what God expects from His people, namely holiness. Ryken avers “As believers in Christ, we are called to live in a way that is pleasing to God, which means living according to his perfect standard.” Thus, within the pages of Exodus, believers must recognize God’s standard of behavior as well as noting that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s law will be written on our hearts so we can live for His glory.
This is a commentary I highly recommend for all believers to sink their teeth into. Ryken covers a wide range of important topics, all of which are highly important for us to understand not only within the context of the book of Exodus, but also within the grand scope of Scripture and the message of redemption and salvation that resides within its pages. If you are looking to begin an in-depth study of Exodus, this is most definitely a commentary to have as part of your Bible study tool belt.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ryken’s commentary on Exodus is rather lengthy and rightly so given all the important events and information found throughout the book of Exodus. At over 1200 pages, some may be initially taken aback and scared away from tackling this commentary. To those concerned over its length, remember this is a commentary. Most commentaries are not intended to be read from beginning to end. A work such as this should be used as a valuable resource when engaging elements of Exodus that may require additional insight.
Furthermore, while Ryken is most certainly a scholar and approaches the book of Exodus in a scholarly manner, this commentary is one that is highly accessible to all believers. The goal of the Preaching the Word commentary series is after all to provide pastors with salient theological insight on the books of Scripture that they in turn can share with their parishioners. This means those parishioners should also feel quite comfortable tackling even a commentary as large as this particular volume. There may be aspects of Ryken’s discussion that will force the reader to grow in their knowledge of Scripture which is yet another positive aspect of this commentary.
At the outset of this commentary, Ryken aptly notes in regards to the story found in Exodus, “Once heard, the story is never forgotten. For Jews it is the story that defines their very existence, the rescue that made them God’s people. For Christians it is the gospel of the Old Testament, God’s first great act of redemption.” The significance of the exodus and events such as the Passover and the giving of God’s law at Mt. Sinai cannot be overstated. Throughout this vital biblical book, we find that underlying biblical message of redemption from bondage.
Ryken correctly states this book must be understood as completely historical in nature. The events that are noted throughout Exodus actually took place in history. They are not mere symbolism to note how much God loves His people. God actually and actively worked within history and we should have the utmost confidence that He actually delivered a real people (Israel) from a real country (Egypt) and took them across a real body of water (Red Sea) towards a real land of promise (the land of Israel). Ryken does an excellent job of noting the historical “difficulties” that have been asserted by those who desire to question the historical validity of the Exodus account. He aptly interacts with historical research and archaeological accounts to demonstrate what we should not to be true already, namely that the biblical account is completely accurate.
There are certain areas of every book of Scripture that seem to cause a great deal of debate. When it comes to Exodus, it seems the continued validity of the law falls into that category of fervent debate. Ryken does a great job of first affirming that God’s law is still applicable for us today. He then focuses on the moral law, that aspect of the law that demonstrates exactly how we are to love God and love others. He correctly notes “The more clearly we see what God’s law requires, the more obvious it becomes that we cannot keep its commands, which is exactly why we need the gospel.”
In the book of Exodus, we find a magnificent demonstration of salvation from bondage. We see the message of the gospel revealed. Furthermore, we find what Ryken clearly notes as an important “connection between God’s grace and God’s law.” God has delivered us from bondage by His grace. In response to that grace, we are provided with what God expects from His people, namely holiness. Ryken avers “As believers in Christ, we are called to live in a way that is pleasing to God, which means living according to his perfect standard.” Thus, within the pages of Exodus, believers must recognize God’s standard of behavior as well as noting that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s law will be written on our hearts so we can live for His glory.
This is a commentary I highly recommend for all believers to sink their teeth into. Ryken covers a wide range of important topics, all of which are highly important for us to understand not only within the context of the book of Exodus, but also within the grand scope of Scripture and the message of redemption and salvation that resides within its pages. If you are looking to begin an in-depth study of Exodus, this is most definitely a commentary to have as part of your Bible study tool belt.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 8, 2017
Read about 400 pages of this 1000+ page work before giving up. It reads not so much like a commentary on Exodus as a long series of sermons on Exodus. I don't mind reading collections of sermons, but I wish this had been marked as such.
Because of the sermonic structure, there was little continuity or flow-of-thought from section to section of Exodus. That made the study feel choppy and wordy, with a Christocentric analogy every few pages. Unless you're particularly looking for sermons on Exodus (and these are just fine as far as sermons on Exodus go), I wouldn't recommend this one.
Because of the sermonic structure, there was little continuity or flow-of-thought from section to section of Exodus. That made the study feel choppy and wordy, with a Christocentric analogy every few pages. Unless you're particularly looking for sermons on Exodus (and these are just fine as far as sermons on Exodus go), I wouldn't recommend this one.
August 1, 2017
I have never read or even seen a commentary on a book of the Bible that is this long, but, for anyone desiring to get most from out of a study of Exodus, it is probably the best commentary on this topic that I have found yet. Ryken mines every last nugget of wisdom and truth that can be found. While the beginning of Exodus, with its epic tale of Moses' struggle to lead the Hebrews from out of Egypt and of Egypt's plagues is comparatively easy for most teachers to cover, Ryken does an outstanding job of making the latter chapters of Exodus, with their great detail on the furnishings of the tabernacle, Jewish religious practices, and seemingly arcane Levitical regulations, relevant and interesting, using them to illustrate Biblical truths and to point to the Jesus Christ and the teachings in the New Testament. I very much enjoyed this study of Exodus, and look forward to reading Philip Graham Ryken's other Biblical commentaries.
June 29, 2024
I used this to aid in my 6 month study through Exodus. Much of Philip Ryken’s work is pulled from sermons through the book. The commentary combines great context and history analysis with solid practicality today. Whether you are a pastor or a layperson, this commentary will serve you well. It has been a fun 6 months reading through it.
December 17, 2024
I consistently enjoy this commentary series of sermons even when each sermon doesn't quite hit. This one is a giant tome of 102 sermons that took me four years to get through. It feels bloated at points and I don't think anyone should spend that long preaching Exodus. I'd recommend it to someone who isn't afraid of massive books and wants to read sermons on Exodus.
December 11, 2020
A truly vast collection of early 21st century sermons sequentially through every part of the Book of Exodus. A number of good ideas for specific passages especially for introductions and conclusions were helpful to me.
August 23, 2023
Loved it!
February 28, 2024
Just finished preaching through Exodus, and this was my favorite commentary by far. Extremely helpful.
July 25, 2024
What a mammoth book this is! 1100 pages. 102 messages covering every verse of Exodus. A good mix of exposition, answering historical objections and applications.
March 27, 2015
There are times when reading the Bible that I have to sit back and laughingly say to myself, “You can’t make this stuff up!” The events that take place and the people involved provide for comic relief and sobering self-reflection, among many other thoughts and feeling. The book of Exodus is one such book that draws upon the reader a wide array of thoughts and feelings. Its characters, like Moses and Pharaoh, seem larger than life and the events that take place send ripples throughout the rest of history.
As part of the Preaching the Word series, edited by R. Kent Hughes, pastor and theologian Philip Graham Ryken has has written Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory. Theses commentaries are the book form of sermon series preached on the books of the Bible. They are written by pastors for pastors. As such they are intensely tied to the text of Scripture with plenty of relevant application that is personally and socially aimed. For those familiar with Philip Graham Ryken you will not be disappointed. Ryken provides the insightful commentary that he is known for which is tied closely to the text. He shows an adept ability to draw the reader into the text through commentary and contemporary observation.
Theologically, Graham is Evangelical, Reformed, and his outlook on Exodus is that it points to the glory of God in the salvation of His people and points towards Christ at very turn. Graham sees the life of Moses and Jesus as intimately tied together. Also, “the exodus set the pattern for the life of Christ.” (23) Just as Moses came out of Egypt so did Jesus. Just as Moses led God’s people through the wilderness so did Jesus. Further, because the exodus is a pattern of what Christ has done for His people, it is also a pattern of the Christian life. “Since the exodus is a story of deliverance from bondage through the work of a savior, it is the story of the Christian life.” (24) Thus, Graham affirms with Paul that Exodus is practical for the Christian life (1 Cor. 10:11).
Historically, Graham does not shy away from dealing with the vast array of competing historical views on the various events like the plagues in Egypt, the Exodus event itself, and the Mt. Sinai account. While seeing a good case to be made for an early or late date of the exodus, Graham favors the early date (22). He views the plagues as a picture of the battle between God and Satan which has played itself out in history. For Graham, all of the plagues actually happened as they are presented. While some are happy to see the first plague (river of blood) as the water turning into something like blood, Graham is insistent that it was literal blood (219-20). The crossing of the Red Sea, the death of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai and the golden calf incident are all events that happened in history. They are not myth, they are not legend, and they are not metaphorical stories made up in order to make sense of Israel’s past and give them hope for a future.
Practically, Graham weaves the lessons learned about God and His people into the lives of his readers. Since Moses and the exodus are a pattern of Christ’s person and work and the exodus is a pattern of the Christian life, Graham is equipped to make ample application for us today. Just as God brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt so He brings His people today out of bondage from sin. It is through Jesus that this is accomplished. Graham sums up the book of Exodus in the last paragraph of the book:
Once we we re in bondage to sin, enslaved by its tyranny. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – our Passover Lamb – God has delivered us from the Egypt of our sin. Now he is leading us through our earthly wilderness, with all its difficulties and dangers. The great God of the exodus will never leave us or forsake us. In the church he has set up a sanctuary where even now we may enter his presence for worship. And one day son Jesus will come down in glory to take us up into the glory that will never end. Everyone who trusts in him will be saved for the glory of God. (1164)
For more reasons than I can list here I heartily recommend Graham’s commentary on Exodus. It is a faithful mix of exegetical and biblical groundedness and theological sharpness. Graham shows that even a book like Exodus is not boring and is full of spiritual life for the church today. This commentary reaches to both the needs of pastors and layman alike and I recommend it for all to use.
I received this book for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
As part of the Preaching the Word series, edited by R. Kent Hughes, pastor and theologian Philip Graham Ryken has has written Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory. Theses commentaries are the book form of sermon series preached on the books of the Bible. They are written by pastors for pastors. As such they are intensely tied to the text of Scripture with plenty of relevant application that is personally and socially aimed. For those familiar with Philip Graham Ryken you will not be disappointed. Ryken provides the insightful commentary that he is known for which is tied closely to the text. He shows an adept ability to draw the reader into the text through commentary and contemporary observation.
Theologically, Graham is Evangelical, Reformed, and his outlook on Exodus is that it points to the glory of God in the salvation of His people and points towards Christ at very turn. Graham sees the life of Moses and Jesus as intimately tied together. Also, “the exodus set the pattern for the life of Christ.” (23) Just as Moses came out of Egypt so did Jesus. Just as Moses led God’s people through the wilderness so did Jesus. Further, because the exodus is a pattern of what Christ has done for His people, it is also a pattern of the Christian life. “Since the exodus is a story of deliverance from bondage through the work of a savior, it is the story of the Christian life.” (24) Thus, Graham affirms with Paul that Exodus is practical for the Christian life (1 Cor. 10:11).
Historically, Graham does not shy away from dealing with the vast array of competing historical views on the various events like the plagues in Egypt, the Exodus event itself, and the Mt. Sinai account. While seeing a good case to be made for an early or late date of the exodus, Graham favors the early date (22). He views the plagues as a picture of the battle between God and Satan which has played itself out in history. For Graham, all of the plagues actually happened as they are presented. While some are happy to see the first plague (river of blood) as the water turning into something like blood, Graham is insistent that it was literal blood (219-20). The crossing of the Red Sea, the death of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai and the golden calf incident are all events that happened in history. They are not myth, they are not legend, and they are not metaphorical stories made up in order to make sense of Israel’s past and give them hope for a future.
Practically, Graham weaves the lessons learned about God and His people into the lives of his readers. Since Moses and the exodus are a pattern of Christ’s person and work and the exodus is a pattern of the Christian life, Graham is equipped to make ample application for us today. Just as God brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt so He brings His people today out of bondage from sin. It is through Jesus that this is accomplished. Graham sums up the book of Exodus in the last paragraph of the book:
Once we we re in bondage to sin, enslaved by its tyranny. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – our Passover Lamb – God has delivered us from the Egypt of our sin. Now he is leading us through our earthly wilderness, with all its difficulties and dangers. The great God of the exodus will never leave us or forsake us. In the church he has set up a sanctuary where even now we may enter his presence for worship. And one day son Jesus will come down in glory to take us up into the glory that will never end. Everyone who trusts in him will be saved for the glory of God. (1164)
For more reasons than I can list here I heartily recommend Graham’s commentary on Exodus. It is a faithful mix of exegetical and biblical groundedness and theological sharpness. Graham shows that even a book like Exodus is not boring and is full of spiritual life for the church today. This commentary reaches to both the needs of pastors and layman alike and I recommend it for all to use.
I received this book for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 21, 2021
This book or commentary on Exodus gets my highest recommendation. If you’ve ever struggled with parts of the Old Testament and tried to understand what they have to do with today and what you can really learn from it then this book will take care of that for you but it weighs in at 1200 pages so it’s something you have to plan to take your time with. Don’t just sit down and try to read it cover to cover like a novel, read it in sections as you read the biblical text
August 24, 2015
Reading through this tome is not an easy task, and in my experience, it was not worth the time. My biggest objection is from pp. 705-706. This long quote is taken directly from the book:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"But perhaps the most beautiful picture of the gospel comes from the law's special provision for a slave who wanted to enter his master's permanent service. God said: "But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life" (Exod. 21:5,6).
.
.
.
This special provision of the law has much to teach us about our relationship to God. David wrote about it in one of his psalms:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offering and sin offerings
you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:6-8)
According to David, pleasing God means more than simply offering a sacrifice for sin. It also means doing what God says, obeying him the way a servant obeys the master he loves. To illustrate this, David referred to the ancient custom and compared himself to a servant who had his ear pierced. He had learned to hear and obey, offering himself in loving service to God."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This sounds really good, doesn't it? I was all ready to mark the cross-reference in my Bible (Exodus 21:6 to Psalm 40:6). So I open my King James Bible to Psalm 40 and find this: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required," (Psalm 40:6).
Obviously, an opened ear is not the same as a pierced ear. In reading the King James, these two verses are not linked like Mr. Ryken intimated. Without the piercing imagery, there's no connection at all.
At the beginning of his book, Mr. Ryken notes that "unless otherwise indicated Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible" NIV (copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011). Scripture quotations are also indicated from the KJV, ESV (copyright 2001), and NLT (copyright 1996).
So which translation is the author quoting from? I searched the web for the phrase 'my ears you have pierced' and found that there is no current Bible translation that uses this phrase. It is from the NIV 1984 edition, which was revised in 2011. The new NIV 2011 edition uses the phrase 'my ears you have opened', like all the other translations.
So Mr. Ryken includes a private interpretation of Psalm 40:6-8 in his book, which led me to make an erroneous mental association between Bible verses. I want to understand what the Bible says, not what an author thinks that it should say; therefore, I cannot recommend this book.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"But perhaps the most beautiful picture of the gospel comes from the law's special provision for a slave who wanted to enter his master's permanent service. God said: "But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life" (Exod. 21:5,6).
.
.
.
This special provision of the law has much to teach us about our relationship to God. David wrote about it in one of his psalms:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offering and sin offerings
you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:6-8)
According to David, pleasing God means more than simply offering a sacrifice for sin. It also means doing what God says, obeying him the way a servant obeys the master he loves. To illustrate this, David referred to the ancient custom and compared himself to a servant who had his ear pierced. He had learned to hear and obey, offering himself in loving service to God."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This sounds really good, doesn't it? I was all ready to mark the cross-reference in my Bible (Exodus 21:6 to Psalm 40:6). So I open my King James Bible to Psalm 40 and find this: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required," (Psalm 40:6).
Obviously, an opened ear is not the same as a pierced ear. In reading the King James, these two verses are not linked like Mr. Ryken intimated. Without the piercing imagery, there's no connection at all.
At the beginning of his book, Mr. Ryken notes that "unless otherwise indicated Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible" NIV (copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011). Scripture quotations are also indicated from the KJV, ESV (copyright 2001), and NLT (copyright 1996).
So which translation is the author quoting from? I searched the web for the phrase 'my ears you have pierced' and found that there is no current Bible translation that uses this phrase. It is from the NIV 1984 edition, which was revised in 2011. The new NIV 2011 edition uses the phrase 'my ears you have opened', like all the other translations.
So Mr. Ryken includes a private interpretation of Psalm 40:6-8 in his book, which led me to make an erroneous mental association between Bible verses. I want to understand what the Bible says, not what an author thinks that it should say; therefore, I cannot recommend this book.
October 25, 2023
Looking for a devotional commentary on Exodus? I highly recommend this one by Philip Graham Ryken! It is a massive work (1247 pages!) but don’t let the size scare you; general Christian readers and also Bible teachers will benefit from this book by an esteemed pastor. The book is an exceptional expositional commentary that is something in the middle between a devotional and an exegetical technical commentary and yet sometimes some of the insights in this book point out great points from the biblical texts that other technical commentaries might have missed. I recommend this commentary as personal devotional or resources for Bible study leaders, Sunday school teachers and preachers and pastors.
The book is a volume that is a part of Crossway’s Bible commentary series called “Preaching the Word.” There is 102 chapters that goes through all forty chapters of Exodus; which is an incredible feat! I took a long time to finish this book largely because I took so much notes in order to teach my daughters’ as part of our family’s home Bible study as a family. Ryken does a great job explaining the text and also applying it to the readers’ hearts. It was such a good commentary that every time I study to prepare to teach from Exodus I consult this commentary first as what lays the foundation for other commentaries.
Ryken does a good job exploring the narrative leading up to the Hebrews exodus from Egypt but he also does a good job with the Mosaic case laws also. I cannot recommend this enough!
The book is a volume that is a part of Crossway’s Bible commentary series called “Preaching the Word.” There is 102 chapters that goes through all forty chapters of Exodus; which is an incredible feat! I took a long time to finish this book largely because I took so much notes in order to teach my daughters’ as part of our family’s home Bible study as a family. Ryken does a great job explaining the text and also applying it to the readers’ hearts. It was such a good commentary that every time I study to prepare to teach from Exodus I consult this commentary first as what lays the foundation for other commentaries.
Ryken does a good job exploring the narrative leading up to the Hebrews exodus from Egypt but he also does a good job with the Mosaic case laws also. I cannot recommend this enough!
March 24, 2012
I learned so much, especially about the holiness of God, the symbolism of the tabernacle, redemption, salvation, atonement, grace and leadership. The inspired book of Exodus is powerful enough without any commentary, but I thank God for the depth of wisdom and insight of Philip Graham Ryken!
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December 21, 2012This is a massive expository commentary, and it is especially valuable for preachers. Ryken avoids technical language, but he is theologically deep and very practical. Highly recommended.
June 27, 2014
I have not read this entire book . . a massive, readable, carefully reasoned, and researched commentary . . not technical . . sermon-like
September 15, 2015
This is an exceptional read
June 1, 2022
This was my favorite commentary on the book of Exodus. Fantastic!
December 1, 2022
Just excellent! A wonderful commentary, easy to understand and full of insight!
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