Exodus: Freedom To Serve God

[godstuff]

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I. Overviewing Exodus
1. Egypt - the power of God (1:1 - 15:21)
Enslaved as servants

* Prelude: suffering in Egypt (1:1 - 7:7)
* Plagues: signs against Egypt (7:8 - 11:10)
* Passover: salvation in Egypt (12:1 - 13:16)
* Passage: safe from Egypt (13:17 - 15:21)

Ch. 15: Song of passage/salvation
PAST : FUTURE
of journey & delivery

2. Wilderness - the provision of God (15:22 - 18:27)

* Provision of needs: water and food (15:22 - 17:7)
* Protection from threats: external and internal (17:8 - 18:27)

3. Sinai - the presence of God (19:1 - 40:38)
Freedom to serve ... Purpose: worship
Ch. 19: Kingdom of priests/royal priesthood

* The covenant made and confirmed (19:1 - 24:18)
* Instructions for the tabernacle (25:1 - 31:18)
* The covenant broken and restored (32:1 - 34:35)
* Construction of the tabernacle (35:1 - 40:38)

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II. Applying Exodus
Trappings:

1. Work as slavery
2. Work as service
3. Work & sabbath
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1 - Work as slavery

Israelites as workers in Egypt/denied opportunity to worship
- the lament due to the harshness/oppressive nature of work

2 - Work as service
Working for a lifestyle/
for the weekend/
for leisure & consumerism

3 - Work & sabbath

Working for the work ~ an end itself,
takes over as core identity
It’s not the be all and end all.

Observing the sabbath:
an act of trust (Rom. 6: 16-23)
Note:
1. God's own rhythm in Creation week
2. Manna / temporal state (Exodus 16: 13 - 26)

"God did not deliver Israel from work.
He set them free for work."

Slavery →  Service
Bondage →  Bonded to God
Pharoah's construction
→  Building for the tabernacle

Further reading:
Tim Chester: Exodus for you (2016)
Bible Project - 4 short excellent videos on Exodus
Torah series 1 & 2; Old Testament series 1 & 2
Theology of work project: “Exodus & Work"

Seminar: Antony Billington, 27/01/20