Tim Chester - Exodus For You (God’s Word for You)

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Exodus For You
Thrilling you with the liberating love of God

Tim Chester/The Good Book Company, 2016.

Published by
The Good Book Company
Tel (North America): (1) 866 244 2165
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ISBN (ebook): 9781784980252

ISBN (paperback): 9781784980238

ISBN (hardback): 9781784980245

Unless indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 2011 Biblica, Inc. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. Except as may be permitted by the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher.

Design by Andr Parker

Commentaries on the book of Exodus

• John Calvin, Commentaries (available online at www.ccel.org)
• Peter Enns, Exodus in the NIV Application Commentary series (Zondervan, 2000)
• T.E. Fretheim, Exodus in the Interpretation Commentary series (Westminster John Knox Press, 1991)
• John L. Mackay, Exodus (Mentor, 2001)
• Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus in the Bible Speaks Today series (IVP, 2005)
• Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for Gods Glory in the Preaching the Word series (Crossway, 2005)

Books on the book of Exodus

• W. Ross Blackburn, The God who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus (Apollos, 2012)
• Tremper Longman III, How To Read Exodus (IVP Academic, 2009)
• Ed. Brian S. Rosner and Paul R. Williamson, Exploring Exodus: Literary, Theological and Contemporary Approaches (Apollos, 2008)

Books on the tabernacle and Israels worship

• Tremper Longman III, Immanuel In Our Place: Seeing Christ in Israels Worship (P&R, 2001)
• Vern Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses (Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1991)
• Frank H. White, Christ in the Tabernacle (Partridge & Co, 1871)

Other perspectives

• G.K. Beale and Mitchell Kim, God Dwells Among Us (IVP, 2014): a look at how the theme of Gods presence unfolds through the Bible story.
• John Coffey, Exodus and Liberation: Deliverance Politics from John Calvin to Martin Luther King Jr . (Oxford University Press, 2014): a historical exploration of how the exodus story has influenced Western politics.
• Mike Wilkerson, Redemption: Freed By Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry (Crossway, 2011): a guide to personal change based on the book of Exodus.

Other works quoted in Exodus For You

• Augustine, Sermons
• Donald Bridge, Signs and Wonders Today (IVP, 1985)
• Tim Chester, The Message of Prayer in the Bible Speaks Today series (IVP, 2003)
• Tim Chester, You Can Pray: Finding Grace to Pray Every Day (P&R, 2014)
• Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (Atlantic Books, 2007)
• Martin Luther, Large Catechism (available online at www.ccel.org)
• Martin Luther, Luthers Works (available online at www.ccel.org)
• Donald MacLeod, Christ Crucified: Understanding the Atonement (IVP Academic, 2014)
• William McEwen, Grace and Truth or, The Glory and Fulness of the Redeemer Displayed (John Gray and Gavin Alston, 1763)
• Michael McKinley, Passion: How Christs Final Day Changes Your Every Day (The Good Book Company, 2013)
• John Owen, Of Communion with God with Father, Son and Holy Ghost (available online at www.ccel.org)
• J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Hodder & Stoughton, 1998)

We noticed when we were looking at Exodus 25 31 that the tabernacle echoes the Garden of Eden, and the construction of the tabernacle echoes the creation of that garden. And, as weve seen all the way through Exodus, its not just the tabernaclethe whole story of this book is a story of re-creation, from Israels creation-like fruitfulness in chapter 1 to Gods de-creation and re-creation through the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. There are two more echoes of creation in Exodus 31.

The account of creation begins with the Spirit or the wind of God hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). Its the Spirit of God, or breath of God, who gives life to the clay figure of the first man (Genesis 2:7). By the word of the L ord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth (Psalm 33:6). The word of God came on the breath of Godand Psalm 104:27-30 says the Spirit continues to animate creation.

If the construction of the tabernacle as a place for God to dwell among his people echoes the creation of the earth as a place for God to dwell among his people, then we would expect to find the Spirit of God animating the creative process. And thats exactly what we see in Exodus 31: Then the L ord said to Moses, See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills (Exodus 31:1-3 ). The Spirit empowers Bezalel, giving him the ability to work in metal, stone, wood and all kinds of crafts ( v 4-5 ). God also appoints Oholiab to assist Bezalel and says, I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you ( v 6 ). The same emphasis is found when Bezalel and Oholiab are commissioned; Moses says, The L ord has chosen Bezalel and he has filled him with the Spirit of God ( 35:30-31 ). And the other workers are repeatedly described as those to whom the L ord has given skill and ability ( v 34-35; 36:1-2 ). The tabernacle and its furniture are made by human beings ( 35:32-33 ), but those humans are empowered and equipped through the animating work of the Spirit, and their work is funded by a freed people freely contributing what they can ( 36:3 see page 90).