“Concluding Meditation on the Book of Exodus”

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Build Your Kingdom Here – Rend Collective
• God of Justice – Tim Hughes
• Matthew West – Do Something

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Moses in the Wilderness | Stories of the Bible – Lesson for Kids
• Every move I make | Hillsong Kids – Song for Kids
• My God Is So Big (introducing Grayson the Elephant) – Song for Kids
• I Have Decided | Cave Quest VBS Music Video | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth arelocated in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

1.

Exodus continues the story that began in Genesis. Genesis starts with the account of creation and the pre-history narrative (chapters 1–11), followed by the stories of the three patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (chapters 12–50). In other words, it focuses on individual stories.

Exodus begins with the account of Jacob’s family going down to Egypt to escape a seven-year famine, and then it leaps forward over four hundred years with the words, “After a long time had passed” (Exodus 1:6). During this period, Jacob’s family of seventy people grew into a nation of more than a million. There is scholarly debate about who the “new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing” (Exodus 1:8) was, but it is clear that the Hebrew people had grown large enough to cause alarm to Pharaoh. In this sense, while Genesis is a book of personal stories, Exodus can be seen as a book of national history.

Exodus can largely be divided into two main sections, and each section can be further grouped based on its content:

Chapters 1–18: From Egypt to the Wilderness of Sinai

• Chapters 1–7: The Calling of Moses
• Chapters 8–15: The Exodus from Egypt
• Chapters 16–18: Into the Wilderness!

Chapters 19–40: In the Wilderness of Sinai

• Chapters 19–31: Revelation at Mount Sinai
  • Chapters 19–23: The Ten Commandments and the Law
  • Chapters 24–31: Laws concerning the Tabernacle and the Priesthood
• Chapters 32–34: The Golden Calf Incident and Spiritual Restoration
• Chapters 35–40: Construction of the Tabernacle and the Consecration of the Priests

As mentioned earlier, it is no exaggeration to say that the story of Exodus moves toward the completion of the Tabernacle. In terms of the book’s length, eight chapters are devoted to God’s instructions concerning the Tabernacle and the priesthood, and another seven chapters describe in detail the building of the Tabernacle and the consecration of the priests. Out of a total of forty chapters, thirteen are dedicated specifically to the Tabernacle. The account of its construction is detailed to the point of seeming repetitive, underscoring the importance of building it exactly as God commanded.

With the completion of the Tabernacle, the Israelites gained another central point of focus alongside Moses. As we will see in Leviticus and Numbers, during the remaining thirty-nine years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites moved and lived centered around the Tabernacle. This became the most crucial source of strength that sustained them throughout their forty years of wandering until they finally entered the land of Canaan.

2.

The Bible’s historical narratives serve as a “mirror” in which readers can see themselves reflected through the events of the past. When reading biblical history, responding with thoughts like, “Oh, that’s something that happened long ago!” or asking, “Is this an accurate historical report?” is a common but mistaken approach. Such reading keeps a distance between the reader and the text, treating biblical history as merely an object to analyze rather than a living word that speaks to us personally.

When reading any literary work, the key element is immersion. One must enter the world of the story and become one with its characters to truly understand it and be transformed by it. Biblical history has long been recognized as one of the greatest literary works ever written because its ultimate author is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when reading the historical narratives of Scripture, immersion must take place. Meditation is entering into the world of the story through immersion, experiencing the events as though they are happening to you now. Only then can meaningful transformation occur.

When we read the story of Exodus immersively, we come to understand the true nature of the world we live in today and learn how we should live within it. A story written over three thousand years ago speaks directly to us now, guiding our steps, because while knowledge and civilization have advanced, human nature itself has not changed.

3.

The story of Exodus gives readers three major messages:

First, “The world is broken, and life is hard.” Most good stories follow a structure of “beginning–development–conflict–resolution.” Normally, the story starts, tension arises, the conflict deepens, and finally, there’s a resolution. But the book of Exodus begins with conflict. From the very first page, we are confronted with a broken reality caused by broken humanity. This brokenness began when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As time passed, that brokenness only deepened, and as a result, suffering became an inseparable part of the human experience. Throughout history, human civilization has been a desperate attempt to eliminate suffering, yet technological and cultural advancement have often created new forms of suffering rather than removing it.

Second, “God sees it all.” No one would disagree with the message that “the world is broken, and life is hard.” However, far fewer people believe that God truly exists and that He sees and knows the brokenness of humanity and this world. Even within the story of Exodus, those who acknowledged and trusted God were a minority, often among the weakest and most powerless. They lived hard lives yet cried out to God for help and salvation. They sought His will and strove to follow it. The Hebrew midwives, powerless before Pharaoh’s absolute authority, could have easily submitted to his commands. Yet, they quietly resisted, because for them, God was greater than Pharaoh.

God is invisible, and at times, His response to the cries of believers seems unbearably slow. Heartfelt prayers and desperate pleas often appear unanswered. This is one of the realities that those who believe in God must grow accustomed to. The reason is that God cares for each individual who trusts Him while also carrying out His grand plan for all of humanity. When possible, He responds immediately to the earnest cries of His people, but more often, His silence is due to His larger plan for the world. What may seem like God’s “refusal” in the moment is, in the long run, His “patient endurance.” Yet ultimately, He saves those who trust and depend on Him. This is why even those who die without seeing God’s answers can still confess, “Hallelujah!”

Third, “God calls believers to participate in His work of mending a broken world.” God’s purpose is to save people one by one and, through them, begin the healing of this broken world. Of course, this world will only be fully and permanently restored when Jesus Christ returns, and the new heaven and new earth are established. But that does not mean God is content to leave the world in its broken state until then. Instead, He desires to heal people’s brokenness so that, through them, the broken world may be made a little better. Only then can the weight of life’s suffering be lifted, even in part.

Salvation is not merely about “going to heaven after death”; it is first and foremost about “living in God’s kingdom here on earth.” To live in God’s kingdom now, the brokenness of the world must be healed, and for the world to be healed, the brokenness of human nature must be restored. Receiving forgiveness of sins and being born again in Jesus Christ is the first step in God’s work of repairing this broken world. The book of Exodus tells the story of God mending a shattered world and of the people who joined Him in that work of restoration.

In this sense, Exodus is a dangerous book. When it is read properly, it radically transforms our way of life and our life’s goals. Someone who once pursued only personal safety, satisfaction, and prosperity may, through immersion in the story of Exodus, have their eyes opened to God’s great project of healing the broken world and hear His call to take part in it. Our human nature, like Moses on Mount Horeb, may initially try to flee from that call. But if we truly read Exodus as it was meant to be read, eventually we cannot help but accept that calling.

It was for this very reason that during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea, the authorities marked the books of Exodus and Revelation in red ink in Korean Bibles, forbidding people to read them. They feared that reading Exodus would stir up many to join God’s work of deliverance and restoration and that reading Revelation would raise up believers with a faith so bold that even death could not frighten them. Ironically, the Japanese rulers perceived the hidden power contained within Scripture more clearly than many believers.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: God is working to heal this broken world, and He calls each of us to join Him. Reading the story of Exodus shows us that even in suffering, God sees, cares, and invites us to be part of His plan to make things right.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • The story of Exodus shows that life was very hard for God’s people, but God did not forget them. How does it make you feel to know that God sees you even when life is hard?
  • If God is fixing the brokenness in the world, what is one small thing you can do today to help make the world better?
  • Moses was scared at first when God called him. Have you ever felt nervous about doing something good? What helped you be brave?
• Youth
  • Exodus begins with pain and injustice, but God hears the cries of His people. Where do you see brokenness or unfairness in the world today, and how might God be calling you to respond?
  • Sometimes God’s answers to prayer feel slow. How can we keep trusting Him even when we don’t see immediate change?
  • Exodus invites us to join God’s plan of healing the world. What could it look like for you personally to live as part of that mission—in school, friendships, or your community?