The Promised Child

The incarnation is not merely a historical event but the fulfillment of God’s eternal decree, where the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—works in perfect harmony to redeem His people. 

The Old Testament prophecies shimmer with divine promise, pointing unerringly to the Messiah who would come to crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15) and establish an everlasting kingdom. 

Consider Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” 

This foretells the miraculous virgin birth, where God Himself enters humanity to dwell among us, bridging the chasm of sin through sovereign election and irresistible grace.

Echoing this, Micah 5:2 proclaims: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” 

Here, God’s plan unfolds from an unlikely village, underscoring His choice of the humble to confound the mighty, much like His election of sinners for salvation not based on merit but on His unchanging will.

Yet, perhaps no prophecy captures the majesty of Christ’s birth more profoundly than Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” 

This child is none other than the eternal Son of God, incarnate to fulfill the covenant of grace. 

He is not a mere human king but the divine Sovereign whose rule extends over all creation, securing total redemption for His people through His life, death, and resurrection.

John Calvin, in his commentary on this passage, beautifully expounds its Christ-centered depth: “He describes a child that was afterwards to be born… In Christ are hidden the invaluable treasures of wonderful things… We must meet with the majesty of God in him.”  

Calvin reminds us that these titles reveal Christ’s deity and His role as the Mediator, far surpassing any earthly figure like Hezekiah, and pointing to the eternal, unchangeable government that only God incarnate could establish.

Reflection: 

In light of these prophecies fulfilled in Christ’s birth, believers are called to live with profound assurance in God’s sovereignty. 

Knowing that the Prince of Peace has come to rule our hearts eternally, we must surrender daily to His government—repenting of self-reliance and resting in His grace alone for salvation. 

This means pursuing justice and righteousness in our lives, families, and communities, not out of legalistic effort but as fruits of the Spirit’s work within us. 

Amid the world’s chaos, let us proclaim this gospel of sovereign love, finding joy in the knowledge that our King, born in Bethlehem, upholds us forevermore, drawing us into deeper communion with Him through Word, sacrament, and prayer.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 29)

Summary:

Exodus 29 details God’s instructions to Moses for consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests to serve in the tabernacle. 

The process involves washing them with water, dressing them in sacred garments, anointing them with oil, and performing sacrifices: a bull as a sin offering, a ram as a burnt offering, and another ram as an ordination offering, where blood is applied to their right ear, thumb, and big toe, and parts are waved before the Lord. 

They eat portions of the offerings, and the consecration lasts seven days with daily sacrifices. 

The chapter ends with ongoing daily offerings to sanctify the altar and affirm God’s dwelling among Israel.

Pointing to Jesus:

One clear example of how this chapter redemptively foreshadows Jesus is in the sin offering’s requirement to burn the bull’s remains outside the camp (Exodus 29:14), symbolizing the removal of sin and uncleanness. 

John Currid explains this as pointing to Christ: “The act of burning the carcass of the animal sacrificed as a sin offering outside the camp of Israel provides an interesting backdrop for a statement made by the author of Hebrews. He says, ‘For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 

Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate. 

Hence, let us go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach’ (Heb. 13:11–13). The picture is astounding! 

Jesus, because of our sin, suffered outside the camp / gate—he, metaphorically, went to the place of the unclean and defiled, and he took upon himself the curse that we deserve. 

He was sinless, yet he went to the cursed place for us!” 

Reflection:

Exodus 29’s emphasis on consecration—being set apart through cleansing, anointing, and sacrifice—mirrors the Christian’s call to holiness. 

Just as the priests were dedicated for service to God, believers are sanctified by Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, empowered by the Holy Spirit (the anointing oil) to live as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). 

This encourages daily surrender, reminding us that our lives are not our own but consecrated for worship, service, and communion with God amid a broken world.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 28)

Summary:

Exodus 28 details God’s instructions to Moses for creating sacred garments for Aaron, the high priest, and his sons to wear while ministering in the tabernacle. 

These include the ephod (a vest-like garment with onyx stones engraved with the names of Israel’s tribes), the breastpiece of judgment (with twelve precious stones representing the tribes and containing the Urim and Thummim for divine guidance), a blue robe with bells and pomegranates on the hem, a checkered tunic, a turban with a gold plate inscribed “Holy to the Lord,” and linen undergarments. The garments, made from fine linen, gold, and colorful yarns, symbolize holiness, glory, and dignity, consecrating the priests for service.

Pointing to Jesus:

The high priestly garments in Exodus 28 typologically foreshadow Jesus Christ as the ultimate High Priest, who perfectly fulfills the role Aaron shadowed. 

One key example is the breastplate and shoulder stones, which bear the names of Israel’s tribes, symbolizing the priest’s intercessory burden. 

John Calvin comments on this as pointing to Christ: “Christ deigned to ingraft us into this body, in Him we are precious stones… In his one person they were all a kingdom of priests… fulfilled in Christ.”  This reflects how Jesus, as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), bears believers before God, interceding perfectly and granting us access to the Father through His righteousness alone, not our merits.

Reflection:

Exodus 28 reminds Christians that, as a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), we are called to live holy lives, “clothed” in Christ’s righteousness rather than our own efforts. 

Just as the priests’ garments covered them for sacred service, believers rely on Jesus’ atoning work to approach God, encouraging us to intercede for others, pursue purity, and reflect God’s glory in daily worship and community.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 27)

Summary:

In Exodus 27, God instructs Moses on constructing key elements of the tabernacle’s exterior. 

This includes the bronze altar for burnt offerings, measuring five cubits square and three cubits high, with horns on its corners and a grate for the fire. 

The chapter also details the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle, enclosed by fine linen curtains hung on bronze pillars with silver hooks, spanning 100 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and featuring a gate with embroidered screens. 

Finally, it commands the Israelites to provide pure beaten olive oil to keep the lamps burning continually in the tent of meeting.

Pointing to Jesus:

Exodus 27, particularly the altar of burnt offerings, typologically foreshadows Christ’s sacrificial death as the perfect atonement for sin. 

As John Calvin explains in his commentary: “The altar of burnt-offerings reminds that the flesh must be burnt by the Spirit for men to offer themselves to God, acknowledging under type that the flesh of Christ must become a perfect victim for propitiation, offered through the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).”   

This aligns with emphasis on Christ’s substitutionary atonement, where He fulfills the Old Testament shadows as the sovereignly ordained Lamb of God, securing redemption for the elect through His once-for-all sacrifice.

Reflection:

This chapter underscores the holiness required to approach God’s presence, reminding Christians that true worship begins with atonement—pointing to our reliance on Christ’s cross as the “altar” where sin is dealt with. In daily life, it calls us to live as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), maintaining the “light” of faith through the Holy Spirit’s illumination, while the courtyard’s boundaries encourage separation from the world and communal devotion in the church.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 26)

Summary:

Exodus 26 provides detailed instructions from God to Moses for constructing the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary for Israel’s worship.

 It describes ten inner curtains of fine twined linen embroidered with cherubim in blue, purple, and scarlet, joined by gold clasps; an outer covering of eleven goat-hair curtains; additional layers of rams’ skins dyed red and badger skins; upright acacia wood frames overlaid with gold, set in silver sockets and connected by bars; a veil of similar embroidered linen to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, hung on gold-overlaid pillars; and a screen for the Tabernacle’s entrance made of embroidered linen on pillars.

Pointing to Jesus:

The Tabernacle’s design typologically foreshadows Christ as the ultimate dwelling place of God with His people, emphasizing imputed righteousness and atonement by grace through faith. 

One example is the innermost curtains of fine twined linen, symbolizing Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to believers (Rom. 3:22-26). 

As theologian Ervin N. Hershberger explains in Seeing Christ in the Tabernacle: “Non-Christians never see the inner beauty of Christ. They may see Him as an ordinary man (leather), or perhaps as a good man and a spiritual leader (fine leather). 

But looking deeper, we find Christ to be the Blessed Redeemer – the atoning Sacrifice (rams’ skins dyed red) – by whom God can justly redeem fallen man from human failure and sin (goats’ hair curtain). 

Jesus Christ is the ‘righteousness of saints’ (ten curtains of fine twined linen), bringing home ‘to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish’ (Eph. 5:27).” 

Reflection:

This chapter reminds Christians that just as the Tabernacle was God’s holy dwelling among Israel, providing a structured way to approach Him, Christ now tabernacles in believers through the Holy Spirit (John 1:14; 1 Cor. 3:16), making us part of His body, the church. 

It calls us to live with reverence for God’s presence, pursuing holiness in worship and community, while resting in the access to God secured by Christ’s atoning work, which tore the veil of separation (Heb. 10:19-22). 

This fosters a life of gratitude, obedience, and mission to reflect God’s glory in the world.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 25)

Summary:

In Exodus 25, God speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai, instructing the Israelites to bring voluntary offerings of precious materials like gold, silver, fine linens, and spices to construct a sanctuary where God can dwell among them. 

The chapter details the blueprint for key furnishings: the Ark of the Covenant (a gold-covered acacia wood chest with cherubim on its mercy seat to house the tablets of the law), the table for the bread of the Presence (also gold-overlaid, for displaying twelve loaves symbolizing Israel’s tribes), and the golden lampstand (a seven-branched menorah to illuminate the holy place). 

God emphasizes that everything must be made according to the heavenly pattern shown to Moses.

Pointing to Jesus:

One key example is the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant, which served as the place of atonement where blood was sprinkled to cover Israel’s sins, pointing forward to Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice. 

Reflection:

Exodus 25 reminds Christians that God desires to dwell intimately with His people, not in a physical tent but through the indwelling Holy Spirit in believers, who together form the body of Christ (the church). 

This calls us to offer our lives as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1)—giving generously of our resources, time, and talents to build up God’s kingdom. 

Just as the tabernacle’s precise design reflected God’s holiness, our daily lives should pursue purity and obedience, allowing His light (like the lampstand) to shine through us in a dark world, fostering community and worship centered on Christ’s presence.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 24)

Summary:

In Exodus 24, the Israelites confirm their covenant with God at Mount Sinai. 

Moses reads the Book of the Covenant to the people, who respond, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 

Moses builds an altar, offers sacrifices, and sprinkles half the blood on the altar and the other half on the people, declaring it “the blood of the covenant.” 

Then, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders ascend the mountain, where they see a vision of God standing on a pavement like sapphire and share a covenant meal in His presence without harm. 

God calls Moses further up the mountain to receive the stone tablets inscribed with the law, accompanied by Joshua, while Aaron and Hur remain in charge below. 

Moses enters the cloud of God’s glory, which appears like a devouring fire, and stays on the mountain for forty days and nights.

Pointing to Jesus:

A key redemptive element in Exodus 24 is the sprinkling of the “blood of the covenant” (v. 8), which foreshadows Jesus’ sacrificial death and the new covenant. 

This typifies how the old covenant’s blood ratification points to Christ’s atoning blood, establishing union between God and His people through grace alone. 

As Walter Kaiser notes in his commentary: “The blood by which the covenant was ratified and sealed was the basis for the union between Yahweh and the people. 

This phrase becomes most important in the NT in its reappearance in the Lord’s Supper (Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 9:20; Heb 10:29; also Heb 12:24; Heb 13:20; 1 Peter 1:2).” 

Reflection:

Exodus 24 reminds Christians that true access to God’s presence comes not through our own merits but through a mediator and the blood of the covenant—echoing how we draw near to God today through Christ alone. 

It calls us to faithful obedience, communal worship (as in the elders’ meal, akin to the Lord’s Supper), and patient waiting on God’s timing, encouraging a life marked by covenant commitment amid His transforming glory.

Patience Amid a Hurting Mothers Heart

As a mother, your heart carries a unique weight—one that aches with love, worry, and sometimes deep sorrow. 

Whether it’s the pain of watching a child struggle, the sting of unmet expectations, or the quiet grief of daily trials, a hurting mom’s heart calls for divine patience. 

We understand that God sovereignly ordains our sufferings not to crush us, but to refine us, drawing us closer to His grace and glory. 

Let us turn to Scripture and wisdom from the church to find comfort and strength.

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In this passage, James reminds us that trials—those heart-wrenching moments that test a mother’s endurance—are not meaningless. 

They produce steadfastness, a patient perseverance rooted in faith. 

For a hurting mom, this might mean waiting on God’s timing for a wayward child, enduring seasons of exhaustion, or trusting in His providence amid family brokenness. 

God doesn’t merely allow our pains but uses them purposefully to mature us, conforming us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29). 

Patience here isn’t passive resignation; it’s an active trust in the God who works all things for our good, even when our hearts feel shattered.

Tim Keller offers this insight on enduring suffering with patience: 

“Jesus was patient under even greater suffering for us, so that we can be patient under lesser suffering for him.”  

Keller points us to the cross, where Christ’s ultimate patience in agony becomes our model and motivation. 

As a mother, your hurts—though profound—are “lesser” in light of His sacrifice, yet they are opportunities to imitate Him, finding strength in His example and the Holy Spirit’s enabling power.

In your hurting moments, remember that patience flows from the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), not your own grit. 

Lean on God’s promises: He is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3), who comforts you so you can comfort others—perhaps even your own children. 

Today, practice patience by surrendering your burdens in prayer, meditating on Scripture, and seeking fellowship. 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, sovereign over every trial, comfort this mother’s hurting heart. Grant her the patience that comes from Your Spirit, the joy that counts trials as refining fire, and the hope anchored in Christ’s suffering for her. May she rest in Your faithfulness, knowing You are shaping her for eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 23)

Summary:

Exodus 23 concludes the “Book of the Covenant” with a mixture of judicial, moral, cultic, and conquest instructions:

•  Strict commands for impartial justice: no false reports, no bribery, no favoring the poor or oppressing the rich out of partiality.

•  Practical mercy: help even your enemy’s stray animal; give land a sabbath rest every seventh year so the poor and wild animals can eat.

•  Three annual feasts are instituted (Unleavened Bread, Harvest/Firstfruits, Ingathering), and all males must appear before the Lord three times a year.

•  Worship regulations: no leaven with blood sacrifices, no boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk.

•  The chapter ends with God’s promise of the Angel (a divine figure) who will go before Israel, guard them, and bring them into the land. Israel must not bow to Canaanite gods; if they obey, God will bless their food, water, health, and victory over enemies.

Pointing to Jesus:

The most striking christological moment is Exodus 23:20–21:

“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 

Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice… for my name is in him.”

Theologians almost unanimously see this “Angel” as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God.

John Owen writes:

“This Angel is no created angel… but the Angel of the covenant, the Messiah himself… In him the name of God is; that is, the divine nature and authority… Here is a plain revelation of the eternal deity of Jesus Christ, and of his sovereign authority over the church.” 

Thus the One who once went before Israel in the wilderness as the Angel bearing the name of Yahweh is the same One who now goes before His church as the incarnate Lord, guarding, guiding, and bringing us safely to the prepared place—eternal rest in the new creation.

Reflection:

Exodus 23 shows that true holiness is never merely private or ritualistic; it is radically social and forward-looking. 

The same God who demands perfect justice in courtrooms also demands that we lift a fallen donkey belonging to someone who hates us. 

The same God who will one day drive out the Canaanites is the God who feeds the poor from the sabbath fields.

For the Christian, this chapter is fulfilled and transformed in Christ: we no longer journey toward a strip of land on the eastern Mediterranean, but toward the city whose builder and maker is God. 

The Angel who bears the name of Yahweh now dwells in us by the Spirit. 

Therefore, we live with uncompromising justice, enemy-love, generous rest-giving, and joyful feasting—because the ultimate Sabbath rest has already entered history in the resurrection of Jesus, and the ultimate conquest was won at the cross. 

Our obedience is no longer the condition for entering the land; it is the fruit of already belonging to the One who has gone ahead of us and whose name is now written on our foreheads.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 22)

Summary:

Exodus 22 continues the “Book of the Covenant” with detailed case laws that apply the principles of the Ten Commandments to everyday life. 

The chapter covers:

•  Property crimes (theft, grazing damage, fire damage, lost deposits) with penalties ranging from restitution to multiple-fold repayment.

•  Special protection for the socially vulnerable: widows, orphans, and the poor (God warns that He hears their cry and will act in judgment if they are oppressed).

•  Laws against charging interest to fellow Israelites, returning a poor man’s cloak before sunset, and reviling God or cursing rulers.

•  Firstborn animals and firstborn sons belong to the Lord.

•  Commands to be holy: no eating torn flesh, no spreading false reports, no perverting justice by following the crowd, and no oppressing foreigners (since Israel was once a foreigner in Egypt).

Pointing to Jesus:

The law requiring the immediate return of a poor man’s cloak before sunset (Exodus 22:26–27) strikingly foreshadows Christ’s compassion and substitutionary work. 

John Calvin comments on this verse:

“This law shows how tenderly God cares for the poor… He will be their surety and advocate… In this we see a figure of the grace which God has manifested toward us in the person of His only-begotten Son; for when we were poorer than all men and stripped of everything, He clothed us with His own righteousness, and took our nakedness upon Himself.” 

Thus, the cloak that must not be kept overnight points to Jesus, who does not merely return our garment—He becomes our garment, covering our shame forever.

Reflection:

Exodus 22 teaches that love for God is inseparable from concrete love and justice toward the weakest members of society. For the Christian, these laws are not a return to legalism but a portrait of the heart of Christ, who was moved with compassion for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. The gospel frees us from having to earn righteousness by perfect law-keeping, yet it simultaneously transforms us so that we delight to protect the vulnerable, lend without expecting return, speak truth, and show mercy to strangers—because we ourselves were once aliens, clothed only by the mercy of Christ. Living this way displays the beauty of the new covenant: a people marked not by exploitation or indifference, but by generous, joyful justice that reflects the character of our Redeemer.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 21)

Summary:

Exodus 21 outlines various civil laws given by God to Moses for the Israelites, building on the Ten Commandments. 

It begins with regulations on Hebrew servants (often translated as slaves): they serve six years and are freed in the seventh, with provisions for family situations; a servant may choose permanent servitude out of love for their master, marked by an ear piercing. 

The chapter then addresses personal injuries, including capital punishment for intentional murder but asylum for accidental killings, penalties for harming pregnant women or causing miscarriages, and the principle of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” for equitable justice. 

It also covers laws on harming servants, animal-related incidents (like goring oxen), and property damages, emphasizing justice, restitution, and human dignity.

Pointing to Jesus:

The law of the bondservant in Exodus 21:5-6, where a servant voluntarily chooses lifelong service out of love and has their ear pierced, serves as a type pointing to Jesus Christ, who willingly became a servant to God the Father for the sake of His people. 

As Charles Spurgeon explained in his sermon on this passage: 

“Jesus Christ is here, in all probability, speaking of himself as being for ever, for our sakes, the willing servant of God. … He loved his spouse, the church. He loved his dear sons, his children whom he foresaw when he looked through the future ages, and he would not go out free.” 

Reflection:

Exodus 21 illustrates God’s concern for justice, mercy, and order in human relationships, revealing both the holiness of His law and humanity’s need for redemption amid brokenness like slavery and violence. For Christians, it underscores that true freedom comes not from self-autonomy but from willing service to Christ, who fulfilled the law’s demands through His perfect obedience and substitutionary death. This fosters a life of gracious justice—protecting the vulnerable, seeking restitution over vengeance, and reflecting Christ’s servant-hearted love in daily interactions, all under the new covenant where grace empowers obedience rather than mere obligation. Ten Commandments

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 20)

Summary:

Exodus 20 recounts God delivering the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai through Moses. 

God begins by reminding them of His deliverance from Egypt, then lists the commandments: no other gods, no idols, no misusing God’s name, remember the Sabbath, honor parents, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no false testimony, and no coveting. 

The people, terrified by God’s presence in thunder and smoke, ask Moses to mediate, and God instructs on building simple altars for sacrifices.

Pointing to Jesus:

The fourth commandment on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) points redemptively to Jesus as the ultimate source of rest. 

As John Calvin emphasized, the commandment calls believers to find their spiritual rest in Christ not just on one day, but every day of the week, fulfilling the shadow of the Old Testament Sabbath in the substance of gospel grace. 

Reflection:

Exodus 20 reveals God’s holy standards, which expose human sinfulness and our inability to obey perfectly, driving us to rely on Christ’s perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice. 

In daily Christian living, the commandments guide us toward loving God and neighbor, not as a means to earn salvation, but as a grateful response to grace, fostering holiness, community, and worship in the freedom of the new covenant.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 19)

Summary:

In Exodus 19, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. 

God calls Moses up the mountain and reminds the people of His deliverance, proposing a covenant: if they obey His voice and keep the covenant, they will be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. 

The people agree, and Moses relays their response. 

God instructs preparations for His descent on the third day—consecration, washing clothes, abstaining from sexual relations, and setting boundaries around the mountain to prevent unauthorized approach on pain of death. 

On the third day, amid thunder, lightning, thick cloud, trumpet blasts, and trembling mountain, God descends in fire, and Moses ascends to speak with Him.

Pointing to Jesus:

God’s declaration that Israel will be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6) foreshadows Christ’s role as the ultimate priest-king who confers this status on believers through the new covenant, making them a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). 

John Calvin connects this directly to Christ: “And, in fact, Christ appeared invested with the kingdom and the priesthood, that He might confer both of these privileges upon His members; whence it follows, that whosoever divorce themselves from Him, are unworthy of either honor, and are justly deprived of them.” 

Reflection:

Exodus 19 underscores the holiness of God and the need for preparation to approach Him, reminding Christians that through Christ’s mediation, we can boldly access God’s presence (Hebrews 4:16) without the terror of Sinai. It calls believers to live as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5), obeying God’s word in gratitude for redemption, and fostering awe, consecration, and covenant faithfulness in daily life amid the new covenant’s grace.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 18)

Summary:

In Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law and a priest of Midian, hears of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and visits Moses in the wilderness with his wife Zipporah and sons. 

Jethro rejoices in God’s deeds, confesses Yahweh as greater than all gods, and offers sacrifices, sharing a meal with Moses, Aaron, and the elders. 

Observing Moses overburdened with judging disputes, Jethro advises him to delegate authority to capable, God-fearing men to handle minor cases, reserving major ones for himself. 

Moses heeds the counsel, appointing rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

Pointing to Jesus:

Jethro’s confession and worship as a Gentile outsider point to God’s redemptive plan to extend salvation beyond Israel to the nations, fulfilled in Christ who draws all peoples to Himself through the gospel. Kevin DeYoung, highlights this in his sermon on Exodus 18: “The God who makes himself known will be made known among the nations by saving his people and by his saved people.” 

Reflection:

Exodus 18 encourages Christians to embrace wise counsel and delegate responsibilities within the church community, reflecting humility and reliance on God’s structure for leadership as seen in New Testament elders. 

It also reminds believers of their role in witnessing God’s redemptive work, inviting outsiders to faith like Jethro, fostering a life of gratitude, shared burdens, and mission to proclaim Christ’s salvation to all nations.

Pointing to Jesus (Exodus 17)

Summary:

In Exodus 17, the Israelites, camping at Rephidim, complain to Moses about the lack of water. 

God instructs Moses to strike a rock at Horeb with his staff, and water flows out for the people to drink. 

The place is named Massah and Meribah due to their testing and quarreling with the Lord. 

Later, the Amalekites attack Israel; Joshua leads the fight while Moses, with Aaron and Hur’s help, holds up his hands with the staff of God, ensuring victory as long as his hands are raised.

Pointing to Jesus:

The water from the rock in Exodus 17 foreshadows Christ as the spiritual rock who provides living water for eternal life, as referenced in 1 Corinthians 10:4. John Calvin emphasizes this typological connection: “But though God branded the people for their malignity and perversity, with a lasting mark of ignominy, yet did He afford them an extraordinary proof of His goodness, not only in bestowing on them the drink by which their bodies might be refreshed, but by honoring their souls also with spiritual drink, as Paul testifies, (1 Corinthians 10:4,) “that rock was Christ,” and therefore he compares the water which flowed from it to the cup of the holy supper.” 

Reflection:

Exodus 17 teaches Christians about trusting God’s provision in times of need and the power of intercession in spiritual battles. 

Just as the rock provided water amid complaint, Christ quenches our spiritual thirst through faith, reminding us to turn to Him rather than grumble. 

The victory over Amalek highlights the importance of perseverance in prayer and community support, encouraging believers to uphold one another in the ongoing fight against sin and adversity, relying on God’s strength for triumph.