A Commentary on the Book of Exodus

A Brief Introduction to God's Law

Overview

One of the more perplexing subjects in Christianity is the subject of “the law,” and as a result it is often misunderstood. As the title of this chapter states, this will only be a brief and informal introduction to the subject. Many scholars and theologians have dedicated their lives to the study of God’s law; however, this review will be nowhere near as detailed as a lifetime study might produce. This introduction is primarily to help clarify some of the chief points that may cause a student of the Bible to stumble or perhaps cause confusion. 

As pointed out in the Introduction of this book, one of the Hebrew words that is most-often translated as ‘law’ in the Old Testament is the word ‘Torah’. It is generally accepted that the Torah (or law) is considered to be the five books written by Moses (as referenced in Joshua 1:7, 8:31-34, 22:5, 23:6; 2 Kings 14:6, 21:8, 23:25; 2 Chronicles 25:4, 30:16, 34:14; Ezra 3:2, 7:6; Nehemiah 8:1, 9:14; Daniel 9:11-13; Malachi 4:4; Luke 2:22, 24:44; John 1:17, 1:45, 7:19, 7:23; Acts 13:39, 15:5; Romans 10:5; 1 Corinthians 9:9; and Hebrews 10:28). These five books of Moses contain story narrative, instructions for ceremonial practices, instructions for moral living, judicial processes, and some history. 

Sin Revisited

It may seem strange to begin a study of God’s law with the subject of sin, the condition due to the disobedience of God. First, we need to recognize the serious nature of sin; and secondly, since we have no experience without the influence of sin, we cannot fully relate to God and His perfect law, so we begin with what we know. This reverse approach should help us understand not only why the law was given, but also see how this law sets into motion the theme of the entire Bible, God’s plan of redemption.

Both the Hebrew and the Greek words that are most often translated as ‘sin’ in the Bible convey the sense of missing the mark, such as an arrow being shot and missing a target. While that idea may be the derivation of the words, the concepts of being disobedient or offensive should never be forgotten. It is true that in most cases when someone speaks of ‘sin’ they are using it in the context of disobeying God. The word ‘sin’ almost automatically becomes a ‘religious’ word making it a word that people feel comfortable defining in their own terms. However, we must remember that we don’t define what is or what is not (an act of disobedience against God), He does. 

The Bible teaches us that as the direct result of sin, mankind no longer had a close relationship with God. Possibly due to God being invisible and the post-cursed creation and death is all that mankind has ever known, sin may seem nebulous and unimportant today. Instead of studying what sin is, we should be looking at how sin affects us and our relationship with God. To do that, we need to first explore, or re-explore, a few words found in the Bible.

The first word is HOLY, the word essentially refers to something that, if unclean, was cleansed and then set aside. In the Bible, the word usually means that some thing or some person has been purified and set aside for use exclusively by and for God.^[1] When God called His people holy, He was saying that they should only pay attention to Him and His Word, meaning they should disregard any influence by those not called holy. One way to look at this would be to say that God’s people were to be peculiar or different to everyone else.

The next word is RIGHTEOUS; have you ever been called righteous? If you were, it probably wasn’t stated in a nice way as the term often implies arrogance or some other form of self-importance. The word simply means doing the right thing or thinking correctly from a Biblical perspective; the right or correct way is always governed by God. 

Following close behind righteous is the word, PURE. Here again we see how modern thinking has polluted the proper use of a word. Pure means pure, that would be 100 percent pure, not like some labels especially on consumables saying something like, this product is 90% pure. When we read in the Bible that God is pure, that means He is without sin, no corruption or perversion. When Adam and Eve were first created, they were also perfect and without sin; that means they were holy, righteous, and pure. When they sinned and disobeyed God, they were no longer holy, righteous, or pure. Since God is a holy God, without sin, man could no longer enjoy the fellowship or presence of God. 

Through the years, theologians have pondered the issue of sin, trying desperately to understand the nature of sin to solve the problem. While their pursuit to find a solution is in vain, especially since God has already provided the answer, their exploration of sin may be able to help us understand more fully the nature of sin. Remember as you read these, they are only classified in this manner to aid in human understanding, not something ordained by God.

Biblical scholars have identified three basic types of sin:

1. Inherited sin 
2. Imputed sin
3. Personal sin 

Inherited sin is just as it sounds, we inherited sin from Adam and, as a result, the entire human race has retained a sinful nature. Inherited sin is responsible for bringing death into the world, including those before the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai (called “God’s Law” or simply “Law”). After the law was given to Moses, people, in addition to being guilty of inherited sin, were now also guilty of violating God’s Law. Due to inherited sin, people are born as sinners and since they are sinners they continue to sin, in this case in violation of God’s Law, this is referred to as imputed sin. The word ‘imputed’ is both a legal and a financial term, referring to moving something from one person (or account) and giving it to another. In this case, due to the inclination to sin that was inherited from Adam, the sins that are committed in violation of the law, even though sin was put into motion by Adam, are imputed to the sinner (see Romans 5:13). The third type of sin is called a personal sin; these are those sins that get committed by us every day, because we are sinners (see James 4:17). Note: These are not all the types of sins classified by scholars. This review does not include some popular terms that are often used to classify types of sin, such as original sin, ancestral sin, and actual sin, as their definitions are not consistent among theologians and are often open to debate. While the three listed above are also not always understood, or even agreed upon, they can help us understand the nature of sin.

Technically, we are guilty of all three, inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin. Whenever we look at the problem of sin we can be overwhelmed, not just with guilt but also with a sense of it being surreal. Is sin real? If it is, wouldn’t it just be part of who we are? Why should we care about the “behind the scenes” workings of our human existence? Well, it probably would not matter if life had evolved, since sin would be part of our makeup and not some corruption of a perfect design. We could be whatever we wanted to be, just as our worldview allows us. Then, since there was no creation, there would not be anything called sin or disobedience, nor would there be any need for God. Just think, any lifestyle, allowing anything and everything to be acceptable because there are no rules. But sin is real. There is a God and we were created perfect, and corruption did enter His creation and, as a result, we are all sinners. Seeing how serious the problem of sin is, we may want to defend who we are by trying to put the blame on God, we might even want to say something like, “well if His design was so good how could corruption get in?” That’s a good question. If we were all ‘programmed’ to be perfect and love Him, would that be true love? No, for genuine love, the choice must be ours.

Not knowing what it would have been like to experience the presence of God as Adam and Eve did, we might not know what we are missing, but what might be a surprise to some, God also missed that fellowship. We see in the Bible that God set up the Torah which also included a process for people to interact with God through a priest, along with instructions on how to build a rather unusual portable building called the Tabernacle. The purpose of that building could be summed up by translating the Hebrew word, ‘miš·kān’,^[2] it means “to dwell” or “dwelling place” (the English word ‘tabernacle’ is derived from the Latin word for ‘tent’). It was a movable dwelling that was constructed for the sole purpose of God dwelling among His people. You are probably wondering, what does God need with a building or a tent? He didn’t need a building then, nor does He need a building now or ever. Both the Tabernacle and the Temple, which would be constructed later, are for the people as they represented in a tangible way that God was with them. 

Even though these buildings were the centerpieces of an Israelite’s life, there was a process to be maintained. The lesson God was teaching everyone was that, due to the serious nature of sin, a life of an animal would need to be sacrificed as an offering for forgiveness. The author of the book of Hebrews offers this explanation: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22) For some, this is another example of the meanness, or at least the cruelty, of God. This is understandable as life of any kind, be it animal or human, is precious. However, we also need to understand that the meat of most of these sacrifices went to support the priests and Levites (the group of people who were responsible for the daily operation of Tabernacle and Temple). We shouldn’t let our attitudes or perceptions of cruelty prevent us from grasping the reality that sin is a very serious problem that requires the spilling of innocent blood for forgiveness; this was an ongoing process requiring continual sacrifices. 

What makes something a sin? The law that God gave to Moses gives us proper protocols and rules to follow, anytime someone does not follow these written regulations they would be considered sinning. While the law can be summarized to some extent using what are known as the “Ten Commandments,” the law contains a whole lot more and elements of the law can be found throughout the first five books of the Bible. 

What part of sin are we born with? Is it some form of genetic deficiency, a disease, or some other malady? Actually, it is worse than all of those combined. Even before the law was made known, due the disobedience of Adam and Eve, we have all inherited sin. The Bible teaches that we sin because we are sinners, there is no way for us to avoid the penalties and the punishment of sin. While that seems unfair, especially if God, when He created us, knew mankind would become sinful resulting in eternal separation from Him and death, His plans for us did not stop there. 

As one would expect, there are many theologians who do not like God’s solution to the problem. That is why Christians need to read and understand the Bible for themselves and not rely completely on books written by man. We are to know the real thing, not just a summary or someone’s opinion. That includes all Scripture, cover to cover. The entire Bible contains what many scholars call a thread that binds all 66 books together, and since innocent blood was necessary, it is often referred to as the Scarlet (red) Thread. For example, every detail of the construction and operation of the Tabernacle found in the book of Exodus literally point to some aspect of the coming Messiah, someone who will completely fulfill the Law and offer humanity salvation from sin as a gift. The Bible was written and provided to us so that we can know that Messiah.

Law and Gospel

Most Christians are familiar with the phrase “Law and Gospel.” In the simplest of terms, the law refers to the problem of sin and the gospel refers to the solution to that problem. The New Testament consistently uses the term ‘gospel’ (Greek word ‘euangelion’,^[3] meaning essentially “good news,” forming the basis for the word ‘evangelism’), as a reference to the message of God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. The law was given to us to realize that there is no way we can obtain righteousness or be righteous on our own. That is why God sent His Son Jesus to live a sin-less life, die on the cross, and raise Him from the dead. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law for us (see Matthew 5:17-18). Through Jesus, we have the righteousness we need to be saved and live with Him for eternity (see John 3:16; Romans 5; 1 John 4:9-10). 

How does God’s plan for our salvation work? The first thing we need to do is look at the law and see specifically what is required to obtain forgiveness. Many forget that the same law that condemns mankind also provides the road map leading to redemption including identifying the people involved, the various processes and the timing. 

According to the law, instead of direct access to God, the Israelites were required to use priests to represent them before God. These priests were known as the Aaronic Priesthood since one important qualification of being a priest was that you had to be born in the line of Aaron, the brother of Moses (God made that choice, not Moses). There was one priest, called the High Priest, that would provide oversight of the other priests, and he was the primary liaison between God and all of mankind. The qualifications to be the High Priest not only included being a man in the line of Aaron, but he also had to have a heart to compassionately serve his people and he was to be appointed by God. Then they were anointed, being anointed with oil was a common practice when installing leadership. The Hebrew word ‘miš·ḥā(h)’,^[4] implies being rubbed down or covered with oil and was most frequently used in the Bible during rituals of divine appointments, this word is also where we get the word ‘Messiah’ from.

The book of Leviticus begins by introducing us to several different types of sacrifices that will later be identified and used for specific applications in the text. One such application of sacrifices occurred on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:1-34; 23:26-32). This was considered by the Israelites to be the most sacred and solemn day of the year and rightfully so. On this day, the High Priest, after a significant amount of preparation and being dressed properly, would present several offerings, first on behalf of himself and his family and once considered cleansed, he proceeded to make a sin offering for the people. This was the only day of the year that God allowed a person to enter the Most Holy Place (often referred to as, “the Holy of Holies,” a room separated from the main room by a large curtain). In addition to this annual event, sacrifices were being offered to God for a number of reasons continuously, night and day. Some for giving thanks to God, others being offered for forgiveness of unintentional sins, some were offered in praise and worship, while some may have been offered as a guilt offering combined with restitution, etc. 

We can also easily see that since many of the sacrifices were to be offered regularly and others were to be done annually, that God considered the sacrificial system as being only temporarily effective, as people continued to sin and the High Priest, God’s designated intermediary, was a human male subject to death (in other words, not eternal). Since this system required continuous operation, many feared what God would do if any of these processes for any reason stopped, as it often occurred during the reigns of evil kings. We read in the Old Testament that during these times God’s people indeed fervently prayed for God to act and He often did. Although in some cases, extended periods of time elapsed before they were able to rebuild and resume these processes. As readers, we need to understand that this system was never intended to be a permanent solution. 

But, what about today? After all, humans are still sinners. Do either the Tabernacle or Temple still exist? No. The Tabernacle was decommissioned during King Solomon’s day and the last Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. and none of the sacrifices have been able to be performed since. So, what does this mean for us; how is any of this pertinent today? 

Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament pertain to a single person, sent by God, who would come and ultimately save His people. From these prophecies, we learn more about the person, their ministry, the timing, and locations. We also pick up some of the names and titles the Bible uses to identify this person. This person would: 

• Be the offspring of a woman (see Genesis 3:15) 
• Be a descendant of Abraham (see Genesis 12:3)
• Be a willing sacrifice (see Genesis 22:1-18)
• Be from tribe of Judah (see Genesis 49:10)
• Be the ultimate Passover Lamb (see Exodus chapter 12)
• Be lifted up in death (see Numbers 21:6-9)
• Be a prophet like Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15-19; 34:10)
• Be a Kinsman-Redeemer (see Ruth 4:4-9)
• Be a descendant of David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16)
• Be called God’s Son (see Psalm chapter 2)
• Be resurrected (see Psalm 16:8-11)
• Be forsaken and pierced (see Psalm chapter 22; Zechariah 12:10)
• Be the righteous sufferer (see Psalm chapter 69)
• Be greater than King David (see Psalm 110:1-4)
• Be the rejected cornerstone (see Psalm 118:22-24)
• Be born of a virgin (see Isaiah 7:14)
• Be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6-7)
• perform signs of healing (see Isaiah 35:5-6)
• Be preceded by a forerunner announcing His arrival (see Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6)
• Be a light for all the nations of the world (see Isaiah 42:1-6)
• Be the suffering servant (see Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
• Be the object of a murderous plot and die (see Jeremiah 31:15; Daniel 9:26)
• Bring a new covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31)
• Be the Son of Man (see Daniel 7:13-14)
• Arrive according to a precise timetable (see Daniel 9:24-27) 
• Be called out of Egypt (see Hosea 11:1)
• Be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah (see Micah 5:2)
• Ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (see Zechariah 9:9)
• Be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (see Zechariah 11:12-13)

These are just a few out of several hundred prophecies in the Bible.

How can one person do something about our problem of sin? Since mankind could never restore themselves to be free from the problem of sin, God arranged for our freedom from sin by sending His only Son to die on our (all of humanity) behalf. His name is Jesus (Greek transliteration of Hebrew ‘Yē·šûa’ meaning “YHWH delivers” or simply “the Lord is salvation”), He was born of a virgin, lived a sin-less life, suffered, died, and was raised back to life again in order for Him to offer us (again, all of humanity) freedom from eternal condemnation. 

Having trust in Jesus is what faith is all about. We trust that when we die, Jesus will intercede on our behalf and claim us as a co-heir of His (see Romans 8:16-17) and allow us to enter heaven. That offer is for everyone, there is no limit to His atonement, no special bloodline required and definitely no special knowledge or secret process needed. What keeps Him from changing His mind? First, God cannot lie (see Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) and secondly, God is faithful and delights in keeping His promises (see Genesis 18:14; Romans 4:20-21; Hebrews 10:23). We also know that God does not change His mind, as He freely offers forgiveness (see Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14), effectively changing our future destination from Hell to Heaven.

When we closely examine some of those prophecies, we looked at earlier, we can’t help but notice to see what appears to be potentially incompatible statements. Some of the prophecies refer to someone being very humble, while others seem to point to a powerful conqueror. Many scholars tag them as prophecies of the “suffering servant” and prophecies of the “warrior king.” Sadly, people through the years have rejected Jesus as the Messiah due to these contrasting statements, they fail to comprehend (an intellectual barrier) that Jesus had to suffer and die (suffering servant) to be victorious over death. So, what about the warrior king? Jesus first came to offer salvation to a condemned world and will return in the future (known as the Second Coming) to usurp the evil in the world once and for all as the Warrior King. One Messiah, two periods of ministry (first and second coming), not two different Messiahs. 

A Jewish Perspective

For the Jew, the books of Moses form the foundation of their faith and culture. These books provide guidance in nearly every aspect of their lives, making the Torah critically important. Next to God, the Torah has been the centerpiece for Jews throughout history. However, like many religions, not everyone agrees how things are to be interpreted. There are factions within Judaism that have different opinions on how to interpret God’s Law. Through the years many Jewish scholars and teachers, most often referred to as a rabbi (derived from the Hebrew root meaning great, forming the basis for “great one” or ‘master’),^[5] have provided varied interpretations of the Torah. In some cases, an alternate understanding of the Torah created rifts and various sects were formed. While many of these rabbis and sects have come and gone, much of their teachings and influence remain.^[6] 

The Torah contains several hundred individual commandments that form God’s law. Many Jews call these commandments “the Mitzvot.” 

The term “mitzvah” (plural, mitzvot) comes from a Hebrew root meaning “to command” and applies to a religious obligation. In common usage, mitzvah has also come to mean a “good deed.” The Torah uses several other terms to indicate laws—“torah” (teaching; Lev. 6:2), “chukah” (statute; Num. 19:2), “mishpat” (ordinance; Num. 9:14), “eidut” (testimony; Deut. 4:45), and “mishmeret” (observance; Lev. 8:35)—but only the word “mitzvah” is generally used to include all the commandments.^[7]

Primarily due to the work of Rabbi Simlai (a fourth-century sage), the count of 613 Mitzvot (commandments) has been determined to be the number of commandments in the Torah, they are summarized as being 248 “positive commandments” to perform certain actions and 365 “negative commandments” those actions that need to be avoided. They are often further divided into categories such as things related to God, Torah, Signs and Symbols, Prayer and Blessings, Love and Brotherhood, The Poor, Gentiles, Family, Forbidden Sex, Times, Dietary Laws, Business Practices, Employees, Vows, Sabbatical and Jubilee, Court, Injuries and Damages, Property, Criminal Laws, Punishment and Restitution, Prophecy, Idolatry, Agriculture, Clothing, The Firstborn, Priests and Levites, Tithes and Taxes, The Temple, Sacrifices and Offerings, Ritual Purity, Leprosy, The King, Nazarites and Wars. However, there is some disagreement among the Jews as to what the 613 are, let alone how they are to be categorized. 

In addition to the Torah, rabbis have added seven Mitzvot not listed in the Torah:

1. Washing hands before eating
2. Lighting of Sabbath candles
3. Reciting of the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113-118) of praise during festival days
4. Lighting Hanukkah candles
5. Reading the scroll of Esther on Purim
6. Making an ‘eruv’^[8] (the expansion of boundary around a community, usually in the form of a wire, to act as a work around concerning Sabbath and Yom Kippur limits on carrying items); 
7. Saying a blessing of thanksgiving before experiencing pleasures in worldly items. 

There is a saying that can be found in several places in Jewish literature, including the Midrash Bereshit Rabbah (an early Jewish commentary of Genesis), that “God looked into the Torah to create the world.” To the Jew, the Torah was the “blueprint” for God and continues to guide today.

The collective body of the commandments in both the written and oral Torah and the subsequent additions of the Talmudic and rabbinic laws, along with all the customs and traditions, is known as the Halakha (also spelled Halakah or Halakhah). It is often translated as the “Jewish Law,” however, a more literal translation, from the root meaning “to go,” could be considered “the way to behave.” The Halakha guides religious practices, beliefs, and daily life.^[9]

Introduction to the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments (the Biblical text actually refers to them as the “Ten Words” or ‘Decalogue’ in the Greek) are repeated in the Book of Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy 5:4-21) with slightly different wording, perhaps to aid in understanding for future generations, as Moses at that time gathers the generation that will enter the Promised Land to hear the law, beginning with the Ten Commandments (see Deuteronomy 4:44-45). The account given in Deuteronomy also makes it clear that the Ten Commandments are not the entirety of God’s law (see Deuteronomy 5:31).^[10] The identification, or naming, of these ten ‘words’ as the Ten Commandments first appeared in the 1560 Geneva Bible.

It is interesting to note that when Jesus was asked about which commandment was the most important (see Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31), “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) The two commandments Jesus referred to were from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18, respectively, neither one is found in the list of Ten Commandments.

So why are the Ten Commandments so special? Most consider the Ten Commandments to be a summary or perhaps the ‘heart’ of God’s law. In both Christianity and Judaism, the Ten Commandments are considered the supreme precepts of the Torah. First, these commandments are fundamental (a concept greatly debated today since many believe there is undue emphasis placed on them) with far-reaching and important influence in all of human civilization and history. Secondly, the Ten Commandments are considered supreme by the awe-inspiring manner God revealed them. Amid thunder and lightning and the sounding of the trumpet, amid flames of fire that enveloped the smoking mountain, God’s loud thunderous voice pronounced the words, which from that day on have been the guide of conduct to mankind. 

What are the Ten Commandments? They are first listed and identified in Exodus chapter twenty, however, like many Biblical principles that are interpreted by man, there is a disagreement as to how to identify and breakdown the Ten Commandments. There are three classic viewpoints for numbering the commandments: 

1. The Philonic division is considered the oldest from the writings of Philo (as well as Josephus), a method embraced by Hellenistic Jews, Greek Orthodox and Protestants (other than Lutherans)
2. The Talmudic division from the 3rd Century Talmud (Judaism) 
3. The Augustinian division developed by Augustine in the 5th Century, has been embraced by both the Roman Catholics and Martin Luther. See below for a breakdown of the various numbering schemes.

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[1] See commentary under Genesis 2:1-3.

[2] Strong’s Hebrew 4908.

[3] Strong’s Greek 2098.

[4] Strong’s Hebrew 4888.

[5] Term not found in the Old Testament.

[6] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20 for review of ancient Jewish writings.

[7] Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 515). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

[8] Term not found in the Old Testament.

[9] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20, for brief description of ancient Jewish literature.

[10] See also commentary under Deuteronomy 5:30-33.