"You are All Powerful"-Summary of Exodus

 

Why is Story telling so powerful? Why do our hearts ignite as we listen to a Story unravel? Why do we see our creative, imaginative self fly outside of us and into Stories told? Maybe it is because God decided to reveal Himself to us in Story and in the process allows us to come to an understanding of who we are through the medium of HiStory.

God reveals Himself to mankind, not just in any Story, but in a love Story because love stories most profoundly spark our hearts. A beautiful God pursues His beautiful bride so that He may enjoy her forever (Rev 21). That is the story of the Bible, that is HIStory which we are privileged to be a part.
Larry Crabb in his book 66 Love Letters says,

Until we hear God's message wrapped up in the stories of real people, we won't trust that God's power could enter our Story. And until we remember what it was like to begin life in the desert by hearing God lay down laws nobody could keep, we won't feel the crushing weight of God's Holiness. But we must feel that weight to understand all that is involved in letting unholy people get close to God. 

Yes we must feel the weight and the beauty of all what it takes to make His bride beautiful again. So we stop today to close the second book of the Bible, looking back through Exodus, at how God reveals Himself to His people Israel and to us today.

*Exodus is laid out in two parts. The first section burst out with the story of God as Savior and Provider of His people (1-18). As God delivers Israel from Egypt with provision in their hand (12:36), and brings them into the wilderness , He continues to provide for them. He turns bitter waters sweet (15:22-27), gives manna from heaven (16) and brings water from a rock (17:1-7). Even in all this Israel grumbled against God and were disobedient on several occasions (15:24).

In spit of their lack of faith, the Lord kept pursuing His bride Israel as we enter the second part of this Exodus story full of laws and instructions (19-40). God lays down the law to reveal His Holiness, and makes Israel understand that He is the only One true God, perfectly Holy and all powerful. Because of who He is, he can be approached only in the way He prescribes.

As the book closes, we see how God Himself comes to live among His people Israel after the building of the tabernacle (36-40).
So God has saved His people, provided for them, made a treaty with them and taught them how to live. Then He finally comes to live with them. We will see this theme repeated all through our study of the entire Bible and also in the way God has revealed and continues to reveal Himself to us today.


He loves you and desires to save you (John 3:16), to provide for you all you need to live a full life (John 10:10). He has provided laws that would titillate our relationship with Him, renew the way we think (Rom 12:1-2) and the way we treat one another (1 john 3:16). As He teaches us to live the life we were created to live, even in this imperfect world, He promises to come again and make our world new...make us new....and live with us forever (Rev 21:1-7). Now this powerful Story found in Exodus, is true comfort for the soul!...Until next time as we enter the book of Leviticus...Read...Share...and be comforted.

*Exodus summary helps taken from, Earl D Radmacher, Ron B. Allen, H. Wayne House, The Nelson NKJV Study Bible, (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 1997), 97-98.