THE WAY OUT AND THE WAY IN
Studies in Exodus and Leviticus by R.E. Harlow
Everyday Publications Inc. 421 Nugget Ave., Unit 2 Scarborough, ON. Canada M1S 4L8
Copyright @ 1969 by R. E. Harlow   Used by permission

               THE BOOK OF EXODUS

Lesson 1  God called Moses, chapters 1-4
     The people of Israel were slaves, chapter I
     Moses was born and educated, chapter 2
     The call of Moses, chapters 3,4

Lesson 2  Moses' struggle with Pharaoh, chapters 5-10
     The first demand to Pharaoh, chapter 5
     The Lord's reply, 6.2-7.7
     The first sign, 7.8-13
     The first to ninth plague

Lesson 3  The Passover and the Exodus, chapters 11,12
     The journey through the wilderness, chapters 13-18
     Instructions and crossing the Red Sea, 13.1-14.31
     The song of Israel, chapter 15

Lesson 4  The Manna, chapter 16
     Water from the rock, 17.1-7
     The struggle with Amalek, 17.8-16
     Jethro, the priest of Midian, chapter 18

Lesson 5  The Law of Moses, chapters 19-24
     At Mount Sinai, chapter 19
     The Ten Commandments, chapter 20
     The judgments of Jehovah, chapters 21-23
     The blood covenant, chapter 24

Lesson 6  How to build the Tabernacle, chapters 25-27
     The ark and the table for the bread, 25.10-50
     The gold lampstand and the coverings, 25.31-26.14
     The frames for the tabernacle and the veils, 26.15-37
     The brass altar and the court, 27.1-19

Lesson 7  More about how to build the Tabernacle, chs.28-34
     The clothing and anointing of the priests, chs.28,29
     More furnishings for the tabernacle, chapter 30
     The workmen, chapter 31
     The sin of Israel, chapter 32
     God is both holy and gracious, chapter 33
     The covenant of Jehovah, chapter 34

Lesson 8  The Tabernacle was built, chapters 35-40
     The offering, 35.4-35
     The work of the tabernacle, chapters 36-38
     The clothes of the priests, chapter 39
     The tabernacle was set up, chapter 40
     The Teaching of Exodus

LESSON 1                  EXODUS

GOD CALLED MOSES,   READ: chapters 1-4.
    In Genesis we see the beginning of the human race, chapters .1-11, and the beginning of the
chosen race, Israel, chapters 12-50. God called Abraham out from among the Gentile nations and
gave him some great promises. He told Abraham that he would be the father of a nation and after
a while the land of promise would belong to his descendants. Abraham's family grew until his
son's son, Jacob, had twelve sons, but they were still strangers in the land of promise. One of
them, Joseph, became ruler in Egypt and provided food for the chosen nation in time of hunger.
Genesis ends when Jacob died in Egypt.
    The book of Exodus goes on with the story of the chosen people. A new king in Egypt made
them slaves. Exodus tells how God led His people out of Egypt into the desert. The word Exodus
means "the way out". We will study the book of Exodus in eight
lessons:
        1. God called Moses
        3. The Passover and the Exodus
        5. The Law of Moses
        6. How to build the tabernacle
        7. More about how to build the tabernacle
        8. The tabernacle was built
        The Teaching of Exodus
    Exodus was written by Moses, 17.14; 34.27. When the Lord Jesus Christ was teaching about
Exodus 20, He said that Moses had spoken these words, Mark 7.10.
    In the first twelve chapters the people of Israel are in Egypt, slaves of Pharaoh. God delivered
them and in chapters 13-18 they are seen in the desert. In the rest of the book, chapters 19-40,
they are at Mount Sinai. There they received the Law of God through Moses. They also learned
how to build the tabernacle.

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE SLAVES, CHAPTER 1.
    Seventy people entered Egypt and the names of Jacob's sons are listed here, vs. 1-4, as they
were in Genesis 46.8-27. Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110 years, but we do not know when
or where the other brothers died. Moses was born about sixty years after Joseph had died.
    Foreign kings ruled in Egypt at the time of Joseph. These kings were descendants of Shem,
the son of Noah, but the Egyptians were the descendants of Ham. This may be one reason why
the king of Egypt was friendly to Joseph who also was a Shemite: Soon after Joseph died, the
Egyptian people destroyed the foreign kings and put an Egyptian back on the throne. "There
arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph," v.8. Israel had become a great nation
and this new king was afraid of their power. He feared that they would join with the enemies of
Egypt and help overthrow the country. To keep the people of Israel from getting any richer he
made them work without pay. Pharaoh set masters over the men of Israel and they made them
build two cities for Pharaoh, v. 11. In spite of this hard work the nation of Israel grew larger and
larger, v. 12.
    Then the king of Egypt decided that all Hebrew baby boys must be destroyed. He called the
women who helped the mothers of Israel and told them to kill every baby boy when he was born.
The women would not obey the king in this. They said that the Hebrew babies were born quickly
before they could come to help the mothers. So Pharaoh commanded the men of Egypt to
destroy every baby boy born to the people of Israel.
      It might seem that the women told Pharaoh a lie in verse 19. If they did, we can be sure that
God would not bless them for telling lies. We know from many other parts of the Bible that God
hates lying, Revelation 21.8,27.
    Israel in Egypt is a picture of people who are slaves of Satan. The life of the Israelites was
unhappy because of the hard work they had to do, v.14. They had no way of escape. However
God was still with His people and soon started to deliver them.

MOSES WAS BORN AND EDUCATED, CHAPTER 2.
    Chapter 2 tells how God began to prepare a deliverer for His people Israel. He chose the tribe
of Levi, the third son of Jacob. Levi (with his brother Simeon) had cruelly killed the men of
Shechem, Genesis 34.25. Levi seemed to be no better than his brothers and Jacob gave no
special blessing to him, Genesis 49.5.
      God often chooses weak men to put to shame those who are strong, 1 Corinthians 1.27. To
deliver Israel God did not choose anyone from the tribes of Reuben or Judah or Joseph. Those
who are strong may trust too much in their own strength. When God uses a man in His service,
God must get all the glory. God can use anyone who is willing for God to use him.
    The name of Moses' father was Amram and his mother's name was Jochebed, 6.20. Moses'
brother Aaron was three years older than Moses, 7.7. When Moses was born, his father and
mother saw that he was a beautiful child. By faith they hid him for three months. They were not
afraid of the king's command, Hebrews 11.23.
    The king had commanded that every baby should be put into the river, 1.22. Moses' father and
mother did put him into the river, but Moses was saved from death by a little boat made of
grasses. This basket was covered with a black material which kept the water out.
      Like the great ark of Noah 772 years before this little boat is a picture of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The result of breaking God's Law is death. The Law of God cannot be set aside, but
Christ came in to save us from death. God did not change His Law. The Lord Jesus Christ took
the full judgment of our sins on Himself, 1 Peter 2.24.
    When Moses' mother put him in the river, she left his sister Miriam to look after him, vs.4-10.
The king's daughter came down to wash at the river with her maidens. When she saw the baby
and heard him cry she had pity on him. The king's daughter told Miriam to go and call a nurse to
look after the baby. Miriam went and called her own mother. The king's daughter took the baby
as her own. She called him Moses because she drew him out of the water.
     No doubt Moses' mother taught him to fear Jehovah and told him about the great men of
Genesis. When he was older he was educated as a prince of Egypt, Acts 7.21,22. It would seem
that neither Pharaoh nor his daughter had any sons of their own. Pharaoh's daughter was training
Moses to be the next king. When Moses grew up he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. He chose to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy the life of a prince in Egypt,
Hebrews 11.24-26. Moses knew that Joseph long before had been able to help his own people
when he became the second ruler of Egypt. Moses might have thought that he should become
king so he could do the same. Instead he chose to be separated from the Egyptians and to belong
to the people of Israel. This was the right thing to do and God honoured Moses for deciding in
this way. Today millions of people know who Moses was. Very few even know the name of the
Pharaoh who ruled in Egypt at that time.
    However Moses had many lessons to learn. When he was 40 years old he went to visit the
people of Israel and tried to help them. Moses defended one of his brothers against an Egyptian
and killed the Egyptian, vs.l 1-15. The next day he tried to stop two men of Israel from fighting.
He thought that his brothers would understand that God would deliver them through him. Instead
of that they rejected him and said, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?" Acts 7.23-28.
    Moses' reasons were good and he knew that God was calling him. However Moses did not
wait for the right time and he did not do things in the right way. It was not yet God's time to lead
Israel out of Egypt and certainly Moses should not have gone in the way of Cain by killing a
man. Moses was afraid when he knew that others had seen him kill the man. Pharaoh tried to kill
Moses and Moses ran away. Even this was a sign of Moses' faith because he knew that God had
called him. "By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king'; Hebrews 11.27. His
real desire was to keep his eyes on the Lord and wait until God's time would come.
    Moses ran away to the land of Midian, vs. 15-22. Midian was a son of Abraham and his wife
Keturah, Genesis 25.2. Reuel, the priest of Midian was also called Jethro, 3.1. He had seven
daughters who looked after his sheep. Moses sat down beside the well and saw these daughters
draw water for their father's sheep. The other shepherds drove Reuel's daughters away but Moses
stood up to help them. Moses was always trying to help other people. Later God used Moses'
desire to help others and sent him to save the people of Israel.
    The priest of Midian wanted Moses to live with him. He gave him Zipporah his daughter as
his wife. Remember that Isaac and Jacob each got his wife at a well of water, Genesis 24.11;
29.2. When Moses' wife had a baby, Moses called his name Gershom.
    God knew that His people Were having great trouble in Egypt, vs.23-25. He was preparing His
servant Moses to deliver them, but it was not yet God's time.

THE CALL OF MOSES, CHAPTERS 3,4.
    We can divide the life of Moses into three parts of 40 years each. He was 40 years in Egypt in
Pharaoh's house. There he learned all the. wisdom of the Egyptians. Then he spent 40 years
ground had been cursed because of Adam's sin, Genesis 3.17, but God by His grace can change a
curse into a blessing. Indeed this is what He loves to do.
    Then God told Moses that He was the God of Amram, Moses' father, and the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, v.6. Moses had taken off his shoes but now he hid his face from the
sight of God. The Lord Jesus Christ used this verse to prove that men rise. from the dead. God is
not the God of dead men, but of living men, Matthew 22.32.
    Jehovah kept on speaking, vs.7-10. He told Moses that He had seen the troubles of Israel and
heard their cry. He had come down to deliver His people from Egypt. He commanded Moses to
go back to Pharaoh for this purpose. Notice these words:
     I am - verse 6
     I have seen - verse 7
     I have come down - verse 8
     I will send you - verse 10
      The Angel of Jehovah, the Son of God, felt sorry for His people Israel. He wanted to bring
them out of slavery and into a good land, v.8. When He was in this world the Lord Jesus saw
people as sheep without a shepherd and felt sorry for them. He told His disciples to pray that the
Lord would send out workers. Then He sent them out to preach the Gospel, Matthew 9.36; 10.1.
He said to Moses, " I am God. .... I will send you." Now in heaven the Lord Jesus still knows the
sorrows of men who are slaves of sin. He is still sorry for them and is still sending His servants
to tell others the way of salvation. He says "..all authority .... has been given to me. Go
therefore," Matthew 28.18,19. Every Christian should be helping in the work of the Lord. The
Lord may call some to give all their time to His work. Until then we should keep busy working
with our hands but waiting to hear His call, I Thessalonians 4.11.

MOSES TRIED TO REFUSE GOD'S CALL, 3.11-4.17.
    Today when God calls men, some try to refuse. They try to think of a good reason for not
obeying God's command. Moses was no better. He tried to refuse God's call five times.
    1. His own littleness, vs.l 1,12. Moses did not feel able to go to Pharaoh and ask him to let
Israel go. Moses ran away from Pharaoh forty years before this because Pharaoh wanted to kill
him. No doubt that king had died, but we can still understand why Moses would be afraid to go
back. God's answer was that He would be with Moses. He told Moses that he would lead Israel
out of Egypt and they would serve God right there at Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). This promise
was a sign to faith alone because it would not be seen until after the promise had been fulfilled.
Moses at that minute did not have that kind of faith.
      We should be ready to serve the Lord and witness for Him before all men both small and
great. If you feel afraid, remember that the Lord has promised "/will be with you," v.l 2, Matthew
28.20.
    2. The ignorance of the people. Moses felt that the people did not know God and this was
partly true. He was really afraid that the people would not believe God had sent him. Moses
knew that the One speaking to him was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, v.6..  Moses'
question is really just another attempt to refuse God's command. The Lord God has full authority
to command His servants to do His will. Those who know the greatness of God must obey at
once. Jehovah answered Moses by calling Himself "I AM WHO I AM", v. 14. This wonderful
name suggests that God is great enough in Himself. He had no beginning. He is the Uncreated
One, the Eternal One.
    These words also mean, "I will become whatever I please. "This does not mean that God will
change, but that He does not have to give account to anyone. God works out His own purposes
according to His own counsel. This name also shows us that man cannot know God unless He
reveals Himself, I Timothy 6.16, Romans 11.33-36.
    When God revealed Himself as the I AM,  Moses could not answer and so God spoke again.
He explained with great care what He was going to do and what He wanted Moses to do,
vs.15-22.
     (1) Israel would hear and accept the words of Moses, vs.15-18.
     (2) Pharaoh would not listen to Moses' words, v.l 9.
     (3) Later Pharaoh would be glad to let Israel go, vs.20-22.
     (4) Moses should ask Pharaoh to let Israel go into the wilderness for three days' journey
     to sacrifice to God, v. 18. God promised that He would help Moses against Pharaoh by
     giving him great powers, v.20. Israel would get paid for all the work they had done in
     Egypt, v.22.
    3. Still Moses would not obey the Lord. He said, "They will NOT believe me or listen to my
,voice," 4.1. By saying this he denied what the Lord had just promised in 3.18. It is a terrible
thing to deny the word of God. God did not rebuke Moses at this time, but He gave him three
signs. These signs would show the people of Israel that the Lord had sent Moses.
     (1) Moses' rod became a snake, then it became a rod again.
     (2) Moses' hand became like a leper's, then was cleansed again.
     (3) Water from the Nile river would become blood.
    Later on when the people of Israel saw these signs they believed, 4.30,31, just as God had
promised. Aaron used the first sign before Pharaoh, 7.10, and the third sign became the first of
the ten blows which God dealt to Egypt, 7.17.
    4. By now God had promised to be with Moses, had revealed His great name I AM and had
given Moses these signs. Still Moses tried again to refuse. This time he said that he was not a
good speaker. He never had been able to speak well in past years nor since Jehovah had been
talking to him, v.10. The gifts which God gives grow when we use them. Moses became one of
the greatest speakers the world has ever known. Before he died he gave to the people of Israel
the great messages which are found in the book of Deuteronomy.
    In answer to this the Lord told Moses that He was the Creator of man's mouth. He could give
Moses the power to speak well. He can also make people so they cannot speak or hear or see. If
we do not use the gift which God has given, we will lose it. The Lord Jesus Christ told the story
of a king who gave one pound to each of his servants. One servant did not use his gift and so he
lost it, Luke 19.24,26. If Moses refused to go and do God's will, he might become unable to
speak at all.
    5. Moses tried once more to refuse God's command. He said that God could send some
other person, v.13. This made the Lord angry with Moses. He said that Moses' brother Aaron was
a good speaker and he would go with Moses. Aaron did go with Moses, but he was certainly not
a help to him at all times, for example 32.21.
      When God called Moses, he tried to refuse, but God would not let him go. If Moses had
finally refused to do God's will, God of course could have raised up somebody else. What a
terrible loss this would have been to Moses himself! Be sure you are not refusing to do God's
will for some little reason. God will make you give account for your life. He will punish us for
not obeying.
    Moses took the sheep back to Jethro and asked him if he could return to Egypt, vs. 18-20. The
Lord told Moses that his enemies in Egypt were dead. Moses took his family and the rod which
he would use in Egypt to show God's power. On the way back the Lord spoke to him again and
told him that he would have a terrible struggle with Pharaoh, vs.21-23.
    Even before he got to Egypt, Moses had another problem. It seemed that his second son,
Eliezer, 18.4, had not been circumcised. Circumcision was the sign of God's covenant with
Abraham, Genesis 17.9-14. Every son of Abraham had to cut the flesh of his baby boys when
they were eight days old. Moses could not expect victory over his enemies unless he obeyed the
command of God. Zipporah did not like this even though her own father was a descendant of
Abraham.
    At this time God told Aaron to go and meet Moses at Mount Sinai, vs.27-3 I. When the two
brothers reached Egypt, they called the people together. Moses and Aaron showed them the
wonderful signs and told them what God was going to do. The people believed their words, as
God had promised, 3.18, and they worshipped the Lord.
      No one can expect to serve the Lord without obeying His commands. As soon as you
understand a truth of Scripture, you should start to practice it. In this way God will lead you on
to do greater things for Him.
 

TEST   1       WAY OUT & WAY IN     Exodus & Leviticus Test

GOD CALLED MOSES Exodus 1 - 4

Type the letter X of the correct answer on the line after each question.
Only ONE answer is correct.

1. Pharaoh made the Israelites his slaves
     a) because he was afraid the Israelites would help his enemies
     to defeat Egypt.
     b) so that the Israelites could pay for the food they ate.
     c) because the Egyptians did not know how to build cities.

2. God began to prepare a deliverer for Israel;
     a) He chose a man who belonged to the tribe of Judah.
     b) He chose the strongest man He could find.
     c) He chose a son of Amram and Jochebed

3. Moses' parents hid him in a special basket in the river,
     a) but people found him and killed him.
     b) but Pharaoh's daughter found him and saved his life.
     c) but after a while he lived with his parents again until he was 40 years old.

4. Many servants of God worked with their hands:
     a) God called David while he was plowing his field.
     b) Peter and Andrew were builders.
     c) Moses was looking after sheep when God called him.

5. Moses tried to refuse God's call,
     a) so God chose someone else.
     b) but in the end he obeyed.
     c) because his enemies in Egypt were still alive.

Write TRUE or FALSE on the fine after each question.

6. Sometimes God appeared as a man in the Old Testament.

7. Moses killed two Israelites because they were fighting.

8. Moses' mother taught him to fear God.

9. We must learn from God if we want to serve Him.

10. God often chooses weak men to make strong men ashamed.

Used by permission from  R.E. Harlow. Everyday Publications Inc. 421 Nugget Avenue, Unit 2 Scarborough, ON, Canada M1S 4L8   Copyright  1974 by R. E. Harlow

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