Just to catch you up, I’m blogging as I work my way through the Bible. This is blog number 2. I’ve been inspired by a youth at church who is reading the Bible we got her for her baptism. It’s been a while since I read through the Bible, so I thought I’d blog as I go. You know how much blogging keeps me accountable…

Anyway, I’ve finished the second book of the Bible, Exodus. I don’t claim to be any great Bi local scholar, but here are some thoughts.

Firstly, before embarking upon this text, I watched The Bible Project’s video on Exodus (there are two, actually). I’ve loved these since I came across them in curacy. They give a great overview of each book of the Bible, and the illustrations that go alongside them are genius! I’m going to watch them before I embark upon each new book.

Here are some of my thoughts about Exodus:

The book begins with a number of strong women. Because of two brave midwives, a selfless Mum, a shrewd sister and a kind princess, a baby boy was saved from an angry, jealous Pharoh. Bold moves, especially in those times!

Then the baby grows up and the rest of the book is about Moses leading his people. He’s not an obvious leader, and God has to keep reassuring him because Moses thinks he can’t do it. I can relate. In the end, Moses triumphs.

Then there are then lots of rules for the new community about how to live. It’s an insight into what must have been important for the people of the time. If you look at the details, most of the rules don’t apply to us. For example, Exodus 22.5 is about when your beasts trample over your neighbours vineyard. If you don’t count my toddler I have no beasts. My neighbours do not have vineyards. But being respectful to my neighbour’s property and admitting when something is my fault, are things I can try to do.

Moses also receives instructions about the creation of the temple and the arc. This gives the community purpose and a focus. It gives them time to learn to be God’s people. It gives them a special place to worship even if He says He is with them and among them.

One thing that struck me this time was the seriousness of the Sabbath. It’s easy to think of our day of rest being like ‘why don’t you put your feet up?’. But what we see here is solemn, Holy and compulsory rest for a whole day, every week. What would that really look like for me, I wonder?

I like how Exodus finishes. After all the drama of the plagues and the escape from Egypt, there’s a community starting out and enjoying their freedom. In their freedom, they get to have a relationship with God. The base for this is the tabernacle, which they built with God’s instructions. God told them what to do, and with a new purpose, they did it.

Favourite verse: Exodus 33.11 ‘The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.’

Onto Leviticus.