GOD’S ECONOMY
SERIES THIRTEEN
GOD’S ECONOMY IN ALL THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
God’s Economy as Revealed in the Old Testament
Message Three
God’s Economy as Revealed in Exodus
Scripture Reading: Exo. 12:1-13; 5:1; 14:13-31; 16:14-15; 17:6; 19:1-7; 20:1-3; 25:8-9
I. Historically, Exodus continues Genesis; however, Exodus portrays the corporate aspect of the spiritual experience of God’s people, whereas Genesis portrays primarily the individual aspect; these two aspects represent the complete spiritual experience of God’s people—Gen. 50:26, Exo. 1:1: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
A. The book of Genesis concludes with a dead man in a coffin in Egypt; this indicates that God’s chosen people were in a situation of death in Egypt; the situation of the children of Israel in Egypt under Pharaoh’s tyranny is a full picture of the life of fallen mankind in the world under the usurping and enslaving hand of Satan and his evil power of darkness—Gen. 50:26, Exo. 1;11-16. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
B. Exodus is a book of pictures that portray God’s salvation as revealed in the New Testament; the Passover portrayed in this chapter is an all-inclusive type of Christ as our redemption to begin our experience of God’s salvation—12:1-13. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
II. God’s complete salvation for His chosen people includes the Passover, the exodus from Egypt, and the crossing of the Red Sea—v. 1-13, 5:1, 14:13-31: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
A. The Passover signifies redemption—Exo. 12:1-13. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
B. The exodus signifies the going out of the world—5:1, 7:4-5, 12:31-32, 35-36, 41, 51. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
C. The crossing of the Red Sea signifies baptism—14:13-31, 1 Cor. 10:1-2. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
III. In the wilderness the children of Israel experienced God’s provision—the heavenly manna and the living water out of the cleft rock—Exo. 16:14-15, 17:6, 1 Cor. 10:3-4: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
A. To partake of manna is to have a heavenly diet and to be reconstituted with a heavenly element—Exo. 16:14-15: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
1. God’s intention in His salvation is to work Himself into us and to change our constitution by feeding us with heavenly food—Exo. 16:4 note 1. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
2. What helps us most in our daily living with the Lord is the eating of Christ as the heavenly manna—John 6:32-33, 35. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
3. Only those who have been reconstituted with Christ are qualified to build up the church as God’s dwelling place today—Eph. 2:21-22. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
B. Christ was smitten for us so that living water could flow out of Him to quench our thirst—Exo. 17:6, John 19:34, 7:37-39: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
1. The water of life we are drinking is the Triune God flowing out to be our life—4:14. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
2. The water of life is in resurrection; therefore, when we drink this water, we become people in resurrection—7:37-39. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
C. As we eat and drink of Him, the Triune God works Himself into our being—Eph. 3:14-19. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
IV. At the mountain of God (Mount Horeb), the children of Israel received a revelation concerning God and the tabernacle—Exo. 3:1, 24:13, 19:1-7, 20:1-3, 25:8-9: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
A. God’s people received the revelation concerning God Himself that they might be separated unto the holy God as His sanctified people—Exo. 20-24. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
B. By the revelation of God Himself, we refer to the law; the law is a portrait of God—25:16, 21: (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
1. The Ten Commandments are a type signifying Christ as the portrait of God, as the expression of God’s image—24:12, Col. 1:15. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
2. The law is also a portrait of God; by studying the commandments of the law, we can see that God is love and light and that He is holy and righteous—Psa. 19:7, 25:10, 119:2. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
V. In addition to receiving the divine revelation concerning God Himself, the children of Israel received the divine revelation concerning God’s economy that they might be built up together with God in His divine Trinity as His dwelling place on earth for His testimony—Exo. 25-40: (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
A. That God’s people were to be built up together with Him is indicated by the materials which were to be used for the building of the tabernacle; for instance, the boards of the tabernacle, like the ark, were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold; the boards of acacia wood overlaid with gold signifies God’s people being built up together with God to be His dwelling place—37:1-5: (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
1. The entire tabernacle was God’s testimony; as we have pointed out, the two tablets of law were called the testimony, the ark was called the ark of the testimony, and the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of testimony; for this reason, the entire tabernacle, from the inside to the outside, was considered the testimony of God—30:26. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
2. The Triune God is actually His own dwelling place, for the dweller and the dwelling are one; the dweller is the dwelling place—Deut. 12:5. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
B. In the Old Testament God’s testimony was the tabernacle, and in the New Testament it is the church, the Body of Christ; in eternity this testimony will consummate in the New Jerusalem, which is also called a tabernacle—Eph. 1:23, Rev. 21:3: (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
1. In the Old Testament the tabernacle was with the children of Israel, and in he New Testament the tabernacle is firstly Christ and then the church as the enlargement of Christ; in eternity there will be the ultimate, consummate tabernacle, the New Jerusalem—John 1:14, Rev. 21:3. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
2. The tabernacle is enterable; an entry into the tabernacle is available to us today—John 1:14. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
C. Finally, God’s chosen and redeemed people received the divine revelation concerning God’s priesthood with all its offerings and its services—Exo. 25:9-40. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 49)
VI. The direction of the book of Exodus is toward the building of the tabernacle—25:8-9, 40:1-2, 34-35: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
A. What God desires to have is a corporate expression of Himself through His called and redeemed people—Gen. 1:26, Eph. 1:23. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
B. Exodus is an account of how God saved His chosen people and gave them a heavenly vision so that they could build His dwelling place on earth—Exo. 12:1-13, 5:1, 14:13-31, 25:8-9: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
1. The purpose of Exodus is to reveal God’s full salvation for the building up of His dwelling place—v. 8-9. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
2. God’s chosen people are saved all the way from their fallen condition to God’s dwelling place—Eph. 2:1-22. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
C. Exodus begins with slavery in Egypt and ends with the tabernacle covered by and filled with the glory of God on account of His redemption—Exo. 40:34-35: (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
1. The book of Exodus consummates with God’s tabernacle, His dwelling place, filled with His glory—v. 34-35. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)
2. The entire Bible consummates in the New Jerusalem as the eternal tabernacle filled with God’s glory—Rev. 21:2-3, 10-11. (1999 FTTA-Spring, msg. 1)