Lecture 12.docx

Alright, let's go back to the covenants. And certainly in Exodus, as I've said, we hear the echoes of the Abrahamic covenant explicitly, and also the introduction to this next covenant. As I said, probably best called the covenant with Israel because that's with whom the covenant is made, but it's m...

Alright, let's go back to the covenants. And certainly in Exodus, as I've said, we hear the echoes of the Abrahamic covenant explicitly, and also the introduction to this next covenant. As I said, probably best called the covenant with Israel because that's with whom the covenant is made, but it's made at Sinai through Moses, and so called the Sinaitic or Mosaic covenant as well. But the key passage, of course we're back here kind of unpacking theme number five, the key passage as far as this new covenant is concern that we have not yet seen is in chapter 19, chapter 19 verses 3 through 6. Israel comes to Sinai. This is where they're going to be for the next 11 and a half months. Verse 3, Moses went up to God and Yahweh called to him from the mountain saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel, You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians. That's a reminder of the judgment, the strong hand, the arm of God, the power of God seen in the tagging plagues and the dividing of the sea and the return of the sea upon the Egyptian army. This is a reminder of what Yahweh did to the Egyptians. And I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. It's going to return to this idea at the beginning of the ten words, which I believe is a prologue to the ten words in chapter 20 verse 2. I am Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery. You were under bondage to Pharaoh. You were his slaves. You had to obey his will. The commandments he gave you were that which was to direct your life. Now that has been broken. And notice the personalization. You were Pharaoh's. You are now mine. I brought you to myself. And so there is a sense in which through the Exodus a personal relationship has been established between Yahweh and Israel. It was based upon Yahweh's redemption, upon Yahweh's deliverance, upon Yahweh's strong hand, his work. What had Israel done? Israel had just responded in faith. By the way you see that at the end of Exodus chapter 4 verse 31. So the people believed when they heard that Yahweh was concerned about the sons of Israel and that he had seen their affliction. Then they bowed low and worshiped. And what did Egypt, I mean what did Israel do? What work did they have to accomplish? You know to get out of Egypt. Well they did have to do one thing. They did have to slay a lamb and put the blood on the doorposts. So that when the death angel passed over Egypt he would pass over their houses. So they had to respond in faith to what the Lord had commanded. And once again after the Egyptian army had been drowned, Exodus chapter 14 verse 31, when Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and they believed in the Lord. They believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses. Now at the very beginning, chapter 4, the very end of the Exodus experience, there's an emphasis of the fact that Israel believed. I don't think we have to necessarily follow Sal Hamer completely on the purpose of the Torah. But he certainly has got a very important point that Moses does emphasize that Israel has come to Sinai, come into a relationship with Yahweh on the basis of what? Faith. They believed Yahweh. They believed what Yahweh had communicated to them through Moses. And acting in faith, they basically sat back and watched Yahweh do the work. That's how familiar. It was Yahweh's action that brought salvation, Yahweh's action that brought redemption, Yahweh's action that accomplished his will. In fact, it goes back even to the Abrahamic<|hu|>. Do you realize that the reason Israel is at Sinai is because of their association with Yahweh through the Abrahamic covenants? They're the seed of Abraham, the seed to whom Yahweh had promised, I'm going to give your seed the land. They're at Sinai because of the fact that they had been chosen as Abraham's ascendant to be there and God had now broken their allegiance, their bondage, their servitude, slavery under Pharaoh, and now they were his. They were his servants, they were his slaves. They now were to get their directives from him. And so basically they were at this point, 19.4 on the basis of faith. But then Yahweh goes on in verses 5 and 6, Now then if you will indeed obey my voice. By the way, who was a man whose relationship with Yahweh was established by faith? Who was one who obeyed Yahweh? Abraham, Genesis 15, 6, Genesis 26, 5, 4 and 5. The one who believed and was accounted to him for righteousness is the who obeyed. So they should reflect upon Genesis as they hear this, like Abraham, faith leads to obedience. Same thing here. Faith is to lead to obedience. Now then if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant. Now they are at Sinai because of Yahweh's covenant faithfulness. At Sinai where they, again, they have an intimate knowledge of Yahweh. Chapter 6, they experience what Yahweh means. They experience the eternal self-existent one fulfilling. A provision of a promise that he has made and bound himself to by covenant. Oh, he is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God. They are there because of Yahweh's covenant loyalty. Now what is Yahweh calling for on the part of Israel? Their covenant loyalty. Obey my voice and keep my covenant. And if you are loyal to the covenant that I am going to make with you, here will be the result. Then you shall be one, my special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine. You are going to be my unique treasure. Now I have other treasure. The whole earth is mine. Going back to the Abrahamic covenant, ultimately there is going to be some from every family of the earth that are going to be blessed. I've got treasure in people other than you. But if you now, because you have this relationship with me, because of your faith toward me and my covenant loyalty, if that faith will now manifest itself in obedience in your covenant loyalty, then you will be out of all of the peoples of the earth, you will be my special treasure. Now Yahweh, Yahweh is saying here is you're going to have a special place, a special role. You will have privileges that no other peoples have. You are special in that way. You're a special treasure. And he spells out in two ways where they will be special. One, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests. Good time for a book, huh? A kingdom made up of priests. Now think about that, a kingdom. A kingdom implied is ruled by a king. Who's going to be the king? Who's going to exercise authority? Who's going to be the ultimate king over Israel? It's going to be Yahweh himself. And one whom Yahweh will choose, designate. So there's going to be an authority. You're going to be a kingdom. You're going to be a people. You're going to be in a land. Again Genesis chapter 10. Common ancestry, common language, common land. Makes a biblical nation. And you're going to be a nation ruled by a king with a priestly character. You're going to be a kingdom, a people ruled by a king that is going to have a priestly role. What is a priest? A priest is one who represents others before God. And so where are the priests for all the rest of the people is going to come from? This is part of being the special treasure. There's only one nation that God has chosen to represent the nations before Yahweh and that is Israel. You can't come to Yahweh by any other way than through this mediatorial nation. And they're mediators. They're priestly mediators. Now that's how Israel was to represent the nations before God, but a special treasure also who will be a wholly set-apart nation. This is speaking about how they're going to represent God before the nations. Kingdom of priests looks God-ward. Holy nation looks man-ward. I know we're not there yet, but let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 4. Just to let you know that I'm not misunderstanding. Chapter 4 verses 1 to 8. This is Moses preaching, explaining, and actually in chapter 4 explaining how horrible and the experience that they had there and what that should do as far as their fear of Yahweh and obedience to Yahweh. Verse 1, And now Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. Don't be disobedient like you were a balepeor. But verse 4, But you held fast the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you. See, I've taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me that you should do thus in the land where you're entering to possess it. Why? So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as the Lord our God whenever we call on him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? Your obedience is to be a testimony to the nations. You hear the statutes, you do them. The nations are going to look and say, Wow, what a wise and righteous people. Whoa! Is there any people like them so near to God that God hears them? And God has given these directives and they know how to live. And of course their tongues will be wedded. They will desire, they will have an appetite to know Israel's God. And they're going to see the revelation of Yahweh in the Torah and of course as that is lived out as Moses said, Be obedient. See to the fact that you obey. A holy nation, set apart nation. This is a testimony they would have to the nations. Now he doesn't get into that in Deuteronomy chapter 4 but if the nations are drawn to Yahweh through the testimony they see of Yahweh at work in Israel and trace that back to the commandments, the statutes, the ordinances which Yahweh has given, and they too want to call upon that God. How are they going to do so? Through Israel. Because Israel is also not only a holy nation but a kingdom of grace. Oh for all that in the back of your mind when we get to the ladder prophets of the nations seeking out an Israelite. Teach us the way of Yahweh. Let us come and worship him with you. Which is one day going to become reality. So here is the covenant made with Israel and God before it's you know before it's conveyed gives the very purpose of that covenant and of course what you read in chapters 20 to 24 is the actual making of the Mosaic covenant or the covenant with Israel number one. The essential commandments given in the hearing of all the people chapter 20. Oh we don't want to hear him personally Moses you go up find out what he has to say come back and tell us. Chapter 21 to 23 that's exactly what Moses does. Brings the statues and the ordinances back the ordinances which he which is an out working of those ten words. And then in chapter 24 you have the actual making of the covenant. Once again we have the shedding of blood. And Yahweh sprinkling blood upon the people. And also upon the words which the Lord had spoken. The ten words. And the verse eight. Moses took the blood and sprinkled on the people who said behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you. And accordance with all these words now like the Abrahamic covenant there's going to be more to come. That God is going to continue to reveal. Things to Moses that are to be put into effect so that the fullness of what God wants for Israel and from Israel. Which really all comes down to covenant loyalty. Will be revealed for Israel to respond. And so this obviously becomes the focal point of the Torah. Everything has been leading up to this. Now do you realize that Israel cannot understand what happens at Sinai without understanding everything we've read in Genesis and Exodus up to this point. I mean just to start in Exodus chapter 19 let me tell you about the covenant God made at Sinai. Remember the audience is the second generation. Let me tell you what the fathers heard and what God required and why. I mean without without knowing everything that led up to it. Of God's design for mankind for mankind sin. For the making of Noahic covenant for the making the Abrahamic covenant. And how God in covenant loyalty. Fulfilled aspects of the Abrahamic covenant and the salvation of Israel to bring the seed of Abraham the physical seed of Abraham to himself as his people to have a living relationship with him. Not for their own blessing. But ultimately for the blessing of the nations. God doesn't demand their covenant loyalty just so they can be blessed though that is going to be a result. You see that in Deuteronomy. Things may go well with you as you enter the land. Be obedient. That certainly is part of the results the consequence that things will go well with you. But more importantly that you will be who Yahweh has called you to be for the benefit for the blessing of the nations. And so if I could tie this together at this point. Just a little chart. And I know you haven't seen this before. But as they say a chart is worth a thousand words. But where are we as far as what God has revealed to this point. Well we have the Noahic covenants. Going back to Genesis 8 20 to 9 17. The Noahic covenants that as we've seen. Reiterates the creation mandate that God gave to mankind. And now takes that mandate and the promises and commandments made there and institutes them within a covenant relationship. The Noahic covenants. And we have seen that God ultimately is not going to judge mankind. Well certain obviously of men are going to come under his judgments. But that ultimately what he wants is blessing. A blessing that is seen in the regulation of nature during this age. And that's a reminder to mankind of God's goodness. His providential goodness which is God's revelation of himself to the nations to the Gentiles. And requirements of mankind in Genesis 9 1 to 7. That they are to obey those ordinances so the violence would never again cover the whole earth. So that there is a there is a break put upon man's sinfulness. Because God ultimately talks about the fact of withholding judgments. I.e. implicit as we've seen bringing blessing. That God only wants to bless mankind and restore mankind to his proper role and function. But mankind is still sinful and so that's where we're seeing the need for the Abrahamic covenants. Through an individual the coming king. National aspects of the nation of Israel. That would have an impact worldwide. Upon all the nations some from all the families of the earth being blessed through the Abrahamic covenant. Now what we have with the mosaic or Israelite covenant is a further delineation of these national aspects of the covenant. That Israel might be always special treasure to the blessing of the nations. Now what is not in. Exodus chapter 19. But certainly when we see Kingdom of priests implicit. Kingdom of priests implies a king. Now the king of this point is Yahweh. But we've already seen in Genesis chapter 49. That ultimately King Yahweh is going to establish a human king and the line of Judah. All the Israel. That the one who is going to defeat God's enemies. And bringing God's blessing. Is this singular king. That is going to come in the future. And we already know this king is going to be in the line of Judah. Who is part of the tribes that make up the nation. So this individual himself is also going to be an Israelite. This is another way in which Israel is Yahweh's special treasure. Uniquely among all the nations from you is going to come the king. The king is going to be an Israelite. By the way put that in the back of your mind when we get to Deuteronomy chapter 17 that talks about the king. The promise of the king. And Israel was to choose a king from among your brothers. I mean one of the first requirements of a king is he's got to be an Israelite. You know all of Torah you better say that the Israelite also better be in the tribe of Judah. And when you get to the former prophets he's got to be in the family of David. But that's to come later. At this point see again this implication of the fact that okay here's part of being you know God's special treasure. You get privileges. That some other people don't. And one of those privileges you get to be the nation from which the Messiah comes the king. I corrected people at the first break and I got to keep correcting myself. Messiah is never used for this king in the Torah. Messiah will not be used as a title for this king until we get to that great theologian Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 2. I understood Torah and understood what God was doing and she's the first one who's going to correlate the king with Messiah. And of course then that's going to become the term by which we can refer to him. You know from that point on. So I've got to watch myself too. I like the term Messiah because I live the side of the cross as well. But really in the Torah this individual is just the king. Now the king from from Judah. But the king is going to come out of Israel because that numbers 24 again emphasizing Israel being the nation from which this king is going to come. So this is all part of a special treasure. Now why the special treasure because this is where this line comes. They're the special treasure because they're the seed of Abraham. They are the kingdom of praise. Only nation. Why does God enter this covenant with them because of their Abrahamic association. I mean every any nation could say to Israel why did God choose you. His answer has to be didn't choose me chose Abraham. I got into the blessing just by being from Abraham. You could have been born out of Abraham's seed. You could have been in the line. And Isaac and Jacob you have been part of it as well. But you had the wrong mother. Sorry. Now all this again is implying that this this salvation in this calling. Jim let's use a New Testament term is all of grace. What did Israel do to merit any of this. The answer is absolutely zilch. They got born in the right family. How did you get salvation. You got born in the right spiritual family. You didn't do anything to earn it deserve it. And of course the same thing is emphasized here for Israel in the Old Testament. And so this is this is the interaction with the covenants. And of course it shows us how key this covenant was to God's plan and purpose. For the nations and for ultimately fulfilling through the no egg covenant the creation mandate of Genesis chapter one. And I know in all that I'm signing very much like Merrill in his theology. That's what we talked about on the purpose of the of the Torah. But hopefully is now we're starting to march through it you're starting to see what that purpose is and why the purpose is important. All right so those are the the covenants and and of course to be continued. By the end of the Torah we'll see a couple more covenants that come forth as well. Now by this point you're starting to see why answering that question about the no egg and Abrahamic covenants in Genesis is vital for your understanding only the rest of Torah but the rest of scripture. I mean if you don't get the foundation of these two covenants clearly in your mind as seen in Genesis. There's going to be a whole lot of scripture you kind of just goes right over your head as you're all the way to Revelation. I mean these covenants are the undergirding of the biblical revelation. I mean not just the two in Genesis but all all six that we see in in the scripture. Very very important very key and even during the break and I remember you asking me about Galatians three and four. How can you understand Genesis three at Galatians three and four without understanding the covenants of Genesis the covenants in Torah etc. I mean it's that's where Paul's going by the way he's he's writing that to Gentile believers. Gentile believers to understand their salvation and not be led astray by false teachers need to understand what God has said about the interaction particularly between the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants according to Paul in Galatians chapter three. You can throw your hands up and say I'm not an Israelite why do I need to know all of this. Well because it still falls teachers around and you've got to have this clear else you won't even understand your own salvation. You will understand your salvation Jesus Christ better if you understand what God is revealing here in the Torah. In fact you didn't realize that by taking this class you're being inculcated you're being you're being given and given and given an antidote to false teachings all around us. You won't be consumed by strange fire. If you get the Torah down. I know we'll pass your question at that point but this is this is why this is important even important for us Gentiles the side of the cross. All right any other. And so we're going to continue to talk about the covenant so don't don't worry this is not the end it's only the beginning. All right no debate about the purpose of Exodus. Any any work on Exodus you're going to see something like this. Yahweh who's already been revealed in Genesis the god of creation the god of the patriarchs. Redeemed delivered brought out the sons of Israel that is Abraham's physical seed from bondage in Egypt. And entered into a covenant with the nation of Israel at Sinai. Now remember that little quiz you took Bible assessment. A lot of you got theme of Exodus or the purpose of Exodus getting out of Egypt. A lot of you missed and a covenant at Sinai. Getting out of Egypt that's just the first 14 and a half chapters. Gentlemen you got another 25 and a half to go. All right that's the covenant at Sinai. Now that's is very very clear for a purpose of Exodus. Now that's is very very clear for a purpose statements. But but what about what about the the structure. And sheet I'm looking for this place. There it is. All right Genesis all over again. First interpretive issue. What is the literary structure. All right we have we have no problem we're looking for two things. We're looking for Exodus and we're looking for covenant Sinai. What is one end and the next begin. Well can we and already been brought up in a question can we see Exodus is with a geographical statement 1 1 to 1226. And then a bridge from Egypt to Sinai 1237 to 1827. And then they're at Sinai and receive the Sinaitic revelation. And Dr. McCarthy takes that basic outline approach and and broadly yeah that does give you a geographical understanding. What happened in Egypt to self and what happened as they begin to leave Egypt to go to Sinai. What happened to Sinai. Most however of a contemporary commentators are not following the traditional geographical approach. But seeing that we are dealing with with ideas. Well what's ideas what ideas are we looking for again deliverance and covenants. And a number of commentators will just divide the book almost in half. First 18 chapters are deliverance and the last 22 chapters are are the covenants. Some break it up into three parts. Redemption morality and worship. But somehow what begins in chapter 25 is unique. The covenant is made. We saw that the end of chapter 24. So what's the additional additional is preparing Israel for divine worship coming in the presence of God. To be continued in the book of Leviticus. But again I'm not sure there's three parts I think it's better to see two parts. And so my outline is going to reflect this this last ideological approach that I have given to you. And that is we basically have two parts to Exodus. The redemption of the sons of Israel that is from Egypt. The revelation to redeemed Israel that takes place at Sinai. And I'm going to see the break between 1521 to 1522. You say why. Good question. I'm going to take what I gave you as a chart and you've got this in your charts. As we think in terms of literary structure let's think about these two literary frames related to Exodus. The first is to be reminded that what begins in Exodus 1 actually in the outline of the Torah is the second major division that goes all the way to numbers 25 18. Here the echoes of the beginning at the end. The Exodus narrative begins with a with a battle between Yahweh and a king. That king is the king of Egypt. Pharaoh. Pharaoh who brings Israel under bondage because he is afraid of Israel because they are a mighty people. In fact mightier than the Egyptians. They seem to be known numerous. And that is what Moses has emphasized. And that is what Moses has emphasized. In verses one to seven of Exodus chapter one particularly verse seven the sons of Israel were fruitful increase greatly multiplied literally grew mightily. Strongly with strength so that the land was filled with them. Be fruitful multiply fill the earth fill the land wherever you heard that before. The way covenant which is an echo of mandate given in Genesis chapter one Genesis one Genesis nine. And what was the promise given to Abraham. I will multiply your seed as the stars in the heaven as the dust. Of the ground as the sand of the seashore. So here in the microcosm where Abraham's seed was to multiply. And fill the land. In the same way that mankind was to be fruitful multiply and fill the earth. What we see here is an echo obviously of the Noahic covenant and the Abrahamic covenant. How these two join together. Now God's blessing. In accordance with the Abrahamic covenant of Israel where they become this numerous people. So numerous in verse nine they outnumber whom. The Egyptians. Hey look. We were kind and gracious. You know seventy of them come or seventy seventy come and join the four that are here seventy four seventy four people. We are so gracious. Well them to live among us. Because of Joseph. But now we got a Pharaoh doesn't know about Joseph doesn't bring Joseph into account. And yet we were so good to him. And we gave them this land and Goshen. And now what we find in just a few generations is there. My dear they're stronger than we are. So we can either do one or two things we can either. Join with what God is doing and say hey. Seems like you're flourishing we'd like to flourish too. Seems like God is blessing you is giving you a bundles of people would like to be blessed as well. We'd like to join ourselves with your God or we can disdain you. Are you hearing Abrahamic covenant here. And what does Pharaoh decide to do. Not join them but. To stay in them by fighting them. Behold the people of the sons of Israel more. Behold the people of the sons of Israel more. And mightier than we come let's deal wisely with them less they multiply in the event of war. They join themselves with those who hate us and fight against us apart from the land. So we got a we got a figure out how to stop this multiplication. They disdain God's blessing. They oppose God. Now go over the numbers. Chapter 22 another king. Baelic the son of Zippor saw all Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab was in great fear because the people for they were numerous. So he can either join them or he can oppose them. Guess what he's going to do. The wrong thing he's going to oppose them. Calls Baelin to come and curse. Why verse five behold the people came out of Egypt behold they covered the serpent. And they were not afraid of the serpent. They were not afraid of the serpent. Behold the people came out of Egypt behold they cover the surface of the land. And they live are living opposite to me. They came out of Egypt behold they cover the service line. Now what they do in Egypt they they were fruitful multiply fill that land. Now they've come to Baelic the plains of Moab and now they're covering the surface of my land. Now therefore come please curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me. Heard that before. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land for I know that whom you bless is blessed whom you curse is cursed. By the way you don't have to worry about the implication there. I want you to curse them that I might be blessed. And Baelic whom you bless gets blessed whom you curse gets cursed. What is this Abraham number two. No but that's we'll take that up when we get the numbers but you hear the echoes. The Exodus is the result of a king opposing. The multiplication of Israel at the very end. We have another king. Opposing the mighty people it's in his land. Significantly. In numbers twenty four. The judgment. Is OK for Egypt came at that time the judgment upon. The many nights the mobile bites is only going to come at the end of the days. They're going to be judged as certainly as Israel was judged because of their attitude toward Israel. Well why do I say that things begin at fifteen twenty two eighteen twenty seven follow along what happens OK chapter fifteen they grumble. Chapter sixteen God gives them manna and quail. Chapter seventeen God gives them water from the rock and they prevail upon their over their enemies. You begin reading in Numbers chapter eleven after they left Sinai. They begin with grumbling. Grumbling over manna and God gives them quail. And toward the end of that account chapter twenty God gives them water from a rock and in chapter twenty one they prevail over their enemies. Here are some echoes. And what's in between. We've already said this is the wilderness. Also in the wilderness but now most importantly within that wilderness is the events that take place at Sinai. And even here. Here's a second chart that I give to you to help the frame. God calls. Israel. To worship him and this would be no idolatry. Chapter thirty two. Israel. Commits idolatry. Chapter seventeen Israel commits idolatry. God has ended into covenants that there is to be no idolatry. The golden calf the covenant has to be renewed. With the goat idols Israel only is going to bear the curses of the covenant because of their disobedience. Idolatry is tied into the covenant and the covenant stipulations. That is to keep Israel from idolatry. By worshiping the Lord at the place that he is called at the altar with the blood sacrifices that he has given. So the importance of the tabernacle the altar and their obedience their covenant loyalty. And by the way their covenant loyalty is first and foremost seen in making Yahweh preeminent and not serving or worshiping any other gods. The predominant sin of Israel throughout the Old Testament is going to be what. Turning away from Yahweh to other gods seen in Israel's practice of idolatry. When did it begin? At Sinai. Israel leaves Sinai as covenant traitors. Not those who are loyal to the covenant that God had made. God graciously allows them to do so. There is a modicum of obedience as they leave Sinai. But that will very very quickly fall apart when they hit once again the rigors the trials of the wilderness. But particularly these statements about idolatry play a very very important role. So the resulting outline of Exodus that I have given to you in a sheet. You can look at it there. The two parts the redemption of the sons of Israel from bondage in Egypt. That is Yahweh's acquisition of the seed of Abraham. Beginning with the oppression of the sons of Israel because of their multiplication. God raises up a deliverer chapter 2 through 4 and in chapter 5 through 1521 we see the deliverance that is effected through that deliverer by Yahweh for the sons of Israel. Yahweh begins to show Israel's need for direction. Chapter 15. They leave three days verse 24. Chapter 15 the people grumble. He cried out to the Lord verse 25. And the Lord showed him a tree. Yara showed the root from which we get Torah. Torah is a showing and instructing and directing. Interestingly he showed him a tree through the waters. The waters became sweet. There he made for them a statute and a regulation. There he tested them. And he said that is Yahweh if you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God. And do what is right in his sight. Give ear to his commandments. Keep all his statutes. I'll put none of these diseases on you which I put upon the Egyptians for I the Lord am your healer. So it begins by showing that Israel needs statutes. Needs judgments. Needs commandments. Needs instruction from Yahweh. They need to be shown how to live properly. Chapter 18. Jethro. Jethro's advice. Council. Again shows that Moses is overworked. Again he needs to set up a system and teach what God says to him so that judgment might take place. And only the hard cases come to Moses and the people need instruction. The people need commandments. They need ordinances. All preparatory for what takes place in chapter 19 to 31. Yahweh's giving of the covenant at Sinai. The making of the covenant to which Israel was to obey and the revelation of the tabernacle where they could come into personal fellowship with Yahweh. And yet Exodus ends with Israel's breaking of the covenant with Yahweh graciously renewing the covenant on the basis of Moses' confession of faith. Moses' confession of sin. And the tabernacle is allowed to be built in Yahweh's presence in the midst of Israel from where he will speak on how that presence can be maintained in what we call Leviticus. All right and that's basically the structure, the flow of the book that we call Exodus. All right so be sure to read it in light of Torah. But in doing so I think these are the major purpose of redemption and revelation and how it ties in as far as the structural breakdown is concerned and how it ties into the Torah as a whole.