Inter-Varsity Press

Introduction
Brian Rosner and Paul Williamson

1. Exodus in culture: uses, reuses and misuses
Greg Clarke

2. The creation of Israel: the cosmic proportions of the exodus event
George Athas

3. ‘And God heard their groaning’: slavery, the exodus and contemporary theologies of liberation
Michael Raiter

4. Promises with strings attached: covenant and law in Exodus 19 – 24
Paul Williamson

5. Liberation and desire: the logic of law in Exodus and beyond
Andrew Cameron

6. Heaven on earth: the significance of the tabernacle in its literary and theological context
Barry G. Webb

7. From earthly symbol to heavenly reality: the tabernacle in the New Testament
Constantine R. Campbell

8. Name above all names: preaching Exodus
Richard Gibson

Brian Rosner and Paul Williamson

If the Bible is history, literature and theology, historical concerns have dominated since the Enlightenment, while the literary dimensions of the text have received significant attention only in the last few decades. Both approaches are legitimate. Without exception,the biblical documents are historically rooted and have aesthetic value. But both the historical and literary approaches keep the books of the Bible at arm’s length, treating them merely as either intriguing ancient artefacts or engaging texts. In recent years, a theological reading of the books of the Bible has been revived. Put simply, theological interpretation reads the Old and New Testaments as they want to be read, not at a critical distance, but as Christian Scripture, as communicating a message to be heard, felt and embraced. Exploring Exodus seeks to contribute to such a reading of the book of Exodus.

When it comes to Exodus, ‘written for us’ is hardly the conclusion most readers come to. Its stories and instruction seem more at home in a museum than in our postmodern world. Yet, if Paul can be believed, reading Exodus as direct address is the appropriate Christian stance. He says as much with reference to the OT in Romans 4:24 and 1 Corinthians 9:10 . This book acknowledges that reading Exodus for all its worth, as a witness to the gospel and as wisdom for Christian living is an enormous challenge. But as Greg Clarke writes in chapter 1, the book’s appeal for today is unmistakable,in terms of its epic scope and moral complexity. With reference to the appropriation of Exodus in everything from cartoons to high culture, to blockbuster films and ambitious social projects, Clarke challenges readers to feel the book’s raw power, by facing squarely its moral challenges and being shaped by its sometimes bewildering theology.

In order to equip readers to answer this challenge, the seven chapters that follow Clarke’s provocative foray into the ‘uses, reuses and misuses’ of Exodus explore the big blocks of the text of Exodus and the main theological and ethical issues they raise. In chapter 2, George Athas examines the exodus event itself as it is presented in Exodus 1 – 18 . He argues that when read in its ancient Near Eastern context, the exodus is more than simply a story of the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. Rather, the exodus is the revelation of a personal God who desires to be in relationship with his chosen people. More surprisingly, according to Athas, the exodus is portrayed as nothing less than an act of creation that brings the nation into being so that they can serve God as a son serves his father. Thus the chapter underlines the cosmic proportions of the exodus event.

In chapter 3, Michael Raiter assesses the significance of the exodus event in contemporary theologies of liberation. Raiter reminds us that, disturbingly, the good news of giving slaves their freedom still resonates in many parts of the world today. Looking at the widespread use of the exodus in a variety of theologies of liberation, Raiter also traces the use of the exodus motif and divine liberation in the Bible. The appeal to William Wilberforce is a sober reminder of the importance of not losing sight of ‘the peculiar doctrines of Christianity’.

In chapter 4, Paul Williamson examines the second major unit in the book of Exodus, chapters 19–24 . Acknowledging the literary artistry and complexity of the Sinai pericope, which largely comprises ‘promises with strings attached’, Williamson offers a close reading of the material that illustrates both the structural coherence and theological significance of its canonical arrangement. Rather than recourse to source-critical theories of multiple redaction or literary devices such as ‘resumptive repetition’, Williamson maintains that the Sinai pericope – incorporating multiple treks up and down Mount Sinai – is best understood in terms of Moses’ mediatorial role in the covenant established on Sinai between Yahweh and the people he had delivered from servitude in Egypt.

In chapter 5, Andrew Cameron looks at the ‘logic of law in Exodus’. Without exaggeration, the status of the law in the Bible and in much theology could be said to be ambivalent. Paul could say both that we are not under the law and that the law is good and Christians fulfil it. Set within the context of Reformed thinking about the law, Cameron’s solution is to argue that law in Exodus is a very pointed response to two elemental aspects of human life:desire and sociality. This results in an insightful proposal for reading the law as Christian wisdom.

In chapter 6, Barry Webb looks at the last major section of the book of Exodus, namely the tabernacle instructions. Commonly regarded as among the most tedious units in the Bible, Webb asks honestly, ‘What does it all mean? And how can we pursue that question without going insane?’ For Webb, the tabernacle material teaches that the worship of God is both the goal and foundation of the redeemed life. In terms of its symbolism, the tabernacle is ‘Heaven on Earth’. Considered theologically, the tabernacle has much to teach concerning the holiness, transcendence and immanence of God, as well as contributing to the doctrines of sin, atonement and last things.

In chapter 7, Constantine Campbell takes up where Webb leaves off , looking at the tabernacle in the NT. In a model biblical-theological study, Campbell answers two fundamental questions:‘What is the relationship between the tabernacle and the temple in the New Testament?’ and ‘Who or what is the tabernacle in the New Testament?’ Central to the many uses of tabernacle imagery is the concept of the dwelling of God. Strikingly, in the NT the tabernacle gets replaced by one Man, to whom others are added by faith. Far from arcane or speculative, this teaching carries profound pastoral implications for the holiness of God’s people.

In the final chapter, Richard Gibson steps back from detailed exegetical and theological discussions to ask the big-picture question, not how we should preach from Exodus, but how to preach Exodus. In other words, what is the essence of Exodus? Gibson surveys the various alternatives on offer, including the one that informs many of the contributions to this volume, the narrative movement from slavery to service, and finds each of them deficient. Instead, he focuses on that which drives God’s redemption of the Israelites. Preaching Exodus is essentially about naming God. In his view, the name that takes us to the heart of God is ‘Jealous’ (Exod. 34:14 ). Consequently, to pastor and preach to God’s people we need to feel God’s jealousy burning within us. Exodus testifies to how much God wants his people.