Exodus Commentary - Jim McGuiggan (Print)

A unique study of the book of Exodus in 104 short lessons, divided up under three headings:
I. RESCUE UNDER YAHWEH – Chapters 1-18
II. COVENANT UNDER YAHWEH – Chapters 19-24
III. WORSHIP IN THE PRESENCE OF YAHWEH – Chapters 25-40

"The problem with incredible books like Exodus is that they are so rich that it’s surely impossible to fully grasp their purpose. It isn’t difficult to read the book and summarize the contents but that isn’t the same as determining the purpose. Since it deals with ancient history you might say its purpose is to give us a history lesson. Hardly! While it offers historical information, its purpose goes beyond expanding our stock of historical knowledge.
The book of Exodus can’t be understood independent of the other four books of the “Pentateuch” (five rolls). It is immediately and inextricably linked to Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It has its own peculiar thrusts, of course, but it has no themes that are completely independent of the other four books. 
It tells its own part of the story of God’s creative and redemptive work on behalf of the whole of mankind. In Exodus this work of God centers in the Hebrew nation. It is Act two of a drama in five Acts. Because this is so it takes from, adds to, shapes and enriches, is shaped and enriched by the other four books. To take our cue from John Bright, to see Acts 1, 3, 4 and 5 without Act 2 is to miss much of the meaning of all five Acts. So, whatever we say about the purpose of Exodus must be understood in that light.
And though what we think a writer’s purpose is must be drawn from what the writer actually says it is possible for a writer to be revealing more than he knows. He may pass on words and laws that are richer than he understands or he may tell us of events that can only be appreciated fully at some later date and another perspective. (Haven’t we all had experiences which, at the time of their happening, didn’t appear to be significant, but which in later years we recognized as profoundly significant?) And if we have reason to believe that there is a divine hand at work, one who’s superintending the record as well as the general course of events we’ll be slow to think we have exhausted the purpose or purposes of the book." – Jim McGuiggan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introductory Matters

I RESCUE UNDER YAHWEH: 1:1—18:27
1 THE BLESSING CONTINUES
2 THE POWER OF THE POWERLESS
3 WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?
4 NOBILITY IN STRANGE PLACES
5 EARTH’S GREATEST WONDER
6 THE IRISH WOLFHOUND
7 SO FAR FROM HOME
8 I SHOULD HAVE GONE BAREFOOT
9 AFRAID TO LOOK AT GOD
10 I AM COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM
11 MYSELF!
12 THE RELUCTANT DELIVERER
13 SEE THAT JACKET?
14 THE HARDENED HEART
15 DRAMA AT THE INN
16 AND WHAT OF CIRCUMCISION?
17 ISRAEL WITHOUT PASSOVER OR CIRCUMCISION
18 DELIVERER OR TROUBLER?
19 LET MY PEOPLE GO
20 LET MY PEOPLE GO (2)
21 “LAZY, THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE—LAZY”
22 HURTING TOO MUCH TO BELIEVE
23 PAIN OR INCONVENIENCE?
24 ANOTHER FAMILY TREE?
25 STORIES IN CONFLICT
26 THE MESSAGE OF THE PLAGUE/SIGNS
27 THE REPENTANCE OF A SCARED MAN
28 A NIGHT TO KEEP VIGIL
29 DEATH OF A TYRANT
30 A SONG OF TRIUMPH
31 HE SHOULD HAVE SUNG
32 ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS
33 A SCHOOL IN THE WILDERNESS
34 THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH & WILDERNESS
35 THE SMITTEN ROCK AND AMALEK
36 REUNIONS IN THE WILDERNESS
37 LEADERSHIP AND WISDOM
38 LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
39 POWER SHARING

II. COVENANT UNDER YAHWEH: 19:1—24:18
40 THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE TORAH
41 CHOSEN
42 TEMPTATIONS OF THE CHOSEN
43 A NATION OF PRIESTS
44 THE DECALOGUE
45 YOU WILL HAVE ONE GOD— ME!
46 NO GOD BUT YHWH?
47 NO GOD BUT YHWH? (2)
48 NO GOD BUT YAHWEH? (3)
49 GOD OR THE WIZARD OF OZ?
50 NO GRAVEN IMAGES
51 IN IT THOU SHALT DO NO “WORK”
52 THE LORD RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY
53 THIS SHALL BE A SIGN
54 YOU WERE SLAVES IN EGYPT
55 HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER
56 NOT MERELY OUR NEIGHBORS
57 HONOR THEM BECAUSE...
58 THE IMAGE OF GOD IN PARENTS
59 DO NO MURDER
60 NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AND MY WIFE
61 YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
62 YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
63 THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS
64 THOU SHALT NOT COVET
65 A FEW PRELIMINARY REMARKS
66 THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT
67 I LOVE MY MASTER
68 THE REALIZABLE BEST
69 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
70 THE KILLING OF WITCHES
71 WHO OWNS EVERYTHING ANYWAY?
72 DON’T SHARE A TABLE WITH FLIES
73 HOW IT FEELS TO BE ALIENS
74 SO THAT YOUR DONKEY MAY REST
75 THE HEART OF THE SABBATH
76 BOILED IN MOTHER’S MILK
77 HAVING DINNER WITH GOD

III WORSHIP IN THE PRESENCE OF YAHWEH 25:1-40:38
78 GIVING AS WORSHIP
79 A HOUSE FOR GOD TO LIVE IN
80 WHAT DOES THE TABERNACLE MEAN?
81 SO WHAT’S WORSHIP FOR?
82 WORSHIP THE OXYGEN OF THE SOUL
83 WORSHIP & THE SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENT
84 HOLY FURNISHINGS
85 HOLY CLOTHING
86 THE BLESSING OF REPRESENTATION
87 ELECT OR ELITE?
88 SERVICE OR POWER?
89 MONEY THAT MAKES A CONFESSION
90 GOLDEN CALVES AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPES
91 THE ART OF BUILDING
92 A GRASS-EATING BULL
93 A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW
94 GOD IS IN EARNEST
95 I’LL TAKE MY CHANCES
96 LEAVE THIS PLACE
97 GO WITH US OR DON’T SEND US
98 AS A FRIEND TO HIS FRIEND
99 MY FACE SHALL NOT BE SEEN
100 THE DARK LINE
101 HE WAS NOT AWARE
102 A HOME BUILT OUT OF SUFFERING
103 BEZALEL AND THE MESSIAH
104 THE KING IS IN RESIDENCE

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Click here to read a sample of the Exodus Commentary.