EXODUS (Gr. "BEaos, in the Hebrew canon 7i,N1), the second book of Moses, so called from the principal event recorded in it, namely, the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. With this book begins the proper history of that people, continuing it until their arrival at Sinai, and the erection of the sanctuary there. It transports us in the first instance to Egypt, and the quarter in which the Israelites were domiciled in that country. We do not find in the Pentateuch a real history of the people of Israel during this period. Such a history, in the more strict acceptation of the term, has no place in an historical sketch of the kingdom of God, where the mere description of the situation and condition of the people is all that is requisite. From that description we learn satisfactorily how the people of the Lord were negatively prepared for the great object which God had decreed with regard to them. This is the important theme of the history of the Pentateuch during the whole long period of four hundred years. Exodus is very circumstantial in its account of the life of Moses, which, instead of partaking of the character of usual biography, manifests in all its details a de cided aim of evincing how, by the miraculous dis pensation of the Lord, Moses had been even from his earliest years prepared and reared to become the chosen instrument of God. In this book is de veloped, with particular clearness, the summons of Moses to his sacred office, which concludes the first important section of his life (Exod. i.-vi.) No human choice and no self-will, but an immediate call from Jehovah alone, could decide in so im portant an affair. Jehovah reveals himself to him by his and vouchsafes him the power to work miracles such as no man before him had ever wrought. It was not the natural dis position and bent of his mind that induced Moses to accept the office, but solely his submission to the express will of God, his OBEDIENCE alone, that influenced him, the LAWGIVER, to undertake the mission. The external relation of Moses to his people is also clearly defined (comp. ex. gr. Exod. vi. sq.) This furnishes the firm basis on which is founded his own as well as Aaron's personal au thority, and the respect for his permanent regula tions. A new section (vii.-xv.) then gives a very detailed account of the manner in which the Lord glorified himself in Israel, and released the people from the land of bondage. This forms a turning point in the narrative—with it begins the real his tory of the people of God. Every day affords here an eternal demonstration of divine grace, justice, and majesty. The relation of the theocracy to heathenism, the representative of which is Egypt, is here illustrated by facts. The history contained in Exodus may very fairly be described as the his tory bf the triumph of Israel, or rather of Israel's God, over the heathen power, which appears here in its innermost spirit of revolt against God. The world is conquered progressively and with increased force; and the passover manifests on the one hand the annihilation of worldly power, while on the other hand it is the celebration of the birth-day of the people of God. This section of the history then concludes with a triumphal song, celebrating the victory of Israel. In ch. xvi.-xviii. we find the in troduction to the second principal part of this book, in which is sketched the manifestation of God in the midst of Israel, as well as the promul gation of the law itself, in its original and funda mental features. This preparatory section thus furnishes us with additional proof of the special care of God for his people ; how he provided their food and water, and how he protected them from the assaults of their foes. In ch. xv. 22, Sq., not all, but only the remarkable resting-places are mentioned, where Jehovah took special care of his people. In the account (xviii.) of the civil regula tions framed by the advice of Jethro, a strong line of demarcation is drawn between the changeable institutions of man and the divine legislation which began then to be established, and which thence forth claims by far the greatest part of the work. At the commencement of the legislation is a brief summary of the laws, with the decalogue at their head (xix.-xxiii.) The decalogue is the true funda mental law, bearing within itself the germ of the entire legislation. The other legal definitions are only further developments of the decalogue. These definitions manifest the power and extent of the law itself, spewing what an abundance of new regu lations result from the simple and few words of the decalogue. Upon this basis the covenant is con
cluded with the Israelites, in which God reveals himself in agreement with the understanding and the exigencies of the people. Not until this cove nant was completed did it become possible for the Israelites to enter into a communion with God, confirmed and consecrated by laws and offerings, and thereby to receive further revelations from him (ch. xxiv.) Whatsoever after this, in the twenty fifth and in the following chapters, is communicated to the people, concerns the dwelling of God in the midst of Israel. By this dwelling of God among Israel it is intended to shew, that the communion is permanent on the part of God, and that on the part of the people it is possible to persevere in com munion with God. Consequently there follows the description of the sanctuary, the character of which is symbolical. The sacred symbols arc, however, not so much expressed in formal declarations, as contained in the whole tenor of the descriptions. The Symbolics begin with the central point, the holy of holies, which unites in itself the impeaching law and the redeeming symbol of divine mercy, and thus sets forth the reconciliation of God with the people. This is followed by the description of the sanctuary, representing those blessings which through the holy of holies were communicated to the subjects of the theocracy, and serving as a perpetual monument of Israel's exalted destiny, pointing at the same time to the means of attaining it. Last comes the description of the fore-court, symbolising the participation of the people in those blessings, and their sanctified approach to the Lord. The description then proceeds from the sanctuary to the persons officiating in it, the priests, characterized both by their various costumes (xxviii. ), and the manner of their inauguration (xxix.) Then follows, as a matter of course, the description of the service in that sanctuary and by those priests, but merely in its fundamental features, confining it self simply to the burnt and incense offerings, indi cating by the former the preparatory inferior service, and by the latter the complete and higher office of the sacerdotal function. But, by contributing to the means of establishing public worship, the whole nation shares in it; and therefore the description of the officiating persons very properly concludes with the people (xxx.) As a suitable sequel to the former follows the description of the use and nature of the implements requisite for the service of the priests, such as the brass laver for sacred ablutions, the preparation of the perfume and anointing oil (xxx. 17-3S). These regulations being made, men endowed with the Spirit of God were also to be appointed for making the sacred tabernacle and all its furniture (xxxi. 1- r). The description of the sanctuary, priesthood, and mode of worship, is next followed by that of the sacred times and periods (xxxi. 12, .s9.) Of the sacred times there is here only appointed the Sabbath, in which the other regulations are contained as in their germ. God having delivered to Moses the tables of the law, the construction and arrangement of the taber nacle might thus at once have been begun, had its further progress not been interrupted by an act of idolatry on the part of the people, and their pun ishment for that offence, which form the subject of the narrative in ch. xxxii.-xxxiv. Contrary and in opposition to all that had been done by Jehovah for and in the presence of Israel, the subjective for midable apostacy of the latter manifests itself in a most melancholy manner, as an ominously signifi cant prophetic fact, which is incessantly repeated in the history of subsequent generations. The narra tive of it is therefore closely connected with the foregoing accounts—Jehovah's mercy and gracious faithfulness on the one hand, and Israel's barefaced ingratitude on the other, being intimately con nected. This connection forms the leading idea of the whole history of the theocracy. It is not till after the narrative of this momentous event that the account of the construction and completion of the tabernacle can proceed (xxxv.-xl.), which ac count becomes more circumstantial in proportion as the subject itself is of greater importance. Above all, it is faithfully shewn that all was clone accord ing to the commands of Jehovah.