This morning, I was studying in Exodus 1, which begins by recounting all of Jacob’s sons who entered Egypt with him. Then in 1:7 attention shifts to a focus on the Israelites being fruitful, teaming, and increasing greatly in number, so much so that the narrator remarks that the land was filled with them. The language here “fruitful,” “teaming,” “multiplying,” “filling,” and “the land/earth” draw the reader’s mind back to the first chapter of Genesis where the language initially occurs canonically. This language is used to emphasize “life” in the first creation account (Gen 1:1-2:3). Within that first creation account, God blesses humanity with a task: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Subdue the earth and rule over the animal world.” Humanity is to subdue the earth and one of the most significant ways in which they will accomplish this task is through procreation. As they procreate and fill the earth, it is implied that the earth will increasingly be subdued. When they finish filling and subduing, then God’s creational work will come to completion and the light of the seventh day will dawn. The depiction of the seventh day would have evoked concepts of tabernacle/temple and God’s enthronement within it. In essence, creation is about the construction of God’s abode were he will rest. However, as the story begins (2:4ff), the task God gave humanity became increasingly more difficult after sin and death entered their ranks through their rebellion. Instead of fostering and protecting life, humanity began to foster violence and murder.
Fast forward to Exodus 1, the sons of Israel are aligned with humanity in Gen 1. They are seen fulfilling "the land/earth" of "Egypt"; the task God gave to humanity. This sets the stage for the book of Exodus as a whole. In one sense, beginning the book in this manner links its concerns with those of God in Gen 1, that is, the flourishing of humanity in “the land/earth,” the subjugation of the earth (i.e., cultivating life), and the ultimate completion of God’s cosmic temple (i.e., creation). However, in Exodus these concerns are reduced in focus from the whole of creation (Gen 1) to preparations for life in “the land/earth” of Israel. All of the above forms the background to the textual aspect I want to highlight here. Exodus not only begins with the same concerns of Gen 1, but also it ends with the construction of the tabernacle and God’s enthronement within it (Exod 40). The same concerns of Gen 1 frame the book of Exodus and help nuance one’s understanding of Israel’s election, redemption, and covenantal commission. Israel is chosen, redeemed, and commissioned to be truly human and to complete the creational task of constructing God’s temple/tabernacle; however, in nuce.
BD
Fast forward to Exodus 1, the sons of Israel are aligned with humanity in Gen 1. They are seen fulfilling "the land/earth" of "Egypt"; the task God gave to humanity. This sets the stage for the book of Exodus as a whole. In one sense, beginning the book in this manner links its concerns with those of God in Gen 1, that is, the flourishing of humanity in “the land/earth,” the subjugation of the earth (i.e., cultivating life), and the ultimate completion of God’s cosmic temple (i.e., creation). However, in Exodus these concerns are reduced in focus from the whole of creation (Gen 1) to preparations for life in “the land/earth” of Israel. All of the above forms the background to the textual aspect I want to highlight here. Exodus not only begins with the same concerns of Gen 1, but also it ends with the construction of the tabernacle and God’s enthronement within it (Exod 40). The same concerns of Gen 1 frame the book of Exodus and help nuance one’s understanding of Israel’s election, redemption, and covenantal commission. Israel is chosen, redeemed, and commissioned to be truly human and to complete the creational task of constructing God’s temple/tabernacle; however, in nuce.
BD