How Does Exodus Connect to the New Testament?
The book of Exodus in the Old Testament is one of the most foundational books in the Bible. It tells the story of God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, giving them the Law, and establishing a covenant relationship with His people. While Exodus is an ancient text, written long before the life of Jesus Christ, its themes, symbols, and narratives profoundly echo throughout the New Testament, revealing deeper theological connections and pointing toward the coming of Christ. Let’s explore these connections in detail.
1. The Theme of Salvation and Deliverance
Exodus is centered on God’s deliverance of His people. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and God raised up Moses to lead them out of bondage through miraculous acts, most notably the Passover and the parting of the Red Sea. This salvation was not just physical—it symbolized God’s power to rescue His people and establish a covenant with them.
In the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as the ultimate deliverer:
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Just as God delivered the Israelites from physical slavery in Egypt, Jesus delivers humanity from spiritual slavery to sin (Romans 6:18).
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The Passover lamb, whose blood protected the Israelites from death in Exodus 12, is a clear foreshadowing of Jesus as the Lamb of God, whose sacrifice saves humanity from eternal death (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Thus, the Exodus story sets the stage for understanding Christ’s redemptive work as the ultimate liberation.
2. The Passover as a Foreshadowing of Christ’s Sacrifice
The Passover is perhaps the clearest connection between Exodus and the New Testament. In Exodus 12:1–30, God instructs the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their homes.
This event foreshadows Jesus in several ways:
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The Lamb: Jesus is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29) because His sacrificial death takes away sin, just as the lamb’s blood spared the Israelites from death.
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Deliverance Through Blood: The blood of the Passover lamb saves the Israelites; similarly, the blood of Christ offers spiritual salvation (Ephesians 1:7).
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The Timing: Jesus’ crucifixion coincides with the Jewish Passover, linking His death to the liberation of God’s people from sin.
Exodus and the New Testament together illustrate a continuity in God’s plan: salvation through the shedding of blood, pointing to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment.
3. Moses as a Type of Christ
In biblical theology, a “type” is a person or event in the Old Testament that prefigures or foreshadows Christ. Moses serves as a powerful type of Christ in several ways:
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Mediator of a Covenant: Moses mediates God’s covenant with Israel (Exodus 19–24). Similarly, Jesus mediates the New Covenant, fulfilling the Law and bringing reconciliation between God and humanity (Hebrews 9:15).
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Deliverer: Moses delivers Israel from slavery; Jesus delivers humanity from sin and death.
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Lawgiver: Moses gives the Law on Mount Sinai; Jesus fulfills and interprets the Law through His teaching (Matthew 5:17).
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Intercessor: Moses intercedes for Israel when they sin (Exodus 32:11–14), and Jesus intercedes for believers before God (Romans 8:34).
Moses’ life and role in Exodus thus prefigure the life and mission of Christ.
4. Water and the Red Sea as Symbols of Baptism
The crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) is more than a historical event—it carries symbolic significance that the New Testament authors connect to Christian baptism:
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Paul explicitly draws the link in 1 Corinthians 10:1–2: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
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Just as the Israelites passed through the waters of the Red Sea and were delivered from slavery, believers pass through the waters of baptism and are delivered from sin, beginning a new life in Christ.
This connection emphasizes the continuity of God’s saving work from Exodus to the New Testament era.
5. The Tabernacle and Jesus as God’s Presence
Exodus 25–31 describes the construction of the Tabernacle, where God dwells among His people. This physical dwelling of God among Israel points forward to Christ:
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Jesus is called “Emmanuel”, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), fulfilling the promise of God’s presence.
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The Tabernacle contains the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God’s glory and holiness. Jesus fulfills this as the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity (John 1:14).
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Sacrificial rituals in the Tabernacle prefigure Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, which provides permanent access to God (Hebrews 10:19–22).
Thus, the Exodus Tabernacle sets the stage for understanding Christ as the living presence of God.
6. Themes of Covenant and Law Fulfilled in Christ
Exodus emphasizes God’s covenant with His people and the giving of the Law (Exodus 19–24). In the New Testament:
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Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17).
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The Old Covenant, which included laws, sacrifices, and rituals, foreshadows the New Covenant, in which faith in Christ brings forgiveness and reconciliation (Luke 22:20, Hebrews 8:6–13).
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The structure and moral principles given to Israel in Exodus become the foundation for ethical and spiritual teachings in the New Testament.
Conclusion
The book of Exodus is not just a historical account; it is a theological blueprint for salvation that points directly to Christ. Its themes of deliverance, covenant, sacrificial blood, intercession, and God’s presence are all fulfilled and deepened in the New Testament through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
By studying Exodus alongside the New Testament, we see a continuous thread of God’s redemptive plan: from freeing the Israelites from physical bondage to freeing humanity from sin and death, culminating in Jesus Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb and Savior.