Praying All of Scripture: Exodus
Author: Daniel Owens, PhD
July 17, 2025
Second in a series.
Exodus 1:5–10
5All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
8Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”
Exodus 2:23–25
23During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Exodus 14:30–31
30Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Exodus 19:2–6
2They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 34:6–7
6The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 40:36–38
36Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
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In my experience, movie sequels typically pale in comparison to the originals. However, once in a while a sequel improves on the original. I think moviegoers generally agree that Top Gun: Maverick surpassed the original Top Gun movie. In spite of some improbable plot twists (like Maverick being given a sensitive mission in spite of his insubordination or flying in combat despite being decades older), the almost self-deprecating humor of the movie effectively won over audiences.
The Book of Exodus likewise delivers as a sequel to Genesis. If Genesis weaves together the universal story of humanity with the particular story of Abraham and his descendants, Exodus takes that story the next step, showing God’s glory in his calling Israel to be a holy nation, a kingdom of priests called to take forward God’s plan to bless the nations.
However, achieving this outcome is far from easy. Exodus picks up the story of Jacob’s family in Egypt, which has multiplied like the swarming creatures of Genesis 1:20 to the point that Egypt considers them a threat (Exod. 1:9–10). In response to Pharoh’s oppressive enslavement of Israel for his building projects, Israel cries out to God, and God hears their prayers (Exod. 2:23–25).
He answers with a mighty show of power over Pharoah and his army (Exodus 14), leaving them dead on the shore and Israel free to proceed to meet with God in the desert. There, God calls Israel to be a holy nation, to serve as priests and mediators of God’s revelation to the whole world (Exod. 19:4–6). God instructs them in how to live in covenant relationship with him (Exod. 20:1–17) and guides them in constructing a tabernacle in which he was to dwell among his people (Exodus 25–31).
However, while Moses is on the mountain, Aaron fashions a golden calf to represent God, breaking the first commandment (Exodus 32). When God threatens not to go with them to take the land, Moses intercedes for Israel, a people made distinct among all nations by God’s presence among them (Exodus 33). This leads to the beautiful affirmation that the Lord is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, … but who will by no means clear the guilty” (Exod. 34:6–7).
Somehow God holds together justice and mercy, punishing the guilty and forgiving sinners. This tension is addressed in Leviticus but never fully resolved until the cross of Jesus, when grace and justice are fully expressed in a single act of love. This happens when God himself takes on the just punishment for sin and extends his grace to sinners.
Given a second chance, Israel completes the tabernacle, the place God would dwell among his people (Exodus 35–40). The book reaches a grand finale when God’s glory fills the tabernacle and goes with Israel through her wilderness journey toward the land of promise (Exod. 40:34–38).
Exodus focuses on the glory of God, which defeats the Egyptians and calls Israel into covenant relationship so that Israel may be God’s mediators to the wider world. From the power of God over the oppressive Pharoah to the grace of God in response to Israel’s idolatrous golden calf, we see God’s glory on full display. And in the light of that glory, the calling continues to the church. We are the nations incorporated into God’s people, called to display the excellence and beauty of God who called us out of darkness to enjoy “his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
And so we can pray,
O Lord, you are the God who sees and knows us. You are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, but who will by no means clear the guilty. We give glory to you for your faithfulness to your covenant people Israel, for rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, showing your supremacy over the nations, and calling your people to holiness in your presence. As you called Israel to be your people, you call us through your beloved Son, Jesus, who perfectly keeps covenant with you and with us and thoroughly displays your love and your justice, to reconcile us to you. Help us to take up the calling of your people to be a holy nation and mediators of your good news to the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Daniel Owens is NCC’s Pastor of Discipleship. Earlier chapters in this series will be found in the NCC Blog.
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