Old Testament Survey
Lesson 3Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers
Now that we have a basic understanding of the major Old Testament Biblical events and dates (a chronology) that begins with Adam and Eve in Genesis and ends with Christ’s Second Coming in Revelation, we are now ready to look at the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.
As you will recall from our previous lessons, we looked at the descendants of Abraham and the lineage of God’s chosen people through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. When we left the story, Joseph had welcomed his father into Egypt and God's people enjoyed a time of great prosperity. After Joseph’s death, the Jews fell out of favor and, as time passed, the Egyptians forgot all that Joseph had done. They began to see the Jews and their rapid growth as a threat, and eventually enslaved all of the Jews for a period of 400 years.
With that as a backdrop then, review the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers in preparation for this lesson’s study.
Here’s the assignment for this lesson:
- Who were the parents of Moses, of what tribe were they, and what other natural relationship did Amram have to his wife?
- Describe the change in Moses that took place during the forty years he spent in Midian (Exodus 7:7, for example).
- What were the ten plagues in Egypt?
- Consider the crossing of the Red Sea. What are some of the remarkable things we can see from studying this?
- What happened at the battle with the Amalekites in Exodus Chapter 17?
- Describe the events surrounding the two trips Moses made up to Mt Sinai. What was different between the two, and what was similar?
- In Leviticus, God tells the Jews what form of worship will take place and how they are to conduct themselves (see Chapter 8, for example). In verse 9:24, we see that God’s acceptance of both the offering and this form of worship is validated. Chapter 10 records the loss of Aaron’s sons; and in Leviticus 10:6, God instructs Aaron not to rend his garment. Why was Aaron told not to rend his garment, and how is that relevant in our understanding of Christ as our High Priest? (Exodus 28:32, Matthew 26:64-65 and Matthew 27:51)
- How does Leviticus chapter 20 and what follows set the stage for God’s future judgments on Israel? By comparing this with the book of Hebrews, what can we observe?
- What are the three divisions in the book of Numbers?
- Why is it important that the Levites are not part of the "numbered men"? (Numbers 1:47)
- Describe the report the twelve spies gave to the Israelites after returning from the land of Canaan.
- Describe the judgment God placed on the nation of Israel when they failed to enter the land at the encouragement of Caleb and Joshua.
In this lesson, we see that God is purposeful. In other words, He has a specific plan, and He expects that plan to be carried out exactly with no deviation. God created a unique family or people through Abraham, whose lineage goes all the way back to Noah, whose lineage goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. In this passages that we studied in this lesson, God is calling His people to worship and to live a holy and separated life. In the years ahead, He will continue organizing, instructing and disciplining them so that they can become the Holy Nation He desires.
Today we have the honor, privilege and great blessing to be adopted into His family through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We should live a life that is Holy, just as God called the Jews to do. As we reflect on this lesson, let’s also consider how awesome, fearsome, and jealous that God is. He wants us to be totally committed to living a life pleasing to Him.
Thanks for studying with us.
In Christ,
Wes
[2020]