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Exodus Talks:
Pastoral Letters from Exodus

Steve Rodeheaver

Editing and Additions by Dennis Bratcher

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Introduction

Exodus talks!!! The Old Testament book of Exodus has something to say to us. It is a living word. God can be heard speaking to us in Exodus. I was convinced of this when I started working in Exodus. I am even more convinced now that I have been listening to Exodus for a while. Here is what I have heard: a collection of forty-six reflections and meditations from the Book of Exodus.

To make the most of these devotional readings I need to tell you a little more about what they are and how they might be of use. No doubt you noticed from the title that these are "pastoral letters from Exodus." They were originally written to be just that, reflections on the book of Exodus written as letters from a pastor to his congregation as we journeyed together through this book. We spent a little over a year in the book of Exodus, taking breaks only at Advent, Easter, and a short vacation. These reflections began as sermons. By the time they made it into written form they were also the product of interactive Bible studies with friends and members of the congregation. Each reflection is in a letter format that begins with the exposition of the text. The tone is kept conversational. This is not a typical commentary on Exodus. Neither is this a book of generic sermons and illustrations. The reflections really are pastoral letters, designed to engage both readers and the writer with the biblical text, together, in the hope of together hearing the living, transforming word of God speaking anew in the text.

I envision several ways of reading and using Exodus Talks. I suppose these could be read like any other devotional readings, that is, a single individual reading straight through with little discussion with anyone else. I trust that that would be beneficial. But there are other, perhaps more fruitful possibilities. For instance, this series could be used as a tool for a small group Bible study on Exodus in which the focus is the text and the reflections become become a partner in the group’s dialog/study. Or, it could be a series of weekly devotionals in which one would read through Exodus passage by passage, using the reflections as a thought provoking guide. And perhaps, while Exodus Talks is not a typical collection of sermons, it might be of some help to fellow preachers who are working with Exodus and/or looking for something to preach. Finally, it could serve as one model for how teachers, preachers, and Christians in general, can approach the Old Testament and hear its living message for today.

May God bless you as you turn your ear towards Exodus. And may the Lord use Exodus Talks to help you hear the Exodus message.

Most of all, may the Lord tabernacle among us.

A final word, that I can’t really emphasize enough. Read Exodus! Don’t just read Exodus Talks by itself. Read Exodus. If it comes down to a choice between the two, it’s a no-brainer. Read Exodus. -Steve Rodeheaver

The Devotionals

1. Ex. 1: Stories of Faithfulness	24. Ex. 18:1-12: Testify
2. Ex. 2:1-10: Delivering the Deliverer	25. Ex. 18:13-27: A New Structure for Guidance
3. Ex. 2:11-25: Running and Crying	26. Ex. 19: To Myself
4. Ex. 3:1-12: Fire that Calls	27. Ex. 19:16-20:21: Greatest and Saddest
5. Ex. 3:13-22: And Who Are You?	28. Ex. 20:1-17: The Ten Words - Vertical
6. Ex. 4:1-17: No Excuses Accepted	29. Ex. 20:1-17: The Ten Words - Horizontal
7. Ex. 4:18-31: Yahweh’s Murder Attempt on Moses	30. Ex. 20:18-26: At a Distance
8. Ex. 5:1-6:1: Who Says?	31. Ex. 21:1-22:15: LYNAYS
9. Ex. 5:22-6:8: Yahweh’s Purpose Is Named	32. Ex. 22:16-23:13: An Alien Way to Live
10. Ex. 6:9-7:13: No More Faltering Lips	33. Ex. 23:14-33: Calendaring Yahweh
11. Ex. 7:14-24: A Bloody Nile	34. Ex. 24: Committing Covenant (Risking Death)
12. Ex. 7:25-8:15: The Froggy Reach of Yahweh	35. Ex. 24-25: There Goes the Neighborhood
13. Ex. 8:16-32: Gnats, Flies, and Distinction	36. Ex. 28-29: Priestly Life
14. Ex. 9: Adding Up Plague, Boils, and Hail Stones	37. Ex. 30: Incense, Half-A-Shekel, a Bath, and Some Oil
15. Ex. 10: Locusts, Darkness, and Strings	38. Ex. 31: Who’s Going to Build It?
16. Ex. 11-12: Exiting Egypt in Reverse	39. Ex. 32:1-14: Horror and Heat at Sinai
17. Ex. 12: The Meal that Teaches Salvation	40. Ex. 32:15-35: Moses Gets Hot
18. Ex. 13:17-14:31: Hallowed Be Thy Name	41. Ex. 33:1-17: Arguing Forgiveness
19. Ex. 15:1-24: Singing Yahweh’s Victory	42. Ex. 33:18-34:9: Say That Name Again
20. Ex. 15:22-27: Bitter Water and Sweet Wood	43. Ex. 34:29-35: Resurrecting Moses
21. Ex. 16: The Manna Tests	44. Ex. 35-39: Beyond Forgiveness
22. Ex. 17:1-7: Rocky Water	45. Ex. 40: Move-In Day
23. Ex. 17:8-16: A Banner Day	46. Ex. 1-40: A Five-P Book

There are other articles that are available on this web site as background and additional reading for the Devotionals:

The Date of the Exodus
Introduction to a Christian Seder
Passover Haggadah (for a Christian Seder)

Bibliography for Study of Exodus

[not yet available]

Steve Rodeheaver and his wife Vonda have been pastoring Southeast Church of the Nazarene in San Diego, CA since 1987. They have three children. Steve also serves as an adjunct Bible professor at Point Loma Nazarene University.

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Exodus

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Exodus Talks: Pastoral Letters from Exodus

Editing and Additions by Dennis Bratcher

Introduction

The Devotionals

Bibliography for Study of Exodus

Exodus Talks:
Pastoral Letters from Exodus