Lessons 13 and 14: Moses and the Exodus -- Type of the Atonement

Last week we discussed the essential type of the Atonement that is so well demonstrated by the Exodus. Exodus is a word of Greek origin, and means a departure; the story of the escape of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage can be likened to the atonement in our lives in three principal areas:

1. Fleeing wickedness/departure from out of bondage
   
2. Repentance for past sins/correction and journey into righteousness
3. Restoration of lost blessings/establishment of Zion with priesthood and temple ordinances

Not only is this type repeatedly taught in the book of Genesis...it is repeated throughout scripture. But before we examine the wider range of these examples let's pause and reexamine the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant as viewed in Genesis 15.

As we will see repeatedly throughout scripture on into the modern day, Abram, at the moment of his deliverance from the land of Ur is fearful, but the Lord calms these fears. He says: "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" [Genesis 15:1]. Latter-day Saints would do well to remember this promise when they too face times of peril and adversity. So too the scripture is revealing. Even though Abraham was chosen before he was born and, therefore, one of the "noble and great ones" and an elect man of God [see Abraham 3: 22-23], he was also just a man, susceptible to the weaknesses and foibles of life. Abraham's greatness, as these scriptures teach, relied on the fact that he trusted in the Lord and was obedient to the commandments. The rewards promised to Abraham and through him to his seed were:

1. His seed would be innumerable [see Genesis 4-5];
2. His seed would be given the land between the "river of Egypt" or the Nile River and "the great river, the river Euphrates" [see Genesis 15: 28] ;
3. Christ would come through his lineage [see Bible Dictionary, p. 602];
   
4. The ministry of the gospel would carried out through his lineage [see Abraham 2: 9-10];
5. The priesthood would be handed down through his lineage to bless all the families of the earth [see Abraham 2: 11];
   
6. His seed would be "a stranger in a land that is not theirs" and they would be delivered after being afflicted for four hundred years; when they came out of that land it would be "with great substance" [see Genesis 15: 13-14];
7. He would go "down" to his "fathers in peace," and would be "buried in a good old age" [see Genesis 15: 15].

These promises became the birthright of Issac, Jacob, and Joseph. The stories of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph were each types of the Exodus (as were those of Noah and the Jaredites too). Abraham was led by God from the land of Ur to the lands west as far as Egypt. Jacob's trials were so numerous as to constitute several mini Exoduses (first his troubles with Essau, then his bondage and escape from Laban, the troubles with Rachel, Dinah, and Joseph and then his removal down to Egypt too). Joseph was literally sold into Egypt as a bondsman and when it looked like he might regain his freedom from Potiphar, was unjustly imprisoned in the Pharaoh's dungeons. Still, he managed to remain obedient to God and was an instrument for salvation for his extended family and the Egyptians too.

For his obedience in times of tribulation Joseph was blessed temporally, becoming a type of Viceroy to the Pharaoh, but the greater blessing given him was the birthright as heir to the Abrahamic Covenant. When Jacob became ill, feeling that his death was drawing near, he sent for Joseph -- the only one of his sons who held power -- and asked him to swear that he would be buried in Hebron with his fathers. Joseph recognizing it was time, brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim for Jacob's blessing. According to rabbinical teachings [see Ramban 47: 29], "the blessing included a major change in the composition of the Jewish people, in that Jacob elevated Manasseh and Ephraim to the status of his own sons -- in effect adopting them as his own -- thereby removing the firstborn status from the tribe of Reuben and giving it to Joseph's offspring." So too Jacob's final blessing to Joseph [see Genesis 49: 22-26] reflects this double bestowal of the Abrahamic promise in the words: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall" [verse 22]. This part of Jacob's blessing to Joseph saw literal fulfillment not only with his seed's migration to Egypt, but their migration too to the New World as one recalls that Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh [see Alma 10: 3] and Ishmael was an Ephraimite [see Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage, ch. 5, note 3, p. 52].

Joseph's last act of obedience was to fulfill his father's wishes that his bones be brought back to Canaan. As Joseph passed from this mortal life, he too exacted an oath from his sons that his bones would not be left behind in Egypt when the Exodus finally happened [see Genesis 50: 25]. His blessing on the Israelites in Goshen was to prophecy their redemption: "and God will visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" [Genesis 50: 24]. When Moses first revealed himself as the redeemer of Israel he repeated these words [see Exodus 3: 16] to the Israelites who knew that he was truly speaking in God's Name. As the Israelites journeyed on their way to the promised land they carried with them the mummified remains of Joseph and these were to be buried by Joshua at the Cave of Machpelah, in Hebron with his fathers [Stone Edition Tanach, page 123, footnote 47: 28-31].

We are now ready for the historical and spiritual setting of the Exodus, but before we move forward, it will perhaps be insightful to recognize that the Exodus is repeated later too in at least four other significant instances in history:

1. Lehi's journey to America. The New World is continually referred to as a "land of promise." Nephi and his descendants are promised that if they "keep the commandments," they "will prosper" in "a land which is choice above all other lands" [see 1 Nephi 2: 20]. Very early on in the Book of Mormon, a pattern of pride followed by wickedness, followed by humility and repentance, and finally by redemption and prosperity, is recognized by all who read it.
2. Isrealites who remain in Jerusalem at the time of Lehi and Jeremiah are carried away captives unto Babylon. The prophet Haggai prophecies of the return of Israel to their native lands and the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple by Zerubbabel. When Cyrus, king in Babylon, gave permission to the Jews to return to Palestine, Zerubbabel was appointed leader of the Jews. He set up an altar in Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple [see Ezra 3-5; Haggai 1-2].
3. The people of Limhi in the Book of Mosiah are freed from bondage to the Lamanites by Ammon. When Limhi learned that his people were to be delivered from bondage he rejoiced and called his people together saying: "lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your faith in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness" [see Mosiah 7: 19].
4. The latter day migration of the LDS Church as it moved from Missouri to Illinois to Utah has many close parallels to the ancient Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. As Joseph Smith is a modern-day Joseph of Egypt, so Brigham Young has been compared by many to the prophet Moses for his leadership and deliverance of the Mormon people first from Missouri in the winter of 1838-39 and again just seven years later in 1846 [see Leonard Arrington's Brigham Young: American Moses].

We concluded class last week by pointing to the the Exodus as a type for the pattern of Atonement in our everyday lives. We may not participate in a Church-wide struggle to migrate out of harm's way, but our trials are no less real. The challenge to turn away from wickedness threatens to make a Lot's wife out of many of us. Will we look back at the wickedness we flee in longful lust? Or will we do as Joseph of old and say "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" as we flee the Potiphar's wives in our lives?

I offer my testimony of the saving hand of God in our lives. As we keep our covenants with Him, the Lord will also keep his promises to us. We need to increase our participation in the Savior's atoning sacrifice by being willing to offer Him a soul that has a "broken heart and a contrite spirit" as He has asked of us in these latter days [see Doctrine & Covenants 59: 8].

Our class discussion this Sunday will continue in Exodus when we will discuss the significance of the Passover and Last Supper [Exodus 11-13], the crossing of the Red Sea and destruction of the Egyptian royal army [Exodus 14], manna and quail in the wilderness [Exodus 15-17], the victory of the Israelites over the Amalekites [Exodus 17-18], the Ten Commandments [Exodus 19-20], and the Law of Moses [Exodus 32-34]. I look forward to seeing you in class. Have a great week and remember who you are! You are sons and daughters of Abraham and heirs to countless blessings that many good people have done much to preserve and to hand down to you.