Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

The lens through which one may view the entire Book of Exodus is the speech God utters in 19:3–6. Indeed, it has been said that in the whole tradition of Moses, this is very likely the most programmatic speech we have for Israelite faith.

To those who reenact the drama, the Passover narrative and ritual mediate the experience of both oppression and liberation. The Passover ritual provides an “order” by which the reality of suffering may be confronted and the earnest of hope celebrated. The sacred time of the Passover meal provides a rich spiritual heritage that nurtures not only Jews but also Christians.

Scholars often attempt to explain away the tensions and jagged edges the reader can observe in the text and thought-world of the Book of the Covenant. If one works with these tensions, however, one stands to gain profound insight into the ethics and theology of this book.

It is not the details in the account of the tabernacle that make up its significance but the underlying notion that God elects to be present with God's people. In both the ritual of liturgy and the commonality of daily life, God's presence is an act of grace, made in sovereign freedom.