A key Hebrew word in the book of Exodus is avodah, a word for work/slavery, service, and worship. It appears in Exodus 1:14; 2:23; 5:9, 11; 6:6, 9; 12:25, 26, 13:5; 27:19; 30:16; 35:21, 24; 36:1, 3, 5; 38:21; 39:32, 40, 42.
In episodes 96 and 97 of the Hebrew Bible Insights podcast, Matthew Delaney and Nathan French explain how this word brings out some key connections and themes in the book of Exodus. The word helps bring out how the Israelites change masters in the Book of Exodus, going from being slaves of Pharaoh to being servants of God.
In Egypt (20:2) the children of Israel were in the "house of slavery" (beit ebed), and they built cities (1:11) for storage (miskenah). At Sinai the Israelites built the tabernacle (mishkan), a "house of service" that was a dwelling place for God and a place for the worship of God.
The end of the book of Exodus describes the construction of the tabernacle. The text emphasizes Israel's obedience to God's instructions. "According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work" (Ex 39:42). Here we see Moses, and the nation as a whole, acting as forerunners of the Messiah. On the eve of the crucifixion, Jesus prayed, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do" (Jn 17:4).
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