The God Who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus
in New Studies in Biblical Theology
Pages
238
Publisher
IVP Academic
Published
5/1/2012
ISBN-13
9780830826292
The Lord's commitment to make himself known throughout the nations is the overarching missionary theme of the Bible and the central theological concern of Exodus.
Countering scholarly tendencies to fragment the text over theological difficulties, Ross Blackburn contends that Exodus should be read as a unified whole, and that an appreciation of its missionary theme in its canonical context is of great help in dealing with the difficulties that the book poses. For example, how is Exodus 6:3 best understood? Is there a tension between law and gospel, or mercy and judgement? How should we understand the painstaking detail of the tabernacle chapters?
From a careful examination of Exodus, Blackburn demonstrates that
the Lord humbled Pharaoh so the world would know that only God can save
the Lord gave Israel the law so that its people might display his goodness to the nations, living in a state of order and blessing
the Lord dealt with Israel's idolatry severely, yet mercifully, for his goodness cannot be known if his glory is compromised
In the end, Exodus not only sheds important light on the church's mission, but also reveals what kind of God the Lord is, one who pursues his glory and our good, ultimately realizing both as he makes himself known in Christ Jesus.
Reviews
DavidH
August 9, 2026
August 9, 2026
Although not a conventional verse-by-verse commentary, Blackburn’s The God Who Makes Himself Known is one of the most valuable theological studies of Exodus I have encountered. Its central thesis—that Exodus is fundamentally concerned with YHWH making his name, character and glory known—is initially more ambitious than it may sound, but Blackburn demonstrates its explanatory power across virtually the whole book: the deliverance from Egypt, wilderness training, law, tabernacle, golden calf and restoration all contribute to the knowledge of YHWH and ultimately to his being known among the nations. The structure of the book shows how thoroughly the thesis is tested rather than merely asserted. Especially helpful is the way Blackburn relates divine presence to mission and reads the position of Exodus 32–34 between the two tabernacle sections as theologically significant rather than incidental. It cannot replace a detailed commentary, but as a theological companion it provides a genuinely illuminating lens through which to reread the whole of Exodus.