Moses a Tri-Cultural Man: Exodus Bible Studies Contents Pagemem.intervarsity.org/sites/mem/files/Moses A... · Section II: Handouts & Teaching Notes: 1. Exodus 1 – 4 Moses Teaching

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Moses a Tri-Cultural Man: Exodus Handouts, updated 2013-02-27© 2013 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA

Moses a Tri-Cultural Man: Exodus Bible Studies Contents Page

Section I: Exodus Bible Studies

1. Exodus 1-4 Moses, God’s Tri-Cultural Man

2. Exodus 1-34 God, Moses And Pharaoh

3. Exodus Profile – Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures

4. Exodus 2 Moses’ Cultural And Identity Confusion

5. Exodus 3:1 – 4:17 Moses’ Honest Questions, #1 Who Am I?

6. Exodus 3:13-22 Moses’ Honest Questions, #2 Who Are You?

7. Exodus 4:1-9 Moses’ Honest Questions, #3 What If They Do Not Believe Me?

8. Exodus 4:10-12 Moses’ Honest Questions, #4 Lord, Do You Know I Cannot Speak?

9. Exodus 4:13-17 Moses’ Honest Questions, #5 Lord Can’t You Send Someone Else?

10. Exodus 13 – 20; 32 The Exodus, The Wilderness And Mount Sinai:

“God’s Reasons For Moses’ Tri-Cultural Gftedness”

11. Exodus 20:1-6 The 10 Commandments

12. Exodus Ethnic And Cultural Pressures On Multiethnic People:

“A Cross Cultural Model For Second Generation Immigrants”

Section II: Handouts & Teaching Notes:

1. Exodus 1 – 4 Moses Teaching Time Line

2. Exodus Ethnic And Cultural Pressures On Multiethnic People

3. Exodus 1 - 4 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part I) - Handout

4. Exodus 1 – 4 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part I) - Teaching Content

5. Exodus 3 - 4 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part II)- Handout

6. Exodus 3 – 4 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part II) -Teaching Content

7. Exodus 4 – 19 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part III)-Handout

8. Exodus 4 – 19 A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part III) Teaching Content

9. Exodus 3 – 4 Scripture Study: “Moses A Tri-Cultural Man” Handout

10. Exodus Thoughts/Reflections On Moses



Moses a Tri-Cultural Man

Section II: Handouts &

Teaching Notes



Exodus 1-4 Moses Study Time Line

Part I “Who Am I?” Exodus 1 – 4, Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures

1. Quiet Time

A. The Quiet Time is to be in 3 different sections

1/3 of the group will do Moses the Egyptian

1/3 of the group will do Moses the Hebrew

1/3 of the group will do Moses the Midianite

They are to study the passages listed for their part of Moses’ life.

Reflection questions for the QT are in sections 2 and 3.

2. Small Groups Meet To Discuss What They Found Out About Moses In Their QT On Moses’ life.

A. When the Quiet Time ends, have each of the small groups meet together -- those who

studied:

o Moses the Egyptian

o Moses the Hebrew

o Moses the Midianite

B. Have them discuss what each of them found out about Moses.

3. The Whole Group Meets To Debrief All 3 Parts Of Moses’ Tri-Cultural Heritage.

Walk through and discuss together what they learned, group by group

o Moses the Egyptian

o Moses the Hebrew

o Moses the Midianite

Part II God’s Answers To Moses’ Questions Exodus 3 – 4

1. A. Handout the Moses Part II Study Sheets

B. Teach/Preach on what Moses could not hear when God answere his 5 questions or

responses to His call to go and deliver Israel.

2. A. Have each person share what they are hearing the Lord say to them.

B. Prayer and Worship

30-45

min

15

min

30

min

30

min



Ethnic And Cultural Pressures On Multiethnic People A Cross Cultural Model For Second Generation Immigrants

A + B = C

“A + B is not AB. A + B is something different: C”

When people immigrate from country A to country B, the “A” people will either become Ab or AB or ABBB depending on the amount of assimilation that takes place. “A” with the small “b” means they (“A”) have slightly assimilated into county “B.” “AB” with an equal size “B” means there is an average assimilation into country “B.” “A” with a big “BBB” means there is total assimilation with enthusiasm into “B.” But no matter how much “A” assimilates into the culture of “B”, “A”s will always know who they are. Why is this true? Because their roots in the home culture of “A” dominates who they are and gives them stability in their view of themselves. Their roots are in the culture out of which they came. An “A” can never fully become a “B”. But the child of “A” who is born in country “B” is often automatically considered by “A” to also be an “A” like their parents. This parental assumption can cause great tensions in the second generation children. The real problem, however, lies in the reality that a child of “A” born in the county of “B” is not a simple “AB.” Instead, he or she is a new creation called “C.” They are “C”s. They are something new and distinct from either “A” culture or “B” culture. Part of the tension for “C” comes from the pressures put upon them from both the “A” and “B” cultures. “A” culture will want their children to be “A”s like a their parents. “B” culture will want the children to be “B”s like the larger society. Both views are wrong and for “C” it is a very painful experience. Neither “A” or “B” will want these children to be a “C.” In fact they simply have no understanding of what it means to be a “C.” And most likely they do not care to understand either.

As a result there is a dynamic pull of wills between the two different cultures. They will try and force “C” into being either an “A” or a “B.”

A C B



Each side will put pressure on “C” to force them to leave ½ of their identity behind and become either one or the other. Groups use power words and illustrations to keep people in line through shame or guilt.

Like: “Oreos” : Black on the outside and White on the inside (Black) “Bananas” : Yellow on the outside and White on the inside (Asian)

“Coconuts” : Brown on the outside and White on the inside (South Asian) “Agringiado" : A Spanish word derived from the root word gringo, meaning you have

become literally “white-ified.” (Latino) Or : To be a real American you must deny your ethnic heritage and speak only

English as our immigrant parents did

If “C” tries to be a “C” and affirm his identity in both cultures, both “A”s and “B”s will feel very uncomfortable. As a result, a lot of “C” people have real struggles knowing who they are and how they should relate to both worlds which are pulling on them. It seems that no matter what they do, they disappoint someone or are misunderstood by everyone. Their multiethnic gifts are easily seen as a curse, rather than a treasure given to them by the God who made them. Many children of White missionaries, who are born and raised overseas, sense this same thing when they return to the United States of America, the land where their parents were born. Many children of immigrants face this growing up here in the States when their parents were born overseas. The real answers are not found in having to choose one or the other, but in being permitted to be who they really are, multicultural, multiethnic people made in the Image of our great Creator God. For a Biblical study of these issues, look at Exodus 1-4 and the life of Moses, A Man of Many Cultures.



EXODUS 1 – 4 Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part I)

A. Exodus 1 – 4

1. What do we know about Moses as an

Egyptian? Study Exodus 2:1-24; Acts 7:20-22

Israelite? Study Exodus 1; 2:1-10; Acts 7:17-19, 23-29; Hebrews 11:22-28

Midianite? Study Exodus 2:15-24; 3:1-3; 4:18; Acts 7:29-30

2. As you study, put yourself into Moses’ shoes. Think about what he experienced. What

would Moses’ emotions, the strains on him, the pressures, and his feelings have been like at

the critical turning points in his life? What does it cost a person to change cultures? (From

Egyptian to Israelite to Midianite?)

3. As you study, think about what it meant for Moses to become a political refugee. Moses

goes into exile as he flees to save his life. What could this do to a person’s self identity?

4. When we meet Moses in Exodus 3 and 4, it is 40 years after he fled Egypt. He is an 80 year

old Midianite shepherd. He has been married for 40 years and has at least two sons,

Gershom and one other.

B. Read Exodus 3 - 4 Write out the context of the 5 questions that Moses asks God.

1. Exodus 3:11

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

2. Exodus 3:13

Who are You? “Suppose I go … and say … God sent me to you … and they ask me,

‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

3. Exodus 4:1

“What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?”

4. Exodus 4:10

“Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to

your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

5. Exodus 4:13

“Oh Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

What do these questions indicate about Moses and his view of himself?



Exodus 1-4: Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part I) Possible Teaching Content

A. Exodus 1 - 4

1. What do we know about Moses as an:

Egyptian? Israelite (Hebrew)? Midianite?

Exodus 2:1-24 Exodus 1; 2:1-10 Exodus 2:15-24

Acts 7:20-22 Acts 7:17-19, 23-29 Exodus 3:1-3; 4:18

Hebrews 11:22-28 Acts 7:29-30

2. As you study, put yourself into Moses’ shoes. Think about what he experienced.

What would Moses’ emotions, the strains on him, the pressures, and his feelings

have been like at the critical turning points in his life? What does it cost a person

to change cultures (From Egyptian to Israelite to Midianite)?

3. As you study, think about what it meant for Moses to become a political refugee.

Moses goes into exile as he flees to save his life. What could this do to a person’s

self identity?

As An Egyptian

Acts 7:21 He is the grandson of the Pharaoh who is oppressing the Hebrews (Exodus 2:5). He

is part of the royal palace and all of its functions as a world power.

Acts 7:22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

Acts 7:22 He was powerful in speech.

Acts 7:22 He was powerful in action.

Acts 7:23 Adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and brought up as her own son (Exodus 2:10).

Ex 2:8-9 After being saved from the river by the Pharaoh’s daughter, it was arranged that his

own mother should nurse him until he was weaned.

Ex 2:8-9 He was part of “the system” of the Egyptian government. He was the product of

that “system” of power.

Ex 2:11 At age of 40 he took an interest in the Hebrews and went out to see them.

Ex 2:11-14 Moses killed an Egyptian who had been beating a Hebrew.

Ex 2:15 Pharaoh heard of the murder and tried to have Moses killed.

Ex 2:15-16 Moses fled for his life (he was afraid) to Midian.

Ex 2:14 The Israelites (Hebrews) saw him as an Egyptian.

Ex 2:15 The Pharaoh saw him as an Egyptian traitor.

Ex 2:19 The Midianites saw him as an Egyptian.

Ex 2:21-22 He was a failure as an Egyptian in Egypt.



As An Israelite (Hebrew) Ex 1:6-7 They were a favored people chosen by God. Ex 1:8-14 Egypt feared their growth as a people. They were forced to become slaves. They

were an oppressed people (Acts 7:17-19). Ex 2:1-2 Moses was from the house of Levi, the future priesthood. Ex 1:15-22 He was born under a death sentence. All Hebrew male babies were to be killed. His

mother hid Moses for his first 3 months (Acts 7:20). Ex 2:3-10 He was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. His mother devised this plan. His life was

protected by the one who wanted to kill him, the Pharaoh (Act 7:21-22). Ex 2:10 Moses grew up in an interracial home. Ex 2:8-9 His mother nursed him until he was weaned. Then he went to Pharaoh’s palace. Ex 2:1-10 We see a work of faith in his mother and in Pharaoh’s daughter. Ex 2: 15-22 God provided His direct protection. Heb 11:24 He refused the to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. The pleasures of

Egypt were not important to him. Heb 11:25 Moses saw himself as an Israelite/Hebrew (Acts 7:23-24; Exodus 2:11). Heb 11:26 He saw the Hebrews as his own people (Acts 7:25). Ex 2:12 Moses saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. Knowing the danger of being

caught, he still killed the Egyptian and hid his body to protect the Hebrew man. Acts 7:25 He uses his authority in an Egyptian way to solve this problem of abuse. He

thought “his people” would realize God had put him in a place of power to rescue them.

Acts 7:27-28 The Hebrews did not believe him. “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” “Will you kill us like you killed the Egyptian?” (Exodus 2:13-14) Using brute force was the only way Moses knew how to help.

Acts 7:29 Moses became a foreigner in Midian (Hebrews 11:28; Ex 2:14-15). Acts 7:29 Moses was a failure as an Israelite (Hebrew).

As A Midianite

Acts 7:29 Moses becomes a refugee. He is living under a death sentence.

Ex 2:15-17 He fled Egypt to find a place of safety.

Ex 2:21-22 He is accepted into a new family.

Ex 2:16 His new father-in-law is a priest of Midian. They are religious and worship God.

Ex 2:16 It is a family of seven daughters. He marries one of them.

Ex 2:21-22 Moses married into another culture very different from his. Probably new foods.

Ex 3:1 He moved in with a family who were shepherds. Shepherds were an abomination

to the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34). Moses grew up with this view of shepherds.

Imagine the pain it was to enter into a world he was taught to despise.

Ex 2:19 He was consistently seen as an Egyptian. But he wanted to be an Israelite (Hebrew).

He never felt at home in Midian.

Ex 2:22 Moses named his son Gershom. The name means a “Stranger There.” Moses said,

“I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”



4. When we meet Moses in Exodus 3 and 4, 40 years have past since he fled Egypt. He is an 80

year old Midianite shepherd. He has been married for 40 years and has two sons. It is now

that God comes and calls Moses to serve Him. God’s call is to lead Israel out of Egypt into

freedom. God feels Moses is now ready to be used by Him.

B. Read Exodus 3 - 4 What do these following questions indicated about Moses’ view of

himself?

1. (3:11) Who Am I?

Am I an Egyptian? If so, I am a failure in Egypt. I am a refugee wanted for murder. In

Egypt I no longer have any influence in the government, palace or any other place of

power.

Am I an Israelite? If so, the Hebrews did not want me 40 years ago when I had power

and influence. They did not follow me then. So why would they follow me now? To

Pharaoh I would simply be another of his slaves. He would not listen to me. I am a

failure as an Israelite.

Am I a Midianite? If so, I am only a shepherd from a foreign country who is despised by

the Egyptians. I am an unknown to Israel. Why would I be useable for you with

Pharaoh or Israel? Lord, it makes no sense.

Lord, Who Am I to go? Lord, I am confused!

2. (3:13) Who Are You?

Suppose I go to the Israelites and tell them, “God sent me to you.” They will ask what

Your Name is? God, Who are You? I am not sure I know who you are. Who are You?

Why do you want to use me? Who are You to the Hebrews in slavery in Egypt? Who

are You?

3. (4:1) What If They Do Not Believe Me?

Lord, anyone can say, “God sent me.” I am a failure as an Egyptian and as a deliverer

for the Hebrews. They will not believe me. They will not listen to me. This will never

work.

4. (4:10) “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent … I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Acts 7:22 says that Moses, the Egyptian, was powerful in speech and action. Had

Moses forgotten the gifts and abilities he had used in Egypt for 40 years? In fear, is he

denying who he is? Or is the Midian language different than Egyptian and Hebrew?

Maybe he is slow of speech and tongue because it is not his first language. Moses does

not feel capable of speaking for God.



5. (4:13) O Lord, please send someone else to do it.

Moses sees himself as a failure. He has no self confidence in who he is. He does not

see his past abilities as being useable now. He is so wrapped up in his failure that he is

unable to hear God’s answers to his questions. Basically he tells God that He has the

wrong man. Send someone else. I cannot do it. I am afraid. I am not useable. I have

given up. Leave me alone.

Summary Question: In what ways are Moses’ views of who he is similar to the way you look at

yourself? What is God saying to you?



Exodus 3 – 4: Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part II)

A. When God meets Moses in Exodus 3-4, he is 80 years old. He has lived as a Refugee in Midian for 40 years. He is now an accomplished shepherd as God meets him at the burning bush. God calls him to go to Egypt and lead his people out of slavery to the Promised Land. Moses has 5 responses to God’s call:

1. Exodus 3:11 - “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Moses does not hear God’s reply)

2. Exodus 3:13 - Who are You? “Suppose I go … and say … ‘God … sent me to You’

and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’ (Moses does not hear God’s reply)

3. Exodus 4:1 - “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not

appear to you?’” (Moses does not hear God’s reply)

4. Exodus 4:10 - “Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Moses does not hear God’s reply)

5. Exodus 4:13 - “Oh Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Moses finally hears God’s

response!)

B. Moses’ focus is only upon himself, his needs, his fears and his inadequacies. It seems as if

Moses never hears God’s replies and God’s promises to him. Look and see what God says

to Moses in the passages below. What is it that Moses does not hear?

o Exodus 3: 4-12

o Exodus 3:14-22

o Exodus 4:2-9

o Exodus 4:11-12

o Exodus 4:14-17

C. In what possible ways does Moses’ situation (the reality of his life experience) apply to

the multiethnic student world that we live in today? The world of:

the international students?

transnational/transracial adoptees

the refugees?

the immigrants?

the Native American and American born ethnic students (Black, Asian, White,

Latino)?

those who are bi and multi-racial?

your friends and those of your own culture?



Exodus 3 – 4: Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part II) Possible Teaching Content

“I Will Be With You”

A. Moses’ Has 5 Responses To God’s Call: 1. Exodus 3:11 “Who am I?” 2. Exodus 3:13 “Who are You?” 3. Exodus 4:1 “What if they do not believe me?” 4. Exodus 4:10 “Oh my Lord … I am slow of speech and tongue.” 5. Exodus 4:13 “Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

B. When God speaks, Moses cannot hear God’s answers to his questions. Moses’ focus is only

upon himself, his needs, his fears, his inadequacies and his inner turmoil drowns out God’s words of hope to him. Moses does not hear God’s promises. Listen now to what Moses could not hear.

1. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

God’s answer is Exodus 3:4-12

Ex 3:4 The Lord is an intimate and personal God. “The Lord saw … God called

… Moses! Moses!”

Ex 3:5 The Lord is holy.

Ex 3:6 God is the God of Moses’ past. “I Am the God of your father, the God of

Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” In these words God

affirms Moses’ identity as an Israelite. God calls Moses a Hebrew! This is what

Moses has longed for all of these years and it is God his Creator who says yes

to him.

Ex 3:7 God is committed to His people, Israel. “I have indeed seen … I have

heard them crying out … I am concerned about their suffering.”

Ex 3:8-9 God Acts. “So I have come down to rescue them … to bring them … into a

good and spacious land ...”

Ex 3:10 God calls Moses to Act with Him. “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring

my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Ex 3:12 God’s answer to Moses’ first question is, “I will be with you … the sign

… you will worship on this mountain.”

The Focus: Moses asks, “Who am I?” God’s answer is, “I will be with you.” This is who Moses is. He is the one God will be with! All that Moses needs is God’s presence. God will rescue the Israelites. God will be with Moses. In these verses, there are 5 “I Am” statements and 4 “I have” statements that God makes to Moses. In God is Moses’ confidence. God is Moses’ security. What else does Moses need?



This is true of us too. God is our security and identity. See Romans 8. Listen to Jesus words in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age.” Sounds just like what God the Father says to Moses, “I will be with you.” We too need to live in the reality that God is with us. BUT, in the midst of hearing the voice of God - Moses only senses his failure. 2. Who are You? “Suppose I go … and say… God … sent me to you … and they ask me,

‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God’s answer is Exodus 3:14-22

Ex 3:14 God is “I Am Who I Am” … Tell them “I Am has sent me to you.” Ex 3:15 “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, The God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, the God Isaac and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” Ex 3:16 God gives Israel a history lesson of His presence watching over them. Ex 3:17 God promises to deliver them from Egypt. Ex 3:17 God promises them a new land in Canaan. Ex 3:18-20 God gives Moses instructions on how to confront Pharaoh. Ex 3:21-22 God will give the Israelites the riches of the Egyptians.

THE FOCUS: Moses asks, Who are You? God states, “I Am Who I Am.” God is saying I am God.

In Isaiah 44:6 God says, “I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God.” Case closed.

This says it all! That is the end of the matter. And it is God, the Great I Am, who has cared for and

is caring for Israel and will deliver them from Egypt and give them the land of Canaan.

Question for us: Do we believe God is God? Do we believe that he has cared for us in the past

and is caring for us today? Do we believe His promises for us? Is His Word enough for us?

BUT, in the midst of hearing the voice of God – Moses’ fears are so strong that he cannot hear

of God’s care or believe God’s promises.

3. “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to

you?’”


Ex 4:2-4 God uses the common things in our lives to build faith. God takes the

staff Moses’ has in his hand and turns it into a snake and then back

into a staff.

Ex 4:5 God did this so that Israel’s elders would believe “the Lord … has

appeared to you.”

Ex 4:6-9 “Put your hand inside your cloak … leprous … put it back … it was



restored … if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take

water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground … will become

blood on the ground.”

God is telling Moses that He will make him a vehicle for miraculous signs. God uses

common the things in our lives for His good purposes.

BUT, in the midst of hearing the voice of the Lord – Moses deals only with the “what ifs of

life.” God does not. It is hard to act in faith when all we see are the unanswered questions and

problems that we cannot solve in advance on our own. Moses cannot hear God, for there are

louder voices in his own life that drown out the word of the Lord.

How much are we like Moses as we respond to our Lord?

4. “Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken

to Your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”


Ex 4:11 God says, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute?

… Is it not I, the Lord.’

Ex 4:12 “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

God is reminding Moses that this is His job and not Moses’ job and He will rescue Israel.

BUT, in the midst of hearing the voice of the Lord – Moses does not hear God. He is afraid.

5. “Oh Lord, please send someone else to do it.”


Ex 4:14 Now God is angry with Moses. “Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses … Aaron … is already on his way to meet you.” God is already at work in Aaron, in his family, and in the Israelites. God is way ahead of Moses and is preparing Egypt for him. Moses is not alone. God is with him.

Ex 4:15-16 “I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to say.” Aaron “will speak to the people for you, and you will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” Ex 4:17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.” Moses is forced to act in obedience. Now he fears God more than the Pharaoh. It is a step in the right direction, a small yet significant step. But Moses takes the step. This is all God asks.



Remember, however, that externally nothing has changed. All that Moses has is his staff and the few miracles he can perform with it. That is all. But there is one more thing; Moses has heard God say, “I will be with you.” This makes all the difference!

THIS TIME, Moses finally hears God!

What about us? Have we heard God speak to us? Think about the people who are around you on

campus or in the work world where your job is. How does Moses’ experience apply to the

multiethnic student world we live in today:

the international students?

transnational/transracial adoptees?

the refugees?

the immigrants?

the Native American and American born ethnic students (Black, Asian, White, Latino)?

those who are bi and multi-racial?

your friends and those of your own culture?



Scripture Study in Exodus 3 & 4 “Moses a Tri-Cultural Man” I am convinced that the 5 questions Moses asks God at the burning bush are issues surrounding Moses’ self-identity. And therefore, they could be good questions for all of us to ask, whether we are White, Black, Asian, Latino or Native American. Moses’ Questions: God’s Answers: *1 “Who am I?” *1 “I Am with you.” *2 “Who are you? *2 “I Am who I Am.” *3 “They will not believe me?” *3 “What is in your hand & in your body?” *4 “I cannot speak.” *4 “Who made your mouth?” *5 “Send someone else.” *5 God was angry, “Go.” Moses’ questions reveal the issues in his personal identity journey. He was confused as to who he really was. Was he an Egyptian? Or was he now a Midianite? But what he really wanted to be was a Hebrew. Lord, “Who am I? This is a genuine question for this 80 year old Midianite shepherd. He did not know. What Moses fails to hear are the answers God gives to his questions. His fears and uncertainties overwhelm him so he cannot hear God say, “I Am with you.” You are the one I promise to be with now and in the days and years ahead. “I Am the One who is with you.” It takes time for Moses to realize who he is. But by the time we come to Exodus 15, Moses has accepted the truth that he cannot be whole until he fully accepts that he is an Egyptian-Midianite-Hebrew all wrapped up in one person. This is who God has made him to be and to deny any part of his identity makes him less than a whole person. God wastes nothing in our lives. For Moses the Egyptian, God used his 40 years of government training in the courts of Egypt to build the enslaved Hebrews into a nation called Israel. Moses was the only one who had those gifts of leadership. For Moses the Midianite, God used his 40 years as shepherd in the desert to become the trail guide for Israel for the next 40 years. Moses was the only one who did not fear the desert. Moses had the maps for the journey in his head. For Moses the Hebrew, God used his heart of love for God’s people to patiently lead them until they finally became a community open to being led by God and to love God in return. Moses’ ethnic identity search may be a help to each of us as we personally explore our own ethnic identity. Our loving God has made us in His Image. What are the different cultural and ethnic riches that God has built into your life? They are treasures to be explored and enjoyed. God will use them in you to proclaim His love for the whole world? They are not to be kept hidden. They are to be opened and revealed to all who live around you.



Exodus 4 – 19: Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Culture Study Of His Life (Part III) Possible Teaching Content

A. Remember Moses? The Egyptian -- The Egyptian Failure The Hebrew -- The Hebrew Failure

The Midianite -- The Midianite Failure

It is to this man at the age of 80, that the Almighty God comes to and calls to be the person to deliver and lead Israel out of Egypt.

*But look at this 80 year old:

The past glories in his life are over. They are 40 year old faded memories. There is no hope they will return. They are gone.

Moses is a realistic man. He is now a simple shepherd. He has a daily routine. He has no wild visionary dreams of being a deliverer.

He knows he is at the end of his life. There is no vision of glory, no Messiah complex.

*It is now that God meets with Moses.

God says, Moses you are now ready to be used by Me (Exodus 3). This happens at the “burning bush”: The Fire – The Voice of God – Moses’ Fear – Holy Ground.

So, now, Go I am sending you to Pharaoh To bring My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt

*Moses questions God. God Answers Moses

1. Who am I to go? 1. I will be with you. 2. Who are you, God? 2. “I Am” the God of your past, present and future. 3. They will not believe me. 3. God gives miracles of the staff, hand and water. (Snake, Leprosy, Blood) 4. I cannot speak. 4. I made you Moses! 5. Send someone else! 5. God is angry. Moses go! Aaron is on his way.

In fear Moses obeys and heads out.



B. What Was Moses’ Mission Experience Like In The Rest Of Exodus?

*When Moses left for Egypt, did he really know God?

I am not sure that he did. Moses went in obedience but not in great belief, not in great trust. Instead, he went in fearful obedience with butterflies in his stomach just like us. But by the middle of Exodus, Moses was trusting God with great confidence and peace. What happened to him?

How did Moses move from: Obeying God To Believing God? To Trusting God?

Let us look at Moses’ mission experience in Egypt.

*Egypt is one of the world’s great superpowers of its day. Its king, the Pharaoh, and its leaders are confident and arrogant. No one can tell them what to do. They know it all.

Exodus 4:27 tells us that in the desert, Moses meets Aaron his brother for the first time in 40 years. What a joyful reunion it must have been. What awe too. Imagine them comparing notes on how God spoke to each of them. What was that discussion like? The two of them then walk back to Egypt. What feelings and emotions might they have?

As Moses enters Egypt, A wooden shepherd’s staff that turns into a Snake what does he bring to his body and his clothes, a hand – Leprosy confront Pharaoh/Egypt? and a Word from God, “Let My People Go!”

That is all!

As you look at yourself, what would you think if you were Moses? How would you feel? How inadequate would you feel? How do you view yourself when God places you in situations where you have never been before and He calls you to speak for Him?



C. Moses’ First 6 Confrontations In Egypt

Confrontation #1 Exodus 4:29-31 Moses faces the leaders of Israel

All of these leaders are slaves of Egypt. Aaron told the Hebrew elders what God had said to Moses. Moses performs 2 of the signs God had given him:

o Staff to Snake to Staff Again o Hand to Leprosy to Wholeness Again

The response was that the elders believed Moses and God. They had joy that God was concerned about them. He had seen their misery. They worshiped God.

Moses might have said, Wow, this is easy! Great! It is just like God said.

Confrontation #2 Exodus 5:1-2 Moses faces Pharaoh

Moses told Pharaoh that the Lord God of Israel says, “Let My people go!”

Pharaoh replies harshly, “Who is the Lord that ‘I’ should obey Him … I do not know the Lord! I will not let Israel go.”

The Pharaoh is telling Moses: How dare you ask me this? You have no power over me.

In Exodus 5:15-18, Pharaoh declares that the Israelite slaves must be lazy if they have so much time on their hands to make requests like this. So he teaches them a lesson. He will give them no straw for their bricks. The Hebrews will have to find their own straw. But they will have to keep up the same work load as before.

Confrontation #3 Exodus 5:19-21 Moses faces the anger of Israel’s elders

The elders tell Moses that this work overload is his fault. Pharaoh will kill us! God judge you. The situation is worse now than before Moses came out of the desert with a supposed word from God. They are angry with him.

Confrontation #4 Exodus 5:22-23 Moses argues with God

Moses then goes and tells God that all these problems are not his fault. He is just following His orders. God this is Your fault. You have failed.

o “Lord, you brought this trouble on Israel. Is this why you sent me?” o “You have not rescued Your people.” o Your plan is not working

Moses’ complaint to God is the same one the elders had brought to him.

*The Lord’s answer (Exodus 6:1-8) is, “You will know that I Am the Lord your God. I will bring you out.”



Confrontation #5 Exodus 6:9-12 Moses and the elders/Moses and God

Moses told the elders what God said and they would not listen to him.

Moses then goes back to God and says that if Israel will not listen to him, why would Pharaoh listen to him?

D. Exodus 4 – 6: Summary

In Exodus 6:26-30 it is written, o “It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, ‘Bring the

Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.’ They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.”

“It was the same Moses and Aaron.” o “Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, He said to him, ‘I Am the

Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything I tell you.’ But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?’”

The remarkable thing is, the miracle is – Our God uses weak fearful people like Moses and Aaron (people like us) to lead His work. At this time, nothing really has changed in Moses since the “burning bush” experience two to three months earlier. He is still fearful and weak. In reality this is often true of you and me too. We also feel fearful and weak. Yet God wants to use us.

How do you respond to this? What do you see here?

Moses is looking for power in himself to build up his confidence.

What is God looking for? Do we really trust God? Why or why not?

E. Exodus 7 – 19: God’s Answers

Ex 7:1 See, I have made You like God to Pharaoh. Your brother Aaron will be your prophet. Ex 7:2-4 You will say everything I command you … Tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go

out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply My miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out … My people the Israelites.

Ex 7:5, 17 And Pharaoh/Egypt Will know That I Am the Lord (Campus)

(Snake, #1 Blood in the river)

Ex 10:2 You (Moses/Aaron) Will know That I Am the Lord (You) (#8 The Locust, #9 The Darkness)



Ex 6:7 Then you (Israel) Will know That I Am the Lord (Your Chapter)

Ex 8:10 To Pharaoh -- So that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God (#2 The Frogs)

Ex 8:19 Magicians -- This is the finger of God. (#3 The Gnats) Ex 8:22 To Pharaoh -- So that you will know that I, the Lord, Am in this land. (#4 The Flies) Ex 9:14, 16 To Pharaoh -- So that you may know that there is no one like Me in all

earth … That I might show you My power and that My might be proclaimed in all the earth. #5 The Livestock, #6 The Boils, #7 The Hail)

Ex 9:20 Officials -- Who feared the Word of the Lord hurried … Ex 9:29 To Pharaoh-- So you may know the earth is the Lord’s. Ex 12:12 To All -- I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt, I Am the Lord. (#10 Death Of The First Born) Ex 14:14 Egyptians -- Will know that I Am the Lord Ex 14:18 Egyptians -- Will know that I Am the Lord when I gain glory through

Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. (The Red Sea) Ex 14:31 Israel -- When the Israelites saw the power the Lord displayed against the

Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.

Ex 15:11 Israel -- Who among the gods is like You, O Lord? Who is like You - Majestic

in holiness, Awesome in Glory, Working wonders? Ex 16:11 Jethro -- Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods … Ex 19: 4 Moses/Israel -- You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt.



F. Application

The Lord God confronted 1. Pharaoh and Egypt 2. Israel with just one question: 3. Moses and Aaron

WHO AM I?

(As recorded in Mark 8:27-29, Jesus at Caesarea Philippi asked the same question of his disciples and of us: “Who do men say that I Am? … Who do you say that I Am?”)

Pharaoh’s sin was: I am god here and I am stronger than You. No Repentance

Israel’s sin was: Egypt is stronger than the Lord, Little Trust in God Moses’ sin was: God cannot use me. I have nothing to offer.

But he grew in Repentance Commitment Conviction

God’s purpose for us:

“So that you may know that there is no one like the Lord your God” “Will know that I AM the Lord”

(Exodus 8:10; 10:2)

Jesus states this truth in John 17:3 as He prays to the Father:

“Now this is Eternal Life; that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

This is the question for each of us as it was for Moses. We have seen God at work in our lives in the past. But will we believe Him for today, for tomorrow, for next week, for next month, for next year – for the next 5, 10, and 20 years? You see the “Exodus” is never the end goal. Knowing God and trusting God with our lives is the goal of life.

Our walk with God our Father with Jesus our Lord Never Ends. It is just that, it is a walk with with the Holy Spirit God. To know God is Eternal Life.



It is a walk with a variety of experiences: Joys, Deaths, Brokenness, Hope, Victories, Defeats, Boredom, Sicknesses, Hospitals, Births, Celebrations, Common Things … and God is in all of them. Life is never a fairy tale of “And they lived happily ever after.” This concept is a lie. God has never promised us this kind of life. God is always honest with us.

The joy is: our confidence is:

1. Our past with God has prepared us for our life today. 2. What we do the rest of the year with the Lord is a built upon what He has done

in our life the past 3-6 months. These life experiences have prepared us to be useable servants in God’s hands right now.

3. Through these days with God, He is preparing us for what He wants to do in our lives 5 – 10 years from now. Our future is unknown to us, but it is not unknown to our God.

The wonder of God is: WE ARE ALWAYS BEING PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE, AS WE ARE BEING USED BY GOD TODAY.

Exodus 1 – 4 God prepared Moses the Midianite in the desert for Chapter15:22ff: No water for 3 days in the desert. “The people grumbled against Moses … What are we to drink?”

Exodus 16:1-3 6 weeks later – The whole community grumbled against Moses and

Aaron, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt. There we had pots of meat … all the food we wanted. Here in the desert, we will starve to death.”

Exodus 17:1-3 Again, there was no water. “So they quarreled with Moses. Give us

water to drink … will die of thirst.” Exodus 18:1-27 Leadership decisions and delegation.

Exodus 19 – 32 At Mount Sinai, Moses meets God face to face. The 10

Commandments, instructions and a worship center were given. Exodus 32 The rebellion of the Golden Calf , mutiny and immorality. Ex 32:9-11,

God says He will destroy them and make a new nation of Moses descendants. Moses says no. These are your people Lord. Remember your promise.



Exodus 33:14 God told Moses, “My Presence will go with You. Exodus 33:15 The Presence of God is what makes us distinct from other people. Exodus 33:18 Lord, “Show me Your glory.” Exodus 34:6 “The Lord, the Lord … Compassionate God Gracious God Slow to anger

Abounding in love Abounding in faithfulness Maintaining love to thousands Forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished Moses bowed … and worshiped … ‘forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us a Your inheritance.’” Exodus 40:16 “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded Him.” Moses ends the Book of Exodus a changed man. He moved from feelings of inadequacy, self doubt, and impossible situations –

o To seeking the Living God face to face o To Believing God, Trusting God o To Desiring God’s Glory and God’s Presence o To Living in Forgiveness o To Having his life’s desire centered on being God’s inheritance o To Living out God’s desires for his people o To Having God’s Heart be his heart o To Knowing that God is the Lord and there is no other

May your life and my life end in being filled with God’s Life as Moses did.



Exodus 4-19: Moses, A Man Of Many Cultures A Cultural Study Of His Life (Part III) God’s Work In Moses

A. Exodus 4 – 6 Moses Continues His Questioning

1. Exodus 4:29-31 Moses is initially accepted by the Israelites/Hebrews 2. Exodus 5:19-21 Then the Israelites condemn him for the trouble Pharaoh has

brought upon them. 3. Exodus 5:22-23 Moses tells God, “Lord … you brought trouble … You have not

rescued your people … is this why You sent me?” 4. Exodus 6:9-12 If Israel will not listen … why would Pharaoh?” 5. Exodus 6:30 “I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen?”

B. Exodus 7 – 15 The Purpose Of The 10 Plagues

1. God’s purpose in His judgment of the 10 Plagues is found in His words when

He says, “By this you will know that I AM God.”

Pharaoh and Egypt will know God. (7:5, 17)

Israel will know God. (6:7)

Moses and Aaron will know God. (10:2)

Write out these passages: 6:7; 7:5, 17; 8:10, 19, 22; 9:13-14, 16, 20, 29; 10:2;

12:12; 14:4, 18, 31; 15:11; 16:11; 19:4

The evidence of these great judgments on Egypt convinced Moses that God was God. He does not

question God again. Now, he is able to go forward in real power and authority to lead his people.

He has now accepted all of who God has made him to be.

2 As an Egyptian He is the great administrator and leader

As an Israelite He knows these are his people and God’s people.

As a Midianite He is the shepherd of his people and he knows the

wilderness where they will be living. It is home to him. He does not

fear it as many others do.

Moses learned he is dependent on God, on Jethro, on Aaron and Miriam, and on others.

C. The purpose of the Exodus and the Goal of Freedom is not just to escape slavery. Our purpose is to know God. This is the key to a multiethnic ministry and to the life of Moses in Exodus. Read the rest of Exodus (19-20, 32-34, 40). See the worship of the Living God. The Lord is to be the very center of our whole lives.



“BY THIS YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM GOD”

Exodus 7:5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord

Exodus 7:17 By this you will know that I am The Lord.

Exodus 8:10 It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.

Exodus 8:19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”

Exodus 8:22 So that you may know that I, the Lord, am in this land.

Exodus 9:14 So that you may know there is no one like Me in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16 That I might show you My power and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the

earth.

Exodus 9:20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the Word of the Lord hurried to bring their

slaves and their livestock inside.

Exodus 10:2 That you may tell your children and grandchildren … that you may know that I am

the Lord.

Exodus 12:12 I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.

Exodus 14:4 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.

Exodus 14:18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his

chariots and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the

Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His

servant.

Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like You, O Lord? Who is like You –

Majestic in holiness?

Awesome in power?

Working wonders?

Exodus 16:11 (Jethro) … Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods.

Exodus 19:4 You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt.



Handout - Exodus: Thoughts on Moses A Tri-Cultural Man or A Man Of Many Cultures

1. Moses Is A Man Of Many Cultures.

Moses spent 40 years as an Egyptian 40 years as a Midianite 40 – 80 years as a Hebrew (This depends on how strong the Hebrew influence was

as he grew up in the Egyptian palace.) My perspective is that these forces or experiences greatly affected his personal identity as seen in his response to God in Exodus 3 – 4. The focus of this encounter with God is not the issue of obedience or disobedience. Instead it is found in his agonizing cry, “Lord, Who am I?” Moses does not know. Is he an Egyptian? A Midianite? A Hebrew? This is the experience of our nation’s immigrant children whether Asian, Latino or in the past, the reality for the Italians, Polish, Russians and many others. All of these groups wanted their children growing up in the United States to keep their cultural heritages. But growing up here, those same children are told that to be a real American you must reject your ethnic heritage and become like us. Thus you can understand that the tensions in the Chinese community between ABCs (American Born Chinese) and OBCs (Overseas Born Chinese) are very real. It seems to me that God’s call to Moses is this: he must be willing to be all three of the ethnic communities that formed him. Moses is an Egyptian-Midianite-Hebrew mixture. He cannot divide himself up and reject one part of himself to identify with another part of himself. He is more than just one; he is all three. A painful problem is created when he (or the communities around him) wants to be one or the other. Half way through the Book of Exodus, Moses finally finds peace and wholeness. When he accepts who he is, God uses him in powerful ways. Moses the Egyptian is the only person out of that slave community who has the governmental training to create, build, administrate, and lead a new nation. Acts 7:22 says he was educated in all of the wisdom of the Egyptians. And Egypt was a superpower. Moses understood leadership and what needed to be done. He was trained for this as an Egyptian Prince. Moses the Midianite was the only person who had walked over that wilderness area the Israelites lived in for those many years. He had been a shepherd there for 40 years and knew the landscape. It was not a fearful place to Moses. He knew it well and it was home to him. It was his friend. Moses knew where he was even if no one else did. Now instead of being a shepherd of sheep, he was the shepherd of a new people, a new nation. (I think for Moses, the sheep were a lot easier to take care of than his Hebrew brothers and sisters.)



Moses the Hebrew loved his heritage and refused to give up on his family, the Israelites. God offered to make a new people out of his descendants after the sin of the Golden Calf. But Moses refused because he loved his people. As a result of his love for them, the Israelites were saved from being destroyed by God because or the sins they had committed. What is striking to me is the Lord does not waste any of our experiences and cultures that we grew up in. God takes all of these life experiences and uses them for the good of the world around us. But God can only do this if we, with joy, affirm and embrace all that He has permitted to be built into our lives. We may have seen it as bad and destructive, but God can redeem it for good within His kingdom. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says to his brothers who sold him into slavery in Egypt, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is being done, the saving of many lives.” (Originally written 4/24/1991) 2. “Who Am I?” Exodus 3:11 “But Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” “Lord, who am I? Have you ever wondered who you are? The Scriptures say: God made us God has redeemed us God has saved us through Jesus Christ our Lord We are new a creation made in the Image of God We are being conformed to the Image of Jesus

We are treasures of God, utterly useful, precious and valuable to Him.

Yet, often when we look at ours lives, all we see is failure, dead ends and boredom. The word of God seems to mock us (you and me). We end up wanting to scream -- I am useless God leave me alone I am a failure There is no hope I give up This is not what I expected out of life I am disillusioned When brokenness, illness, deaths, loss of jobs, family breakups and other hurts overwhelm us, this is the way we feel.



Then the Living God comes and says: Come now Go I am sending you You will be my instrument of deliverance, hope, blessing God overwhelms us with His call upon our lives. But we like Moses are filled with fear and confusion. Lord, who am I, that I should go for You? Lord, who am I? How could You use me? Come now, let us visit with Moses. Let us hear God speak to him and to us. Who is this Moses? That is simple. He is the great Jewish leader who led Israel out of Egypt. No, you are wrong here. When Moses cries out to God, he is not a great anything. He does not even know who he is. But what he does know is that he is a failure as an Egyptian Prince; he is a failure as a Hebrew, and he is a Midianite nothing. But the Lord his God will change all of that when Moses commits himself to following fully the Lord who created him. And God created him to be a tri-cultural person who is an Egyptian-Hebrew-Midianite. How has God created you?

Documents

Moses a Tri-Cultural Man: Exodus Bible Studies Contents Pagemem.intervarsity.org/sites/mem/files/Moses A... · Section II: Handouts & Teaching Notes: 1. Exodus 1 – 4 Moses Teaching