WEEK 4— Moses, The Exodus & The 10 Commandmentsmedia.instantcustomer.com/14498/0/297_lby-week-4.pdfExodus 2:1-2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became

From Genesis to Revelation, 365 daily readings to help you understand your Bible

in just 7 minutes a day!

Shane W. Houle, D.Min.

 

Learn the Bible in A YEAR !68 © Shane Houle / Bibles For The World

WEEK 4— Moses, The Exodus

& The 10 Commandments

Special Edition

>Lesson 22 Genesis 42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, Why do you just keep looking at each other?

There was no grain in Canaan, due to the famine, so Joseph sent his sons to Egypt to purchase some. It had been over twenty years since Joseph was sold into slavery, and his brothers considered him dead. So when they went to Egypt they didn’t expect to run into Joseph. When they saw him, in fact, they didn’t even recognize him.

But Joseph recognized them and, instead of revea l ing h imse l f , he accused them of being spies, and threw them into prison. There they had time to think and began to reflect on their sin. Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that is why this distress has come on us (Genesis 42:21), they said.

Joseph’s brothers saw the desperate look in his eyes, when he pleaded for his life, and they never forgot it. Many nights, perhaps, they woke up in a cold sweat regretting what they had done. Now, at last, they were getting what they deserved. Joseph gave them time to think so they might be properly reconciled.

Genesis 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers . . . I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!

The brothers were overwhelmed. The dream Joseph had as boy of seventeen was

coming true before their eyes. Joseph could’ve left them in prison but,

instead, he kissed all his brothers and wept over them (Genesis 45:15). Now they were a family again.

This pleased Pharaoh who promised Joseph’s brothers

the best land in Egypt (Genesis 45:18). He gave

them carts to bring their families down, along with their

father Jacob. He gave them ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for [their] journey (Genesis 45:23). It seemed like a dream to them. Instead of being punished for their sin, they were being blessed!

Genesis 45:13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt.

Joseph had all the honor of Egypt, and all the wealth of the world, but he also wanted his father’s approval. He’d done well for himself, and wanted his dad to be proud of him. His father would soon rejoice that Joseph


was alive, and Joseph would receive the approval that he longed for.

But many who crave their father’s approval never, in fact, receive it. I’ve sat with men in their sixties who were still deeply pained because of their Father’s disapproval. You’ll never amount to a bottle of piss, one recalled his father saying.

But Christ has promised his approval to all who truly believe in him. Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21), he will say. We’ve sinned more times than we can count, but they won’t be held against us. Christ forgave us all our sins (Colossians 2:13) and will reward each one for whatever good they do (Ephesians 6:8), wrote Paul. If Christ forgives all our sins, and remembers all our good deeds, then we’ll hear him say, Well done, good and faithful servant!

Genesis 48:1 Some time later Joseph was told, Your father is ill.

After many years in Egypt, Joseph’s father was dying. But, just before he passed, he gave a prophecy that Messiah would come from Judah. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his (Genesis 49:10). And Jesus’ genealogy shows that he was descended from Judah (Matthew 1:2, 16), not from Joseph.

But Joseph foreshadows Jesus in a number of ways. By looking at Joseph carefully, we can see the reflection of Christ. Joseph was the special son of Jacob, and Jesus is the special Son of God. Joseph was rejected by his brothers, and Jesus was rejected by his

brothers (John 7:5). Joseph was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry (Genesis 41:46), and Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry (Luke 3:23).

Joseph ruled Egypt under Pharaoh, and Jesus rules the world under his Father. Joseph fed the people with grain, and Jesus fed the people with bread (John 6:10-11). Joseph’s brothers were saved by coming to him, and we are saved by coming to Christ. These surprising parallels are like fingerprints that reveal the Bible’s author.

Genesis 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?

So they came to Joseph and said, we are your slaves (Genesis 50:18). Joseph had power over his brothers, and could’ve caused them harm. His many years of suffering might have made him bitter but, due to his theology, they didn’t. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good (Genesis 50:20), he said.

This is the climactic verse of the story and makes an important point: God turns evil into good. It didn’t seem good to Joseph when he was sold into slavery, or when he was rotting away in prison. But looking back it was clear: if he hadn’t been sold into slavery he couldn’t have saved Egypt, or his family, or been promoted to such a high position.

Paul likely had this in mind when he wrote . . . we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). It won’t appear that way when your house burns


down, you get laid off from your job, and they repossess your car. But if you love Jesus Christ, nothing bad can happen to you that God hasn’t planned for your good. This is a

wonderful comfort through all our ups and downs.

For Reflection and Review

• Why were Joseph’s brothers troubled by their sin?

• Why did Joseph want his father’s approval?

• How did God use the sin of Joseph’s brothers?


>Lesson 23 Exodus 1:4 — These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

The book of Exodus was written by Moses for the people of God around 1445 BC. It tells how God delivered his people from Egyptian slavery and made a covenant with them, including laws to govern them.

Exodus 1:7 [T]he Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbe rs and b e came s o numerous that the land was filled with them.

When Jacob and his family moved to Egypt there were only about seventy of them (Exodus 1:5). But over the next four hundred thirty years, they grew to more than two million people (Exodus 12:37). Pharaoh was threatened by their numbers, so he turned the Israelites into slaves. Exodus tells the story of their exit from Egypt, and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.

Exodus 1:15-16 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.

To reduce the threat of too many Israelites, Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill the boys at birth, so they wouldn’t grow up to become an opposing

army. Disobeying Pharaoh’s command could be fatal, but the midwives

feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do (Exodus 1:17).

Shiphrah and Puah are an example of what Jesus taught many years later. I

tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body

and after that can do no more. . . . Fear him who, after your body has been

killed, has authority to throw you into hell (Luke 12:4-5). Disobeying Pharaoh could be deadly, but disobeying God could be even worse. The fear of God delivers us from the fear of anyone else, even the most powerful person on earth.

Notice the midwives are mentioned by name, but Pharaoh is not. Most people would’ve known Pharaoh’s name, but not the midwives’ names. Now we know the midwives’ names (Shiprah and Puah) but not Pharaoh’s name. The wicked will soon be forgotten, but the righteous will be known forever.


Exodus 2:1-2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

This is the beginning of the story of Moses. The midwives refused to kill the boys at birth, but Pharaoh’s decree was still in place, and every Israelite boy was at risk. Moses’ parents may’ve prayed for a girl, and been disappointed when they had a boy. They couldn’t bring themselves to part with their child at once, however, so they hid him for three months (Exodus 2:2). When he could no longer be concealed, they put him in a box, and placed it in the Nile River. When Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe, she saw the box, and the baby inside. Her maternal instincts were instantly aroused.

Moses’ older sister was watching, and said to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you? (Exodus 2:7). Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and actually paid Moses’ mother to nurse him. This probably continued for at least a few years until Moses’ mother brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and Moses became her son (Exodus 2:10).

Moses was chosen by God, and God was overseeing everything to be sure it went according to plan. The same is true for all who believe in Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11), wrote Paul. Our lives don’t always make sense at the time, but one day we’ll see that everything went

according to God’s plan—for our good, and for his glory.

Growing up an Egyptian prince, Moses enjoyed every advantage, including the best education (Acts 7:22). His leadership training equipped him to lead the nation of Israel. His academic training equipped him to write Scripture. And his military training equipped him to fight the Lord’s battles (Numbers 21). Moses didn’t know it at the time, but God was preparing him for future service.

Then one day, Moses had an awakening. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26), says Hebrews. Moses could’ve enjoyed a wonderful life, if he’d simply been content, but all the treasures of Egypt weren’t enough for him. They appeared to be everything a man could want, but they couldn’t satisfy his deepest need. God alone could meet that need, and all the treasures of Egypt were nothing in comparison. So Moses gave up Egypt in order to have God.

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples (Luke 14:33), said Jesus. This may seem like a steep price, but what is the world, and everything in it, compared to Jesus Christ? He is the one for whom we were made, and with whom comes everything else. Moses saw the best of Egypt was only temporary, so he threw it away because he was looking ahead to his reward (Hebrews 11:26), says Hebrews. The best of everything can’t make us happy if it only lasts for a while.  



• Does God want people to be afraid of him?

• How did God prepare Moses for his future work?

• Why did Moses choose God over Egypt? 


>Lesson 24 Exodus 2:11 — One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor..

There he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite and, since no one was around, Moses killed the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not (Acts 7:25), said Stephen.

Moses assumed the Israel i tes would ra l ly around him, and that he’d lead an insurrection. When things didn’t go according to plan, Moses had to run for his life to the land of Midian (Exodus 2:15). He was forty years old (Acts 7:23) and, for the next forty years (Acts 7:30), he’d shepherd another man’s sheep in the middle of nowhere.

Moses’ life didn’t turn out the way he thought it would. He thought he was destined for greatness but, when he took action, things went badly. He spent most of his life as an Egyptian prince, but now he was a lowly shepherd. For the next forty years Moses had time to think. Should he have believed in God? Should he have killed the Egyptian? Did God still have a plan for his life? Moses had been so sure of himself, but now he was confused.

What Moses didn’t realize is that God was still preparing him. Moses believed in God,

but he also believed in Moses. He had to learn that God could work with or

without him. God might be happy to use Moses, but God didn’t need Moses. Just because you’re great doesn’t mean you’ll be greatly used by God. Moses had to learn the

lesson of humility so he might be used by God in the

future.

With time, in fact, Moses became a humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). His youth slipped away along with his self-confidence. He used to be powerful in speech and action (Acts 7:22), but now he was slow of speech and tongue (Exodus 4:10), it says.

Time is a teacher of humility, and happy are those who learn it soon. God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (1 Peter 5:5-6), wrote Peter. The choice belongs to us: we can


humble ourselves, or we can be humbled by God.

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Horeb means desert or desolation and may describe Moses’ mood as well as the landscape. The first part of his life was filled with promise and potential, but throughout the second part of his life he was painfully underemployed. And since shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34), Moses was doing a job he was conditioned to despise.

If a man succeeds early in life, but not later on, he may carry a sense of shame. Moses had been on top of the world, but was now in a place called desolate. There he’d learn that God meets people in desolate places. Whenever our lives become worse than we expect, that’s where God is likely to meet us. He is the God of the desert.

Exodus 3:4 God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am.

Moses saw a bush on fire that wouldn’t burn up and, when he got closer, he saw that God was in the bush. This seems rather unlikely but the God of heaven and earth is free to reveal himself any way he pleases. God in a bush reminds us that God is humble. What, after all, is more humble than a bush?

We may not always think of God as humble but we should. If I became a worm to save the worms, that would be an act of humility. But I’m much closer to being a

worm than God was to being a man. The difference between people and worms is finite, but the difference between God and people is infinite. For God to become one of us required extreme humility.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), wrote Paul. God’s humility didn’t end with his incarnation but included his crucifixion, death, and burial. The maker of heaven and earth did all this for our salvation. When we understand God’s humility, we won’t be afraid to humble ourselves in order to know him better.

Exodus 3:5 Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

This was the same ground where Moses had to watch his step, because his sheep had done their business. The presence of God, however, made it holy. Common ground becomes holy ground whenever God is uniquely present.

This also applies to churches: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:20), said Jesus. If Christians worship in a barn, the place becomes sacred because of the presence of Jesus. But then it becomes a barn again. If Christians worship in a cathedral, it too becomes sacred because of the presence of Jesus. But then it’s just a fancy building.

By telling Moses to take off his shoes, God was teaching him to worship with respect. God is not a mild-mannered deity whom we can approach casually. He holds the power of life and death, and must be approached with


reverence. This is more important than many people think. The church in Corinth displeased the Lord through careless worship, and some of them died as a result (1 Corinthians 11:31). So let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28-29), says Hebrews.

Exodus 3:6 I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the ones to whom God had pledged the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 30:20), where Moses would lead the Israelites. Abraham’s son was

Isaac, Isaac’s son was Jacob, and Jacob’s sons became the twelve tribes of Israel.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob believed in God, but weren’t always perfect. When Pharaoh wanted Abraham’s wife, Abraham didn’t resist (Genesis 12:10-20). Isaac did something similar with his wife (Genesis 26:7-9). And, while Jacob never gave up his wives, he was often deceitful (Genesis 27:36). Nevertheless, God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He’s the God of imperfect people who truly believe. It’s not perfection that God requires, but genuine faith (Galatians 3:7). This should be a comfort to imperfect believers everywhere 


• How did God humble Moses?

• How do we know that God is humble?

• What kind of people were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?


>Lesson 25 Exodus 3:10 — I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.

Forty years earlier Moses felt up to the task, but not anymore. Egypt was the last place he wanted to be, and Pharaoh was the last person he wanted to see. But then God said, I will be with you (Exodus 3:12), and that was helpful. What Moses couldn’t do alone, God was going to do through him.

This is the same promise Jesus gave the church: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end o f t h e a g e (Mat thew 28:18-20), he said. Moses was called to confront Pharaoh, and the church is called to evangelize the world. Both tasks seem impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Luke 18:27).

Exodus 3:13-14 Moses said to God, Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? Then what shall I tell them? God said to Moses, I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I am has sent me to you.

This name reveals two important things about God. First, he’s self-existent. Everything depends on God for existence, but God alone is self-existent. He made the trees, the rocks,

and the stars, but no one made him. Everything else began to exist, but God has always existed because he’s self-existent.

Second, God is who he is. We can take him or leave him, but we can’t change him. There’s not a sinner on earth, in fact, who

wouldn’t change God if they could. We like his promises, but not his

threats. We like his love, but not his wrath. We like his forgiveness, but not his commands. We like his blessings, but not his curses. We like his heaven, but not his hell.

Instead of worshipping the God who exists, therefore,

many worship the god of their imagination, which is merely an idol.

Idols can’t save us, and neither can the god of our imagination. If we want God to accept us as we are, we must return the favor. He is who he is.

And God has revealed himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Very truly I tell you, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am! (John 8:58). Since Abraham lived two thousand years before Christ, Jesus’ listeners correctly understood him to be claiming the sacred name for himself—so they picked up stones to stone him (John 8:59). And when they finally did kill him, Jesus rose from the dead because


he has existence in himself (John 10:17-18). Jesus Christ is who he is.

Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.

It may surprise us that a man like Moses would try to get out of doing God’s will, but he had a few reasons: First, he felt unequal to the task (Exodus 3:11). Second, the people might not believe him (Exodus 4:1). And, third, he didn’t speak very well (Exodus 4:10). So he just asked God to send someone else.

Whoever tries to follow God will be reluctant at times, because God often asks us to do what we don’t want to do. If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll never become all we can be for God. We may try to decline the Almighty, but that’s not in our best interest.

God rejected Moses’ request, but he sent his brother Aaron to help him (Exodus 4:14). For the rest of their lives, these two men fulfilled God’s will by working together. Whenever the task seems overwhelming, it may please God to give us a partner.

Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go.

But weakness of will didn’t bring Pharaoh to the top and, since he didn’t want to lose his labor supply, he replied defiantly. Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do

not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go (Exodus 5:2), he said. This is the beginning of a mighty conflict between an earthly king and the heavenly king. Since Pharaoh didn’t know the Lord, God introduced himself with a series of plagues (Exodus 7-12).

The first was a plague of blood in the Nile River that killed the fish. The second was a plague of frogs that got into homes and beds. The third was a plague of gnats that infested people and animals. The fourth was a plague of flies that destroyed the land. The fifth was a plague of death on the Egyptians’ livestock. The sixth was a plague of boils on men and animals. The seventh was a plague of hail that stripped every tree and ruined the crops. The eighth was a plague of locusts that devoured everything green. The ninth was a plague of darkness that lasted three days. The tenth, and final plague, was the death of firstborn males.

Pharaoh should’ve softened his heart but, instead, he chose to harden his heart (Exodus 8:15, 8:32, etc.). In response, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even more (Exodus 9:12, 10:20, etc.). This has been called judicial hardening and is a fitting response to rebellion. We naturally love either God or self, and harden our hearts against the other. So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:7-8), says Hebrews.  



• How does the promise of God’s presence help us do his will?

• What does God’s name reveal about him?

• Why did Pharaoh harden his heart? 


>Lesson 26 Exodus 12:13 — The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. 

The tenth and final plague was the one that broke Pharaoh’s will, and allowed God’s people to depart from Egypt. Every Israelite family was to slaughter a lamb and apply the blood to the doorframe of their home (Exodus 12:7). When God came to kill every firstborn male, he’d see the blood and pass over them. This became known as Passover.

Exodus 12:29-30 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

Pharaoh’s will was finally broken, and Israel was free to go. Passover has been a Jewish holiday ever since, but this is also important for Christians. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7), wrote Paul. Jesus was crucified during the Passover holiday (John 18:39) to fulfill the imagery of the Passover lamb. He does so in other ways as well.

The Passover lamb was to be without defect (Exodus 12:5), and Jesus was without moral defect. The Passover lamb was to be a young male (Exodus 12:5), and Jesus was a young male. Not a bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken (Exodus 12:46), and when

the soldiers came to break Jesus’ legs, they saw he was already dead, so

none of his bones were broken (John 19:32-33).

The blood of the Passover lamb had to be applied to the door frames of their homes (Exodus 12:33) or it

wouldn’t save them, and the death of Christ must be

personally believed in or it will not save us. In this, and many

other ways, the Old Testament looks ahead to Jesus Christ who came to fulfill it (Luke 24:44).

Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.

This was a terrifying development for God’s people. After the last plague, Pharaoh gave them permission to leave Egypt, and they assumed the battle was over. Egypt was devastated, Pharaoh’s will was broken, and God’s people were free to begin their journey to the Promised Land.


But as Pharaoh watched his labor supply march out of Egypt, he changed his mind. He marshaled his troops and chariots, and pursued the people of God until they were against the sea. Pharaoh was behind them, the sea was before them, and there was no place to go.

Exodus 14:10 They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.

In desperation, God’s people cried out to him in prayer. No one had to tell them to pray—they did it instinctively. Trouble drives people to prayer, and prayer is the plea of people in trouble. The trouble may be our own fault, someone else’s fault, or no one’s fault at all. But it can always be used by God as a way to reveal himself as the one who answers prayer.

God, in fact, has designed our lives to be a series of problems and answered prayers. It’s in the tension—between our problems and God’s answers—that we experience God most keenly and learn to pray. If not for our problems we’d pray less often, less earnestly, and experience less of God.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

After crying out to God in prayer, the Lord answered his people through Moses. They wouldn’t have to fight the Egyptian army, since God was going to fight for them. All they had to do was wait.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but not always. Sometimes the proper course of action is to wait for God. [God] acts on behalf of those who wait for him

(Isaiah 64:4), wrote Isaiah. And, Wait for your God always (Hosea 12:6), wrote Hosea. When God’s people were desperate, and didn’t know what to do, God told them to be still.

Exodus 14:21-22 The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Apart from the act of creation, this is the most spectacular miracle in the Bible. Moses held out his staff, and God sent a powerful wind that blew a path right through the Red Sea. There was a wall of water on the right and on the left, and even the bottom became dry ground.

The number of Israelite men who crossed the sea was about six hundred thousand (Exodus 12:37). This means the total number was over two million people. Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, teens, and toddlers walked between the walls of water to the other side of the sea. God became their God, and they were his chosen people.

This was a decisive miracle that’s still believed by many, since it was recorded by Moses and witnessed by two million people. It’s hard to deny a miracle witnessed by that many people, even centuries later. The resurrection of Christ is also supported by the eyewitness testimony of credible witnesses who were willing to suffer and die for what they saw. And none of the Apostles ever changed their story.

In contrast, four swimmers from the United States made up a story that they were robbed at the 2016 Olympics. But they all withdrew their story within a week because


their stories wouldn’t hold up. The apostles held to their story—not for weeks, but for decades—and many sealed it with their blood. Either they were crazy, or they were

just telling the truth that Jesus rose from the dead.


• How is Jesus like the Passover lamb?

• Why is it important to wait for God?

• How do we know Jesus rose from the dead?


>Lesson 27 Exodus 14:26 — Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.

Foolish Pharaoh lead his army into the sea to pursue the people of God. It’s hard to know what he was thinking since God’s mighty power was all that was holding the water back. After God’s people were safely across, God withdrew his power, and the water returned to its place. Pharaoh and his army were buried at sea.

This is a wonderful scene in God’s story, and there’s a sense in which all history can be seen as his-story. We can be the good guys or the bad guys; we can be on God’s side or the wrong side. But since we’re born into God’s world, we all have a part in his story. We may even be part of a miracle more dramatic than the exodus.

Like the exodus, the Lord is coming for his people, and there will be a showdown between good and evil. Someone worse than Pharaoh is coming, and he too will oppose the people of God.

[The antichrist] was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in

the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:7-8), wrote John.

But when it seems like the kingdom of God has lost, and the cause of Christ has

been defeated, Jesus will return to ove r t h ro w t h e a n t i c h r i s t

(Revelation 19:11-21). Then God’s people wil l l ive h a p p i l y e v e r a f t e r. Wherever we live, and whenever we live, we all have a part in God’s story.

Exodus 15:13 In your unfailing love you will lead the

people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy

dwelling.

After God’s people got to the other side of the sea, they began to worship in song. Since God had just delivered them from Pharaoh, they could be sure he’d lead them to the Promised Land. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21). When it was time to stop, the pillar would stop. When it was time to go, the pillar would go. All they had to do was follow the


pillar, and they would know they were exactly where God wanted them to be.

Thankfully, God is still willing to lead those who are willing to follow. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12), said Jesus. We are not unlike the Israelites. Through faith in Jesus Christ we’ve been delivered from the evil one, but we are not home yet. We need God to guide us the rest of the way. [H]e will be our guide even to the end (Psalm 48:14), wrote the Psalmist. But how does God lead his people today?

There’s a harbor in Italy that, at one time, could only be reached by sailing between dangerous rocks. So many ships were dashed on the rocks, that they set up a navigational system to help guide the captains. Three separate lights were mounted on three separate poles and, when all the lights lined up, the captain could be sure he was safely where he belonged. If the lights didn’t line up, the captain had to correct his course.

God has also given us three lights: his word, his Spirit, and his providence. Whenever we have to make a big decision we should ask if it agrees with God’s word. If not, God is not leading in that direction. But if it agrees with God’s word, we should also ask if it agrees with his indwelling Spirit. If our heart says No, that may be an impulse from the Spirit of God (Acts 16:6-10).

But if the decision agrees with God’s word, and his Spirit in our heart seems to approve, we can also ask if it agrees with his providence. In other words, is it practical? God’s ways are not always practical, but he’s

unlikely to call a person who’s bad at math to be an accountant. God is usually practical, and the most practical thing we can do is carefully follow him.

Exodus 16:31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

After leading his people out of Egypt, God proceeded to feed them on their way to the Promised Land. Each night, as they slept, bread came down from heaven so they could gather it up in the morning—enough for each of them.

The people called it manna which, in Hebrew, sounds like What is it? (Exodus 16:15). This is how God fed over two million people, every day, for the next forty years. The Bible contains many stories of God’s provision, and this is one the best.

Jesus drew on this story to teach an important lesson about himself. After he fed five thousand people, his popularity went up so dramatically that some wanted to make him king (John 6:15). Instead of being pleased, however, Jesus accused them of wanting another free lunch—which they admitted!

I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (John 6:48-51), he said.

God provides food for temporal life, as well as for eternal life. Whether we have much


in this age, matters very little compared to living with Christ forever. Jesus is the bread from heaven who gives eternal life to all who believe in him.


• Why would Pharaoh lead his army into the sea?

• How does God lead his people today?

• How is Jesus like manna?


>Lesson 28 Exodus 17:6 — Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.

As God’s people journeyed to the Promised Land they ran out of water. But, instead of praying to God, they complained to Moses. So God told Moses to strike a rock with his rod, and enough water came out for everyone. Even in the desert, God could provide enough water to keep his people alive.

T h e N e w Te s t a m e n t provides an interest ing c o m m e n t a r y o n t h i s episode. [T]hat rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), wrote Paul. It’s hard to understand how a rock could be Christ, but there’s an interesting parallel.

When Moses struck the rock with his rod, water came out. And when the solder thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, water came out, mixed with blood (John 19:34). Water from the rock satisfied people’s physical thirst, and Jesus satisfies our spiritual thirst. Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink (John 7:37), he said.

*****

Exodus 17:8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

On their way to the Promised Land, God’s people were opposed. The Amalekites declared war and were a serious threat. Moses

told Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle while he went up a hill to watch and pray. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning (Exodus 17:11).

God’s people often prayed with their hands lifted up to him (Psalm 141:2).

But if you hold your hands up very long, you’ll find it’s easy

at first, but soon becomes difficult. Moses’ arms became tired, so a rock was brought for him to sit on, and two other men held up his hands until the

Amalekites were defeated.

Important battles are won or lost in prayer. That’s why Jesus

began his ministry with forty days of prayer and fasting (Matthew 4:1-11). During this time he fought the devil, and was victorious. Three times Satan tempted Jesus, and three times Jesus defeated Satan.

Jesus also cast out demons, but his disciples were less effective. Why could not we drive it out? they asked. This kind can come out only by prayer (Mark 9:28-29), said Jesus. In the battle between light and darkness, only those who pray have power. Satan wants us to save time by neglecting prayer, because he knows that’s where battles are won.


*****

Exodus 19:1-2 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. . . . and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

About seven weeks after leaving Egypt, God’s people arrived at Mount Sinai. There they camped for nearly a year (Numbers 10:11-12), and received God’s law. This was a formative time as they learned what it meant to be God’s people, and for God to be their God (Exodus 6:7).

Exodus 19:9 The Lord said to Moses, I am going to come to you in a dense cloud.

God was about to reveal himself and give his people the Ten Commandments. He wouldn’t come on a rainbow, or on a beam of light, but in a dense cloud, also called a thick cloud (Exodus 19:16). At the very moment God was revealing himself, he’d also be concealing himself.

From this we learn there’s always more to God than meets the eye. We can know him truly (John 17:3), but never exhaustively. No matter how much we know about God, there will always be more that we don’t know, because God is infinite.

This is why God can never be boring. If you find a piece of music that you really enjoy, you’ll want to hear it again. But after you hear it a hundred times, it’ll no longer thrill you as at first. This can never happen with God because his perfections are infinite. For all eternity he’ll never cease to amaze us.

Exodus 19:16-19 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick

cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

God revealed himself in power because he was about to give his laws, and he didn’t want them taken as suggestions. God is a king whose word is to be obeyed on pain of death (Romans 6:23). Many think of God as an indulgent father, but that image is not found in the Bible. The God of the Bible kills people and sends them to hell. He is to be greatly feared and fully obeyed (Proverbs 10:27).

Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words. . . . You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image. . . You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. . . . Remember the Sabbath. . . . Honor your father and your mother. . . You shall not murder. . . . You shall not commit adultery. . . .You shall not steal. . . .You shall not give false testimony. . . . You shall not covet . . . (Exodus 20:3-17).

Other laws would be given, but these Ten Commandments were the foundation on which the others rested. They were the only words God spoke to the nation audibly, and were later written in stone by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). Then they were stored in the ark of the covenant, in the Most Holy Place, inside the tabernacle (Exodus 34:1, 40:20).


It would be hard to overstate the importance of the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel before the coming of Christ. But a change has taken place. Most of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament but not all of them. And, surprisingly, we’re never told to Obey the Ten Commandments.

The Mosaic law is no longer binding in an absolute sense (Hebrews 8:13), but reveals our sin (Romans 3:20), so we might flee to Christ and be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24), wrote Paul. Christians are free from the law as a way of salvation (Romans 7:4-6), but are under Christ’s law ( 1 Corinthians 9:21) as a way of life. The Ten Commandments have great historic significance, but are not the way of salvation.  


• What should we learn from Israel’s battle with the Amalekites?

• Why did God reveal himself in such a frightening way?

• Why aren't the Ten Commandments the way to be saved?


>Lesson 29 Exodus 20:18-19 — When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.

The people of God were terrified by God’s voice, and other manifestations, so they begged Moses to mediate. Moses represented the people to God, and God to the people. This was a helpful arrangement because it gave ordinary sinners access to God without fear of being destroyed by his holy wrath.

Priests and prophets were later ordained for a similar purpose, but the ideal mediator came in the person of Jesus Christ. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5), wrote Paul.

As perfect God, Jesus represents God to people. As perfect human, Jesus represents humans to God. Sinners can never approach a holy God without a mediator and hope to live. But God has provided the perfect mediator in the person of Jesus Christ. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6), he said.

*****

Exodus 23:2 Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.

It’s easier to follow the crowd than think for ourselves. But that is neither right nor safe. Middle-eastern shepherds were surprised when one of their sheep walked over a cliff.

But they were even more surprised when a second one followed, and

then a third. Before long the entire flock of four hundred sheep had gone over the cliff to their death. We can follow the crowd, or we can follow the shepherd. My sheep listen to my voice; I

know them, and they follow me (John 10:27), said Jesus.

*****

Exodus 25:8 [H]ave them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.

God’s presence with his people was seen in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). For the additional good of his people, he also ordained a place for them to worship. It was an elaborate tent about fifteen feet wide, fifteen feet high, and forty-five feet long. It wasn’t very large, but it was crafted with expensive materials to make it beautiful. God dwelt inside the tabernacle so he could be with his people wherever they went.


The New Testament says something similar about Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. This, in fact, is an allusion to the tabernacle. God lived in a tent so he could be near his people, then he came even nearer in the person of Jesus Christ.

A friend of mine grew up in a family of thirteen children. They all got married, had children of their own, and no one moved out of town. Everyone thought it was great, except Grandma and Grandpa. With everyone stopping by all the time, they were so exhausted that they moved to another state.

But there are other grandparents who follow their children from state to state, because they can’t bear to be away from them. That’s what God is like. So after Christ returned to heaven, he sent the Spirit to live within us (John 14:17). Notice the progression: God dwelt among his people in the tabernacle, then in Christ, now by the Spirit, and soon in heaven.

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God (Revelation 21:3), wrote John. Any separation from God will be a thing of the past, and we’ll dwell in his presence forever.

Exodus 29:38 This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old.

Inside the courtyard of the tabernacle was an altar for burning sacrifices. In addition to sacrificial lambs, there were grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, and guilt

offerings. They were all necessary to stay in a right relationship with God. God was teaching his people that sin is serious, and must be paid for.

All the ceremonies and sacrifices also showed the way to God wasn’t completely open yet. God was in the midst of his people, but he wasn’t very accessible. If anyone who wasn’t a priest got close to God’s tent, they were to be killed (Numbers 3:10).

Even most priests could only go in the first room of God’s tent, not the back room, where God himself was. Only the High Priest was allowed in there, and only once a year, with sacrificial blood (Leviticus 16). The two rooms were called the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, and were separated by an elaborate curtain (Exodus 26:31-33). God was with his people, but he was still hard to get to.

All the animals sacrificed for hundreds of years, in fact, never really atoned for sin, but only pointed forward to the sacrifice of Christ. The moment he died on the cross the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), showing the way to God is now open to everyone who believes in Christ. He is both our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14) and the perfect sacrifice who opened the way to God for us.

*****

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.


Moses had been on top of Mount Sinai with God for nearly six weeks, and the people were growing restless. In Moses’ absence, they turned to his brother Aaron, and asked for gods to lead them. Aaron collected gold from the people, and melted it down to create an idol in the shape of a calf. He also built an altar, and declared a festival the following day. God’s people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry (Exodus 32:6).

But only weeks earlier, God’s people heard him say, You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth (Exodus 20:3-4). We will do everything the Lord has said (Exodus 24:7), they replied.

They had every intention of obeying God but, in Moses’ absence, they did the opposite. They planned to obey God. They even pledged to obey God. But then they went astray. Telling sinners not to sin is like telling roaches to stay out of the kitchen.

This is important to understand so we don’t despair whenever we fail badly. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with indwelling sin throughout his life. What a wretched man I am! (Romans 7:24), he wrote. But then he put his hope in Jesus Christ who saved us from the penalty of sin, is now saving us from the power of sin (Romans 7:25), and will save us from the presence of sin (Revelation 21:27). [Y]ou are to give him the name Jesus, [said the angel] because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  


• Why is Jesus a perfect mediator between God and humans?

• What does the sanctuary tell us about God?

• How does Jesus save us from the penalty, power, and presence of sin?


>Lesson 30 Exodus 32:9-10 — I have seen these people, the Lord said to Moses. . . . Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.

God was so angry at his people for breaking his law, that he wanted to destroy them and start over with Moses. This was an opportunity for Moses to become a great nation. But Moses was more concerned with God’s reputation than with his own legacy. He even preferred death to seeing God’s people destroyed (Exodus 32:32).

This reminds of Jesus Christ who was willing to die so that we might live forever. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13), he said. Jesus laid down his life for us, so we could live forever through him (John 6:47).

Exodus 32:14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Moses’ intercession saved God’s people from total destruction, and also reminds us of the intercession of Christ. When we consider how often and badly we sin, it’s surprising we didn’t perish years ago. This is because Jesus intercedes for us to be sure his salvation is applied for all time. [H]e is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he

always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25), says Hebrews.

Whenever sin threatens to separate us from God, Jesus pleads on our behalf. Because

o f h i s d e a t h , a n d c o n s t a n t intercession, God pardons our

sins and will never give up on us. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is

a l s o i n t e r c e d i n g f o r u s (Romans 8:34), wrote Paul.

We’re not only saved by the death of Christ, but also by his

intercession.

Exodus 32:15-16 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he


ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it (Exodus 32:19-20).

By breaking the tablets in front of God’s people Moses was demonstrating how violently the people had broken their covenant with God. It would later be renewed (Exodus 34:10-28), but was presently shattered. This was a recurring problem since God’s people broke the covenant often, and h a d t o r e n e w i t a g a i n a n d a g a i n (Deuteronomy 29, Joshua 8, Joshua 24, 2 Kings 23). This imperfect arrangement showed the need for something better, and was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah.

The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord.

This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

This was put into effect by the Lord Jesus Christ the night before his death. [H]e took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you (Luke 22:20). The new covenant is based on the sacrifice of Christ and is eternal (Hebrews 13:20). We show our participation in the new covenant, not by bringing a sacrifice, but by receiving the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

Exodus 32:21 He said to Aaron, What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?

Moses’ brother was in trouble, and he knew it. So he did what people often do when they’re caught in a sin: he lied. Do not be angry, my lord, Aaron answered. You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him. So I told them, Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off. Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf ! (Exodus 32:22-24).

This, of course, was perfect nonsense, but Aaron was desperate. He was the future high priest of God’s chosen people, and failed at his calling before he even began. Instead of leading God’s people into proper worship, he led them into idolatry.

Aaron’s failure reminds us of our need for a perfect high priest—Jesus Christ. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself (Hebrews 7:26-27), says Hebrews.

Exodus 32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control.

Moses recovered control by having three thousand people put to death (Exodus 32:28). They were probably the worst offenders, and became an example to the others. God also


sent a plague to show his disapproval (Exodus 32:35). The penalty was severe, but so was the offense. True religion should never be mixed

with false religion . . . for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), says Hebrews..  


• Why is Jesus’ intercession important for our salvation?

• Why did the old covenant need to be replaced by a new covenant?

• Why is Jesus a perfect high priest?


Documents

WEEK 4— Moses, The Exodus & The 10 Commandmentsmedia.instantcustomer.com/14498/0/297_lby-week-4.pdfExodus 2:1-2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became