The Whole Story
Exodus 1 - 3
Joseph brought his family to Egypt and
protected them there. But after Joseph’s death, as they multiplied into a
nation, they were forced into slavery. God then prepared Moses to free His
people from slavery and lead them out of Egypt.
Joseph brought his family to Egypt and
protected them there. But after Joseph’s death, as they multiplied into a
nation, they were forced into slavery. God then prepared Moses to free His
people from slavery and lead them out of Egypt.
God’s plan never works quite like we think it
should. When Genesis closes, you might think God’s plan to bless the world
through the descendants of Abraham is right on track, with Joseph in the palace
calling the shots. However, when the book of Exodus opens, it seems God has
taken his hands off the wheel. Though Joseph was well respected, and his family
was protected while he was alive everything began to fall apart as soon as
Joseph died.
After Joseph’s death, a new Pharaoh arose who
did not know Joseph and did not show any favor to Joseph's descendants. As
Joseph's descendants, the Hebrew people grew in number, the new Pharaoh saw the
people as a threat and decided that they could not be allowed to dwell freely
in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews and forced them to become
laborers for his kingdom. As if slavery were not bad enough, Pharaoh takes the
oppression to the next level. He begins to try to stem the population growth of
the Hebrews by killing the newborn male babies. The Egyptian midwives were
ordered to take the newborn Hebrew babies and throw them into the Nile River.
Whenever a society finds itself in opposition to God, oppression and murder of
the most vulnerable is always the result.
Though it seems God’s plan for redemption is
falling apart, God is actually just getting started. When God’s people call out
from their oppression, God hears their cries. God hears His people’s cries. God
sees His people’s pain. God knows His people’s troubles.
The great I AM is always working for His
people, even when things seem to be falling apart. God’s movement toward His
people in the oppression and slavery of Egypt draws our hearts and minds to
another time when God moved toward His people in the oppression and slavery of
sin and death. God sent Moses to rescue His people in Egypt. God sent Christ to
rescue His people in sin. Jesus is here, even in Exodus, even when God’s plan
isn’t playing out how we thought it would.
Bottom Line:
God redeems his people when they cry out.
SERMON RECAP:
Though the people of Israel are experiencing
a terrible suffering, they are never out of sight or out of mind for God. God
sees. God knows. The same is true in our life. No matter what we are going
through, God knows and God cares.
The revelation of God to Moses begins to open
our eyes to the holiness of God. The great I Am is not like us.
God was not relying on the ingenuity or
skillfulness of Moses to deliver the people of Israel. All God need was a
willing vessel. God could overcome Moses’ weakness because God was never going
to save through Moses’ strength.
Focus Passage:
Exodus 3:1-6
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his
father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west
side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He
looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses
said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the
bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come
near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing
is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for
he was afraid to look at God.
Main Themes:
God’s Response to Suffering (Exodus 3:7–8):
Reflection: In Exodus 3:7–8, God tells Moses,
“I have surely seen the affliction of my people… I have come down to deliver
them.” How does this declaration reveal God’s active concern for those who are
suffering?
Application: In what ways do you see God’s
concern and intervention in your own life or the lives of those around you
today?
Foreshadowing Deliverance in Moses’ Early
Life (Exodus 2:1–10):
Reflection: The narrative of Moses’ birth and
survival in Exodus 2 shows how he was set apart from the beginning. How might
these early events foreshadow a larger plan of deliverance for Israel?
Application: Reflect on a time in your life
when a seemingly small or difficult event turned out to be part of a larger
plan. How does that experience encourage you to trust in God’s timing?
Moses’ Doubt and God’s Assurance (Exodus 3:11–12):
Reflection: When Moses questions his ability
to lead in Exodus 3:11–12, God assures him, “I will be with you.” What does
this promise tell us about God’s provision when we face our own insecurities or
challenges?
Application: Can you identify a current
challenge where you need to hear “I will be with you”? How might embracing this
promise change your perspective or actions?
God’s Self-Revelation (Exodus 3:14):
Reflection: In Exodus 3:14, God reveals
Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM.” How does this declaration of God’s eternal
nature help us understand His character?
Application: How can you rely on the
unchanging nature of God in times of personal uncertainty or when facing change
in your own life?
God’s Remembrance of His People (Exodus 2:23–25):
Reflection: Exodus 2:23–25 describes how God
hears the groaning of the Israelites and “remembers” His covenant. What does
this act of remembrance tell us about God’s commitment to His people?
Application: In what practical ways can you
remind yourself of God’s faithfulness during seasons of hardship, and how can
that remembrance shape your daily decisions?
Moses’ life is a reminder that God doesn’t
need extraordinary people to accomplish His plan and mission. Moses had several
weaknesses that made him a less-than-ideal candidate. This should encourage us
all to remember that God can use us despite us. How might God be planning to
use you for His glory despite your past or your weakness?
END
Teacher Notes:
