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October 31, 2019

As we continue to make our way through the story of the Bible, in order to keep moving (and make this series manageable) we talked about the rest of the book of Genesis in a broad overview, and moved into the beginning of Exodus. God fulfills his promise to Abraham, giving him a son named Isaac, who has a named Jacob, who has a son named Joseph. It’s through these offspring that God continues to trace his promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, name, and blessing. In the beginning of Exodus, we learn that Israel has multiplied greatly. They are becoming so big, in fact, that Pharaoh is scared of them, so he enslaves them and makes the build with brick and mortar (Exodus 1:14). The biblical authors include this piece of information in order to get us to remember that God’s enemies are Babylon, and in this way, we see Egypt as a NEW Babylon.

So, because His people are in trouble, God sets out to solve a new problem and to show His people just how committed He is to His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Exodus 3:7-12, we learn that God hears the cries of His people, remembers His covenant, and because of that, raises up Moses to lead His people out of slavery. Moses, just like Abraham, at first lacks trust that God will do what He says. This shows us that the stories in the Bible are really less about the characters (Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.) and more about God as the acting agent! The plagues, and the rescue of the Israelites show us way more about who God is, than they do about who the people are. The biggest takeaway for us last night was that God is a promise keeper. He does not ever go back on His Word. In order to “prove” Himself, especially in the Old Testament, He uses incredible means and miracles to help His people see Him for who He is.

In the story of the Bible, God’s rescue of His people from Egypt is frequently reiterated as an example of His display as a covenant keeping God. It is because of His mighty hand that the Israelites become a nation, take the land, and have the opportunity to be a blessing to other nations.

Here are a couple of questions for you to review with your students:

• How is God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt an example of the fact that He will always keep His promises?
• What is it that God promises to you? How do you know that He will keep that promise?
• Who gets the credit for Israel being rescued? Does Moses get the credit? Does God get the credit?
• Why do you think that God uses people like Abraham, and Moses (imperfect, untrusting people) in order to accomplish his purposes?
• How do you think God will use you, in all of your imperfections, for His purposes?

With you and for you in Christ.