On Sunday, October 23rd, our lesson was on Moses and Pharaoh. Below, you will see the outline of the lesson in small group. We ask you to read through it and then comment on what stood out to you. By commenting, we will know that you have read through the material and interacted with the lesson. You can comment as "anonymous" and list your initials and we will know who it is; thank you.
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Moses and Pharaoh
Bible Text:
Exodus 2:23–24; 5:1–9; 6:1–9; 7:14–12:32; 12:33–42; 14:21–31
Lesson Focus:
God delivers the people from suffering.
Big Question:
Why doesn't God fix all the injustice in the world?
Key Words:
PLAGUE, PASSOVER, DELIVERANCE
Definition of Key Words
PLAGUE: any large-scale calamity.
PASSOVER: a Jewish festival commemorating the deliverance of their people from slavery in Egypt.
DELIVERANCE: the act of releasing or rescuing.
The Highlights
Moses serves as God's mediator and the Hebrew people's enfleshed liberator and leader.
The fantastic plague narrative shows that the God of the Israelites is sovereign not only over the Hebrew people, but over the Egyptians (i.e., the world) as well.
Yahweh is a God who rescues, makes relationships, and establishes covenants.
Yahweh is powerful, and divine power is shown not in domination, as exercised by Pharaoh, but through deliverance.
God's purposes continue to be achieved through people—reluctant ones, even!
God is involved in the sociopolitical world in profound ways.
The story of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. From now on, God is known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God.
DEEP THOUGHTS
The setting of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. God's action in this world to save his people from bondage to slavery becomes the story. God becomes known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God. And Moses becomes God's flesh-and-blood liberator, leader, and lawgiver.
God has already called Moses in the famous scene of the burning bush. His "call narrative" is wonderful on many levels, not the least of which is that he argues and argues and argues with God. And God listens. God responds. There is discussion. The plan is modified somewhat. Finally God says, "Go!" And Moses goes. The divine trait of listening to the people is highlighted throughout this story. It is not only Moses God listens to, but the people in general. "Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them" (Exodus 2:23–25). God is identified as the God who entered into the covenant with their ancestors. This is our clue that the promise of blessing will be furthered yet again.
The plague narrative is always interesting. It is so fantastic and surreal! The point of it is not found in Bible notes or late-night TV documentaries insisting that scientific evidence of natural disasters around this time in history exists. The point is that it is fantastic. This God of the Israelites is sovereign not only over the Hebrew people, but over the Egyptians (i.e., the world) as well. These are not magic tricks Moses brings on in the name of the Lord—Pharaoh's magicians cannot match them when the ante is upped. This is the power of the one true God. From this story comes the tradition of Passover, with its obvious links in the New Testament. This is the historical background of the celebratory feast that takes place each spring in the homes of our Jewish friends and neighbors. And it is our story too.
God shines from the pages of scripture in this story. As the people begin their wilderness wanderings after their miraculous crossing of the sea, Moses begins to talk with them more about the God who saved them. The themes are unmistakable, and they will continue to be spelled out again and again through the wilderness wanderings. Yahweh is a God who rescues, makes relationships, and establishes covenants. Yahweh is powerful, and divine power is shown not in domination, as exercised by Pharaoh, but through deliverance. God's purposes continue to be achieved through people—reluctant ones, even! God is involved in the sociopolitical world in profound ways. These are the claims of a rescued people. Though the chosen people do not always confess it—rather, they complain much of the time—the setting of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. From now on, God is known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God.
btz
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