Today’s passage: Exodus 14

Helpful thoughts:

• The Lord’s victory over Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel was not yet complete.  The Lord would harden his heart one more time.
• What looked like a dead end to the people of Israel was what God intentionally used to bring about their escape and freedom.
  • Today we read the beginning of Israel’s complaining against the Lord.
    • “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Verse 14)
• There was no denying who won this victory.  A miracle had taken place.  The waters of the sea stood as a wall on both sides of Israel as they crossed on dry land.  Every Egyptian in their military perished.  Not a single Israelite raised a hand against the Egyptians to strike them.

Questions to consider:

1. What were to be the outcomes of this rescue and victory?  What all did God accomplish?
2. How did He do it?  What were the specific miracles He performed and how did He show His presence before Israel and Egypt?
3. How can we read Philippians 2:9-11 and therefore place a similar trust in the Lord for our rescue?  What did the acknowledgement of the Egyptians that the Lord was fighting for Israel do for the Israelites?  What can the knowledge of the whole world one day bowing their knees to Jesus do for the church?

Today’s passage: Exodus 13

Helpful thoughts:

• At the conclusion of Passover, and after the release of Israel from Egypt, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was begun.
  • The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the offerings and sacrifices of/for the firstborn were to be signs for future generations in Israel.
  • These practices and the explanation of them to the children were to teach the people to fear the Lord and His “strong hand.”
    • The nations in Canaan were not to be feared in comparison with the God who brought Israel out of Egypt with His strong hand!
• God manifested His presence with the people of Israel through the pillars of cloud and fire.
  • God was with His people.
  • God led His people.
  • God knew His people’s hearts, and therefore knew how to lead His people.
    • This required a path that would not have seemed very direct.

Questions to consider:

1. What did God want the Israelite people to know about Him and to teach to their children, generation after generation?  How would this knowledge of God have helped Israel trust and obey the Lord?  How does a right fear of the Lord help us to trust and obey Him today?
2. How do we determine in our minds what the most direct path is to the things we want to accomplish (Verse 17)?  What is God’s goal for His people (1 Thessalonians 4:3a – “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”)?  How can remembering God’s primary goal for us help us to redefine what a “direct” path would be?

Today’s passage: Exodus 12:29-51

Helpful thoughts:

• The tenth plague came and the will of Pharaoh was broken.
• The Pharaoh and the people of Egypt asked/told Israel to leave, and:
  • Pharaoh asked for a blessing from the Lord and Moses.
  • The Egyptians gave Israel gold, silver and other possessions to help them on their way.
  • A mixed multitude joined Israel as they departed!
    • God gave instruction in the end of the chapter for assimilating foreigners into the nation.  Israel was never intended to be closed off from the rest of the world, though they were to remain set apart.  The world was invited to join the people of God (Ruth 1:16-17).  But the people of God were not to be like the world (2 Corinthians 6:17).
• The length of Israel’s time in Egypt (Some of the time was spent without the burden of slavery) was in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham back in Genesis 15:13.
• Based on verse 37, there could have been over two million people in the caravan that left Egypt that day.

Questions to consider:

1. What do we learn about God in this passage?
2. What do we learn about God’s plan for His people (Both in giving instruction and in assimilating others into the fold)?  How are God’s people to live?  How are God’s people to invite and include others who submit themselves to the Lord?
3. Does the world need the church to soften our depiction of God to earn their respect?  What is God perfectly capable of on His own?  What must we communicate about Him in order to truly communicate the Gospel message?  Who will bring about the fruit?

Today’s passage: Exodus 12:1-28

Helpful thoughts:

• The first 28 verses of Exodus 12 contain God’s instruction for the first Passover, every subsequent celebration of the Passover, and then Moses’ instruction to the people and the initial obedience on that night.
  • Verses 1-13 – God’s instruction for the first Passover night in Egypt.
  • Verses 14-20 – God’s instruction for the continual celebration of the Passover.
  • Verses 21-28 – Moses’ instruction and the people’s implementation.
• In the Passover, and in the final plague, God makes a distinction between His people (Israel) and the people of Egypt.  And, He makes a distinction between Himself (The one true God) and the false gods of the Egyptians.
• The Passover Lamb was slaughtered in the place of the firstborn in each home.  Because the lamb had died, those in the house were spared God’s judgment.
  • When the Lord saw the blood of the Lamb, He passed over that house.

Questions to consider:

1. What was the purpose of these plagues and the Passover celebration?  What does verse 12 indicate Israel was supposed to learn (And the Egyptians too!)?  If the Egyptians were to learn their false gods were nothing and that the LORD is God, what does this imply concerning world missions?  Are people in other cultures who don’t know the Lord supposed to be left alone (Acts 17:30)?
2. What did the instruction to eat unleavened bread, to eat while fully dressed to leave (at night, when people typically didn’t leave for a journey), to eat with haste, and to burn up whatever was left over teach the people of Israel?  How prepared were they for the journey ahead of them?  How reliant were they going to have to be on the Lord?
3. In what way(s) does the Passover Lamb point forward to Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7)?  What did Christ do for us when He died and shed His blood in our place?

Today’s passage: Exodus 11

Helpful thoughts:

• Before Moses left Pharaoh’s presence, the Lord uses him to give the final warning of the final plague.  The resistance of Pharaoh and the trouble he brought upon his own nation (Whom he was to lead and protect) brought Moses to great anger.
• By the time of the final plague, Moses and the people of Israel had great respect among all the Egyptians.
• In the proclamation of this final plague to Pharaoh, there is no request to let the people go.  Pharaoh is simply told what is going to happen, what God is going to do.

Questions to consider:

1. What had God promised was going to happen back in 4:22-23?  How is God’s providence being displayed in this passage?
2. Though some time had passed between the other plagues, when was this final plague going to come?  Who had determined that?  Did Pharaoh have the option of postponing the judgment of God?  Why not?
3. Pharaoh’s rejection resulted in God’s “wonders being multiplied in the land of Egypt.”  It is often our desire for God’s wonders to be multiplied through repentance and redemption, but how are God’s wonders also displayed through judgment?  How will God be glorified by the redemption of the church and how will He also be glorified through the judgment of those who have rejected Him?

Today’s passage: Exodus 10

Helpful thoughts:

• As the severity of the plagues was about to increase, God reminded Moses what was going to happen and why.
  • Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened providentially.
  • The display of God’s judgment was to be a lesson to the people of God for generations to come.
• The two plagues (eighth and ninth) in today’s passage:
  • Locusts
    • Pharaoh’s advisors were now attempting to persuade their ruler to let Israel go, but he would not listen.
    • Egypt had taken comfort in the produce that had been spared in the previous plague, now all they had left was to be taken from them.
  • Darkness (“A darkness to be felt” – Verse 21)
    • This plague came without warning.
    • Pharaoh attempted to compromise and strike a deal with Moses.  The Lord is worthy to demand full obedience.
• Pharaoh threatened Moses and never wanted to see his face again.  His threat and command were foolishness.  Even if he felt he had power, he and all the false gods of Egypt were completely overpowered by the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. What were the future generations of Israel supposed to learn about the Lord in the sharing of this narrative?  Why is God worthy of full obedience?
2. What would be some examples in our own lives where we would prefer partial obedience, or the ability to barter back and forth with God?  Why is striking a deal with God a ridiculous proposition?
3. How does this concept of rewriting what would be acceptable to God become eternally destructive to people?  What is the only way to eternal life and fellowship with the Father?  If we try to altar that, what would we accomplish?  What would be the consequences?

Today’s passage: Exodus 9

Helpful thoughts:

• Three additional plagues are recorded in this chapter
  • Death of the livestock
    • God performed this judgment exactly as He said He would, and when He said He would.
    • Pharaoh investigated the accuracy and the damage done.  Yet, his heart was hardened.  He knew what God had done, but he refused to submit.
  • Boils
    • In this plague, we are reminded of the magicians.  They would not even come before Moses to attempt replication of the miracle because they were so badly affected by the plague themselves.  God prevented them from any involvement.
  • Hail
    • God made it clear, He could have entirely destroyed Egypt and given Israel their freedom.  But, He had other purposes.  Pharaoh was being used by God to prove a point, that the world would know who the true God is.
    • In this plague, God gave Egypt counsel on what to do in order to avoid the effects of the hail.  Those who feared the Lord could take shelter.
    • Moses knew Pharaoh would not be truly repentant because there were some crops that had yet to sprout.  Pharaoh took solace not in repentance or in the Lord, but in what he still had left.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some unique aspects of these narratives that differentiate these plagues from the others than went before?  (Not so much the animals, bugs, or weather…but the interactions between the people and the Lord.)
2. What has Pharaoh’s hard heart produced in his words and actions?  From what we are reading, how would you define a hard heart?  What kinds of responses would a hard heart produce in your life?  How about a softened heart?
3. In what way has God provided a shelter for us to find refuge in from his coming judgment against sin? (Romans 7:24-8:1)

Today’s passage: Exodus 8

Helpful thoughts:

• Plagues 2-4 are described in today’s chapter.
  • Frogs
    • When the nation was overwhelmed with frogs, the magicians made more.
    • When Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted the frogs to leave, he said, “Tomorrow!”
      • A little humor in this narrative…
  • Gnats
    • There was no request or warning in this plague.  God simply brought it about.
    • Because the magicians were unable to mimic the miracle, they now became intimidated.
      • Regardless of why God allowed these magicians to repeat the previous miracles, the effect of their inability this time was to add increasing pressure on Pharaoh.
  • Flies
    • Pharaoh promised a second time to let the Israelites go.  But once the pressure was off, his heart was hardened and he went back on his word.
• Pharaoh and the people of Egypt were going to know who the Lord is.  This includes the knowledge that Pharaoh was not the most powerful in Egypt!  The plagues repeatedly put Pharaoh in his place.  His resistance to the truth cost his people dearly.

Questions to consider:

1. What would some of the consequences have been of the first four plagues?  What would all the water turning to blood and that many frogs, gnats and flies do to the land?  What did their arrival and schedule departure communicate about the power and authority of God?
2. Moses gives Pharaoh two reasons the Israelites needed to go out into the wilderness to sacrifice in verses 25-27.  What are they?  Which was the practical reason Pharaoh would be quick to understand and which was the deeper, true reason?
3. Who had told Moses where to go and what to say?  How can reasoning with people (as Moses did) be helpful?  Why are God’s commands all we really need?  Why is that enough?

Today’s passage: Exodus 7

Helpful thoughts:

• The Egyptians would know that God is the LORD.
  • God was going to cause Pharaoh to see Moses as if he was the “Pharaoh” of the Israelites…  Moses the “god” and Aaron the prophet.
  • God was going to providentially harden Pharaoh’s heart to bring about judgment and deliverance as He righteously and rightfully saw fit.
• In the first plague, the Lord turned the Nile (And other water throughout Egypt) into blood.
• The enemy of God can perform “signs” as well.  Beware looking for signs.  Beware loving signs more than you love God.

Questions to consider:

1. Why can we know that God’s decision to harden Pharaoh’s heart was good, right and just?  Is it because things turned out “well” or is it because of God’s character and attributes?  Can God do anything that isn’t good, right and just?  What must we consider if we ever feel He has been unjust?
2. Why is it so dangerous to be carried away by signs or to look for signs (Matthew 16:4)?  What has God given us that is better than a million other signs?
3. What did God allow these signs and plagues in Egypt to accomplish?  What purpose did they serve?  How did they show His superiority over the false Egyptian gods?  Since the Egyptian gods didn’t exist, who would have actually been behind the return signs (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)?  Whether the Egyptians believed it or not, who had truly given them the Nile River and fertility in the land?