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?

Today’s passage: Exodus 6

Helpful thoughts:

• The Lord responds to Moses’ questions and accusation from the end of chapter 5.
• God committed to fulfill his promises to the children of Israel, but they did not believe Him.
  • The doubts of Pharaoh and the doubts of the Israelites made the judgment of God and the release of His people all the more poignant.  The LORD, sovereign God, was going to accomplish what He purposed to do.
    • “You shall know that I am the LORD your God.” (Verse 7)
• The genealogy in chapter 6 serves a few different purposes:
  • It identifies Moses and Aaron as from the tribe of Levi.
  • It makes sure the readers know exactly which Moses and Aaron we are reading about in these narratives.
  • It introduces us to the Aaronic line for the future priesthood.
  • It introduces us to Korah, who would later rebel against the Lord and Moses.
    • This genealogy skips generations.  It wasn’t intended to tell us every name in the family tree.  Only to point out certain significant members to move the narrative forward.

Questions to consider:

1. What can we learn about the promises of God in this passage?  Does God need our belief to bring about His decreed will?  Does He become less powerful when we doubt?  Why should this only cause us to believe all the more?
2. What is the irony of verses 28-30?  What do you think these verses are supposed to make us think about?
3. Why did Moses feel unqualified to speak?  Who had qualified him?  What has God commanded us to share with others?  Who has qualified you to share?

Today’s passage: Exodus 5

Helpful thoughts:

• As the task of calling on Pharaoh to “let the people go” begins, the testing of the faith of Israel (Moses included) also begins.
• Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and declared, “Thus says the Lord” (Verse 1).  The Egyptians responded with, “Thus says Pharaoh” (Verse 10).  Pharaoh was a god to the Egyptians.  Israel would not be permitted to go serve their God.  They would remain and continue to serve Pharaoh instead.
• The burdens and complaints of the people took Moses’ eyes away from what God had already promised was going to happen.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the answer to Pharaoh’s first question in verse 2?  Did Pharaoh have an obligation to obey the Lord of the Israelites?  Why so?  Is there anyone who isn’t accountable to Him (Even if that person is a “god” to many others)?
2. Though we certainly could sympathize with the Israelite people, what does it appear they wanted most in this moment?  They had God, but they were frustrated with God and God’s chosen leader for His people if they didn’t get what?
3. What are some hardships in this life that can take our eyes away from God, even if He has told us in His Word what He is doing?  How important is it to give our regular attention to God’s Word, so that we can remember who He is and what He has promised?