JANUARY 29

In the Upper Story, God creates the Lower Story. His vision is to come down and be with us in a beautiful garden. The first two people reject God’s vision and are escorted from paradise. Their decision introduces sin into the human race and keeps us from community with God. At this moment, God gives a promise and launches a plan to get us back. The rest of the Bible is God’s story of how He kept that promise and made it possible for us to enter a loving relationship with Him.

SUMMARY

The Hebrew people knew the stories of Joseph and Jacob and how they’d settled in Egypt four centuries ago on Pharaoh’s dime. But that was then and this is now – and now, they were slaves. Moses was born during the rule of a tyrannical Pharaoh whose infanticide program was aimed at annihilating the Israelites. Ironically, baby Moses was delivered from danger when Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him, hired his mother to nurse him, and raised him as a royal son.

Moses grew up in the palace knowing he’d been born a slave. Feeling sympathetic to the plight of his people, he killed an Egyptian task master and was forced to flee to Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years hiding from Pharaoh, assuming this would be how he’d spend his life.

Then he met up with a burning bush where God commissioned Moses as Israel’s deliverer, revealing Himself as I AM, the covenant-keeping Redeemer of His people. Moses doubted his own abilities, but God responded with the guarantee of His presence. Moses returned to Egypt but Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites. God then sent a series of plagues and a cycle began: plague strikes, Pharaoh relents; plague stops, Pharaoh recants.

A shadow of what would be the “ultimate deliverance” came with the final plague. All firstborn would die in a single night with only one means of rescue. Every household in Israel was to select a perfect Passover lamb, slaughter it, and cover the doorposts of their homes with its blood. The angel of death would “pass over” the blood-stained houses, preserving the lives of all inside.

The Hebrews left Egypt that same night, but an enraged Pharaoh took off in pursuit. Trapped between a powerful army and the Red Sea, Egypt’s victory appeared certain. But God split the sea in two and the people walked to safety on dry land, celebrating when Pharaoh’s army drowned in the same sea…but only for a moment. Their jubilation turned to complaint when Israel forgot what God had done. They grumbled over the lack of water and food. God again proved faithful by providing water, manna, and quail to sustain them.

God delivered His people from bondage in Egypt as an early clue of the deliverance that Christ would bring. It would be centuries before Jesus would come as God’s perfect Passover Lamb and secure deliverance for His people. Yet the blood of Passover is a long shadow of what was to come when the Lamb of God set foot on the stage of history. These miracles were merely a hint of things to come – the I AM is still our Deliverer today.

QUESTIONS

1. Share a time when God delivered you from a close call, such as death or danger.
2. In the same way that God used Moses to set the Israelites free from slavery, He uses us to help people find freedom in Christ. Discuss your experiences with sharing your faith; what inhibitions keep you from doing so?
3. When Moses asked for God’s “official” name, God replied: I AM WHO I AM. Why do you think God identified Himself that way? What is the significance of that name? What does this name for God tell us about Him?
4. You may never have seen a burning bush, but have you experienced “standing on holy ground” – a time when you definitely felt the presence of God in your life? What was that like? How has that experience changed you/deepened your relationship with God?
5. Look at God’s description of Himself on page 48 of The Story, noting “I will” phrases. What is Moses focused on? What is God focused on? How do these statements build your faith?
6. Pharaoh was “plagued” many times over, yet still refused to humble himself before God. How do you reconcile the idea that God hardened Pharoah’s heart?
7. The Feast of Passover (The Story, p. 51-52) was to be perpetual reminder of how God delivered Israel. What are the parallels between sacrament of communion today and the Passover?
8. Even after being delivered, the people of Israel continue to grumble. How does perpetual dissatisfaction affect those in its orbit? What in our modern lives causes us to grumble more easily? What can be done to combat a negative, complaining spirit?
9. Only God could have solved the Israelites’ problems. Both Israel and Egypt discovered He alone was Lord. Can you identify a situation in your own life that testifies to God’s deliverance alone—that no one else could take credit for? Who could your story serve to encourage this week?

TAKE-AWAY

The very name of the book where we find this story serves as a reminder when we face difficult situations with no human means of deliverance. “Exodus” is a compound Greek word meaning “the way out” and the way out will always be God, not a better job, a different spouse, a bigger bank account, a victim mentality, or anything else. God never forgets His people or His promises, and He will respond when you cry out for help. He’s in the business of salvation!

PRAYER

God, we ask You to give us a clearer vision of who You are. We pray that it will not be tainted by false understandings and childish images, but shaped by Your Word of Truth. Help us to look to none but You for who we are, for our provision, for our guidance, for our deliverance. Even in the wilderness, You are our very life. Amen