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  • Exodus 18

    Exodus 18

    Read Exodus 18

    Jethro Visits Moses

    1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

    After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

    Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

    So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.

    Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

    13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

    15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

    17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

    24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

    27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

    Go Deeper

    We love to be wanted and needed by others. Whether you’re a parent whose kids need help tying their shoes, the friend to whom everyone turns for wisdom, or the boss who knows all the answers, it’s good to be in high demand. But sometimes this “need to be needed” becomes a source of pride. We find too much significance from being needed by others.

    The people of Israel needed Moses. The lines to get time with him to pick his brain were very long—God’s people stood around Moses from morning till evening (Exodus 18:13-14), waiting for his help and counsel. He alone sat as the judge for the people. The text doesn’t tell us how Moses felt, but he thought he had to be the one, the only one, who could help the people know God’s decrees and instructions. He is, after all, Moses! He’s the one who led them out of captivity and was the leader of God’s people. The Lord spoke to him through a burning bush, he stood up to the evil Pharaoh, and he led the people through the Red Sea. 

    Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, called him out when he said, “What you are doing is not good” (v. 17). After singing the praises of the Lord and all the work He had done (see verses 8-11), Moses now thinks he needs to do it all. We often feel the same way. We want to be needed and think we need to do it all. “My way is the best way”–and in the process, we wear ourselves out and leave people dissatisfied.

    We can be grateful for the example of Moses and the way he applied Jethro’s wisdom. Once Moses selected capable men to help lead, he was no longer weary, and the people went home satisfied. We see something similar in Acts 6:1-7. When the workload of the twelve Apostles was distributed to others, the Word of God spread and disciples were made. The Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared in making disciples and strengthening the saints!

    Getting practical for your life today: think through the areas of life where you “need to be needed.” Too often, we find significance in what we do and being needed by others. In the process, we wear ourselves out. Think through how you can better follow the example of Moses in building teams and including others in the work that needs to be done.

    Questions
    1. How does Exodus describe the men who Moses selected to share his workload?

    2. Do you have men and women in your life who aren’t afraid to tell you that “what you’re doing isn’t good”? How can you better position yourself to hear the feedback and input of others?

    3. Why do you think we like to be needed? Do you think there might be some sin in your need to be needed?

    Did You Know?

    Jethro’s plan through Moses paves the way for the rule of God’s law. Israel needed a system in place to help resolve legal disputes. Very soon, we’ll see Israel become a nation ruled by God’s law, and this system implemented by Moses sets God’s people up for their legal system.

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  • Exodus 17

    Exodus 17

    Read Exodus 17

    Water From the Rock

    The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

    Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

    But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

    Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

    The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

    The Amalekites Defeated

    The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

    10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

    14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

    15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

    Go Deeper

    We should realize by now that the story of the Israelites in Exodus is really just a study on our own human condition. The only difference between us and them is that their actions were actually written down! This chapter begins with the people of God complaining about their thirst and doubting God’s goodness…again. 

    These are the people that God miraculously freed from Egypt, and yet Satan is able to attack their faith by making them a little thirsty. How could they so quickly give up on the One who has done so much for them? It’s because their faith is defined by their feelings. Their situation is the number one driver of their attitude in their walk with God. The Israelites have a “What have you done for me lately?” type of relationship both with Moses and with their Savior.  

    When we read this chapter, it’s hard not to see them as an entitled and fragile bunch. Rather than trusting God in the hard times, they just give up immediately! And yet, if someone was writing the story of your life, how similar would it look to Exodus 17? How often do you fall into temptation because you’re in a bad mood? How often do you distance yourself from God as soon as your situation isn’t to your liking?

    We probably look like the Israelites more than we’d like to admit. But we don’t have to let Exodus 17 be our story. We can choose to remember God’s faithfulness when we feel thirsty in the desert. We can know that God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). So today, don’t let your feelings define your faith. Instead, let’s choose to praise God before we see His provision, not just after He has provided it.

    Questions
    1. Why do you think these two stories are paired together in the same chapter? How do the two stories differ when people become tired?

    2. When have you recently sounded like the Israelites from the first half of this chapter?

    3. Why do you think the Israelites had such fragile faith, while Moses’ faith was much more resilient? What can you do to create a more resilient faith?

    Did You Know?

    The Amalekites, with whom the Israelites went to battle, were descendants of one of Esau’s grandsons (Genesis 36:12). This is yet another example of tension between Jacob’s and Esau’s descendants.

  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 11-16)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 11-16)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Dig Deeper

    The book of Exodus is broken into two parts. To review all that we’ve learned in the first part of the book, re-watch this video from The Bible Project! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Exodus 11-16 Family Guide!

  • Exodus 16

    Exodus 16

    Read Exodus 16

    Manna and Quail

    1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

    Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

    So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

    Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

    10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

    11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

    13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

    Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

    17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

    19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

    20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

    21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

    24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”

    27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my command sand my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

    31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

    33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

    34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

    36 (An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.)

    Go Deeper

    Just a little over a month passes from Exodus 15 to Exodus 16. Remember when the Israelites sang a song of gratitude at their triumph over the Egyptians?  The Israelites’ song of praise and declaration that “In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength, You will guide them…” (Exodus 15:13). Yet, here they are, just a few weeks later, complaining that they would rather be back in Egypt and questioning the intention and leading of God. 

    Already?! After all the miracles of deliverance and provision they witnessed with their own eyes—the Ten Plagues; the escape route through parted waters of the Red Sea; the destruction of Pharaoh’s strongest warriors; bitter water made sweet to quench their thirst. They are already exhausted with the God of exhaustless resources and provisions. 

    The Israelites do what so many of us do. They recreate history and romanticize the past. They question God’s appointed leaders over us and they question God’s deliverance and care for us.  They approach God as a glorified Santa Claus, hoping He grants our wish list without asking anything of us. 

    We are a forgetful bunch. We beg God for miracles of deliverance and then quickly forget them when He provides. We pray things like, “God if you’ll get me out of this mess, I’ll believe;” or, “God, provide for me and then I’ll believe.” But, miracles only bring people to a faith in God for a short time. A faith and belief dependent on what God can do for you will be disappointing at best and disheartening and distrusting at worst. God cannot and will not be manipulated. 

    However, God will provide for us. He is true to His promises. He will supply all we need (Philippians 4:19). Let’s not be people who evaluate God’s faithfulness and goodness to us by what He does for us. The goal is dependency on the Giver, not the gifts. He will be faithful to us. Let’s be faithful to Him.

    Questions
    1. What do you learn from the Israelites in this passage? How do you relate with them? How are you different?

    2. What do you learn about the character of God in this passage?

    3. In what ways do you ask God to provide for you? How often are those requests tied to your belief in His goodness and faithfulness?

    Did You Know?

    Manna is a Hebrew word for “what is it?” The Israelites would eat manna every day for forty years until they entered the land of Canaan. Joshua 5:10-12 records this event.

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  • Exodus 15

    Exodus 15

    Read Exodus 15

    The Song of Moses and Miriam

    Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

    “I will sing to the Lord,
        for he is highly exalted.
    Both horse and driver
        he has hurled into the sea.

    “The Lord is my strength and my defense;
        he has become my salvation.
    He is my God, and I will praise him,
        my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
    The Lord is a warrior;
        the Lord is his name.
    Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
        he has hurled into the sea.
    The best of Pharaoh’s officers
        are drowned in the Red Sea.
    The deep waters have covered them;
        they sank to the depths like a stone.
    Your right hand, Lord,
        was majestic in power.
    Your right hand, Lord,
        shattered the enemy.

    “In the greatness of your majesty
        you threw down those who opposed you.
    You unleashed your burning anger;
        it consumed them like stubble.
    By the blast of your nostrils
        the waters piled up.
    The surging waters stood up like a wall;
        the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
    The enemy boasted,
        ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
    I will divide the spoils;
        I will gorge myself on them.
    I will draw my sword
        and my hand will destroy them.’
    10 But you blew with your breath,
        and the sea covered them.
    They sank like lead
        in the mighty waters.
    11 Who among the gods
        is like you, Lord?
    Who is like you—
        majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glory,
        working wonders?

    12 “You stretch out your right hand,
        and the earth swallows your enemies.
    13 In your unfailing love you will lead
        the people you have redeemed.
    In your strength you will guide them
        to your holy dwelling.
    14 The nations will hear and tremble;
        anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
    15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
        the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
    the people of Canaan will melt away;
    16     terror and dread will fall on them.
    By the power of your arm
        they will be as still as a stone—
    until your people pass by, Lord,
        until the people you bought pass by.
    17 You will bring them in and plant them
        on the mountain of your inheritance—
    the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
        the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

    18 “The Lord reigns
        for ever and ever.”

    19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:

    “Sing to the Lord,
        for he is highly exalted.
    Both horse and driver
        he has hurled into the sea.”

    The Waters of Marah and Elim

    22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

    25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

    There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

    27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

    Go Deeper

    This celebratory chapter is written commemorating God’s remarkable deliverance of his chosen people in redemption from slavery. It’s a celebration of God’s rescue plan of two million people from the cruelty of Pharaoh’s regime. How extraordinary that a commemorative song was born as a creative way to both remember and pass down these remarkable events to future generations, and ultimately be recorded in Holy Scripture. The expression of excitement and worship of God is contagious as their darkest moments are turned into their greatest joys. 

    This chapter is aptly titled a song of deliverance. The stories in Exodus are mind blowing and hard to wrap our minds around. Who can even comprehend the parting of the sea when Pharaoh’s horses and chariots rushed into waters and the Lord brought waves crashing down on them in the exact place where the people of Israel had safely walked through on dry ground? David Guzik of the Enduring Word Bible Commentary explains, “This remarkable song is assumed to have come spontaneously as Moses led the nation in the wilderness on the other side of the Red Sea. They sang this song when their salvation was real to them. They sang it when the power and presence of God were real to them.” The lives of the Israelites would be forever marked by the goodness of God.

    Who was this God that performed one miracle after another that was worthy of honor and glory and praise, the one who reigns forever and ever? The lyrics of their anthem resonated with undeniable traits of the One who had visited them in their sorrow and rescued them. They sang of His glorious triumph (v. 1), strength and victory (v. 2), as a powerful warrior (v. 3, 6), one holy and glorious, awesome in splendor, performing wonders (v. 11), who showed unfailing love, ransomed, and redeemed (v. 13), who provided a shelter and sanctuary (v. 17). There truly is no god like our God, and the same God who rescued the Israelites created the greatest redemption plan of all through his Son, one that includes all humanity. The One who never stops loving us, sees us as his treasure, and who would chase away fear and death by sending the rescuer, Jesus.

    Ironically, it didn’t take long for the Israelites to forget the goodness of God and fall into an unbelieving, grumbling attitude against God who had delivered them. They had just witnessed the miracle of parting of the waters, now they failed to trust God to provide water to drink in the desert. 

    Questions
    1. Have you forgotten the joy of your salvation? Pause and praise God, then share your personal redemption story with someone today.
    2. Do you exhibit a life of gratitude or are you quick to murmur and forget? If so, confess and replace grumbling with journaling what you are thankful for and seek accountability.
    3. Do you believe God is sovereign and can transform the bitter, hard places of your life into something of beauty? Is the power and presence of God real to you?
    Did You Know?

    Exodus 15:20 is the first mention of Moses’ sister, Miriam. She is described as a prophetess, which is the highest accolade a person can receive in the Hebrew Bible. A prophet or prophetess is a spokesperson for God. Miriam is the first woman to receive this description.

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  • Exodus 14

    Exodus 14

    Read Exodus 14

    Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

    When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

    10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

    13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

    15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

    19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

    21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

    23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

    26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

    29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

    Go Deeper

    The crossing of the Red Sea is one of the hallmark Old Testament stories in the Bible. It is mentioned not only in Exodus, when it happens, but throughout Scripture–in Isaiah, Psalms, Joshua, 1 Corinthians, Acts, Nehemiah, and Judges. This story is recorded throughout so much of the Bible because it’s an important part of the Israelites’ history. It proves the power of God; right when they felt all was lost, when their enemies were closing in on them, when there was nowhere else to go–God made a way where there was no way. This story serves as a reminder to the Israelites for years to come that God will provide for them and deliver them from their enemies, even when all hope seems lost.

    God knew that the people He had just rescued from slavery were discouraged and felt forgotten. They had been enslaved for almost 400 years and were brought out through 10 horrific plagues. They were trusting a guy, Moses, who hadn’t grown up with them and didn’t fully understand where they were coming from. And they were heading to “the Promised Land,” which they had never seen with their own eyes. They needed some encouragement to move forward in faith. So God gives them this epic moment to show the Israelites His power and to help instill belief in their leader, Moses. He was letting them know who He was and what He was capable of so that in the days, weeks, months, years, and even generations to come, they would have this story to look back on and be encouraged. 

    What is your “Red Sea” moment with God? When have you seen God do the impossible in your life? The Israelites are told throughout the Bible to remember this story because they so often forgot it and started to doubt God’s faithfulness. Where do you turn when you forget God’s power and goodness in your life? When we face trying times in our life, it can be easy to feed our doubts and let them grow, just like we’ll see the Israelites do time and time again throughout the Old Testament. What if, instead, we feed our faith by remembering times of God’s faithfulness, provision, and deliverance. By looking back at who God has been to us, we will gain the proper perspective necessary in order to move forward in faith with Him.

    Questions
    1. What is your Red Sea moment? When are times when God has delivered you in miraculous ways?

    2. How can you be encouraged by what Moses says here, that God is the one who fights for us and we only need to be still?

    3. Are you currently doubting God’s promises or faithfulness right now? What do you need to remind yourself of today so you can continue moving forward in faith?

    By the Way

    Psalm 77:16-20 gives an in-depth look into what it was like to experience the crossing of the Red Sea:

    The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 

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  • Exodus 13

    Exodus 13

    Read Exodus 13

    Consecration of the Firstborn

    The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

    Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders.On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

    11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

    14 “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

    Crossing the Sea

    17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

    19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

    20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

    Go Deeper

    Sometimes, God asks us to do things that we just don’t understand. Particularly in the Old Testament, we often find commands that are somewhat confusing. For instance, in this chapter, God asks the Israelites to not eat yeast for seven days. What does God have against yeast? Well, this command actually has hardly anything to do with yeast. In reality, this command has everything to do with our forgetfulness. God knows that we are prone to forget (remember Pharaoh in chapter 9?); therefore, He uses these commands to wake us up. Yeast was such a staple of their diets that to not use it would have been a disruption.

    Here, God uses a change in their diet and the sacrifice of an animal to provide a consistent reminder of His faithfulness. He knew that if the Israelites went through their lives without an intentional prompting, they would forget what God had done and fail to tell future generations. These commands were really just reminders of the goodness of God.

    In the same way, we are prone to forget the faithfulness of Jesus in our lives. We will forget His goodness if we don’t set up intentional reminders. His commands still achieve the same purpose as they did in Exodus 13. When we live differently from the world, people will ask us why we live that way. This will always provide us an opportunity to tell our kids, neighbors, and co-workers, “Let me tell you about what God has done for me…”

    As we’ll see in the coming days, the story will only get more dramatic from here. As the Israelites journeyed on, Pharaoh’s back-and-forth mind enters the picture again but God’s faithfulness never left them. 

    Questions
    1. How do you think you would have felt upon hearing these commands from God?
    2. In verse 17, God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” How resilient are you in the face of opposition? Do you trust God even when things get hard?
    3. What are some things you can set up in your life that could serve as reminders about God’s faithfulness to you?
    Did You Know?

    Exodus 13:9 is one of the primary sources for the Jewish practice of wearing tefillin, two leather boxes that contain words from the Torah. The boxes are worn on the forehead and upper arm. The word tefillin derives from the Hebrew word for prayer.

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  • Exodus 12

    Exodus 12

    Read Exodus 12

    The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

    The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

    12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

    14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

    17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

    21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passoverlamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

    24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

    29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

    The Exodus

    31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”

    33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

    37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

    40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. 42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.

    Passover Restrictions

    43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:

    “No foreigner may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it.

    46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

    48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”

    50 All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.

    Go Deeper

    Everything we read over the past few chapters prepared and led us to this dramatic conclusion. God brings the final and most devastating plague upon Egypt—the killing of the firstborn males. It’s hard to read, it’s weighty. But, we can’t take the hard, mysterious stuff out of the Bible. What we know is that over and over, God warned Pharaoh. Remember, in Exodus 4:22-23, God said, “Israel is my firstborn son; if you don’t let them go, I will kill your firstborn son.” God cannot go against His word. While the Lord could have wiped this arrogant Pharaoh off the map quickly, He gave him many chances to repent. God’s kindness and mercy was intended to lead the king to repentance (Romans 2:4), but Pharaoh wasn’t interested in God’s good gift. 

    God gives the Israelites specific instructions to prepare them for deliverance (“eat quickly and with your traveling clothes on”). He also commands them to celebrate their deliverance. All of God’s instructions to His people are in advance of their liberation, before He delivers them. The Israelites trusted and knew that while their deliverance was coming, their Deliverer was already there. They acted in faith, believing God would do what He said He would do. 

    Remember, as we read the Bible, that all of Scripture points to Jesus, our Deliverer. We cannot miss the significance of the Passover lamb. God tells His people to slaughter a lamb, a perfect lamb without blemish, and use the blood of the lamb on their doorposts to protect them. No doubt the covering of blood for salvation of life foreshadows our True Passover Lamb, whose blood saves us from the penalty of sin and death. 

    But, don’t miss this: remember that the Egyptians worshipped livestock. The lamb was one of many animals worshipped as gods by the Egyptians. God instructs the Israelites to slaughter a god of their oppressors as a way of serving their own God. The faith required to do this was huge, because this would have been an act of defiance to the Egyptians. To demonstrate their faith in God could have endangered the lives of the Israelites. Putting the blood on their doorposts let the world know the Israelites rejected the Egyptian idea of holy. The freedom of the Israelites required a sacrifice of a lesser god, a cultural god.

    What if that’s true for us, too? What if our deliverance and freedom hinges on our readiness to slaughter the lesser gods we worship? Said another way, where are you looking for life apart from Jesus? What sins need to be slaughtered so that freedom can be embraced? Because like the Israelites, our exodus is not only for freedom. Freedom alone gives license. Our deliverance from what oppresses us is for a purpose: to serve and worship God so that we may declare the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. 

    Our deliverance is coming, but our Deliverer is here. Let’s trust and celebrate in advance of our Promised Land.

    Questions
    1. What do you learn about the character of God in this passage?

    2. Romans 2:4 says God’s kindness leads to repentance. How did God show kindness to Pharaoh over the last eight chapters of Exodus? How did God demonstrate kindness to the Israelites?

    3. Is there a sacrifice you need to make in your life so that you can experience the deliverance and freedom of God? What is holding you back?

    Did You Know?

    The seven days of Passover can be understood as a replica of the seven days of creation because the Exodus signifies the start of a new world for the Jews.

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  • Exodus 11

    Exodus 11

    Read Exodus 11

    The Plague on the Firstborn

    Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)

    So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

    The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

    Go Deeper

    Over the past few days, we have seen nine different plagues come on the Egyptians. Surely by this point, Pharaoh has gotten the message, right? God tells Moses there’s one more plague to come, and this one will kill the firstborn of all the Egyptians, from Pharaoh’s own son to all the livestock in Egypt. 

    Reading this, you can’t help but hold out hope that Pharaoh will respond to these other nine plagues, repent from his evil ways, and let the Israelites go peacefully. But sadly, God tells Moses that Pharaoh isn’t going to listen. 

    Throughout Exodus so far, we have learned a lot about the character of God. Not only has He remembered His covenant with Israel, He also shows his mercy to Pharaoh, even when Pharaoh has proven to be undeserving. Scripture is clear, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, that God is full of mercy and extends it towards us, even when we don’t deserve it. Romans 2:4 talks about God’s kindness and how that very kindness is what leads us towards repentance. 

    As we’ll read about in the next chapter, God is going to offer His protection and deliverance for the Israelites. He’ll save them from what’s coming to Pharaoh. In that same way, God provided deliverance to us through Jesus. Our hearts have been hardened at times. We’ve wandered from God. We’ve ignored His signs and wonders all around us at times. We, like Pharaoh, have rejected God ourselves. But God’s kindness leads us to repentance. We have received mercy and grace because God loved the world so much that He sent His Son. May it never be lost on us that we didn’t get what we deserved.

    Questions
    1. Why did God have the Israelites ask the Egyptians for gold and silver? What was the response from the Egyptians?

    2. Why did God offer Pharaoh so many chances to repent?

    3. When reading this story through a gospel lens, what does it teach you about God’s character? What do you learn about yourself?

    Did You Know?

    At first reading, verse 6 is a little difficult to understand. What God is saying here is that the Egyptians will clearly be able to discern what’s going on all around them. The ramifications are a result of Pharaoh’s actions, not those of Moses or the Israelites. Their leader is the one to shoulder the blame, which is a political disaster for Pharaoh.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 5-10)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Exodus 5-10)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Dig Deeper

    Not only do the ten plagues build upon each other in severity, they are also connected to the gods of the Egyptians. Check out this helpful blog post to learn more about the connections! 

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Exodus 5-10 Family Guide!