How do we make the journey from slavery to freedom?
Our salvation requires a power outside ourselves, a force greater than the tyranny that rules us. The book of Exodus shows us a people enslaved by great evil—both political and spiritual. God displays his might and heart in rescuing Israel out of bondage, a mission foreshadowing his ultimate dedication to free all his people from slavery to sin. Join us in this study of Exodus as we see in the Israelites our own need for a Redeemer and are moved to worship Yahweh for his power to save.
Exodus: Past and Future Faithfulness
The Exodus story became a song of hope for the Israelites, passed down from one generation to the next. Even in their darkest days, God’s people could look back on their deliverance and remember his faithfulness and his power. Just as the Israelites turned to the Exodus, we now turn to Jesus—our ultimate source of salvation—as a steadfast reminder of God's faithfulness.
Teaching
The Mountain of God
A Lesson in Leadership
Water from the Rock
Bread from Heaven
The Red Sea
Out of Egypt
The Passover
Escalating Judgment
Power over the gods
Doubling Down
Obedience and Opposition
A Fearful Response
God Reveals Himself
Out of the Water
A Suffering People
I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.
Exodus 6:7
Sermon Prep Plan
This plan of study focuses on preparing you for the upcoming teaching by providing relevant background passages, biblical context, and additional resources. You will receive an email with the weekly readings on Tuesdays. We hope this tool will help you grow in your understanding of Scripture.
Study Questions
The Mountain of God
At Sinai, we see two paradoxical characteristics of God on display: his transcendence as a holy, terrifying power whose very presence will destroy those who come too close; and his immanence as a relational God who descends to draw near to his people. The scene foreshadows Jesus, the fullness of Yahweh wrapped in flesh—Immanuel, God with us.
A Lesson in Leadership
In this passage, Moses receives advice from an unlikely source: his father-in-law, Jethro, a pagan priest of Midian. Rather than dismissing Jethro’s advice, Moses humbles himself and accepts it. Similarly, we are called to accept our limits and receive God’s direction through others so we can serve one another with strength.
Water from the Rock
As the Israelites travel through the desert, they are faced with trials of thirst and hostility from the Amalekites. Rather than allow themselves to be tested by God, they assume a posture of authority on their own terms. But God responds to their testing with patience and grace—he is the rock of life and salvation.
Bread from Heaven
As the Israelites leave Egypt, they enter not only the wilderness but a time of testing. Their new freedom brings challenges that expose their lack of trust in the God of their deliverance. But God continues to provide for his people through manna from Heaven, a foreshadow of Jesus, our bread of life.
The Red Sea
In one of the paramount salvation stories of the Old Testament, God leads the Israelites out of Egypt through yet another display of his power: the parting of the Red Sea. It is a reminder—to the Israelites and to us—that God is trustworthy and faithful to rescue his people, even when the way seems impossible.
Out of Egypt
As the Israelites begin their exodus out of Egypt, Yahweh sets some of the terms of their relationship with him. He institutes the festival of Passover, a yearly commemoration of their deliverance. The consecration of Israel’s firstborn reminds them that they belong to God—while also foreshadowing the redemptive work of Christ.
The Passover
During the first Passover, God gave specific instructions to his people that, if obeyed, would protect them from the final plague on Egypt: the death of all the firstborn sons. The blood of a spotless lamb would cause the Destroyer to pass over the homes it marked, just as Jesus’ blood protects God’s people from his judgment against our sin.
Escalating Judgment
As God continues to send plagues against Egypt, Pharaoh acknowledges the power of Yahweh. But his remorse quickly reveals itself as fake repentance—a desire for relief followed by ongoing sin. If we are to be people who spread God’s fame, we must deny ourselves and truly repent by obeying God’s will and pursuing holiness.
Power over the gods
In these chapters, Moses repeatedly goes before Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh refuses, and the ensuing plagues reveal that Pharaoh is not confronting Moses but Yahweh. Through cycles of suffering and relief, Pharaoh’s heart becomes harder, revealing his commitment to reject God’s light for the darkness.
Doubling Down
In this passage, God uses Moses’ genealogy to establish Moses’ legitimacy as a leader for Israel and a messenger to Pharaoh from God. Although God meets Moses in his weakness and inadequacy with kindness, he still commands Moses to go before Pharaoh, and Moses obeys because he is receptive to God.
Obedience and Opposition
When Moses obeys God and confronts Pharaoh, he expects God will immediately begin to rescue Israel. Instead, things get worse, for both the Israelites and Moses. Likewise, sometimes our lives become more difficult when we follow God, but he is still faithful and active. He uses our suffering to draw us to himself.
A Fearful Response
In Exodus 4, Moses presents himself as a weak, fearful, sinful man—and God uses him anyway. God responds to Moses’ insecurities with patience, redirecting his focus from himself to Yahweh; but God also deals severely with Moses’ disobedience. As God’s people, we must also follow his calling to be distinct with faith, courage, and reverence.
God Reveals Himself
In the midst of Moses’ obscurity and failure, God appears to him on Mt. Sinai. God makes himself approachable to Moses, comforting him and assuring him of his covenant identity; yet God also reveals his holiness, declaring his name—Yahweh, “I Am Who I Am”—and commissioning Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
Out of the Water
In Exodus 2, we learn about Moses—a man whose providential birth, upbringing, cultural background, and choices position him to be an integral part of the rescue plan that God is working out for his people.
A Suffering People
The book of Exodus is a story of redemption and punishment, of salvation and judgment. Though the nation of Israel is enslaved and oppressed under a cruel worldly power, God blesses and rescues them and calls them to be his distinct people.
With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.
Exodus 15:13
