book of exodus

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your church commitments and responsibilities? Do you fear burnout, but don't know how to lighten the load? This episode dives into the dangers of burnout and how to maintain a healthy balance between personal life and church community. We draw wisdom from the story of Moses and the invaluable advice he received from his father-in-law Jethro. Discover the importance of balancing tasks and selecting fellow believers to share the workload, ensuring rest in our lives and our church community.

Many church leaders and members often take on too many responsibilities, leading to burnout and chaos. We explore how Moses dealt with the constant disputes among the people of Israel as they made their way to the Promised Land, and how critical it was to find solutions without overburdening Moses. We discuss the 80/20 rule, which states that 20% of the people in a church often do 80% of the work. How a person's service of focusing on one task and doing it well can prevent burnout to them and their fellow believers which contributes to a healthier church community.

We then discuss the Mosaic Covenant and the importance of obedience in our relationship with God. As we reflect on how God reminded the people of Israel that He was the one who brought them out of Egypt and provided them with powerful, swift, and sure deliverance. We also examine the conditional statement given by God: if the people obey His voice and keep His covenant, then they will be His chosen people. Join us as we explore these vital lessons from the life of Moses and the people of Israel, and find the path to a balanced and healthy life in service to the Body of Christ, our local church and our God.

Have you ever wondered how unresolved conflicts can echo through generations? In today's episode, we explore the gripping tale of Jacob and Esau, and how the tension between them eventually led to their descendants, the Amalekites and Israelites, facing off in a brutal battle. We'll discuss the consequences of this family squabble and reveal what it means for us today, as we strive for reconciliation and unity.  We also, meet Joshua for the first time in this chapter, examining the courage and faith he displayed in the face of adversity.

You may have heard the saying "confession is good for the soul," but what about the impact of sin on those around us?  We also consider the far-reaching implications of our own sins, and the importance of confessing not only to God but also to those affected by our actions.

Finally, have you ever thought about how sharing your testimony could change someone else's life? The story of Moses and Jethro showcases the transformative power of sharing God's blessings. As Jethro's life is transformed after hearing of God's work through Moses, we are inspired to share our own stories with family and friends. So tune in, as we encourage you to let your light shine, and discover how your testimony can impact the people around you.

Imagine a time when you're stuck in a desolate wilderness, parched with thirst, and crying out for help. Sounds like a nightmare, right? In today's episode, we take you on a journey through Exodus chapter 17, where God miraculously provides water for the Israelites from a rock in the wilderness of Sin - a powerful symbol of salvation and a testament to Jesus Christ's divine ability to provide the water of life to quench our spiritual thirst.

As we explore this incredible Biblical story, we analyze the nation of Israel's patterns of grumbling and blaming Moses during times of hardship, and how it reflects our own struggles with faith. Discover how the endless supply of water from a rock symbolizes Jesus Christ, who was broken for us on the cross, and how this miracle serves as a reminder for generations to come. Unravel the mystery of how God could be working an even greater work through our circumstances than we could ever realize, and learn how Jesus can provide eternal life for us all through the true water from heaven. Don't miss this session that will provide you with the answer of how you can quench your spiritual thirst.

Do you ever feel burned out and in need of rest? Perhaps it's time to rediscover the importance of Sabbath rest and meditating on God, as we explore the intriguing story of manna and the Sabbath in Exodus 16. Join us on or continued study through Exodus, as we discuss how God provided the people of Israel daily with manna from heaven and quail, and how trusting in His provision prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ. We also delve into a look at the Sabbath rest before the Mosaic Law. 

As we immerse ourselves in this chapter, we'll uncover the spiritual and physical consequences of neglecting rest, and how it can impact our lives today. Gain new insight into Biblical meditation and understand how it contrasts with Eastern meditation practices. We also examine Exodus 16:32-34, where the people of Israel were instructed to preserved a small amount of manna as a memorial in the tabernacle, diving deeper into what happened to the jar of manna, through references in Hebrews and Second Chronicles. Don't miss this opportunity to enrich your spiritual journey and learn the importance of rest and trusting in God's provision.

How often do we grumble and complain even when we've experienced God's faithfulness in the past? In today's episode, we examine the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and their constant grumbling against Moses and God. We unpack the importance of trusting God's provision and learning from their mistakes as we face our own challenges. 

Join us as we explore how to overcome the human tendency to forget God's goodness when times are tough and discuss practical ways to set up reminders of His faithfulness. We also tackle the issue of trusting God in church leadership, emphasizing the importance of consulting Him before making decisions. Listen in to uncover the powerful lessons we can learn from the bread from heaven (manna) provision in Exodus 16.

Lastly, we delve into the topic of Sabbath keeping and the potential pitfalls of legalism surrounding it. Reflecting on Jesus' healing on the Sabbath, we urge listeners to avoid imposing rules on others and instead focus on the true purpose in observing a sabbath day of rest. Stay tuned for the next episode, where we'll dive deeper into the story of manna as a reminder of God's unwavering provision and faithfulness.

Can a bitter life be transformed into a sweet one? Discover how God's guidance can lead us to a place of fruitfulness and peace in our latest episode discussing the story of Moses and the Israelites. As we reason through their challenges, we reveal how God provided for them during their journey to the Promised Land - from making bitter water sweet to supplying manna and meat for sustenance.

We unravel the concept of anthropomorphism in the Bible, discussing God's attributes and the unique nature of Jesus Christ. We also discuss the heretical views of the early Church that incorrectly understood the divine and human natures of Jesus.

Lastly, we delve into the crucial topic of Biblical faith, examining the role of trust and how it is so much more than just a knowledge of facts. Learn how faith must be challenged to grow and how God will sometimes lead us into situations where our faith is tested. Reflecting on the Israelites' response to challenges with grumbling rather than faith, we emphasize the importance of trusting in God's promises and the sweetness that can come from bitter circumstances. Join us for this thought-provoking and engaging episode!

• Does God have a body?
• Who led the Israelites to the bitter water?
• Does God sometimes lead us into unusual circumstances?
• Can our faith grow if it is never challenged?
• Can God take our bitter circumstances and make them sweet?

What if you could witness one of the most miraculous events in the Bible? Today, we bring you on a journey through the powerful moment when Israel crosses the Red Sea, experiencing God's divine intervention and deliverance. As we explore this incredible event, we'll discuss how God used a strong east wind to part the waters, creating walls of water on either side of the Israelites, and how the Angel of the LORD played a crucial role in protecting them during this miraculous moment.

In this episode, we also tackle the attempts of skeptics and even some Christians to explain away the Red Sea crossing with natural causes, and why it's essential to give credit to God for His power and glory. We'll dive into the identity of the Angel of God, who is the pre-incarnate Christ, and how Theophanies occur throughout the Bible as God's physical form appearing to humans.

Finally, we'll reflect on the Song of Moses, an ancient hymn commemorating the Israelites' Red Sea crossing. We'll discuss how the song is written in Hebrew poetry and serves not only as a reminder of God's power and intervention but also as a call for us to recognize and celebrate His work in our lives. So, join us as we relive this astonishing event and uncover the deeper meaning behind this pivotal moment in Biblical history.

In this session we explore the pivotal moments in the lead up to God's parting of the Red Sea. We will uncover how God's grand plan was at work, proving His power and protection over His people even in their darkest hour.  By examining the Israelites' journey, we will learn to trust in God's guidance through our own seemingly impossible situations and embrace the knowledge that He will see us through. 

Join us as we reflect on Moses' encouragement and how this story serves as a reminder to trust in God's plan, even when it seems impossible.

- Why would God lead the Israelites into seemingly impossible situations? 
- What can we learn from their desperate circumstances and overwhelming fear as they faced Pharaoh's formidable army?
- Should we trust God in scary situations?
- Are there things in life worse than death? 

As Israel leaves Egypt, we see God purposely leading them on a longer route. When Pharaoh sees Israel wandering aimlessly and trapped, he makes plans to pursue Israel and annihilate them.  As we read further, we understand God's strategy in dealing with Pharaoh, and all is not what it seems to be. 

•  What does God's leading of Israel tell us?
•  Was the Red Sea really a swamp or marshy area?
• Why did Moses take the bones of Joseph?
• What is the theme of God operating in a cloud?
• Does God lead us aimlessly throughout our lives?

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Specific instructions are given regarding who and what the Israelites are to set aside for God. We discuss the different areas of what God wants set aside for Him and why. We discuss the many parallels between this event in Egypt and the events that take place in the New Testament.  In this session we discover how the two eras are tied together. 

- Is the first Passover Lamb a foreshadow of something to come?
- Why was the donkey's first born not set aside for God?
- Why does God repeatedly instruct Israel to get the leaven out?
- Are these events in Exodus tied to events in the New Testament?

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The actual pass over event takes place and all the firstborn in Egypt even down to the prisoners in the dungeons are struck by God and die. There was no home in Egypt where someone was not dead. However, where the Israelites lived, there were no deaths in the houses which had put the blood of the sacrificial lamb over their doors. 

Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron in the early hours of the day while it was still night and told them to get the Israelites out and away from Egypt. Pharaoh does not try to make any compromises this time, but tells Moses to take everybody, all livestock, and all possessions and leave. Egypt is plundered through the Israelites asking the Egyptians for gold and silver as God had instructed.  

• How was an Israelite's faith that their house would be passed over recognized?
• How was a person's saving faith recognized in this Passover event?
• Is it important to pass down our faith to our children? 
• Did Pharaoh have true repentance?
• Is God fair? 

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The instructions for the Passover event continues with the description of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  God instructs the observance of these events are to be a permenant ordinance for the Israelites.  We have seen that has been true as Passover has indeed been observed for thousands of years and continues. The instruction to place the blood of the passover lamb over the doorposts and lintel are reinforced in this passage. What is it that this blood protects against? 

We discuss the wrath of God that is coming and how we can be protected from it.  

• Do some people have a one-sided view of God?
• What does the blood on the door protect against?
• Was God just in causing the death of the firstborn of Egypt?
• Will the Church (Christ's Body of Believers) be protected during the Great Tribulation?
• How do we insure protection from Jesus Christ's wrath that is coming?

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God gives Israel instructions for choosing a lamb for the Passover.  Only by putting the blood of the lamb on the door would a family protect their firstborn.  God's instructions about the Passover lamb were very specific and foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who is the true Passover lamb.  

• Why did the lamb need to be perfect and unblemished?
• What happens if someone did not put the blood on the door?
• Is faith a work of merit that contributes to our salvation?
• Can we keep one foot in the world and also follow God? 

God gives Moses the final instructions for Pharoah. The firstborn will be killed before Pharoah will relent and let Israel go.  God judges Egypt and fulfills a prophecy He made over 500 years earlier, namely that Israel would come out of Egypt with great wealth.  God repays Israel for years of slavery when Egypt gives Israel great wealth then wishing them to go. This session also gives us a chance to deal with the problem of evil and the question of whether God's actions were moral. 

Pharoah's refusal to submit to the God of Israel has destroyed his land, which is a picture of the destruction in our lives when we will not submit to the Lord. 

• Does God have the power to accomplish His will through the free acts of people?
• Is it fair of God to take the lives of all the firstborn people and animals?
• What is God capable of doing?
• What is the significance of taking of Pharoah's firsborn?  

The eighth plague on Egypt has begun. Locusts, directed by God, arrive on an east wind for a 24-hour period.  When morning breaks locusts in numbers so heavy that Egypt had never seen, nor would they ever again.  They covered the surface of the whole land of Egypt. The land was so thick with them it was darkened, and the locusts were voracious eaters, destroying anything that was green, plants, trees, fruit, and the crops that survived the previous hailstorm plague. Nothing was spared. 

In a panic, Pharaoh calls for Moses confessing that he had sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. Pleading with Moses to remove the plague, Moses petitions God and on a west wind, shifted by God, the locusts are driven into the Red Sea ending the plague. Afterwards Pharaoh still refuses to let the people go. 

This refusal results in the ninth plague of total darkness over all the land of Egypt, except for the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.  The darkness was so thick, that people didn't go out of there houses or move about the land at all for three days. Pharaoh's strategy this time was to grant the Israelites to leave, but demands they leave their livestock behind. Moses notes that this is not acceptable, so Pharaoh said that the people shall not go. 

The stage is set for the tenth and final plague upon Pharaoh, and all of Egypt. Pharaoh has been given multiple chances, now death will make a personal visit.

• How bad is sin?
• How much does sin eat away at our lives?
• Should our prayers and worship be a show for unbelievers?
• What happens to us when we are in sin?
• Should we ever make compromises in our faith?

God uses Pharaoh's stubbornness and heavy heart to perform miraculous signs which Moses and the Israelites can pass down from generation to generation. God is making a mockery of the Egyptians so that the Hebrews will know that the God they serve is a mighty God. Moses lets Pharaoh know that if he will not humble himself, that God will send a plague of locusts so great, no one will be able to see the land. 

Pharaoh's servants plead for Pharaoh to let the people go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Through the seven plagues so far, Egypt is destroyed, yet as God previously told Moses, Pharaoh will not yield until the death of the firstborn Egyptians and Pharaoh's firstborn takes place. The Egyptians believed that Pharaoh and their many gods would protect them, but they are finding out the opposite is true. 

• Why does God harden (make heavy) Pharaoh and his servant's heart?
• Does God have the right to use disobedient people to demonstrate His power?
• Are we commanded to humble ourselves to God?
• Is Pharaoh given chances to follow God?
• Is lack of evidence a reason in our time for people to not believe in God? 

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Egypt and it's people continue to come under judgmental plagues due to Pharaoh's repeated stubbornness to yield to God. Five plagues have been put on Egypt by God and there are more coming. Each one is countering the gods which Egypt and their Pharaoh worshipped. 

The sixth plague infects Egypt with boils and sores. Afterwards Moses confronts Pharaoh face to face with God's message and it is clear why God is inflicting all these judgments on Pharaoh. Pharaoh's heart is set against God and has been set against God from the beginning. God is using this situation to demonstrate His superiority and uniqueness among all the other religions. God is giving people the freedom to follow Him or not. 

God inflicts a seventh plague of hail and fire that destroys crops and livestock. However God protects the land of Goshen where the Israelites are. We see God once again starting end ending each of these plagues as he wills to do so with great precision.   

• Who is really in charge throughout all of this?
• Why does God allow Pharaoh to remain?
• Is it fair of God to inflict these judgments to demonstrate who He is?
• Do we ever exalt ourselves above God?
• What is the overall lesson learned from Pharaoh's resistance to God?
• Is Pharaoh sincere in his acknowledgment of God?

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Pharoah is feeling the pain and pressure to let Israel go to serve the real God, so he begins to try to negotiate with Moses.  Pharoah repeatedly goes back on his word, first telling Moses he will let Israel go then hardening his heart against God and going back on his word.  

The confrontation between the true God of Israel and the false god of Pharoah becomes obvious. Egypt worshipped cattle and held Pharoah to be a god.  The true God shows that Pharoah and the false gods of Egypt are powerless. Further, Pharoah's stubbornness results in the common people of Egypt suffering, which shows how our sin causes suffering to innocent people around us. 

• Is Moses tempted to compromise? Why or why not?
• What happens when we insist on controlling something that God wants to control?
• Does Pharoah see enough fulfilled prophecies to realize that God is real?

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The plagues of Egypt are still occurring due to Pharoah's refusal to recognize God as supreme. All of the plagues are demonstrations against an Egyptian god, with the true God of Israel showing that He is all powerful and insists on freeing His chosen people from slavery.  God shows that He is supreme over Pharoah, supreme over the Egyptian deities, and supreme over the magicians.  

In this session we also learn how God's deliverance of Israel out of Egypt compares to God's deliverance of us out of sin. 

• What happens when we fight against God?
• Why does God keep repeating that the reason He is giving the plagues?
• What is the contrast between the land of Egypt and the land of God's promise?
• How does God redeem His people?

Pharaoh's heart is stubborn and he refuses to let the Israelites go, so God begins to inflict the plagues He said He would on Pharaoh and Egypt. God starts at the heart of Egypt by turning the Nile River into a bloody sickening mess. God demonstrates His true power against the impotence and lack of power of the Egyptian false gods. Pharaoh continues to be stubborn leaving the Egyptian people to fend for themselves by digging wells for fresh water. 

The second plague God sends on Egypt is an infliction of frogs so many in number that they invade the households and even the pots of the people. The God of Israel is showing that He is the one God Almighty, that is over all of nature and life. God is demonstrating in every step of the way that He is the One that is in charge. These plagues are not natural events, they are clearly miraculous signs of God's judgment.   

• Are there parallels in this section between Moses and Jesus?
• Are these plagues a direct assault on the power of Pharaoh?
• Does God contend for His people today?
• Why could the Egyptian magicians replicate some of the events but not reverse them? 
• Is Pharaoh sincere when he finally acknowledges God?