1. After the tabernacle is constructed, God commands Moses to anoint it “so that it may become holy” (40:9). Before this in Exodus, only one location has been described as holy: Mount Sinai (3:5; 19:23). Significantly, both of these verses describing God’s presence at Sinai emphasize the distance required between God and his people. However, through the tabernacle God brings his holy presence right into the midst of his people. In what ways does this foreshadow the gospel?

2. After God’s glory cloud fills the tabernacle (40:34–35), the final verses of the book describe how God leads Israel throughout all their journeys (vv. 36–38). What might be considered a New Testament counterpart to this idea of God accompanying his people as they journey? (For help, see John 14:15–17.)

3. At the end of Exodus, God’s glory has entered the midst of the people, but the people cannot enter the midst of God’s glory. It is hidden behind the curtain of the tabernacle. Review the verses from this morning’s sermon (below), and explain how each verse helps trace the story of God’s glory & presence among his people:

   • Exodus 40:35

   • 2 Chronicles 5:14

   • Ezekiel 11:21-23

   • Ezra 3:12

   • John 1:14

4. As we have studied the book of Exodus, what has most challenged you or encouraged you? How has your understanding of God changed? Spend some time sharing and then offer prayers of thanksgiving for God’s work among us through the book of Exodus.

• Some questions adapted from Matthew Newkirk’s Exodus: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible) Crossway.

1. Read Exodus 34:1-7. Discuss the signs of mercy and judgment that can be seen. 

2. In verse 8 Moses bows his head and worships. Take a few minutes to shout out statements of gratitude for mercy and discipline God has granted in your life. 

3. Verse 7 explains the concept of blessings for 1,000 generations and judgment for three to four generations. Have you seen evidence of this is your family? Explain. 

4. How can this cycle of sin and negative consequences be broken? Give Bible references to support. 

5. Are you willing to take these difficult steps toward being a cycle-breaker?

6. God identifies Himself as abounding in loyal love (hesed) and faithfulness/truth (emet) for us. Discuss how these themes re-emerge throughout scripture. 

MISSIONAL MOMENT

March 31 – Identify your group strategy and timeline for inviting neighbors to the Easter Egg Hunt &/or to a worship service at VBCC. (Printed invitations will be provided at your request and you may also want to post on neighborhood social media, community bulletin boards and/or newsletters.) Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare the way and soften hearts before your neighbors even receive invitations to the Egg Hunt or worship services.

1. What is your basic want in life? Select one of the following questions and give your answer to the group: What do I consider to be the goal of my life? What would it mean for me to do something really significant? When it’s all over, what do I hope I will have accomplished? What do I want for my epitaph?

2. Read Exodus 33:1-6. Biblical writers often repeat information to emphasize a point. What information is repeated in these verses? Given the flow of Exodus, why is this such a devastating problem? See Exodus 3:12; 19:4; 25:8 for further insight.

3. Read Exodus 33:7-11. What affect does God’s presence have on the people? Is there a parallel for the New Testament believer’s experience?

4. Why do you think Moses sets up the tent ‘far off from the camp’ (v7)? Why is the soon-to-be tabernacle able to be set up ‘in their midst’ (Exodus 25:8)? What do these arrangements tell us about God’s holiness?

5. In Exodus 33:18, Moses asks to see God’s ‘glory.’ God responds with a qualified ‘yes.’ He will hide Moses in a safe place and let his glory ‘pass by’. What do you think Moses was thinking and feeling as he prepared for this momentous event?

6. Read 2 Peter 3:18 and 1 John 3:2. What do these verses tell us about Christ’s role in our own meetings with God? How does the hope of seeing him ‘purify us’?

MISSIONAL MOMENT: Ask your group members to bring donations of plastic Easter Eggs and individually wrapped pieces of candy to VBCC by the end of this week (if they have not already done so). We will need a minimum of 500 candy filled eggs for each of the VBCC Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunts. Pray for each of the VBCC sponsored Easter Egg Hunts.

Some questions adapted from:

Newkirk, Matthew R.. Exodus: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible) . Crossway.

Aronis, Alex B.. Developing Intimacy with God. AuthorHouse.

1. Read Exodus 32:1–6. In these verses, which of God’s commands do they break? What other aspects from the earlier covenant ceremony are alluded to here? (For help, see Ex. 20:2; 24:3–11.)

2. In response to the people’s violation, God indicates he will destroy them and start over with Moses (32:7–10), but Moses intercedes and God relents (vv. 11–14). What are the two main reasons Moses gives for why God should relent? What is Moses primarily concerned with in this act of intercession?

3. Moses and Aaron are sharply contrasted in this chapter. First, whereas Moses led the people in the true covenant ceremony of chapters 19–24, here Aaron leads them in a mutated version, in 32:1–6. Second, Moses is singled out by God as the one to continue the covenant people (32:10), while Aaron is singled out twice as the one who allowed the covenant people to go astray (32:25, 35). Third, while Moses uses fire to destroy Israel’s idol (32:20), Aaron claims that it was the fire that produced the idol (32:24). These contrasts highlight Moses’ faithful role as Israel’s mediator in this chapter. In what ways do Moses’ actions here foreshadow the work of Jesus?

4. The killing of 3000 people in vv 27-28 is especially troubling to many modern readers. Theologian Douglas Stuart writes:
   
   At first glance it might seem that God was ordering the Levites to kill everyone else, but the wording is actually not intended to imply that. What the Levites were to do was to “go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other,” which means carefully and systematically approaching everyone and finding out whether or not they intend to return to Yahweh, abandoning their idolatry. Those found to be committed to idolatry must be killed. Those sorry for being caught up in it but now actively repenting must be spared.
   
   Even still, we recoil when God’s holiness is expressed in judgment. What does that indicate about us? Do you think it would be better for God to conform to our sensibilities, or for us to conform to his? Why?
   

5. In Exodus 32:30-32, Moses tries to make atonement for the sin of the people. How does this story prepare us for the coming of Jesus? (See Romans 3:23-26). Why is the atonement found in Jesus greater than the atonement offered by Moses, or in the Mosaic Law? (See Hebrews 9:11-15)
   

EASTER OUTREACH: Confirm if your group will host an Easter Egg Hunt on April 13th or 20th and identify one or two of your group members as the point-person(s) to coordinate event details with Lillian Parisher (Point person should email lparisher@vbcc.us by Wednesday, March 20th). Pray for other Christian neighbors who may need to connect with other believers and ask God to help you encourage them.

* Some questions adapted from Exodus: A 12 Week Study by M Newkirk, and New American Commentary: Exodus by Douglas Stuart

1. God clarifies and contextualizes the 10 commandments in chapters 21-23. Scan over those chapters and discuss ways that the laws apply to our current culture.

2. Read Exodus 24:3-8. Discuss the response of the people and the serious nature of the agreement.

3. Read Exodus 26:26-37 just to get a glimpse of the details outlined for God’s dwelling place. What do these details express about God’s character?

4. Read Exodus 29:38-46. This is just one excerpt on sacrificial laws to highlight what was necessary for the people to approach God. What emotions do you feel when you examine these details?

5. Jesus fulfilled the details on your behalf. Is your response to thank Him and obey the law joyfully, or do you still feel the need to perform the law to earn God’s favor?

Discuss and pray with your group about whether you will host a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Pray for neighbors who may not yet be followers of Christ and ask God to guide you to know how and when you can shine a light in their world of darkness.

1. In introducing the Ten Commandments, God recalls what he has done for Israel (20:2) before calling them to obey him (20:3–17). Based on this, how should we understand the role of obedience in Israel’s relationship with God? How does this parallel the role of good works in relation to the good news of Jesus?

2. When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment is, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37–39; see Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). How are these two emphases—love for God and love for neighbor—reflected in the Ten Commandments?

3. Read Romans 7:7-12. What is the role of the commandment in the work of God’s dealing with our sin? What is the role of the Gospel (see Rom 7:24-8:4)?

4. Read Romans 13:8-10. How does this passage simplify the commandments? How does it intensify them?

5. Spend some time praying through the Ten Commandments as a group. Each person pick one commandment, and respond in prayer with:

   • PRAISE for the character of God reflected in the command.

   • CONFESSION of the ways we/I fall short of this particular command and fail to reflect God’s holy nature.

   • REPENTANCE in light of the forgiveness, security and freedom of Christ.

   • THANKSGIVING for the command and Christ’s fulfillment of it.

* Some questions adapted from Exodus: A 12-Week Study by Matthew R. Newkirk, Crossway.

1. Read Exodus 17:8-16. Israel’s battle against Amalek contains the last appearance of the “staff of God” (17:9), which was the instrument used to bring the plagues against Egypt (e.g., 4:17, 20; 7:17; 8:5, 16; 9:23), to part the Red Sea (14:16), and to bring water from the rock (17:5). What do these prior uses of the staff suggest about the nature of the battle that ensues?

2. At the Red Sea, God fought Egypt for Israel (14:14). At Rephidim, however, God fights Amalek through Israel (17:8–16). What might these two types of physical warfare illustrate for us concerning God’s role and our role in the spiritual battles we face today?

3. Read Exodus 18:1-12. How does Jethro’s worship of the LORD relate to God’s purposes for the exodus, expressed in Exodus 9:13-16?

4. Read Exodus 18:13-27 and Acts 6:1-7. In his book, Old Paths New Power, Daniel Henderson notes three essential tasks for spiritual leaders expressed in both pf these passages. Study the two passages and identify the following three items in each. What might stand in the way of Christian leaders following in these paths today?

   • Prayer

   • Teaching the word

   • Empowering gifted leaders

5. In Exodus 17-18, the success of God’s mission is contrasted with the weakness of God’s people. Why does God choose to work through our weaknesses? Take some time to share weaknesses with one another and pray together for God’s power to be evident in your lives.

* Some questions derived from Exodus: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible). Crossway. by Matthew R. Newkirk

1. Read Ex. 16:1–5. These contain elements of sin, grace, and law. Identify each of these elements in the verses. Of the latter two, which comes first, grace or law? Why is this significant?

2. Twice in Exodus 16:6–8, Moses interprets the people’s grumbling against him and Aaron as grumbling against God. What does this suggest about the nature of Moses’ leadership over Israel? How does this then inform our understanding of the people’s actions in 16:19–20?

3. In Exodus 16:16–26, God gives the people instructions for how to gather the manna. They are to gather just enough for each day’s consumption, and enough on the sixth day for two days’ consumption. According to Moses’ later interpretation of this in Deuteronomy 8:2–3, what were these instructions supposed to teach Israel?

4. Read Exodus 17:1-7. Is this just another episode of grumbling for water? What does v7 suggest is the deeper sin problem?

5. Compare Ex. 15:25–26; 16:4, and 17:2, 7. How does the testing change in chapter 17? What is the significance?

6. Read Hebrews 3:7-13 – How do these verses help us apply the story of Exodus to our own lives today? Can you think of a way someone has effectively encouraged/exhorted you?  How did they do it?  Might you have opportunity to do the same for someone else this week?  Spend some time praying with one another.

Read Exodus 15:1-12. The majority of Israel’s song of praise recalls God’s destructive judgment against Israel’s enemies, as does the reprise of verse 21. How might we apply this emphasis to our understanding of our own salvation? For clarification, see Eph. 6:10–13.

Read Exodus 15:13-17. How do the themes of these verses relate to the verses in the first half of the song?

Moses sets his trajectory for the future based on God’s faithfulness in the past. What does this look like for the Christian? What future hopes to we await? How can we be sure they are secured for us? (For help, see 1 Peter 1:3-9, but only if you need help!)

After describing Israel’s future entry into the Promised Land (15:13–17), the song ends by proclaiming God’s everlasting kingship (15:18). Why might the song connect these two themes? What does this suggest about the nature of God’s kingship?

Take some time together as a group to RECOUNT graces from this past year and REJOICE in them through prayer or singing. Then, share what you anticipate for 2019 and pray for one another.

• Some questions adapted from EXODUS: A 12-WEEK STUDY by Matthew R. Newkirk

1. What do you love most about the Christmas season?  What do you find challenging?  

2. Read Exodus 12:3–13.  These verses contain a series of instructions for Israel to follow in preparing the Passover lamb. Why do you think God didn’t simply pass over the Israelite houses automatically? 

3. In Exodus 12:12, the Lord says Passover is a judgment ‘against all the gods of Egypt.’  What emotions might the Israelites have felt as they prepared for this highly unusual event, designed as an affront to Pharaoh’s authority and state religion?  

4. Read Heb 2:14-15.  How does Jesus’ death relate to our experience of God’s power?

5. In Exodus 12:13, the word translated ‘pass over’ can also be translated ‘hover/protect’.  Read John 16:6-7.  How does Jesus’ death relate to God’s remaining presence today?  

6. In what way does promise/fulfillment framework of Exodus contribute to the Passover story?  To Jesus’ story?  Why do you think God chooses to work in a promise/fulfillment framework, where promises often take a very long time to come to fruition?

7. Like Passover, Advent is a season of remembering God’s past work while also looking forward to promises yet to be fulfilled.  What promise are you most eager for Christ fulfill at his next coming?  

For more info on the American Dialectical Society’s ‘Word of the Year’, visit: https://www.americandialect.org/woty/all-of-the-words-of-the-year-1990-to-present

1. This morning we watched a video of the invisible gorilla experiment,where the distraction of passing balls can keep viewers from noticing a gorilla walk into view.  In real life, what distractions most often keep us from being aware of life’s biggest, most important things?

2. Read John 1:1-18, and mark any reference to light or seeing.  What does this passage have to say about spiritual sight as it pertains to Jesus?  To us?

3. In John 1:5-12, the theme of Light is prevalent, but there is no reference to seeing.  What verbs does John use instead of ‘see’ to describe how people interact with the light of Christ?  What do these verbs tell us about what it means to ‘see’?

4. John 1:19-34 is an account of John’s testimony.  According to v31, why did John come baptizing with water?

5. In John 1:34, what did John do before bearing witness?  What would it look like for us to follow his example this advent season?  To whom might you bear witness if the Lord opens your eyes to new spiritual realities?

6. End with a time of intercession and thanksgiving.  Consider singing a carol like “O Come All Ye Faithful”

Split into 4 groups.  Each group examine one of the 4 passages below.  If you don’t have enough people for 4 teams, you can cover fewer passages or have each group cover multiple passages. 

• 9:1-12

• 9:13-35

• 10:1-18

• 10:21-29

For each passage, locate the following, then come back together and share with one another:

• Purpose statements (“So that”, “in order that”, etc)

• Judgements (plagues)

• Examples of mercy in the midst of judgement

• Evidence of Pharaoh’s heart condition

Most people think of Jesus as focusing on the heart in a revolutionary way, vs the OT pattern of rules and regulations. What do we make of this constant narrative about the heart, before the law is given?

A hardened heart is one that does not listen, and does not let go.  When do you think it is hardest for you to listen or let go?  If you have a family member present, ask them to check your answer!

How is God portrayed as supremely sovereign in Exodus 11:1–3? What does he control? How does this inform our understanding of our own salvation?

Hebrews 3 is a chapter encouraging Christians to be soft-hearted.  What truths and commands does the author of Hebrews give to help us fight against hardened-heart-syndrome? 

1. Do you have a “bucket list” of things you’d like to experience it accomplish in your lifetime? Share a few items with one another and explain how they ended up on your list. What are the most basic motivations behind the things you want out of life?

2. In Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh says he doesn’t know the LORD. What do you think kept him from bending his will to God?

3. According to Exodus 9:14–16, why did God bring the plagues against the Egyptians? What is therefore the ultimate goal of God’s judgment of his enemies? What sort of emotional response do you have to these verses? How do they make you think of God?

4. At various points, certain Egyptians recognize God’s power throughout the plagues. After the magicians fail to replicate the plague of gnats, they exclaim, “This is the finger of God” (Ex. 8:19). During the plague of hail there are some who “feared the word of the LORDamong the servants of Pharaoh” and rush their slaves and livestock inside (9:20). Some of these servants also later implore Pharaoh to release Israel, saying, “Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” (10:7). In light of Pharaoh’s attitude, what do these responses contribute to the story?

5. What does it mean to know the Lord according to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:3? How can we partner with him in accomplishing that purpose in our context today?
   
   
   PS: Someone approached me after the services yesterday and asked, “What did Andrew say when asked why he was in Turkey?”  In court, his answer was, “I love Jesus.  I love Turkey.”  

   You can hear more from Andrew and his wife in this interview held at their home church in Montreat NC:

   https://stonetablemedia.podbean.com/e/andrew-and-norine-brunson-homecoming/

1. In Exodus 7:8–13, in order to validate his and Moses’ message before Pharaoh, Aaron casts down his staff so that it becomes a serpent. Earlier this same sign had caused Israel to believe (see 4:1–5, 30–31), but here Pharaoh refuses to listen and believe. What do these different responses reveal about the effectiveness of miraculous signs for bringing about faith?

2. In ancient Egypt, the serpent was a symbol of Pharaoh’s power. What does this introductory section therefore imply about the plagues that will follow?

3. In Exodus 1-2, we saw how Israel’s flourishing in Egypt was part of the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). How do the plagues of Exodus 7-13 relate to the Abrahamic covenant?  See Gen 12:3 for a hint.

4. Although this section is primarily concerned with God’s judgments against Pharaoh and Egypt, on several occasions Moses intercedes with God on behalf of Pharaoh (Ex. 8:12, 29; 9:33; 10:18). Why might these intercessions be recorded throughout this section? What do they contribute to this narrative filled with judgment?

5. Tim Keller says, “to practice idolatry is to be a slave.”  What would you say are the most common idols in our culture today?  In our church culture?  What would it look like if we were to faithfully topple these idols?  

6. Spend some time sharing honestly with one another about the idols that threaten your own freedom in Christ.  Pray for one another to walk in the freedom that Christ has bought for us.

Adapted from  Matthew R.. Newkirk’s Exodus: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible)  Crossway. 

Sermon summary: Our greatest problems are oppression under “Pharaoh” and resulting doubt/not trusting God. Our solution is remembering and trusting the promises of God and the hope of the gospel.

1) What problems arose for the Israelites in chapter 5? 

2) How did the Israelites respond to this oppression and injustice?

3)  Can you relate to Moses and his response to what seems like God failing  his people?

4) When do the immediacy of your circumstances, your pain, or your burdens seem more real than God himself? In verse 4, Pharaoh says, “Get back to your burdens.” When do you feel the pressure to get back to your burdens?

5) Take a look at God’s response to Moses in chapter 6 beginning in verse 1. What stands out to you about God’s response? Why does he respond the way he does? 

6)  Which of the promises listed give you hope? Do you struggle with “amnesia of the heart?” 

7) Read Hebrews 11:24-27.  What connections do you see between Moses and Jesus? What kind of a shepherd is Moses? What kind of a shepherd do we have in Christ?

8) Read Matthew 11:28-30.  Spend some time praying that we would remember and trust God‘s promises and find freedom from our burdens in Christ. Pray also for non-believing neighbors who have been “born into slavery“ to find this freedom

Read Exodus 4:1-17

1. What is Moses’ main protest in v1? Do you think it is a legitimate concern? In light of Exodus 3:18, what does 4:1 tell us about Moses’ faith?

2. The Lord provides Moses with three sign miracles in Exodus 4:2-9.  How would you describe Moses’ response to the signs in v10?

3. What causes you to doubt God’s promise, power & presence? Is there anything in this passage that can help you to counter those doubts?
   

Read 4:18-31

1. Jethro is a source of safety and provision in Moses’ life.  What does their interaction in v18 tell you about Moses and how he understood his journey?

2. Has God ever called you to leave a situation, person, place, or particular life pattern?  How did it make you feel to ‘cut the ropes’?  What was the result in your life?

3. How does the last verse of Exodus 4 relate to the first?  What does it tell us about who God is?

4.  How are you experiencing God’s call in this season of your life?  In what ways is God calling you ‘in’ right now?  In what ways is he calling you ‘out’? Spend some time praying for one another in the group. 

1. Moses was 80 years old when God finally sent him on this important mission.  Is there a time in your life when you questioned God’s timing?

2. Think through Moses’ life up to this point (the burning bush).  Was there any merit in Moses that should warrant his appointment as Israel’s leader?  How should this inform your posture toward God?

3. How does God answer Moses’ question in verse 11?

4. How does God answer Moses’ question in verse 13?  (Hint – I told you this morning!)

5. What is your response today to I AM’s call on your life?

Sermon Discussion Questions – Exodus 1-2

1. Read Exodus 1:1-7, 8-14, and 15-22.  What obstacles do the Hebrews face in each section? Why does the narrator reiterate in each section that the people kept multiplying (vv 7, 12, 20)?

2. How does the failure of Pharaoh’s plans to extinguish Israel encourage you as you look at what is happening in the world today?  

3. Describe the seasons of Moses’ life in Exodus 2.  How are his personal experiences preparing him for the task God has for him in the future?  What does his experience tell us about God’s providence?

4. Fear is an important theme in Exodus 1-2.  What does Pharaoh fear?  Midwives?  Moses?  What are some common ways we can obey fear rather than God?  In what ways are you being called to act in courageous obedience by trusting the promise, power, and presence of God?

Some questions used or adapted from Tim Chester’s Exodus For You: Thrilling you with the liberating love of God. The Good Book Company.