Session 9: Exodus 11:4-14:31

Session 9: Exodus 11:4-14:31

Summarize

1. God institutes the memorial meal(11:1-12:20)

a. God tells Moses he will kill all the firstborn in Egypt(1-6)

b. God instructs the Israelites on how to prepare the memorial feast(12:1-28)

2. God causes Pharaoh to release the Israelites(12:29-42)

a. God kills the firstborn of the Egyptians and Pharaoh releases the Israelites

b. The Israelites plunder the Egyptians(12:33-36)

3. God reaffirms the Covenant and explains the significance of the Passover Meal(12:43-13:16)

a. God instructs the Israelites on how to eat the Passover meal and who can eat it(12:43-49)

b. God the Israelites what to teach about the Passover meal(13:1-16)

4. God leads His people through the wilderness(13:17-14:2)

a. God leads the Israelites on a path that will build their confidence in Him

b. God prepares the Israelites to watch Him deliver them

5. God delivers His people from destruction(14:3-31)

a. God causes Pharaoh to pursue the Israelites(14:4)

b. Moses encourages the people to trust in the Lord(14:13-14)

c. God uses Moses to deliver the Israelites and destroy the Egyptians(14:15-31)

Analyze

1. What does God command the Israelites to ask their neighbors for? (2)(Ex 3:22)

1. What makes the command remarkable?(11:4-6)
2. What does God tell Moses is the reason that Pharaoh will not listen to Moses?(9-10)

Read Romans 9:14-24, Isa 55:8-9, 2 Pet 3:9, Genesis 15:13-16

3. What do these passages and the previous question tell you about God’s character?  What do you learn about God’s patience, mercy, and grace?
4. How does your sense of entitlement to salvation contrast with what you’ve read in these passages? (Eph 2:1-5, Col 1:21-22, 3:5-7,Rom 5:10)  
5. How does the community aspect of the Passover feast affect how you think about the Lord’s Supper and the Church?

2. Which houses were spared from the plague of death?(12:13)

1. How does this passage illustrate substitutionary atonement?

Substitutionary Atonement: Atonement is the repayment for doing wrong or injury to someone else. Substitutionary atonement means that someone else pays for what you’ve done wrong

2. How does this picture of atonement enhance your understanding of Jesus dying for you?(Jn 1:29)

Read Gal 3:13, John 14:6, 1 Pet 2:24, Acts 4:12

3. According to 12:13 who will be spared from the plague of death? What makes salvation through Christ alone difficult for people to accept?  How do the above passages help us affirm for ourselves and explain to others the significance of Jesus death on the cross?

3. What are the regulations God gives about who can eat the meal?

1. What does circumcision have to do with being able to eat the meal?

Remember that God commanded Abraham  to be circumcised and that all his household be circumcised as a sign of God’s covenant to make Abraham a great nation(Gen 17). Here the only ones able to eat the meal are people that are children of Abraham.  In the NT we are told that all who trust Jesus are the children of Abraham. (Gal 3:6-8)

2. How does this picture of who can eat the passover meal affect your view of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist/Communion?
3. How can the taking of the meal be a testimony that bears witness to the sacrifice of Christ?
4. how does God’s command to consecrate all the firstborn serve as a reminder to the Israelites of what they were spared from? (13:1-2)
5. Why does God command the people to eat unleavened bread?

Yeast is the component that causes bread to rise or be leavened.  Throughout scripture yeast is used as a symbol for sin.  It only takes a little yeast to make the dough rise.  So no yeast in the community of God’s people communicates the importance of being prepared to eat the feast by asking and allowing God to purge you of sin(1 Jn 1:9).  This also reinforces the concept that only those who have been cleansed and made part of the family of God may partake of the meal. (More on Matzah, Passover feast symbols)

4. What reason does God give for the way that He led them through the wilderness?(13:17)

1. How did the Israelites follow where God was leading them?(21-22)

5. Why did Pharaoh decide to chase the Israelites?(14:3-4)

1. How did God leading the Israelites to a place with no escape provide Him with an opportunity to demonstrate His power?
2. How had God demonstrated His sovereignty and power to the Israelites and Egyptians prior to this chapter?  How has God demonstrated His faithfulness and power in your life?
3. How have you acted like the Israelites in vs 10-12?
4. What does Moses tell the people in response to their fears? (13-14)
5. How does this picture help you understand the sovereignty of God?

Sometimes in Scripture water is a symbol of God’s wrath and judgement.  We saw this in the story of Noah and we will see it again in Joshua.  We’ve also discussed the concept of anti-types, precursors to THE type that was yet to come. This is a beautiful picture of Christ represented by Moses, interceding for the people, and as a result the judgement and wrath of God held back allowing the people to cross over.  It’s also a sobering picture of what happens when people try to cross without an intercessor.

6. Who was allowed to cross the sea on dry land?  What happened to the people that tried to cross without Moses intervention?
7. What was the Israelites response to God’s salvation? (Jn 17:3, 14:1-3)

Contextualize

1. God wants us to remember what He has done for us
2. God wants us to trust Him
3. Those who place their trust in God will never be let down

Actualize

Journal every day this week about how God has been faithful/good to you, thank Him and prepare to share your reflections with someone this week.