Released and Reconstituted

Gotta be good, too! If something is strong and bad, that’s scary! That doesn’t make us feel safe. In order to make us feel safe, it’s got to be both strong and good!

Who is the strongest in the whole universe? Who is the most good in the whole universe?

Therefore, the one who can make us feel the safest is the one who is the strong and the most good.

When you don’t feel safe,

[] are good things that God has given you.

But, He also gives us prayer so that we can ask Him directly to help us feel safe and be safe.

Prayer * 2: thanks; keep them safe: phys, soul, spirit —> love you with HSMS

Intro

Sarah Springer:

Women teaching:

Q: What makes you feel safe? Is [] strong? And good?

RV:

Getting ready: Moses up to conflict w/Ph

Getting really ready: 9 plagues - explain what 10th will be, Ph’s hard heart —> 10th

Lots to make them feel afraid

PV: 7 strong and good attributes of God that give shape or our hope, faith, identity, purpose, fear, celebration, and inclusion

Title: People of Israel will be released and reconstituted

Flyover of Exodus 12:1 - 15:21

Exo 12:1-28 [God’s Imperatives Shape Our Hope]

ST:

10th plague is coming

Detailed instructions (Exo 12:12-13)

Exodus 12:12–13 CSB

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Eg: New year, eating, spreading blood, bitter herbs, slaughter at twilight, unleavened, roasted intact, no leftovers, no boiling, robes tucked, eat quickly

All new ideas b4 Lv

God will pass through the land execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt, & He will passover when He sees the blood applied in faith

Plus plans to celebrate the Passover year after years … before 10th plague and Passover

Celebrating is Imperative (Exo 12:14-16)

Exodus 12:14–16 CSB

“This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute. You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.

Starting when you get into the PL (Exo 12:25)

Exodus 12:25 CSB

When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, you are to observe this ceremony.

Feelings: This is serious! But there’s hope! (b/c plans)

Watched the 9 plagues (blood, frogs, dead animals, locusts; some didn’t hit us)

This is serious! Scary, divine, huge conflict M v. Ph (who’s gonna win?), let the bodies hit the floor

Even severe punishment in v. 15 if eat leaven - serious!

But in the middle of all this, God is making party plans for an annual celebration for us —> there’s hope to get to a place where we can celebrate, week-long, annually!

Tag: God’s imperatives shape our hope

Celebrating this festival is an imperative, not a neat idea for a party

Shapes our hope: Every one of God’s commands (even those: eye roll) has contained within it hope that He has something good for us in mind, or He wouldn’t bother (b/c he’s both strong and good)

Nature of our hope shaped by the nature of God’s commands (eg: Jn 14:21; 1 who loves Me)

Israel:

(v. 2) This = New year = new beginning … of something big! There’s hope!

Celebrate = we’re gonna have something to celebrate every year for thousands of years!

And Land = start this when we enter the land … hey! we’re gonna get our own land!

As long as God’s giving us commands, there’s hope! It’s when He stops giving us commands that we need to worry.

Church:

At His last Passover, JC took the bread and wine and said, “This My body broken for you; take and eat; this is My blood poured out for you - take and drink” —> hope!

Paul: every time eat/drink = proclaim Lord’s death until He returns, 1 Cor 11:26 —> hope of His return

After res, he issues a cmd: “Now … go be My church in My name” —> hope!

Exo 12:29-51 [God’s Narrowing Shapes Our Faith]

ST:

At midnight YHWH struck 1stBs

Pharaoh tells M to do 2 things (Exo 12:30-32)

Exodus 12:30–32 CSB

During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get out immediately from among my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the Lord as you have said. Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”

“Go … and bless me!”

Ph’s “go” was without restrictions or conditions this time

“Bless me!” = full capitulation (even if temporary); (another reason for 10 plagues; AOT “fine, whatever”)

Egyptians pressured Israelites to go b/c fear of death; went w/unleavened bread

Israelites asked for silver and gold, they gave b/c God’s favor = plunder

Gold and silver —> golden calf (Exo 32)

But also —> tabernacle (Exo 25:3)

G to M+A: no foreigner eat Passover unless they convert

Feelings: (Constricted, but there’s faith)

Imagine being a 1stB, hearing cries echo - all the 1stB’s are dying like Moses said; “I’m a 1stB - and the only thing protecting me is smeared blood of the lamb I’m eating; I don’t have the list of things your children listed earlier this morning - none of those can help me now”

Imagine being a parent with a 1stB, hearing cries echo - “did we smear enough blood? did we do it right?”

The only reason to think this will turn out OK is faith in what M said that G said

Tag: God’s narrowing Shapes our Faith

God narrowed: God made it such that no sword, no shield, no locked gate, not even being one of God’s people could protect you

Shapes our faith: all they had was faith in God’s promise

Let’s say we have a coin, and on one side is our faith - the flip side of the coin is what we have faith in; it can be wealth, success, swords and fists, or God’s promises; what’s on the other side of a saving faith is God’s promise

The nature of our faith shaped by the narrowness God creates, taking away one by one everything on our list so that we might trust in nothing but His promise that a little bit of blood will save you

Israel:

Impossible situation —> impossible beginning to their nation —> by God’s power alone —> the faith He wants them to have

First time Israel is described as a “congregation” or “community” - which they become in the midst of complete turmoil (~COVID)

Church:

JC is our deliverer from the slavery of sin

Only by His blood can we be saved

We have nothing left but faith in a little bit of blood

Command to not break the bones of the lamb (Exo 12:46), they commanded the soldiers to not break the bones of Jesus on the Cross (Jn 19:33), even tho that was customary for crucifixions - Jesus was still the perfect, unblemished sacrifice even in His death

Exodus 12:46 CSB

It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.

John 19:33 CSB

When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead.

Like Ph’s unconditional release for Israel to “go” (even though it was temporary), our release from slavery is unconditional

Like the Israelites plundered the Egyptians in their release, we inherit all of God’s Kingdom with our release - it’s like plunder!

What’s on the flipside of the coin of our faith?

Exo 13:1-16 [God’s Redemption Shapes Our Identity]

ST:

G to M: Consecrate the 1st born males (humans and animals; Exo 13:1-2)

Exodus 13:1–2 CSB

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Consecrate every firstborn male to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine.”

No leaven, no leaven, no leaven! BTW … no leaven!

M to ppl: remember this day (Exo 13:3); explain to your son (Exo 13:8, 14)

Exodus 13:3 CSB

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of his hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.

Exodus 13:8 CSB

On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

Exodus 13:14 CSB

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of his hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

God encourages kids to keep asking “Why? Why?”

Remember God’s power!

When get into land of Canaanites, present every 1st born male; can redeem donkeys (unclean, not good for sacrifice) or break their necks; redeem every 1stB son

Feelings: If I’ve been redeemed, I’m somehow different - who am I now?

What’s 1stB feeling now? I’m consecrated to God. Dad has to give something up - either me to the service of God or something else in my place

‘Rents of 1stB feelings - our 1stB son is consecrated to God —> “we’re forever a rescued people”

Tag: God’s redemption shapes our identity

God’s redemption: here - $ to rescue donkey, 1stB; us - $ to rescue us

Shapes our identity: who am I? I deserve to have my neck broken, but exorbitant price paid to set me free - that’s who I am!

Our identity is shaped by the price someone else pays to make us their own

Israel:

Remember: Perpetuate all this to your children

Church:

JC =

1stB dedicated for God’s purpose, but instead of being redeemed, He’s the Redeemer!

“Unleavened” = sinless, w/o defect

The Bread of Life

Our High Priest

Remember: LS = “Do this in remembrance of me”; perpetuate to children (why we have ‘rents explain)

Exo 13:17-22 [God’s Story Shapes Our Purpose]

ST:

Not by the road to the Philistines b/c war, so around the Sea of Reeds … interesting ...

Bones of Joseph b/c oath (Exo 13:19)

Exodus 13:19 CSB

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, “God will certainly come to your aid; then you must take my bones with you from this place.”

“To the edge of the wilderness” … pinned in … interesting …

YHWH when ahead in a pillar of cloud by day, fire by night; pillar never left them (Exo 13:22)

Exodus 13:22 CSB

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

Feelings: There’s a past and a future to this story - where do I fit in?

Now what? Looking at desert, 1st time able to think about being free: Which way? What do we do now?

Bones of Joseph (some people had to carry them) - connectedness between what we’re doing and God’s promise/covenant (past) & PL (future)

This is God’s story above our story

Tag: God’s story shapes our purpose

God’s story: generations come and go, thousands of years, God is still leading the story like a pillar of fire toward New Heaven / Earth, His Kingdom with JC our King forever

Shapes our purpose: God’s story is above your story (your story matters)

Our purpose shaped by the bigger story we find ourselves in - w/o God, there is no story, just random events, and so there is no purpose

Israel:

Pillar ~GPS toward a purpose

Purpose: “they will be my people; I will be their God; I will dwell among them” (Exo 6:7; 29:45)

Church:

Pillar

Sure would be good to have a pillar ~GPS (hold Bible)

X sent HS to guide us to … what? … all that JC said

Purpose / story: The voice of our GPS just keeps saying, “Christward and Christlike”

Exo 14:1-31 [God’s Glory Shapes Our Fear]

ST:

Harden PH —> receive glory (Exo 14:4, 17, 18)

Exodus 14:4 CSB

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

Exodus 14:17 CSB

As for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.

Exodus 14:18 CSB

The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

“Confused and boxed in” (Exo 14:3)

Exodus 14:3 CSB

Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.

Ph changed his mind (Exo 14:5)

Exodus 14:5 CSB

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

600 best chariots + (“they’ll get away over my dead body” … OK)

Ppl saw Egyptians, terrified, cried to YHWH for help (Exo 14:10-12);

Exodus 14:10–12 CSB

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians coming after them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

M to ppl (Exo 14:13-14):

Exodus 14:13–14 CSB

But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”

Don’t be afraid

Stand firm

Be still

God will fight for you

Then angel of God who was going in front of them (pillar) then stood behind, between groups, stalemate all night long

Moses stretched hand, YHWH drove back w/wind all night, walls and dry (took a while)

Egyptians pursued, all of ‘em, into the trap, and then the wheels started coming off of their plan … literally … then (Exo 14:25)

Exodus 14:25 CSB

He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

G to M: stretch out hand water come back, (“enchantment under the sea dance”) (Exo 14:30-31)

Exodus 14:30–31 CSB

That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

Feelings: All of this is amazing! God is strong, but if He’s not good, all this is scarier than being whipped as slaves

Israel:

Boxed geographically —> fear

Egyptian army pursuing —> fear

God’s glory —> righteous fear of the Lord

Don’t be afraid, stand firm, be still - God is fighting for you

See dead bods (not a wasted detail of the story)

Egypt: pillar, wheels coming off, run away / run away!; water crashing down —> fear

Pillar/glory was salvation for Jews but dread for Egyptians

Tag: God’s glory shapes our fear

Glory: seen in the pillar of fire/cloud

Shapes our fear:

fear of Egyptians = terror;

fear of Israelites = reverent awe

Our fear shaped by the awesomeness that can create both reverence and terror @same time

Israel:

The defining day of a nation:

Church:

JC coming back with judgment in His hand ~pillar of fire

We are saved by the same thing that will cause other to perish

Don’t be afraid, stand firm, be still - God is fighting for you

Exo 15:1-18 [God’s Power Shapes Our Celebration]

ST:

M+ppl sang: YHWH is exalted, He did, my strength and my song (Exo 15:2; BD’s),

Exodus 15:2 CSB

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

RE God as victorious Savior-warrior-king who also has lovingkindness

Feelings: God is strong and good - so we have lots to celebrate

“My strength and my song” = 1 who nations fear

Tag: God’s power shapes our celebration

God’s power throughout song

Shapes our celebration:

If God is not strong, can we ever afford to celebrate?

But because He is strong, not only can we afford to celebrate, we have a reason to celebrate! He’s both our strength and our song!

Our celebration shaped by how strong and good God is

Israel:

A song to go with their annual celebration

What they should have retained the entire time, but failed here first, then failed in faithfulness

Church:

~ This is our song in X! (can read w/X; Lake of Fire)

Exo 15:19-21 [God’s Justice Shapes Our Inclusion]

ST:

Miriam the prophetess (sis) led women in singing

Sing to YHWH, highly exalted, he did powerful things

Feelings: God’s plan isn’t just a guys’ club - He includes all who believe

Our 1stB sons, too!

We own this mission, too

We’re in leadership, too

Tag: God’s justice shapes our inclusion

God’s justice: God doesn’t have a favorite gender, race, employment status, IQ, past history, sins that He’s less offended by —> careful to include the excluded

Shapes our inclusion: I have just has much to celebrate in God as the next person, no one is ahead of me in line of God’s favorites

Our inclusion shaped by God’s care for all equally

Israel:

The excluded are no less redeemed, no less part of God’s 1stB, no less:

Hope

Faith

Identity

Purpose

Fear

Celebration

Church:

Gospel by nature includes those who have historically been excluded: women, people born somewhere else, the most vile sinner, the poor, children, the oppressed

God’s people should be as careful as God to include the excluded

Our charge is to bring true justice so that all can see that the Good News is Good News for everyone, even the least

Summary

[Call worship team]

God’s imperatives shape our hope

God’s narrowing shapes our faith

God’s redemption shapes our identity

God’s story shapes our purpose

God’s glory shapes our fear

God’s power shapes our celebration

God’s justice shapes our inclusion

D Groups

Discovery Questions

Read Exo 11, preferably in more than one translation.

Summarize in your own words what this section is about.

What do you gravitate to in this passage? Why?

What does this tell you about God?

What does this tell you about people?

On the premise that this is God’s Word, what changes would you have to make in your thinking or actions?

Who in your life needs to hear this?

Directed Questions

Remember to leave time for prayer, or perhaps do prayer first.

Cross references that may come in handy

Introduce: Ask if there is anyone who hasn’t yet been introduced to someone else in the group.

Launch: Which of the following aspects do you most want God to work on in your life, and why?

Hope

Faith

Identity, strong sense of who I am in Christ

Purpose in life

Fear (a reverent awe) of God

A heart of worship & celebration

A sense of inclusion

Read: Based on the answers just given, pick one of the following attributes and read

Hope - God’s imperatives (Exo 12:1-28)

Faith - God’s narrowing (Exo 12:29-51)

Identity - God’s redemption (Exo 13:1-16)

Purpose - God’s story (Exo 13:17-22)

Fear - God’s glory (Exo 14:1-31)

Celebration - God’s power (Exo 15:1-18)

Inclusion - God’s justice (Exo 15:19-21) (since this is short, you might pick this with another, especially “celebration”)

Observe:

Where in the passage do you find the attribute (such as “hope”)? (there might be more than one)

Where in the passage do you find God’s action (such as “imperatives”)?

Interpret:

How does God’s action result in the attribute? What’s the connection?

What is an example from your own experience of this connection?

Reflect:

Think about the feelings that the people in the passage might have been feeling. When have you had the same feeling?

How does God’s action affect those feelings?

Apply:

For the particular attribute that you chose, what is one way that God’s actions can build that attribute in you in the next few weeks?

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