Exodus 1-15
- Oppression: The promise of numerous descendants is being fulfilled, but resisted by Pharaoh. It’s right to suspect a spiritual purpose behind these extreme measures to oppress Israel. After all, who is the prince of this world? 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 12:31. This is Revelation 12:4 being lived out – the Dragon (Satan) trying to devour the child (Jesus). Exodus 1-2
- Moses:
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- His interesting story begins – born, given up, but nursed by his own mother. Tries to stand up for his people, but ends up a murderer and a fugitive. Exodus 2
- Prayers are answered. Moses’ is recruited for the task with some objections. Do you see personal application here? God requires Moses to circumcise his son. Exodus 3-4
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- Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh: Exodus 5-6. Pharaoh increases the pressure on the Israelites. Should you expect this when doing the right thing?
- Plagues! Exodus 7-10. Water to blood; frogs; gnats; flies (Goshen spared starting here); death of livestock; boils; hail; locusts; darkness; death of the firstborn.
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- Interestingly, all the plagues are directed against the various Egyptian gods.
- Just because it is a familiar account, do not lose sight of the horror of the events – for both Egyptians and Hebrews alike. Sin has consequences, and God will judge. Genesis 15:14
- Notice that Pharaoh attempts to bargain with Moses and Aaron.
- Notice the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. This is God ensuring that all this will come down to some serious signs and wonders. Who hardened first? Exodus 3:19, 4:21, 7:14, 8:15, 8:32, 9:7, 9:34, 10:1.
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- The Passover: Exodus 11-14.
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- The details are important – the Passover is all about Jesus, who was ultimately the Lamb that was sacrificed on the Passover. Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1-2; John 18:28; 1 Corinthians 5:7.
- The New Covenant was introduced and the Lord’s Supper instituted at the Passover meal with Jesus and His disciples.
- The entire process is typological of salvation: The Israelites are redeemed out of bondage in Egypt by the mighty hand of God and the blood of a lamb. Likewise, the blood of Jesus Christ purchases out of the world a people, enslaved to sin, but made alive for himself. They put sin (leaven) behind them and leave without turning back. They even pass through water (baptism) following God. On the other side, they sing of His mighty works.
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- The song: Exodus 15. The first of many songs written by God’s people. And God begins to provide for his purchased people.
Galatians 5-6
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- It’s obvious Paul does not mean that being free from the Law is a license to sin. But what does it mean? How is living in the Spirit or “walking according to the Spirit” different from living under the Law?
- Galatians 5:22-23, The fruit of the Spirit, is a very common memory passage.
- Christians are called to mutual love and upbuilding. What does that mean?
- Notice that chapter 6 begins with the wildly unpopular notion of actually being accountable with one another. This is only possible in salvation by grace, so we are all realistic about the fact that we all sin – we have nothing to hide from one another, but indeed should share one another’s burdens.
Ephesians 1-3
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- Spiritual Blessings: True worship and the most beneficial always begins with a description of what God has done for us. Slowly go back through 1:3-14 and note what some of the blessings of salvation include.
- The Gospel: Ephesians 2:1-10 is a great summary of the gospel. Ephesians 2:1-3 shows the predicament of unsaved humanity. They are so helpless, they are dead. They are unwittingly serving Satan through the fulfillment of their own sinful desires. All of us. The Bible holds that there are no neutral parties – all either serve God or serve Satan and his world-wide system of deception and sin. He saved us by His grace, and has a wonderful plan of unity.
- The Mystery: The mystery is that Gentiles and Jews are equal and unified in the church. This is important, because this is a racial distinction that God made in choosing Abraham and making a covenant with him. If the gospel sets aside a distinction that God made, how much more does it set aside man-made distinctions and prejudices? Think on that.
Psalms
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- Psalm 105 – the very essence of worship is to proclaim the virtues of God and the mighty works He has done. Reading this is worship. Discussing it is worship. Singing about it is worship. Telling others about it is worship!
- Psalm 114 – beautiful imagery of God’s power over the natural order. More about the Exodus.
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