Jet Tour Through Exodus

I have been following the F260 reading plan as a guide for my lessons.

Since we have not done one the last 2 weeks, we have fallen a bit behind.

Since we are going to be doing an in-depth sermon series through the book of Exodus in church soon, I have decided to do a quick overview of it here.

INTRODUCTION

We remember the beginning of the story of Exodus, how Jacob’s family came to Egypt and began to multiply.

They became so numberous over the course of 400 years that the Egyptians were terrified they would overtake them, so they began to oppress them as slaves.

They inflicted them with harsh labour, and killed their babies in an attempt to stop their rapid growth.

The Lord was still with them and they continued to multiply.

Then God calls Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.

He is not very willing to be used by God, but eventually does obey and go back to Egypt to deliver God’s people.

He goes to Pharaoh, who does not listen, and puts a heavier workload on the Israelites… one they cannot bear, and he now has a reason to kill them.

It doesn’t appear things are going well to start, but this is all according to God’s plan and timing.

The first thing we are going to see in our Jet Tour Through Exodus is…

God Delivers His People

God saves His people with a strong and mighty hand.

He does this through 10 plagues.

GUESS THE 10 PLAGUES — Nobody can guess more than one right answer

Water turned to blood

Frogs

Gnats

Flies (Not on Israelites)

Livestock die (Not the Israelites)

Boils

Hail (Not the Israelites)

Locusts

Darkness (Not on Israelites)

Death of firstborn (Not on Israelites)

What was the purpose of the plagues?

Allow for guesses/responses…

A sign to Israel

Exodus 6:1—9.

God was faithful to His covenant.

He is alive.

He is powerful and mighty.

He has a plan for His people.

He is worthy of their worship.

A sign to the Egyptians

Exodus 7:1—5.

These plagues were a demonstration of God’s greatness and power, over and above the gods of Egypt.

This was a display of God’s justice through His power, but we also see His incredible grace.

Exodus 9:13—21.

God could have just killed them all and the Israelites could have left.

But God shows patience in 10 acts of power to give them time to repent and turn from their sin.

God gives them opportunities to believe in His Word.

Some take advantage, while others remain stubborn.

It may be that some Egyptians began to follow God.

In Exodus 12:38... “A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.”

APPLY

God has saved and delivered us through Jesus Christ.

John 3:16-17 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The purpose of God sending Christ was not necessarily to bring judgement, but salvation!

God is also patient with us.

2 Pet 3:8—10 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

This letter was written to believers, so Peter is teaching them that God has patience for His chosen people, not wanting them to perish.

He also has patience toward those who are not His children, wanting them to come to saving knowledge of who He is.

The first thing we see in our Jet Tour Through Exodus is…

God Delivers His People

The next thing we see is…

God Calls His People to Obedience

After saving His people in faithfulness to His covenant with them, He then calls them to obedience to His law.

Notice that first God saves, and then calls for their obedience.

God takes the first step, and then calls on us to follow because of what He has done for us.

GUESS THE 10 COMMANDMENTS — Only one guess per person

You shall have no other gods before me

You shall not make an image/idol

You shall not use the Lord’s name in vain

You shall keep the Sabbath holy

You shall honour your father and mother

You shall not murder

You shall not commit adultery

You shall not steal

You shall not bear false witness

You shall not covet

Do you think the 10 Commandments are relevant to us today?

As a society, we do mostly follow these commandments.

What would society look like if we didn’t follow these commands?

Jesus did not come to abolish the law…

Matt 5:17-18 ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Did Jesus “raise the bar” with certain commandments?

Matt 5:21—22 ““You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Matt 5:27-28 ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

APPLY

God has saved and delivered us from our sin through Jesus Christ, and so calls us to faithful obedience because of what He has done for us.

He took the first step to save us, and now expects us to live for Him.

Roman Road

Rom 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Rom 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Rom 10:9-10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Rom 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What is our response to God’s grace?

Rom 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

‌In our Jet Tour Through Exodus we have learned that…

God delivers His people

God calls His people to obedience

Lastly we learn that…

God Gives His People Instructions for Worship

We have been saved by God, so we should therefore commit to obedience.

But that doesn’t mean that we can worship Him any way we please.

He has a certain way that He requires His people to be able to come before Him in worship.

READ Exodus 25:1-9.

Worship’s Motivation

The Israelites worship was to be motivated by their gratitude for all that God has done for them.

Ex 25:1-2 “The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.”

Our worship springs from a heart-felt desire to honour Him.

Worship’s Goal

The goal of the Israelites worship was to have fellowship and communion with God.

Ex 25:8 “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”

Their worship acknowledged the truth of what the Scriptures taught them about God.

And if they followed His Word, God would reveal Himself to them, and dwell among them.

Worship’s Standard

The Standard of the Israelites worship was to be according to God’s Word.

Ex 25:9 “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.”

They had become accustomed to the worship they saw while in Egypt (golden calf).

If it was up to them to know how to worship God, they would have messed it up.

They didn’t just get to make up their own rules for how to worship God. He made a way for them to worship Him that they were required to follow in order for Him to dwell in their midst.

APPLY

In our day, we do not get to make up the rules for how to worship God either.

The way that we come to God is through Jesus Christ. He is the one who fulfilled the law, and opened the way of salvation to us.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The NT sees the OT exodus story as the pattern for the ministry and death of Christ.

In him God “dwelt [lit., “tabernacled”] among us, and we have seen his glory”

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus sojourned in Egypt, and then came out, fulfilling the pattern of Israel.

Matt 2:15 “and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.””

At the Last Supper, a Passover meal, Jesus referred to “the new covenant in my blood”, echoing Moses’ words in Exodus 24:8.

Luke 22:20 “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

He also described his death as the exodus that he would accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). As Jesus reenacted the exodus in his own life and death, so must his followers.

Luke 9:31 “who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Baptism into his death identifies the believer with the Israelites’ passage through the Red Sea, and partaking of his spiritual food and drink identifies the believer with their experiences in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:1–3).

1 Cor 10:1-3 “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food,”

Finally, in heaven, believers shall sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3; cf. Exodus 15).

Rev 15:3 “And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!”

‌In our Jet Tour Through Exodus we learned that…

God delivers His people

God calls His people to obedience

God gives His people instructions for worship

In what way(s) do you see the need to grow in your devotion to and worship of God?