GNC Fall 2024: Lesson 2

Introduction: Friends, last week we were introduced to Moses through whom God was going to work to bring His people out of the slavery in Egypt.

Eventually, Moses will meet up with his brother, Aaron, and head back to Egypt to deliver God’s message to Pharaoh.

Let’s check in with them and see what happened.

Exodus 5:1–2 “1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”

Friends, Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh with what God had given them to do - to lead Israel out of Egypt!

Notice, friends, how it is that Pharaoh responded.

2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”

Pharaoh said no!

Not only this, but he also made their worker even heavier.

He reasoned that, if the Israelites can take a trip, then they must have time on their hands.

Therefore, if they have time on their hands, they can be doing more work.

Friends, notice that it gets really bad for the Israelites.

Exodus 5:21“21 They said to them, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

The Israelites were suffering and blaming Moses for it!

It was the Pharaoh who was responsible for their suffering because he refused to obey the Lord.

You see, friends, when you are going through a difficult time, it can be hard to understand things clearly.

This is why we can’t interpret what’s happening to us by what’s going on around us, like what the Israelites did!

Friends, when we complain, we are not trusting God.

To fail to trust God is to sin.

Exodus 6:2-8 2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. 4 “I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. 5 “Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 ‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 ‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.’ ”

Friends, notice that God gives the solution here for how we are to look at our circumstances when things are bad.

We’ve got to remember Who the Lord is.

We can know Him, just like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v. 3).

He is faithful to keep every promise that He has made (v. 4).

He knows what we’re facing and is acting in ways that will complete His purposes (v. 5).

He is powerful to keep all of His promises that He has made (vv. 6-8).

Friends, this God has also made a promise that everyone who believes on the Lord to save them will be saved and be made God’s child.

Friends, just like the Israelites, when things don’t go our way we are tempted to complain.

When we complain, we’re sinning against the Lord, just like the Israelites.

Remember, friends, sin is anything that we think, say, or do that displeases the Lord.

But, friends, God sent Jesus to live perfectly, die sacrificially on the cross for our sins, and now lives forevermore to give new life and forgiveness of sins to all who believe.

Friends, if you have believed on Jesus to save you, you’re going to be tempted to complain when things get tough because you’re trying to live to please the Lord.

If you’re trying to obey the Lord, someone might make fun of you.

You may even have friends that say they don’t want to be your friend anymore.

Friends, remember that God keeps all of His promises, even to be with us always, regardless of what others might say or do.

Scripture Memory Review - 2 Samuel 22:2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;”