The Exodus

Introduction:

P.O.V. God’s grace thru the eyes of OT stories/chars.

Sunday School stories, grew up on?

Highlight char. of YHWH & important truths to live by.

List WK: The FALL. Free will choice (serpent voice vs. God’s)

When hum’ty cont. 2fail, reject YH; funnels plan thru son of idol-carver, Abram

Prom’d son, Issac, mult!… end of Gen, lg. pop. of ppl! in Egypt.

Even’lly forced into slav’ry out of fear/paranoia, Isr. cries out!

Exodus 2:23–24 “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”

God responds by calling one of their own (burn’g bush!)

THE Pinnacle example of God’s grace & faithfulness to His ppl Isr. was >>

The Exodus from Egypt

Exodus 3:10 “So now, go [Moses]. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.””

God’s rescue claims more intertextual hyperlinks than any other narrative!

Approx 120x acc. to my source; (likely conserv. est!)

A DotL moment! YH full pwr on display!

Recall: 10 plagues “signs” on Egypt: Bld, Frg, Lic, Fl, Plg, Boi, Hal, Loc, Drk, 1Brn

Phr refused let ppl go, YH used Mo’ to call dwn crazy judg’ts!

Act of de-creating, back to chaos, ldg to re-crea. of Isr. on new day of new yr!

MANY many diff. ways to look at this. Much to see.…

See: Scholar Carmen Imes’ “Torah Tuesday” on Youtube.

Some of my ideas come from info gained from one of her vids…

Want to highlight particular passage during the third cycle of ‘signs’

Right before the hail (#7!) Pay attn. to the REASON for plagues:

Exodus 9:13–15 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you[r heart]… so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.”

YH says: I REALLY mean it this time! Shift in severity, power…

“your heart”; NIV softens — make it personal!

Lst. line: “I could have”… fighting w/ 1hand behind back

Imes: <Prin'ss Bride> “I know something you don’t know”

YH: “I could have decimated you, however...” >>

Exodus 9:16 “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Up to this point, story tells us YH known by El Elyon (God Most High). Now, He wants the world to know the name “Yahweh”!

Creator God going to reveal to this gen. something NEW about 'sef!

Via faithful sacrifice of Son-Jesus on the cross, not many tongues left who don’t know that >>

Yahweh is Lord of All

When we get saved, declare the Jesus is Lord of my life — he rules!

What we already believe & know doesn't always immed. line up w. our behavior.

TODAY: Remind us of sev'al key pts & how they affect us/thots…

Lord of Nations

We in Democr. West feel like we have sway or infl. in gov.— also feels much biggr than me; esp. when talk ‘bout other countries!

Even tho we have voting pwr, can feel out of control.

Guess what? God even has say in/design over what happens on global scene:

Daniel 4:17 ““…the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’”

No matter what happens (geopolitically), we can trust that God is in it or is going to use it for His glory.

Some argue: same thing!

Careful to judge too quickly on what polit. moves OF GOD & of world. Too many of us gotten theo’gy mixed up w/ polit’s

Since God is still in control/rules, can ask Him for wisd. OR look at the Son JC for dir.

Talked at length about polit. last Oct… Paul says:

1 Timothy 2:1–4 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Praying for favor for your nation/land is Biblical.

Paul says: leads to more hearing about X. ALWAYS evang. motivs!

Put your trust in God . Make a difference where you can. Trust Him to guide our nation (even judg’t).

Trust God to intervene & direct the affairs of nations.

Zooming in: G doesn’t just care abt countries; has best prac. for [my Community] >>

Lord of my Community

Lg. piece of TORAH was community life… what you do if/when some1 does x to you. Should I do y?

Put a def. on it, Community Is >>

The people you surround yourself with is your ‘community’.

People who YOU invest in, give advice to, lend things to, hang out w.

Important to have phys. in-person ppl in life. (Biggest COVID sacrifices/negatives)

Need ppl who U can spend time w and be ‘rself with! Work, church, school, family — all comm’ty!

Are you adding peace or joy to the room you walk into? Call’d a killjoy? Remove ‘rself f?

Also, ppl whose voices you let speak into your life-choices (digital, phys. present, literary, spir’l).

Might not be frm'l arrangement (coach, trainer), but you have comm'ty!

Who are you listening to about what’s important?

Perhaps wise? say: “Not letting XYZ have a say in my life anymore!”

Q: In YOUR ‘community’, how many discuss/prioritize Jesus?

Christian community is necessary: 1 Corinthians 15:33!

God’s will/desire for us is: be cncted to ppl that love HIM!

Easy to fall away, forget what's important - put God/JC as Lord over ur life - if your comm’ty isn’t reminding you!

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.””

Makes living Xian life uphill battle! Not impossible, but unnec. diff’t!

Listen to auth. of Heb >>

Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

When considering’ YH’s authority/sovereignty remember: >>

Jesus is the head of the Church

Whether we vote, gather, eat, study, sing together — Way of Jesus has to take the lead.

God has a best-prac. for His chosen people (us). HIS RULE.

The Gospel going out to all peoples is the #1 priority!!

Color of carpet, types of seats, how many ministries, etc — low on totem pole when comes to using our budget/bldg. for LOST.

Christ favors order over chaos!

Doesn’t mean HS can’t work, exhibit… but chaos is NOT god-honoring. Order doesn’t hinder HS.

Orderly also doesn’t mean familiar. Gift of tongues or proph. is strange & also HS-insp’d!

1 Corinthians 14:39–40 “Be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”

A divine standard; must have prior’s straight!

If we call 'rselves Xians, we look to this higher standard.

Mak’g way to most personal. Lord of Nations -> Comm’ty, & now >>

Lord of my Life

Lives a series of choices we make — some things we do feel lik they ONLY affect us.

1. That’s a lie; ripple effect; 2. YH’s rule extends to most personal choices.

G who made univ. has personal blueprt. for (rules) my pers. life.

Integrity is key to living a life that honors God: Proverbs 28:6; Luke 16:10.

Proverbs 28:6 “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.”

Not only is integr. valuable to the Bib. auth. (Solom. comp. to riches), culture @lg. values this also!

A Bib. princip that culture agrees w/!! JC put it this way:

Luke 16:10 ““Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

What you R up to behind closed doors, no one is watching, says a lot about where ur <3’s at; how much you’ve let X change you.

Who UR here on Sun. doesn’t say ‘lot about your life w/ X. Who UR on a misc. Tue night reveals a lot!

God wants to rule over my marriage & sexual ethics.

“That’s weird, God. I’ll take it from here.” “Too personal!” “Who I worship, sure! Who I love? I’m good; thanks!”

Marr. & sex is sacred, special — called to treat it as such!

More than just bio-chem. reaction; MORE than just a cert. w/ gov.

“I’ll run this show, G. Mind own bus.!" Reveals: don’t view most intimate parts of life as sacred; want 2B our own God…

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

YH says: good rule for marr.; for sex. Outside those bounds, like or not, there is chaos & fear & death.

Like to have a say: which sex’l things cause death & which i can handle; aren’t harmf’l — God’s way is best.

Heterosexual, monogamous, generous; 2 adults blessed publicly b4 God in matrimony. Not old-fashioned… time-tested!

God has a best way for my words.

Gossip & coarse language/ jokes carry weight

James 3:4–5 “…Although [ships] are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts… a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

Words you say have consequence, meaning, weight!

Use them to life others up or speak truth, not tear down & slander or gossip.

Use your words in a way that reflects the purity you claim to have received from X; that he died for!

Don’t lower URself using the profane & crass idioms of this culture. Swears.

Be a person with integrity who [Starts] >>

Start a Ripple Effect

Your personal choices affect your community; communities can change the world!

Christians had a huge role in abolishing slavery in America & abroad!

Started with believing the full gospel & ex. of JC.

Used platforms for promoting obj. right, against wrong.

realized: could make a diff. in margin. population; based on color of skin!

Your personal reforming makes a difference!

The early Jesus movement re-shaped the global culture of the first-century!

Empw’d & insp. by HS, early Church saw injustice & ineq. among widows & acted for change!

Those who, in pagan cult., were rejected or left for dead, Church saw value & worked for justice.

Again & again, our Bible tells us that reading it will reveal to us the best way that leads to life.

Because YHWH rules; His guidelines for what is best are the ways that make life full of meaning.

Summ. chap. 2, Solomon says it this way:

Proverbs 2:1–2,9,20 “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding… Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path… Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.”

We submit to God’s Way by repenting!

Call to repentance.

Call to submission