1 HOW TO READ THE BIBLE BETTER: AS YOU READ EACH PASSAGE, DO THE FOLLOWING: ASK – God to connect with you in this moment. In prayer, start by slowing down, inviting God to help you understand what this passage means for your life. Clear your mind of all distractions and simply focus on what God wants to accomplish in this moment.

READ – the selected section of Scripture slowly. Read the whole passage at first, while taking notes of the words and phrases that stick out to you. Next, read it a second time — pausing at the parts that stick out to you.

REFLECT – on what grabs you. What connections do you see at this point in your life? How might God be speaking to you through these words? What do you think reading this at the time of Jesus felt like? What does it mean for you today?

RESPOND – to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what resonated with you – individually and with your group.

2 INTRODUCTION // EXODUS 1-14

Exodus is an Old Testament book of the Bible that tells the story of Moses and the Israelites being held captive as slaves in Egypt. The Israelites are God’s chosen people who God promised to free and redeem, but for 240 years they were oppressed by the Egyptians. God calls Moses, an unlikely leader, to help free His chosen people. Moses is hesitant and doubts his ability to be used by God for such a big task, but God empowers him to perform miracle after miracle with power and provision.

This engaging excerpt from scripture shows what great lengths God goes through to protect His people. As God helped the Israelites move from prisoners to the Promised Land, He provided every step of the way. Even when things seemed impossible, God put miracles in motion while His people moved forward. God does the same thing for people today. While it may not be seas parting or fire filling the sky, God is still supernaturally moving you from where you are to where He wants you to be.

As you study the first fourteen chapters of Exodus over the next two weeks, you will explore who God is and who you are as someone called by God to do more than you ever imagined possible. This passage is proof that God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

3 EXODUS 1: EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE BAD, GOD IS GOOD The story of Exodus begins when Pharaoh comes to power in Egypt. He did not believe in God and held a deep hatred for God’s chosen people, the Israelites. The Israelites was being blessed with so many children in his country which infuriated the Pharaoh. This ruthless ruler feared the Israelite slaves would grow enough in number to rebel, so he ordered all of their male babies murdered. I know, it’s dark.

Exodus 1:12-14 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

God’s favor doesn’t always mean good fortune. The Israelites had favor with God, but were brutally oppressed by an evil regime. I’m sure they were wishing for a miracle day in and day out. They undoubtedly wanted their freedom from slavery and a safe life for their children — especially their baby boys with hits out on them. God loved them, but He didn’t prevent the evil Pharaoh from hurting them in this moment.

Just because bad things are happening to you, that doesn’t mean good things aren’t happening through you. God was preparing the Israelites to be part of one of the most amazing comeback stories in human history. He had a plan for their deliverance. He had a plan for their freedom. It just wasn’t unfolding immediately. God has a plan for your life too. No matter how people are treating you, God is with you and He loves you more than you can fathom. Just like in the Israelites case, God is working behind the scenes. Never let peoples’ bad actions lead you to doubt the goodness of our God.

4 EXODUS 2: GOD HAS A MIRACLE IN MIND Moses was born during a bad time to be a baby. He was an Israelite infant in Egypt during Pharaoh’s mandate to murder all baby boys. In hopes of saving Moses, his mom bundled him in a basket and placed him in the river. In an amazing turn of events, Moses was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter who decided to raise him as her own son. As time went on, Moses got older. Eventually Moses became a young man living as an Egyptian ruler.

One day, Moses saw an Egyptian man ruthlessly beating an Israelite. This made his blood boil so he killed the Egyptian (bad move, Moses). Pharaoh was furious so Moses ran away to Midian where he found his wife, Zipporah. Meanwhile, the Israelites were still enslaved in Egypt and crying to God for help and freedom.

Exodus 2:23-24 During those many days the king of Egypt dies, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob — and God knew.

While the Israelites were crying out for help and freedom, God had a miracle in mind. He would use this moment to fulfill the promises he made to Hebrews long before. God was going to rescue and redeem them. The enslaved and oppressed Israelites didn’t know what was coming, but God knew.

God knows what you’re going through. God knows your pain. God knows what you need to be rescued from. Better yet, God knows how to grant you that freedom. When you are struggling, cry out to God. He already knows how He is going to give you the comfort, peace, strength, healing and redemption you’re begging for.

5 EXODUS 3: WHO AM I? While Moses was still in Midian with his wife, an angel appeared to him in a burning bush. The bush burned, but was never consumed by the fire. God spoke to Moses and said this was a sign to call Moses to go back to Egypt to set the Israelites free from slavery. Moses was reluctant, doubting his ability to help God do something so incredible.

Exodus 3:9-12 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

It’s not about who you are. It’s about whose you are. If you are a child of God, he can use you in bigger and better ways than you can imagine. You may think you are weak, but God will give you his strength. You may think you are inexperienced, but God will give you his wisdom. You may think you are not good enough, but God has created a calling just for you.

Don’t let insecurities prevent you from your potential. Don’t sabotage your potential because of insecurities in yourself. Learn to lean on God and derive your strength from Him and His Holy Spirit that lives inside of you.

6 EXODUS 4: YOU ARE NOT ALONE Even after God makes the grand gesture of speaking to Moses, he isn’t fully convinced he’ll be able to help God free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. First Moses doubts that the Israelites will believe he was sent by God, so God puts on an incredible display of signs and miracles — right in front of their eyes. Then Moses tells God he won’t be able to speak clearly enough to deliver the message. God agrees to send Moses’s brother, Aaron, along with him on this journey to do the talking while Moses performs jaw-dropping signs and miracles. Moses and Aaron go to Egypt to do as God instructed them and all the Israelites believed them and began to worship God.

Exodus 4:29-31 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Moses doubted his ability to carry out his calling, so God empowered his long-lost brother to help him. Together they obeyed God and brought the Israelites hope. God places people in your life to propel you towards your purpose. He loves when we work together to combine our God-given gifts and talents for good. Stop trying to do everything by yourself. Allow others to help you so God can multiply your impact.

7 EXODUS 5: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to tell him that the Lord God of Israel is commanding him to let his people go. Pharaoh said he did not know God and refused to let the Israelites go. Since Pharaoh considered himself to be a god, he was outraged by this challenge of authority by another God, so he ordered the Egyptian leaders to come down even harder on the Israelite slaves.

Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

Pharaoh wouldn’t obey God because he didn’t know know God. Before you can obediently follow God’s call, you have to get to know Him. No one would change their entire life to obey a God they haven’t personally connected with. You can’t go with someone you don’t know. Spend time with God to get to know him better. Go to youth group. Read your Bible. Pray. Do everything you can to get to know God in a personal way so you can follow him where he leads you.

8 EXODUS 6: DON’T MISS GOD’S MESSAGE Moses is saddened by the terrible treatment of the Israelite slaves and asks God why he sent him to Egypt in the first place. It’s a logical thought. If God wasn’t going to help him free these poor people, then what’s the point? God reminds Moses who he is and promises deliverance. Moses tries to encourage the Israelites with God’s promise of redemption, but they don’t believe him because they are crushed in spirit.

Exodus 6:7-9 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

God has promised to deliver you too. Don’t miss this message. No matter how broken you are, God promises deliverance. He loves you and has offered forgiveness, a fresh start, peace and joy when you choose to live your life with him. Don’t allow your suffering to silence God’s solution.

9 EXODUS 7: TAKING GOD FOR GRANTED Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to warn him that God would punish Egypt if he didn’t obey him and Let the Israelites go. As expected, Pharaoh refused to listen to them. Moses was told to perform the miracles that God had shown him to prove to Pharaoh that he was a true messenger of the Lord. Moses turned his wooden staff into a snake. Pharaoh calls magicians in and they were able to do the same thing. Moses tries to convince Pharaoh that he is telling the truth from God by bringing the first plague onto Egypt: turning the Nile River into blood. Once again, the Magicians are able to imitate the miracle.

Exodus 7:22-23 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Are you blind to your blessings? Pharaoh doesn’t acknowledge the miracles he witnessed because he believed in false imitations. There are false imitations all around us that can cause us to miss genuine blessings from God too. Maybe you’re searching for validation on social media so hard that you’re not even acknowledging the unconditional love you’ve already received from God. Maybe you’re seeking success and approval so intensely that you are ignoring the purpose and grace you’ve already been given through Jesus. Don’t allow distractions in the guise of something good to make you take God for granted.

10 EXODUS 8: OPEN YOUR HEART Every time Moses approaches Pharaoh about letting God’s people go and Pharaoh doesn’t listen, Moses threatens to plague Egypt. Over and over again, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go and harm falls upon Egypt. The second plague (after turning the Nile River’s water into blood) was sending an infestation of frogs to cover all their land, people and homes. The third plague was sending gnats to cover every person and animal. The fourth plague was swarms of flies that were so vast they began to ruin the land. At this point Pharaoh begged Moses and Aaron to make a sacrifice to God to get rid of the flies. Moses prayed to the Lord who removed all the flies, but Pharaoh went back on his word and did not free the enslaved Israelites.

Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord has said.

Proof of an Almighty God was all around Pharaoh, but he kept missing it. The very same people who were trying to prove that Moses’s God wasn’t real flat out told Pharaoh that these signs made God’s presence undeniable! But Pharaoh wouldn’t listen because his heart was closed off.

When you close off your heart, you miss miraculous moments from God. Have you ever heard someone say, “What you feed grows and what you starve dies?” Your heart becomes hardened when you feed your pride, doubt, unforgiveness, anger or hate. On the other hand, your heart is opened to God when you feed your faith, love, joy and peace. Open your heart to God by worshipping him and surrounding yourself with people who will help you recognize his presence in your life.

11 EXODUS 9: PREVAIL BEFORE THE HAIL As Pharaoh continues to disobey God, God empowers Moses to inflict more and more plagues on the Egyptian people. The fifth plague is a disease that kills all the livestock in Egypt, except for the animals that belonged to Israelites. When that didn’t prove to Pharaoh that the Israelites were truly God’s people and he should set them free, God sent boils to cover the Egyptians skin as the sixth plague. Before sending the seventh plague, God had Moses warn everyone that God would be sending a deadly hail storm. Everyone who believed in the God of Miracles took shelter with their animals, but those who didn’t believe in God were left outside to be destroyed by the killer hail storm.

Exodus 9:20-21 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

Pharaoh and the other Egyptians rejected the one true God. They enslaved the Israelites, God’s chosen people. They mocked Moses, God’s messenger. Miracle after miracle and plague after plague, it seemed as though Moses could not fulfill his calling to set the Israelites free because the Egyptians wouldn’t accept God. But here we see that some of Pharaoh’s people began to believe. A few had faith. They trusted God would follow through, so they took shelter before the hail storm came. They must have looked crazy to the other Egyptians. There’s no sneaky way to move massive cows from a field to shelter! It must have taken serious faith and boldness to obey God in front of their friends who had been rejecting Him.

Have you ever been surrounded by people who don’t seem to care about what God says at all? Stand up for what you know is right, regardless of who is watching. Be bold for Jesus. Obey God even when no one else seems to be following Him. Prevail before the hail. It may be uncomfortable at first, but following God’s call will spare you far more serious pain and danger in the long run.

12 EXODUS 10: GOD LIGHTS UP YOUR LIFE By now you can guess what happens next in Egypt when Pharaoh continues to disobey God and oppress his chosen people, the Israelites. God sends an eighth plague to Egypt by empowering Moses to cause a wind that blows a severe, nightmare-worthy infestation of locusts all over Egypt. Then the ninth plague is brought against Egypt: Total darkness.

Exodus 10:21-23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

The ninth plague of darkness is extremely symbolic. Life without God is dark. The Egyptians who rejected God were left to live three days in literal darkness. They couldn’t see the world around them. They didn’t know where they were going. They were probably scared, lonely and yearning for a better way to view the world.

When you try to go through life without God, there’s an inevitable darkness that is hard to overcome. In John 8:21, Jesus tells us that he is “the light of the world.” It is through Jesus that we see the world clearly and gain clear vision as to where we're supposed to be going. If you have been feeling dark or lost, look to God. He is the light of the world and the light of your life. He brings clarity and a new view of the world that allows you to see His glaring goodness regardless of this world’s difficult darkness.

13 EXODUS 11: DON’T DECLINE NINE SIGNS God instructs Moses to bring a tenth and final plague against Egypt to finally convince Pharaoh and all of the Egyptians of God’s miraculous power. Moses has already threatened Pharaoh with nine signs from God, but Pharaoh remained rebellious against God.

Exodus 11:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely."

God knew that it would take ten signs to prove his power in Egypt and convince Pharaoh to hand over all the Israelite slaves to Moses. Egypt suffered their river turning to blood, crazy frogs, pesty gnats, invasive flies, deadly livestock disease, painful boils, killer hail, an infestation of locusts and complete darkness — but Pharaoh still didn’t believe in the power of God. He witnessed nine miracles directly from God with his very own eyes, and he declined each and every one of them. Thus a tenth and final plague was threatened: the death of all first-borns in Egypt.

This painfully repetitive story makes it clear that God will never stop showing us who He really is. All of creation constantly points to God’s existence and power. We are given chance after chance to see God as the almighty creator of this world and the miracle maker of all that we see. Don’t decline nine signs like Pharaoh did. Recognize God’s power all around you in the simple things. Evidence of Him is everywhere, you just need to accept it.

14 EXODUS 12: MAXIMIZING GOD’S MIRACLES The tenth and final plague to fall upon Egypt is the death of the first-born. Moses instructs the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb to God and rub the blood on their doorposts. When every home in Egypt is invaded to kill all of the first-borns, the houses with blood symbolizing the faithful Israelites will be passed over, sparing their children. When Pharaoh wakes up to the brutal cry of mourning Egyptians who suffered the loss of their first-borns, he finally tells Moses and Aaron to take every Israelite from Egypt, freeing them from slavery after 430 years. Passover was memorialized as a Jewish holiday that would be passed down throughout generations to commemorate this moment when God fulfilled His promise of redeeming His chosen people.

Exodus 12:24-28 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

God finally set the Israelites free from the pain and suffering of slavery in Egypt! After 430 years, these Israelites witnessed a miracle from God. Moses makes sure the miracle would last more than a moment. Every Israelite is instructed to commemorate this moment and teach their children about God’s faithfulness in the future.

You can maximize God’s miracles by sharing the story of what he’s done in your life too. If God has transformed your life, tell people. If God has saved you from darkness, tell people. If God has placed people in your life to support you, tell people. When you tell others how God has worked in your life, you allow them to feel the same power God revealed to you. It multiplies the miracle. What had God done in your life? Tell people.

15 EXODUS 13: FOLLOW GOD THROUGH THE FEAR Finally, Moses led the Israelite people out of slavery in Egypt! After many years and miraculous signs, they were free, just as the Lord had promised!

Exodus 13:21-22 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

The Israelites were leaving Egypt for the first time in 140 years. They didn’t know where they were, what kind of danger they may face, or exactly how long they would be on this journey. I’m sure they had fears, concerns and even doubts after their deliverance. But God led his people with a miraculous pillar of cloud and fire. He showed them he was with them. He comforted them. He directed their steps. He brought them visibility and warmth.

The Bible makes it clear that God is always with you. He will never leave you and He will never forsake you. Even if you feel lost or confused, God is with you and He has a beautiful plan of redemption for you. Trust God enough to follow His lead. It probably won’t be a pillar of fire pointing you down the right path, but you can find just as clear direction through prayer, reading your Bible and the Church.

16 EXODUS 14: STAND FIRM AND HAVE FAITH Pharaoh regrets his decision to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, so he sends his army to capture them and bring them back. The Egyptians were able to trap the Israelites by the Red Sea, giving them no where to run to escape. The Israelites get scared and yell at Moses for taking them out of Egypt in the first place, but Moses assures them that God will fight for them. Moses raises his staff and miraculously parts the Red Sea, giving them a dry path of land to escape. The Egyptians follow behind them, but are destroyed by the water when Moses lowers his staff and the Red Sea returns to its normal place. The Lord saved the Israelites from the Egyptians again and they all praised God and believed in Moses.

Exodus 14:12-14 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

The Egyptians tried to re-claim the Israelites, but that was not God’s plan. Even though the Israelites got scared and doubted their safety and God’s faithfulness, He would not let them be pulled back into harm. God protected them. God fought for them.

God is fighting for you too. When you invite God into your heart, you receive the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you with the truth of God. Trust God’s guiding spirit and allow him to fight for you. Stand firm in the Lord. He is powerful, faithful, good and holy. You can trust him. He will keep His promises and He will keep you safe. God’s miraculous salvation and deliverance is happening in and around you right now. Don’t miss those miracles. Stand firm, have faith, and follow Jesus.

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