Deliverance From Difficulties

Deliverance From Egypt

Let My People Go – Exodus 5:1-13;16

Illustration: Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace.

Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race.

Illustration: Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God. William Ward.

Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 18.

Preparation for the Teacher

1. Aim: To lead the people to understand that God will always find a way to deliver His people from difficulties.

2. Explanation of the Aim: For 400 years the requirements for meeting God’s covenant with the Israelite people had not been carried out. At just the right time God sends Moses to Pharaoh to instruct him by saying, “Let my people go.” (Ex 5:1) When God gives a directive we can be sure He will supply whatever is needed for its implementation.

3. The Bible Story: God always finds the perfect time to plead for the needs of His people. Even though it may seem that God’s deliverance is slow, the Lord’s timing is always punctual. However, when Moses told Pharaoh to release the people of Israel, Pharaoh became even more repressive. At first Pharaoh was not too concerned about the God of the Hebrews because the Egyptians had many gods. Pharaoh figured that the poor Hebrew slaves could not have a powerful God if he allowed them to be in slavery for 400 years. Be careful of judging people on outward appearances. Non-christians tend to have a limited perspective because they cannot discern the spiritual ways of the Lord. (I Cor. 2:14-16) People who fail to know or respect God will be severely punished. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

4. Like Moses and Aaron we need to persist despite the opposition we may get from powerful people. At first Pharaoh made the Hebrews work even harder when he learned of their desire to leave Egypt. Evil people tend to think they can solve problems with greater displays of human power, but they are sadly mistaken. Sometimes God allows hardship to come into the lives of His people to teach them greater holiness, trust and obedience. Difficulties may come to those who obey the will of God so we should not be surprised when we pass through trials. You may be suffering for doing good and that helps you identify more closely with Christ.

Illustration:

Someone once asked Paul Harvey, the journalist and radio commentator, to reveal the secret of his success. "I get up when I fall down," said Harvey.

Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 16.

5. The BIBLE STORY teaches us that God will deliver the people of God according to His schedule, plan and purpose so He can demonstrate His mighty power. Ask the people why we can depend on God’s promise to deliver us from sin, adversity and oppression? (Ex. 6:1) Find out if any of the people can summarize the lessons that are learned about how God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s control? Ask the people if there is a problem or something or someone that they are trusting God to deliver them from? Ask the people to pray for one another’s deliverance from difficulties.

6. Ask some of the people to tell the class what they know about how God used Moses and Aaron to help deliver the people from the Pharaoh’s oppression? Ask the people why Pharaoh so stubbornly refused to release the Israelites from captivity? Find out if any of the people know why the Lord allowed the Hebrew people to be held in slavery for 400 years? Find out if there is some problem that the people would like to trust the Lord to deliver them from?

7. God promises to protect, provide and deliver His people no matter how poor and despised. The Holy Spirit constantly intercedes on our behalf to the Father concerning out deepest heart felt concerns. Know that the Lord will hear the cry of those who persistently call to Him for deliverance from trouble. We can expect that the Pharaohs of this world will normally treat requests for freedom with contempt. People who do not know God have no fear of the Lord or knowledge of His ways. We cannot expect people who do not walk with God to obey Him because they are enemies of the Almighty. Jesus even referred to the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day by saying, “You are of your Father the devil.” (John 8:44) Pharaoh’s pride, ambition, covetousness, and political knowledge, hardened him to his own destruction.