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.
8. Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh’s permission for something that was very reasonable, only to go three days’ journey into the desert, and that on a good mission. They wanted to offer special sacrifices and worship to God. However, evil men usually think of requests in terms of their own selfish interest, power and reputation. Perhaps, Pharaoh thought that if he would release the Hebrews they would not return to Egypt. The ungodly tend to live by fear of loss rather than by faith in what God will do through them. The bigger a problem we might have the greater the opportunity that the Lord has to show Himself strong.
9. Operating out of anger, pride and oppressive selfishness, Pharaoh misconstrues the request from Moses and uses it as an excuse to add to the Hebrew’s burdens. To this day we find many who are more disposed to find fault with other people than to look for positives. Do not let them discourage you from doing God’s will. Allow sandpaper people to refine you into a more Christ like person. There will always be critics and cynics who cannot understand the necessity for spending time to worship God. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks for irritations. Pharaoh shows the true nature of his character was a like a threatened beast afraid of losing control of his domain. If life becomes more miserable do not assume that you are out of God’s will. Realize that the Lord may allow adversity to help you gain greater discernment about how to combat the forces of evil.
10. The world is filled with persecutors who take pleasure in putting contempt and hardship upon servants of God. Pharaoh demanded that the Hebrew people now produce the same number of brick each day but also be responsible for gathering the straw to mix with the clay. When you find yourself on the horns of a dilemma realize that God is actively working all things together for good as long as you love and obey Him.
11. When the burdens grew almost unbearable the people complained to Pharaoh, but he only taunted them all the more. Do not rebuke a wicked man or you will receive more abuse. Do all things without grumbling or complaining, but cast all your burdens on the Lord. (Phil. 2:13,14) Carnal people will often despise and ridicule those who want to spend time in the worship of God. Evil people often look at the service of God as a waste of time and energy because they do not know the Lord or His commands. Even though we will be rewarded for our obedience to the Lord we cannot expect anything good from human beings. Work wholehearted as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that you will receive the reward of your inheritance from Christ. (Col. 3:23,24)
12. Just when the Israelites should have humbled themselves before God, and have confessed their sin and thrown their worries on the Lord, but quarreled with Moses their deliverer. Do not blame godly leaders who are trying to serve God on your behalf. Moses returned to the Lord. He knew that what he had said and done was by God’s direction. When we know we have done God’s will we should wait until the Lord gives us our next directive.
13. Whenever you find yourself confused about what to do next go to God in prayer and He will give you the peace that surpasses human understanding. He always helps us find a way when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. God may allow some situations to get worse so that He can make something better from your life. Disappointments in our work must not drive us from our God, but still we must learn what God is teaching us through them.
Memory Verse: In you our Fathers put their trust; they trusted him and you delivered them. (Psalm 22:4)
Ask the people if they have a problem or some bully or some difficulty that they would like to trust God to deliver them from? Ask the people to pray for one another’s deliverance from difficulties, sin or oppression.
Illustration:As Abraham Lincoln prepared to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he took his pen, moved it to the signature line, paused for a moment, and then dropped the pen. When asked why, the president replied, "If my name goes into history, it will be for this act, and if my hand trembles when I sign it, there will be some who will say, ’he hesitated.’" Lincoln then turned to the table, took up the pen, and boldly signed his name.
Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 8.
Illustration;Press on.
Nothing in the world
Can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not;
Nothing is more common
Than unsuccessful men
With talent.
Genius will not:
Unrewarded genius
Is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
The world is full of
Educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination
Alone are important
Anonymous. Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.93.
Response
Song: There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus
Prayer: Ask the Lord to deliver you from any problem, person or situation that is troubling you.
At Home: Ask your family and friends what they are trusting the Lord to deliver them from? (Sickness, difficulties, or an oppressive authority figure)
