#2 Moses~ A Servant Of God~ Not Ordinary Times (ex 1.1-2.10)

MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY 09/10/08

Pastor Alex M Perednia

#2 MOSES… A SERVANT OF GOD Not Ordinary Times (Exodus 1:1-2:10) ______________________________________________________________________________

OPENING The times of Moses’ life were not ordinary times. It was a time of fear for the people of Israel. FEAR can make people do many things. Can you think of an example from history (or your life) when fear influenced a person (or you) to make a decision you later regretted? BIBLE STUDY & DISCUSSION The early years of Moses’ life is told in Exodus 1-2:10. Let’s read this section and then discuss the following questions.  Looking at the timeline info, since Moses wrote Exodus, why do you think he included so little from the first 80 years of his life, emphasizing only last 40 years of his life?  “He spent the first forty years in Egypt, nursed by his mother and taught by the

Egyptian schools. He spent his second forty years in the desert, nursed by solitude and taught by God. He spent his final forty years with the Hebrew people in the wilderness, nursed by trials, discouragement and tests, and taught by the Law, which he received from God’s own hand.” (Charles Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication, p. 20)

 “Moses spent his first forty years thinking he was a somebody. He spent his second forty years learning he was a nobody. He spent his third forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.” (Dwight L Moody, as quoted in Swindoll, p. 20)

TIMELINE The Book of Exodus covers the three 40-year periods of Moses’ life:  Exodus 1:1-2:10 ~ The first 3 months of his life & summarizes what happened after  Exodus 2:11-4:20 ~ Moses’ life on the run in Midian  Exodus 4:21ff ~ His return to Egypt and after the Exodus in the wilderness. So Moses would have been 80 years old when he led the people out of Egypt (7:7). So that mean he would have been born about 1525BC. Several verses help us to unlock the timeline of the Exodus: We know that Joseph lived 110 years (Genesis 50:22). He was probably 39 years old when his family migrated from Canaan. He lived 71 years with his reunited family in Egypt. (Ex 1:1-6). The Israelites lived in Egypt for a total of 430 years (Genesis 15:13 & Exodus 12:40). During this time, they greatly increased in population: Since the original group to enter Egypt was 70 males, “the original population would had to been doubled fourteen times to produce the number who took part in the exodus (about 2,000,000).” (John Davis. Moses and the Gods of Egypt, p. 56) You must allow for a significant period of time between some verses to accommodate 430 years (for example, 1:7-8, 1:12 & 15). The Exodus happened 480 years before Solomon’s 4th year of his reign, which was 966BC—this clue helps us date the Exodus to 1445BC. (1 Kings 6:1).

 What was life like for the Israelite in Egypt? Does it surprise you that God would allow such a terrible time of affliction? Was this God’s will? What does Genesis 15:13-14 tells us about God’s plan?  What considerations influenced the Pharaoh in his plans? What did he do to try to control the people of Israel? What do you think motivated his radically evil plans?  Compare and contrast the decisions that the Pharaoh and the Hebrew midwives made. What did Pharaoh ask the Hebrew midwives to do? What did they do? What motivated Shiphrah and Puah to disobey Pharaoh? When is it right to disregard a government law or ruler?  What do you think influenced Jochebed’s decision to give up Moses? Do you think she acted rashly or prudently? What do the details we read tell us about her plan? How did this plan demonstrate her faith in God? Do you think she was surprised by the results?  “On that dark morning when Jochebed placed her little one in a tiny basket coated with pit and tar, she also had a plan. It may have been desperate, but these were desperate times. And she put her plan into action, fully realizing the results lay completely in God’s good hands… The result?... Pharaoh’s daughter paid Jochebed to rear her own son.” (Charles Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication, p. 28) (Tyndale Handbook of Maps and Charts, Key Places in Exodus)

Opening Story: FEAR MOTIVATES

MOM TO THROW A BABY OUT A WINDOW…

One of the most difficult realities faced by most parents is the gradual "letting go" of their children—releasing the little ones from their protection and watching them make their own way in the world. For Tracinda Foxe, however, that "letting go" came much too early in her baby's life, and was much too literal. In December of 2005, Foxe's apartment building in the Bronx caught on fire. With flames quickly engulfing her third floor bedroom, she was forced to contemplate the unthinkable. Outside, a group of onlookers had gathered some 30 feet below her open window, and they watched with growing concern as smoke billowed around the mother and her 1-monthold child. With no fresh air in the apartment, Tracinda leaned out the window with her baby. Finally, with all other options exhausted, Tracinda let go. The infant tumbled three stories down into the waiting arms of Felix Vazquez, a Housing Authority employee and catcher on a local baseball team. A former lifeguard, Vazquez performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the baby until paramedics arrived, which saved its life. Moments later, Tracinda was rescued from her apartment by firefighters, and was reunited with her child. Neither was seriously injured. Asked later about the painful decision to drop her baby from the window, Tracinda said: "I prayed that someone would catch him and save his life…. I said, 'God, please save my son.'" As we’ll see today, this is exactly what Moses’ mom did for Moses! Catherine Donaldson-Evans, "The Good News of 2005," Foxnews.com (12-30-05); submitted by Bryan Latchaw, Oskaloosa, Iowa

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