This is one of our favorite passages of scripture and we certainly hope you all enjoy it as well. We think you’ll get the most out of it reading it several times. It leads to a wonderful meditation this time of year:
John sets the stage that the entire world has fundamentally changed. Jesus, God’s son, eternal in nature, has come in utter humility to take the form of a baby to be with us! He left his rightful place in heaven to live perfectly in our place on earth. In this Jesus knows our experience as humans (Heb. 2:18).
Please read along with us in this week’s passage, Exodus 20-24.
The Law and the Covenant: We reviewed the Ten Commandments last week and this week will look to how we apply them in our lives. This passage sets forth the culture in which God’s people are to live. It lays out ways for the people to interact, live, and obey God. God is giving his design for a new society for his chosen people. These laws are still meaningful as we look at our current culture and what God desires it to be.
Please read along with us in this week’s passage, Exodus 19. In this chapter Israel prepares for the revealing of God’s covenant through Moses. This chapter fulfills God’s promise to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:12) that he would bring the people out of Egypt and they would serve him on this mountain. This is a fulfillment of prophecy from decades before and a time to prepare for the ten commandments to be delivered. Israel enters into a state of worship before the Lord.
Please read along with us in this week’s passage, Exodus 17:8-18:27. In this passage Israel is attacked by the Amalek people who inhabit the Northern Sinai Peninsula and face their first battle. This is the first mention of Joshua. Please refer toJoshua 1-19 to learn more about him. Joshua forms and leads an army against Amalek.
As you read, please consider these questions:
Please read along with us in this week’s passage, Exodus 15:22-17:7. In this passage the Israelites begin their journey to the Promise Land. They have just witnessed the plagues, end of captivity, and the destruction of Pharaoh and his army at the hand of God. After seeing all of these events come to fruition,the Israelites’ attitude very quickly turns from gratitude to grumbling.
Please read along with us in this week’s passage, Exodus 14-15:21. We hope that these emails have been an enriching part of your week as you study with your families. The church has received good feedback from many in the congregation and we hope you feel more connected with Dan’s messages.
Read Exodus 14-15:21. As you read, please consider these questions:
Historically, God’s word has been delivered out loud. We have the pleasure of reading quietly, but we feel that this passage of instruction is best read aloud.
This passage covers God’s requirements of the Passover where God “passes over” the homes of the Hebrews so that no plague befalls them. God is about to strike down
In these chapters of Exodus, God brings about the plagues. The plagues progressively become worse, beginning with the water turning to blood and ending with the Passover. In chapter six, God the Father lays out his plan for Israel’s delivery from the bondage of the Egyptians. He says they will be his people and he will be their God (6:7). God uses imagery of a strong hand, delivery from burdens, and acts of judgment. The Hebrews, however, did not listen.
Reading the text ahead of time can help you to have a deeper understanding of Sunday’s messages. We are so pleased that you all have been reading along with us!
This week’s Exodus reading is a bit longer than in weeks past so we encourage you to get an early start on it! On Sunday Dan spoke about how God made himself known to Moses. In Chapters 3-5 God reveals his plans for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. We also see the first opposition to God’s plan from Moses, Pharaoh, and the Israelites.
We’ve enjoyed reading together in the prior weeks, and hope that you have as well. Reading Scripture as a family cements your faith and deepens your relationship with God. As Dan mentioned on Sunday, Exodus 2 and the beginning of Exodus 3 cover a span of 80 years (Acts 7:23, 30)!
Last week we encouraged the congregation to read Exodus 1 ahead of Dan’s message. We hope that reading ahead left you well prepared for the message and that you enjoyed digging into the scriptures with your families! We encourage you to read ahead again this week as well. As we head into Exodus 2, there is much about the life of Moses to cover.
We have enjoyed reading scripture together and feel that it enriches our marriage to grow together in God’s word. It is important to move through scripture one book at a time in order to receive the full council of God. With that in mind, we invite you to read along with us as we go through Exodus. We’ll give a prompt and a section to read each week that will correlate with Sunday’s message.
We encourage you to read the passages ahead of time either individually or with your families.