1. Read Exodus 1:15-21. The midwives were given commands to kill the male babies of the Israelites.
Why didn't they?
What excuse did they give?
Read Ex. 1:22-2:3. Moses' parents and the midwives disobeyed the authority that God had placed over them. Read Ecc. 8:2 and 1Tim 2:1-4. It seems we are instructed to obey those in authority over us. Were they sinning by disobeying and lying?
Why or why not? (see also Acts 4:18-20, Daniel 3 & 6)
Come up with some principles on civil disobedience.
2. Read Hebrews 11:24-27 and Acts 7:20-29. What added information do you glean from these 2 passages that you didn't get from the Exodus account?
Why do you think the Israelites rejected his leadership the first time?
What do you think he was afraid of that caused him to flee?
What can you learn from that account?
3. God's soverignty - God had a plan. Read Gen. 15:13-16. What was God's plan?
Read Ex. 3:18-22, 4:21-23, 7:3-5. How was God going to accomplish this?
If God said this would happen before it even did, did anyone really have free will in this story? Explain.
4. Look at Moses' 5 objections to going and list them and how God responded to them
Objections God's response
a.
(see 7:1, 11:3)
b.
c.
(see 4:20 - who did the staff now belong to?)
d.
e.
5. Look at the 4 compromises Pharoah tries to get Moses to make. List them and relate them to compromises Satan tries to have us make today:
Pharoah's compromise Our compromise
a. 8:25 2Cor 6:14-18
b. 8:28
c. 10:11
d. 10:24
6. Look at 5:2 and 9:16. What is God's ultimate purpose behind all this?
7. Read Num. 33:4 and view the diagrams below. What was the hidden meaning behind the different plagues.
Note to teachers/students
There are a number of things to discuss in these chapters - starting with civil disobedience. This could be covered in Daniel ,too but the bottom line is that passage in Acts where they say basically, if it comes down to obeying you or God, we will obey God. Interesting discussions would be praying in school, praying in Jesus' name, witnessing at work, being in plays at school where you are asked to cuss or worse, hiding your creationism views, asked to lie at work, etc. The midwives were certainly blessed for their respect for the sanctity of life
Moses is an interesting character in the Bible. Raised in Pharoahs household which gave him unique leadership , language, and literature skills (to pen the first 5 books of the Bible), he tried to lead the Israelites out with his own power on his own timetable and failed. When God was ready, he took a broken Moses and with divine intervention delivered the Israelites and God got the glory rather than Moses. God also shows his superiority to all the gods of Egypt as each plague creates a mockery of each of their many gods.
Pharoah (a symbol of Satan) tempts Moses to compromise his full committment to God 4 times without success. I've heard it said, "noone's life is a waste; you canalways be used as a bad example" This was Pharoah in a nutshell. God raised him up because God knew what was in his heart and thru his pride and stubborness basically ruined the most powerful kingdom at that time. Pharoah had a free will and hardened his heart a number of times until finally, God started hardening it. You only get so many chances.
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