The second book of the Old Testament

SEP 7 SESSION 1 September 7 2008 God s Presence and Glory: Exodus God Is Enough Session Goals: To understand that God wants to participate in the deliverance of His people. To identify reasons to praise God. To acknowledge that God inhabits the praise of His people. To recover the vitality and freedom of God-centered worship. Scripture Focus: Exodus 15:1-18 The Word to Live By: Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11). Session Truth: We have the assurance that regardless of the circumstances we face, God s presence with us will be enough. Miriam dances in worship and celebration of God s deliverance, after the Hebrews went through the sea on dry land and the pursuing Egyptians were destroyed. unshackled is the password to access the Adult Faith Connections Leader content on mastertoolkit.com Refer to the Illustrated Bible Life commentary for further insights into this week s passage. QUESTIONS? Call our toll-free teacher help line, 1-877-386-0882, Monday-Friday, 8:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M. CT. E-mail us through the Ask the Editor department at <www.wordaction.com>. Write us at 2923 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109. IN CONTEXT The second book of the Old Testament was originally known to the ancient Hebrews by the opening words: These are the names (Exodus 1:1). However, in the third century B.C., when the Jews translated the Old Testament into Greek (the Septuagint), they titled the second book using a Greek word found in chapter 19, verse 1: Exodos. This word refers to the marching out of a large number of people en masse. Later, when the Bible was translated into Latin, Exodos was transliterated as Exodus, the title by which it has been known for 16 centuries. The Book of Exodus revolves around two historical events: The Exodus from Egypt, and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. The opening part of Exodus tells of the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. In the second part, a disorganized group of former slaves faces great difficulties and becomes a nation devoted to God s service. We begin this unit of study in Exodus 15 with The Song of Moses, a song that celebrates Israel s victory over Pharaoh s army. We begin here because the focus of the song is as it should be, on God himself. 2 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS WHY YOUR ADULTS NEED THIS SESSION Matt Redman was music leader at the Soul Survivor Church in Watford, England, in the 1990s. One Sunday, his pastor, Mike Pilavachi, announced they would be worshiping for a while without sound system, or worship band, or music. The pastor explained that the congregation had strayed from theism to meism. They had lost their way in worship. He told them that the way back was to strip everything away. So, when they gathered for worship, they heard only the sound of their voices. At first, they struggled with silence. Then people began to share testimonies. They sang and prayed without prompting. Vitality returned. In time, they reintroduced music, but they worshiped with new passion. Then Matt Redman penned these words, I m coming back to the heart of worship, and it s all about You, Jesus. Those words have accompanied a revival of worship that has been felt throughout the Church. Your adults need this challenge to avoid the meism of our time, and to experience a revival of God-centered worship. 4 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS LEADER

SCRIPTURE Exodus 15:1-18 15 1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. 4 Pharaoh s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. 8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy boasted, I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them. 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. 13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. 14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. 15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; 16 terror and dread will fall upon them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you bought pass by. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, your hands established. 18 The LORD will reign for ever and ever. We believe in the full inspiration of the Scriptures and encourage the comparison and use of several translations as part of the discipline of Bible study. SEP 7 EXPOSITION Introduction Choices between contemporary or traditional worship songs were not an important issue for the Israelites after they escaped the Egyptians. They wanted to sing about God s presence in their dramatic and miraculous escape from the Egyptians, and they used forms and words that told about God s work. For these newly freed Israelites, contemporary worship was traditional worship and traditional worship was contemporary worship! They had to tell their story about God s presence that would last down the centuries. They told their story to tell us about God; God is always the subject of their songs. In today s session, the writer of Exodus is calling upon people of faith to remember significant events when God s presence guided and di- SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 3 SUNDAY SCHOOL ESSENTIALS Scripture Study The word translated God-breathed appears in the Bible only in 2 Timothy 3:16. It means that God was actively involved in the creation of the Scriptures. That is why we append the word Holy to the word Bible on the spine and the cover. Those holy words provide the child of God with guidance, correction, inspiration, and healing. Challenge your adults to make the most of these studies. Daily Devotions: Participation in the daily devotions using the Reflecting God magazine focuses the reader s attention on the topics for the next Sunday. Weekly Study: Reading the Scripture Exposition in the Adult Faith Connections Bible Study Guide helps prepare the reader for this hour of study. Scripture Memorization: Committing the Word to Live By passages to memory is a source of enrichment. Display the poster of this week s memory verse, Exodus 15:11, and distribute the Memory Cards. See <mastertoolkit.com>. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 5

SEP 7 WORD pictu re Egypt has received bad press from the writers of Scripture, but what was this great nation really like in biblical times? Learn more about this intriguing place and their relationship with Israel in this week s Illustrated Bible Life article, Egypt in the Ancient World. rected us as a community of believers. Can you imagine being chased by over 600 angry chariot drivers? Can you imagine the dust and heat of the horses coming ever so close as you huddle by the sea with no place to go but into the water? You were afraid, but a strange cloud shaped as a pillar appeared in the daytime, and at night, fire shaped as another pillar burned continuously. You expected the worst since you left Egypt, and then the wind blew furiously. Suddenly, you stepped out on the water, and it was dry land. As soon as you passed on land, the water swept furiously behind you and drowned the pursuing Egyptians. You were afraid of the water, and now you have been saved by God s presence in the water. What Kind of Song Do God s People Sing? (Exodus 15:1-2) What kind of song can be sung that acknowledges all these wondrous events, and tells so clearly of a God who acts? This session will help us know how best to sing about God s presence in our lives. Most of us know that songs are composed in special ways so that we can remember them for a long time. This song of Moses is written in poetic form so that parents can teach it to their children. Generations following can remember and sing the song. Several important features of poetry are used: equally measured lines, similar initial words, repeated sounds for ease in remembering, and metaphors describing the work of God as a mighty warrior who leads His people across the sea. The sea in God s presence, swallowed up the evil, and in this sense, we the promise of Christ on His cross, defeating evil. Although Moses begins the song, he does not sing this song alone, and WORD search The Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) is commonly recognized as one of the oldest, most radical, and most important poems in the Old Testament. It not only sounds the crucial themes of Israel s most elemental faith, but it also provides a shape and sequencing of that faith... The defeat of the horse and rider becomes the elemental claim from which all else in Israel s doxological tradition derives. From this single event, now celebrated in all its inscrutable wonder, the poem uses a series of first-person pronouns to draw close to Yahweh in adoration and allegiance: Yahweh my strength, my song, my deliverance, my God, God of my father. The singer knows that all of life is owed to this one who will be lifted up and enthroned in this act of praise (Walter Brueggemann, The Book of Exodus in The New Interpreter s Bible [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994], 799). 4 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS ENGAGE: Find Your Song Moses celebrated the story of God s deliverance with a song. Have hymnals available and ask class members to find or think of a song that tells their story of forgiveness and redemption. Share some of the song titles and/or key phrases that express a personal story of redemption. What is your favorite hymn or gospel song? Why? What or who is the focus of the song? (Hymns review God s character and activity.) In what way does it tell your story? ENGAGE: A Newspaper Rescue Search the newspaper for a recent story of rescue or deliverance from some form of bondage or enslavement. Identify the components of the rescue/deliverance with these questions. Use the answers to set up a comparison between the Israelites and the way they celebrated their rescue. Who needed to be rescued or delivered and why? What skills provided the liberation? How did the rescued person(s) respond to their liberator(s)? Describe the celebration that followed the liberation. 6 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS LEADER

it is clear throughout that the song is always about God s deeds and His glory for the community in one proclaiming voice. God is strength, song, and salvation. The God who is our strength will be the subject of our song; and in turn, God is our salvation, and He is exalted in the habitation that place where He is both here, wherever, whenever, and forever. God lives with His people. Will You Sing the Anthem of Praise? (Exodus 15:3-10) I can still remember going to Wednesday night prayer meetings as a child and hearing testimonies of God s sustaining presence. God encouraged me when I lost my job. The Lord was very close to me when my friend died. God kept me faithful in times of temptation. In Moses song, as it must be in our own, God is always the hero when there is victory. Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power (Exodus 15:6a). The right hand is often used as a symbol of God s power; and in the Israelites song, God s hand is able both to destroy and to save. God s presence always defeats human sin. The arrogance and pride of the Egyptian enemy is expressed in terms of human greed and violence. On the other hand, God s deeds are extravagantly expressed: God s wrath consumed the enemy as stubble; the waters were gathered by the blast of God s nostrils; God blew with the wind and the enemy sank in the water like lead. The Israelites had undoubtedly heard about other gods in the ancient WORD pictu re The outburst of thanksgiving is only natural, but we are apt to overlook the suffering our deliverance may have caused to others. It was true spiritual insight that caused Rabbi Johanan to say, When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels in heaven were about to break into songs of jubilation. But the Holy One silenced them with the words, My creatures are perishing, and you are ready to sing! (H. L. Ellison, Exodus in The Daily Study Bible Series [Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982], 81). world, but the God of Israel triumphed over Pharaoh, who stood against God. Moses song comes after the narrative with the standard metaphors of the power of God s right arm. Nature does not control God, and there is no power stronger than God. Trapped between the onrushing Egyptians and the sea, the Israelites experienced the dramatic deliverance that became the supreme example of God s saving acts throughout the Old Testament. Who Is Like God? (Exodus 15:11) Who is like God? The objects of Egyptian idolatry chariots, horses, and riders were destroyed and made powerless. God s glory is not in His power alone, for God is glorious in holiness. Several decades ago, many churches had banners in the front of the sanctuary that declared Holiness unto the Lord. Holiness, SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 5 SEP 7 EXPLORE: It s Off the Charts Divide into three groups, each having one assignment: 1. Skim Moses song for the facts of the incident. 2. Identify characteristics of God in Moses song. 3. List poetic devices (e.g., repetition, metaphor, etc.). Create a chart with these column headings:verse, Fact, God s Characteristic, Poetic Device. Identify your discoveries. (For example, each dramatic fact connects to a characteristic of God.The focus is intended to be on God, not on facts.) EXPLORE: Solo or Group Exodus 15:1a tells us that Moses and the Israelites sang the song recorded in verses 1-18. What is the significance of the entire group singing this? This song is more than music and poetry; it communicates an important story.what story does it tell? The song begins with the words, I will sing (v. 1b). Compare this with other passages where this phrase occurs: Judges 5:3; Psalm 89:1; Psalm 101:1; Psalm 108:1. In each case, note to whom the song is being sung. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 7

SEP 7 God s perfect work and presence, is to be honored in victory and song: Holiness unto the Lord is our watchword and song! What songs do we sing in our worship services and in our devotions at home with family and friends that tell of God s holiness? Moses song declared that God s holiness is approached in reverence. Can you imagine ing raging waters swallowing up an entire army? Consider some event or experience in your life or in the life of your church when you were amazed at how God worked in wondrous ways. In some ways, astonishment can almost be a kind of fear and awe at God s power and His holiness. Our astonishment immediately turns to praising God s holiness and remembering God s holy presence. How Did We Inherit Songs? (Exodus 15:12-17) The song of Moses and the Israelites connected guidance and redemption. Frequently, I have students who say that the Lord has led them in some marvelous way. In telling of God s guidance, sometimes we end up with the recounting of the new job, the successful marriage, or the end of a particularly difficult illness. In Moses song, the guiding of God always leads to praising His redemption. God guides into His holy place, into where God himself lives, into His presence. John Wesley says of this song of Moses: Singing is as much the language of holy joy, as praying is of holy desire. All who love God triumph in His triumphs. It is good to dwell where God dwells, in his earthly church or in heaven. Since the general theme of Exodus is liberation and formation of the people of God, this song affirms the Old Testament perspective and becomes the first focus of divine redemption. This is the Old Testament promise of the deliverance God, through His Son Jesus Christ, accomplished at Calvary. Throughout their history, Israel looked back to this great deliverance as the central event that shaped them into the nation of Israel; and is the primary example of His redemptive purposes for them. WORD search In the second half of the main body of the poem (vv. 13-17), the setting and tone have changed. We are not now at the waters as in vv. 4-10, but are moving through occupied territory in the literary-liturgical antecedents to Israel s song, the genre amounts to a victory parade, a triumphal procession, in which the winning God moves in processional splendor to take up his throne. Along the parade route, those who watch the victory parade stand in silent awe, witnesses filled both with respect and dread. These verses portray Yahweh and Israel moving triumphantly on to the land of promise, moving without resistance, because all the potential resisters have n Yahweh s great victory and are duly intimidated. The dominant image here is not power, as in vv. 4-10, but the steadfast love of the God who journeys now in protective leadership (v. 13) (Walter Brueggemann, The Book of Exodus in The New Interpreter s Bible [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994], 801). 6 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS EXPLORE: Egypt in the Ancient World Egypt was already an ancient civilization at the time of the Old Testament patriarchs.to the Israelites, Egypt was a country of contrasts, a land they hated, and yet respected. Learn more about this intriguing country and her relationship with Israel by reading this week s Illustrated Bible Life article, Egypt in the Ancient World. Use the information to help introduce this unit on the Book of Exodus. EXAMINE: Reason to Praise God Each of these Scripture references identifies a psalm which gives a reason for praising God. Have your adults read each Scripture aloud and identify each reason for praising God. 9:1 48:1 99:3 16:7 56:4 104:1 21:13 59:17 106:1 28:6 66:20 117:1-2 47:7 68:19 139:14 48:1 96:2 8 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS LEADER

The 21st-century Church inherits the stories and songs of deliverance and redemption as we tell our own shaping stories and songs that link us with all the people of God and God s redemptive purposes. What Song Lasts for Ever and Ever? (Exodus 15:18) The language of the song of Moses is rich in association from both the recent and distant past. This verse (v. 18), The LORD will reign for ever and ever, points us toward the everlasting nature of God s presence. His holy presence is in the days and places we have yet to know, in the times and for the people we will never! The film title, Back to the Future, is a helpful way to think about going back to go forward in God s presence. Since it is difficult for us, who live by the moment and the clock, to think about for ever and ever, retelling the stories that captured others understanding of God s presence for ever and ever is very important. Think about our Christian lives. We are indeed a part of the ancient Israelites ever and ever! They did not live to our faithful Christian witness; but we continue their assurance that God is present from generation to generation, for ever and ever. The Lord s hands (v. 17) have established His sanctuary, and we are a part of the inheritance that always begins with God s redemptive deliverance, and with His holy presence. BY MAXINE WALKER SEP 7 FOR FURTHER ref lection How can you give your fears to God this week? In what ways is God shaping you and giving you reasons to sing His praise? In what practical way can you consciously listen to God today? SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 7 EXAMINE: Tell Your Story Divide into groups with three or four people in each group, preferably not spouses in the same group.ask your participants to tell their stories of coming to Christ (or of a defining experience in coming to understand who God is). Discuss evidences of how God was at work in their circumstances or contacts, bringing them to salvation.talk about who needs to hear these stories and how they could be shared. Return to plenary session and share how these stories emphasize God s unfailing love, majesty, and faithfulness. EXERCISE: God Is Enough! Distribute index cards. Have each person list two or three issues of life that confuse, overwhelm, or trouble them.tell them to leave space above and below each item listed. Lead your participants in creating a list of God s attributes (characteristics). Ask for volunteers to share some of their concerns. Have them write before each issue, God is enough for... Close with voluntary sentence prayers for the concerns, beginning each prayer with God,You are enough for... SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 9

SEP 7 session NAVIGATOR unshackled is the password to access the Adult Faith Connections Leader content on mastertoolkit.com 6 It s Off the Charts Find Your Song A Newspaper Rescue 6 7 Solo or Group 7 Egypt in the Ancient World 8 1 2 explore engage interest God s Deliverance Ask one or two participants to share an experience in which God delivered them from impossible circumstances. Which captures our attention more: (1) out-of-control circumstances or (2) circumstances that God has taken over? (Use discussion to raise the issues rather than come to a conclusion.) Transition: Often it is not until after deliverance that we recognize how much God has done. That s what we will find as we look at Moses song. the word What Kind of Song Do God s People Sing? (Exodus 15:1-2) Have someone read aloud verses 1-2. Who is the subject of the song in verses 1-2? (God) Select from the activities below, combined with your reading of the other resources to develop your own lesson plan. What is the tone of the song? (It is a song of excitement and celebration.) How much of the song tells what happened and how much focuses on God? (About one-fourth of the song talks about what happened, while the rest describes God s activity.) How does this compare with testimonies you have heard? Are they more about what happened to a person or who God is? What is the lesson for us? (Our testimonies should focus on God s character and activity more than the details of our circumstances.) What is the subject of the song you are passing on to your family/children? Will You Sing the Anthem of Praise? (Exodus 15:3-10) Have someone read aloud verses 3-10. Describe what God did that the Israelites could not do. (God hurled the powerful enemy of the Israelites into the sea (v. 4). He shattered them (v. 6), and piled waters into a wall (v. 8). Explain to your class how Scripture talks about God s right hand as a way to connect the visible acts of God on earth to the invisible God of heaven. It is both a hand that destroys and a hand that saves. How is God s hand of destruction described in verse 6? (It is majestic and powerful. ) How can majestic be used to describe such destruction? (Majesty can be used to identify ultimate authority and dominion. While God never takes pleasure in using His power to destroy, He demonstrates His authority over humans and nature when necessary.) Of what did the Egyptians boast in verse 9? (They boasted of a successful pursuit, taking spoils, and destroying the Israelites by the sword.) What is the antidote to the undermining intent of enemy boasts? (The antidote is an unwavering trust in the character of God.) Who Is Like God? (Exodus 15:11) Have someone read aloud verse 11. Ask the class to identify the descriptive words Moses uses in verse 11 to describe God. (He is majestic, holy, awesome, glorious, and wonder-working.) What words would you use to describe the Egyptian gods that Moses alluded to? (They were limited, self-king, artificial, more myth than reality.) How well do these words describe the idols of our time? Explain that God s holiness sets Him apart from our idols. His greatness evokes worship without manipulation. What Songs Did We Inherit? (Exodus 15:12-17) Ask someone to read aloud verses 12-17. Explain that while the Israelites needed a way out of Egypt, they also needed to learn the larger purpose of God s guidance. What was the long-term purpose for deliverance? (God s long-term plan was their redemption.) Does God s rescue always mean immediate deliverance? (God focuses on our eternal deliverance rather than short-term convenience or comfort.) How is Moses song of deliverance really the story of all of us? (God has defeated our eternal enemy by opening the way for us through Jesus death and resurrection.) 10 September 7, 2008 ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS LEADER

What are the key components of a prayer that affirms trust in God without making demands? (It affirms the character of God and asks for anything that God s character can supply.) What should we do when it feels like God s deliverance takes too long? (We should continue to trust Him.) What Song Lasts Forever? (Exodus 15:18) Moses song ends with a look toward eternity. Have someone read aloud verse 18. What hopeful truth does Moses celebrate? (He celebrates the forever reign of God.) What happens if we focus on God s immediate deliverance without His eternal deliverance? (We lose sight of God s ultimate plan for us.) How can we be sure our deliverance includes an eternal component? (By living in a right relationship with Him) 3 examine life Is Your Praise Big Enough? Why would God want to redeem someone like you? What does God s work of salvation in your life teach you about God? What has God done in your life that you should sing about? Is Your God Too Small? What causes us to live with small understandings of God? (Fear, a feeling of unworthiness, disobedience, or a circumstantial perspective can contribute to an inadequate picture of God.) What enlarges our understanding of God s character? (Obedience always helps us a true picture of God.) Where has God demonstrated majestic power, unfailing love, or works of wonder in your life or church? How does our understanding of who God is connect to our worship? (The more we understand who God is, the more we approach Him with reverence and awe.) Think of some specific ideas to prepare you to worship The God Who Is Enough. 4 exercise your faith If God Is Who He Says He Is In order for us to worship God authentically, we must worship who He truly is. Spend time contemplating the characteristics of God and determining to live them. Ask class members to name a characteristic of God they would like to celebrate today. Ask if there is a characteristic they have trouble believing that God will use in their lives. How can you close the gap? (Use what you know about God to lead you to a greater understanding of how God is enough in all situations.) How would you live this week if you really believed that God is enough for whatever you face? An Illustration: (For a fuller treatment of this story, Why Your Adults Need This Session. ) For a while, successful worship leader Matt Redmond at the Soul Survivor Church near London England, didn t lead music. Pastor Mike Pilavachi challenged the congregation with this question, When I come through the door of the church, what am I bringing as my contribution to the worship? That s when Matt and the rest of the congregation knew that they needed to put aside their reliance on music to find true worship again. Slowly and painfully, they returned to the heart of worship. Matt Redmond wrote the song I m Coming Back to the Heart of Worship to chronicle the congregation s journey. Ask Pastor Pilavachi s question: When I come through the door of the church, what am I bringing as my contribution to the worship? and give your class time to prayerfully respond. Unshackled:A 50-Day Adventure: Day 1 Introduce the Action Goal for September 7 October 26, 2008. Refer to 3 for the explanation of the Action Goal. Your participants are likely to find themselves responding to this Action Goal in two different groups: (1) those king to become unshackled, and (2) those who have been unshackled. Consider using the words or music to Matt Redman s song when you close this session. Tell Your Story Reason to Praise God 8 9 God Is Enough! 9 SEP 7 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 11