[ I LLUMINATE ] Exodus, Numbers Adventures in the Wilderness Unit 1 June 3 God s Great Deliverance / 3 June 10 Food from Heaven / 9 June 17 The Amalekites Defeated / 15 June 24 God s Advance Team / 21 Unit 2 July 1 The Tabernacle / 27 July 8 Remembrance of the Past, Guidance for the Future / 33 July 15 Aaron, Miriam Complain / 39 July 22 The Spies Report / 45 July 29 God s Punishment / 51 Unit 3 August 5 Water from the Rock / 57 August 12 The Bronze Serpent / 63 August 19 Zelophehad s Daughters / 69 August 26 Moses Successor / 75 Illuminate (USPS 868-940), Editorial and business office, 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, Oregon 97132, is published quarterly by Barclay Press (publisher of Christian education curriculum for the Evangelical Friends Church North America Region) at 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, Oregon. $3.45 per quarter. $6.00 per quarter for large-print edition. Second-class postage paid at Newberg, Oregon. POSTMASTER Send address changes to 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, OR 97132. Printed in U.S.A. Scripture text New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [ ILLUMINATE] F RIENDS BIBLE STUDY June, July, August 2012 summer quarter Volume 1, Number 4 Editorial Team: Cleta Crisman, Dan McCracken, Aj Schwanz, Ron Woodward, and Judy Woolsey
ILLUMINATE scope and sequence fall winter spring summer 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy 1, 2 Samuel Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes Psalms Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther Luke John Matthew Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians Major Prophets Mark Acts Joshua, Judges, Ruth 1, 2 Kings, 1, 2 Chronicles Minor Prophets John James, 1, 2 Peter Exodus, Numbers Romans, Galatians 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1, 2, 3 John Hebrews 1, 2 Corinthians, 1, 2 Thessalonians Revelation Illuminate uses New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) for the printed lesson text. The scholarship of this translation along with the use of genderinclusive language make NRSV a good basis for these studies. Churches and individuals are encouraged to use their preferred Bible translation when studying these passages. Throughout the Week Illuminate can be used as part of a daily devotional practice using the passages listed in Beyond the Selected Text. Another Barclay Press publication that is specifically written for daily devotions is Fruit of the Vine. The Scriptures and topics do not follow the outline of Illuminate Bible studies. A different writer each week shares a daily Scripture and devotional thought. Contact Barclay Press at 800.962.4014 for more information.
Exodus 14:1-4, 10-18, 21-22 God s Great Deliverance 1 1 Then the LORD said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them. 4 I will harden Pharaoh s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. And they did so. **** 10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. 13 But Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still. 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. **** 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22 The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. God s Great Deliverance /3
Beyond the Selected Text Exodus 3:13-22 Exodus 13:17-22 Exodus 14:26-30 Exodus 20:1-21 Matthew 17:1-13 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 2 Corinthians 4:1-14 Focus on the Word by Susan Jeffers Introduction In this lesson we join the Israelites partway into their journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were suffering under Egyptian slavery. Moses entered the story and encountered God in the burning bush, and at that time God put Moses in charge of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses repeatedly told Pharaoh to let my people go (Ex. 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13). When Pharaoh refused, God inflicted the plagues on the Egyptians. The Israelites observed the first Passover as the LORD passed through the land of Egypt and struck down the Egyptians firstborn sons. The Israelites departed Egypt for the Red Sea, led by the LORD in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21). 4\ Adventures in the Wilderness Exodus 14:1-4 God s Instructions Exodus 14 begins with a typical Old Testament introductory statement: Then the LORD said to Moses (v. 1). This sort of sentence is so common in the Bible that we might overlook how very remarkable it is to have God directly addressing an individual human in person and in words recorded for all time. The Hebrew name for God rendered as LORD in the New Revised Standard Version is the tetragrammaton the four-letter Hebrew name written as YHWH, Yahweh, or Jehovah. This name is also a pun on the statement from the voice in the burning bush I AM WHO I AM (Ex. 3:14). The Hebrew word for I am is quite similar to the tetragrammaton. The NRSV, like most English
language Bibles, writes LORD in all capital letters for this special name of God. Moses, whom the LORD addresses, is the foremost leader of the Israelites. We are near the beginning of Moses story as well as the beginning of his leadership. Later in Exodus he will receive the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-21). His story is a major part of the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Ultimately, the first five books of the Bible become known as the books of Moses. Moses is mentioned often in the New Testament as well, such as in the story of Jesus transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13). In these verses the LORD speaks to Moses and gives him a message for the Israelites (bnei-yisrael meaning sons of Israel or children of Israel ). The Israelites are to turn back and camp in a specific place by the sea (v. 2). Although scholars speculate, we cannot be certain of these exact locations. We just know that they left from Succoth and camped at Etham (Ex. 13:20). Now they re being told to somehow turn back to go in a different direction. The purpose is clear: to make Pharaoh conclude that they are wandering aimlessly in the land (v. 3). Then Pharaoh will pursue the Israelites. The latter part of Exodus 14:4 gives the reasoning behind the LORD s instructions. He says the goal is so that he will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. The final statement sums up the Israelite response to God s instructions: And they did so (v. 4). Questions to Consider Exodus 14:1-4 When have you sensed a leading from God? Did you feel that you understood God s reasoning? How does God speak to Christians today? Exodus 14:10-12 When have you felt frightened or angry at the apparent result of following God s instruction? Exodus 14:10-12 A Panic Situation Now here come the Egyptians. They have taken the bait and set out in pursuit of the Israelites. Even though Moses has explained the plan of the LORD and the reasoning behind it, fear seizes the people at the sight of the Egyptians advancing on them (v. 10). It is easy to imagine the Israelites panic and terror. After all, they had been living under the oppression of Egyptian slavery for hundreds of years and only God s Great Deliverance /5
Exodus 14:13-18, 21-22 What does it take for you to recognize the glory of God? To whom or to what do people today attribute great power in the same way the Israelites did to Pharaoh? narrowly escaped. In their fright the Israelites cry out to God and complain bitterly to Moses. Initially, the Israelites were going out boldly (Ex. 14:8), but now they are reduced to wild and reckless accusation and recrimination. Listen carefully to the complaints: Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness (vv. 11-12). The reference to graves and dying in Egypt is particularly ironic because Egypt is full of monuments to the dead and preparations for the supposed afterlife. Presumably much of the enslaved Israelite labor was devoted to the Egyptian focus on death. The people seem to be saying We would rather have died in Egypt in slavery than to end up like this. The Israelites are giving no thought whatsoever to God s plan, their eventual freedom, God s control over the situation, or anything else besides their immediate panic about the Egyptians advancing on them. They wish they could be anywhere but here doing anything but this! They probably feel as though they had jumped out of the frying pan (Egypt) and into the fire (the wilderness). Exodus 14:13-18, 21-22 God s Plan Unfolds Moses now speaks to the people as the godly leader: Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today (v. 13). The Hebrew word translated deliverance (or salvation in KJV) is yeshuah. It is cognate to the Hebrew form of the name Jesus. What good advice for God s people in all times and circumstances! There is a very specific outward meaning here. Moses adds for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 6\ Adventures in the Wilderness
The most amazing part is found in Moses assurance to the people that the LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still (v. 14). Indeed, God has Moses lift up his staff, and this action causes the sea to open so the children of Israel can pass through. Once again, God hardens the hearts of the Egyptians (v. 17) so that they foolishly pursue the Israelites. And once again, God proclaims that the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariot, and his chariot drivers (v. 18). Our passage does not include the rest of the story, namely the destruction of the Egyptian army in the sea. But it all comes true just as God has revealed to the people through Moses. Verse 17 echoes Exodus 14:4 both in the LORD s hardening Pharaoh s heart and in the LORD s purpose of gaining glory over Pharaoh. Both of these ideas are clearly part of God s plan, but they may well strike us as counter to our present-day ideas of the intentions and actions of a good God. How are we to understand God deliberately making Pharaoh stubborn so that Pharaoh foolishly pursues the Israelites? Bear in mind that the Israelites and their successors (Jews and Christians) are the audience for this story. The message for ancient Israel, as for us, is that the LORD s power and magnificence far exceed that of the pharaoh or any other earthly ruler. The story and the events described are all happening for the benefit and instruction of Israel. Israel needs to understand that God is in charge. Note the very last sentence in Exodus 14. And so the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses (Ex. 14:30b). Living Out Exodus 14:1-4, 10-18, 21-22 This passage has a simple three-part structure that plays out again and again in our lives. (1) God instructs us. (2) We start out faithfully, but problems arise and we panic. (3) Eventually God s plan becomes apparent and we get back on track. The greatest drama (from our subjective perspective) is the time of fear, anxiety, and panic. As you go about your daily life, try to notice the times when you find yourself growing tense or anxious. Reflect on the Israelites panic and Moses reminder to them: Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today (v. 13). God s Great Deliverance /7
Friendly Perspective by Cleta Crisman It s easy to be scornful of the Israelites when we read about their attitudes throughout this story. Yes, their work became harder having to make more bricks with less straw, but couldn t they see God s amazing power in all the plagues?! A murderous army advancing toward anyone would be scary, but does it compare to having God s constant presence made visible in a cloud or a pillar of fire?! Their immediate despair is hard to understand in the face of God s obvious ability and desire to fight for them. Any unpleasant or frightening circumstance seemed to eclipse everything they knew about God. Their helplessness quickly became hopelessness. If I am honest, though, I will acknowledge that my way of dealing with life is not all that different. When I was a young mother at home with five children, life in general kept me feeling helpless much of the time. Sometimes I would call my parents to whine and complain. If I said I was doing ok under the circumstances, my father would say, Well, what are you doing under there? I wish I could say that I immediately saw the folly of my thinking and became hopeful again, but usually I was just annoyed and thought he didn t understand me. In this stage of life my cries for rescue are more about enslavement to attitudes and behaviors that interfere with God s ability to love others through me. I can easily become discouraged and hopeless when I cannot find the freedom to be the person I long to be. I need to remember that rescue often comes disguised as suffering. The journey to freedom can feel so frightening, but God reminds me to keep trusting. I want to be a person who does not live under the circumstances, but recognizes that God is fighting for me in every situation. 8\ Adventures in the Wilderness