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The Gospel According To Exodus

January 20, 2019 Speaker: Eric Naus Series: Slaves to Sons

Passage: Exodus 13:17– 14:31

Community Group Questions: Exodus 13:17-14:31 "The Gospel According To Exodus"

Printing Instructions: To print these discussion questions for use in your Community Group or other study, first highlight the text, then right click and select "print" from the dropdown menu that appears.

Read the passage aloud as a group and then work through the following questions:

  1. The parting of the Red Sea is a story that Hollywood loves to recreate on the big screen (The 10 Commandments – 1956, The Prince of Egypt – 1998, Exodus Gods and Kings – 2014). In your opinion, what do these films get right and where do they go wrong in portraying the true story as recounted in the Bible?
  2. In 13:17-18, we read that God led the people “the wrong way” (at least from their perspective). Rather than take them due East along the Mediterranean coast and directly into Canaan, God took them Southeast through the desert to the Red Sea, because God had a greater plan in mind.  Have you ever felt like God led you into a confusing, frustrating, or painful situation in life?  How does Israel’s story encourage us in those times when we’re not sure why God is leading us as he does?
  3. The people are led by God’s presence, manifest as a pillar of cloud and fire that they were to follow. In what ways does God lead his people today?  How do we know if we’re following him rightly?
  4. Eventually, God leads his people into a “trap” where they are hemmed in between the Red Sea and the encroaching armies of Pharaoh. Read 14:8-10.  Why would God put his people into such a position intentionally?  In your life, has God ever led you to a place where you could no longer depend on your own strength, but you had to lean entirely upon him?  Share the story with the group.
  5. Do an exercise as a group: search for all the places in the story where God acts. Have someone in the group make a running list of all of God’s actions that the group finds.  Analyzing the data, would you agree that God is the main actor in this story?  (God leads the people, God hardens Pharaoh to chase them, God instructs Moses, God parts the waters, God throws the Egyptians into a panic, and God closes the waters down upon them!  In the words of the Egyptians, “the Lord fights for them!”)  In light of this, what does the crossing of the Red Sea teach us about God’s work in his people’s salvation?  How does this apply to our salvation in Christ? 
  6. Read 14:4 and 14:17-18. Through these texts, and others like it, the Bible makes it clear that ultimately, God does everything for the sake of his own glory.  In other words, a primary motive in God is to maximize the display of his own greatness.  Do you agree?  How did God bring himself glory in your salvation story?      
  7. Respond to the following statement: “God’s glory and our good are compatible.” In other words, the best thing for us is that God would fully display of his greatness.  Do you agree?  What are the implications of this idea for our everyday lives?
  8. How does Moses’ role in the story point us to the greater Savior that we need, Jesus Christ? Read Luke 9:28-31 and note that the word “departure” in verse 31 can be translated “exodus.”  How is the cross of Jesus a kind of exodus for every person who puts all their trust in him?

Prayer suggestion: Thank God for his salivation and guidance in our lives.  Pray for confidence to trust him in the midst of confusing seasons in life journey. 

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