Moses: The 4 th Covenant

Transcription

1 Leader s Guide Salvation History, Chapter 5: Moses: The 4 th Covenant Adam Noah Abraham Moses David Jesus Made with: Moses Extends to: Nation Sign of the Covenant: Passover (Person) (Recipients/Form) (Symbol) Context: Exodus 3:18-20, 12:21-23 Several generations have passed since the time of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac s son, Jacob (also called Israel ), carries on the covenant blessing through his line. After an amazing series of events, all 12 of Jacob s sons leave the Promised Land of their forefather, Abraham, and end up in Egypt. Thus, the 12 tribes of Israel soon become slaves of the Egyptians. Pharaoh! Pharaoh! (Exodus 3:18-20) Four-hundred years go by and now, slavery is all the Israelites know. The land promised to their forefather, Abraham, is a mere memory, and the Egyptian customs and gods are infiltrating their own practices. In Exodus 3:18-20, the Lord orchestrates Israel s escape from slavery to reclaim His children, through a man named Moses. Most people think Moses simply says to Pharaoh, Let my people go! as in, free the whole nation. However, the Lord actually asks Moses to request that the Israelites take a mere three day journey into the wilderness for their animal sacrifices. Pharaoh of course refuses, and what follows are ten plagues upon the Egyptians many of which were direct assaults upon Egyptian gods, whom the Egyptians believed manifested themselves in animals or nature. The final plague not only tests the Egyptians, but also the Israelites, as well. The Passover (Exodus 12:21-23)

2 With the tenth and culminating plague, an angel of death passed through Egypt, killing all the first-born sons. However, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb another Egyptian god, which would have been a capital offense. It was a do-or-die proposition. With a very public statement, they were to spread the lamb s blood on the doorposts of their home and eat the lamb s flesh. When the angel of death would see the blood that seals their home, he would pass over it, for the death of the lamb will take the place of the son. Thus, the Passover is the sign of God s covenant with Moses. Narrative: Exodus 32:1-6, 9-15 Defiance in the Desert In what seems to be becoming a family tradition throughout history, as soon as God renews His covenant, its recipients almost immediately rebel. They reject their identity as sons and choose for themselves the path of slavery and destruction. While Moses is up on the mountain speaking with God for 40 days, the Israelites go to Aaron, Moses brother, and ask him to make a golden calf. This might seem like an odd request, but to them, the calf was an Egyptian fertility god. What they were really saying was that they missed their old ways. In Exodus 32:6, we read, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. To rise up to play, was a Hebrew idiom of the time referencing sexual immorality. In other words, the Israelites turned their camp into a massive orgy. Clearly, it was easier to take Israel out of Egypt than it was to take Egypt out of Israel. Meanwhile on the mountain, Moses hears from God about Israel s misbehavior, and the Lord sends him back to the camp to do the punishing (Exodus 32:9-15). Application: Exodus 32:19-28 Old Habits Die Hard When the Israelites can t hear God s voice and don t know where their leader is, they revert to their old lifestyle, crediting the Egyptian gods for freeing them. We might not find ourselves worshipping golden calves, but we are often guilty of replacing God with other things or people we think will fulfill us. At the heart of idolatry is the doubt that God will satisfy us, so we seek that satisfaction in other things. Even after we experience God at work in our lives, we can still fall into this. As soon as He seems silent, prayer becomes dry, or we lose our retreat-high, we can easily slip back into our old patterns of sin. We re not convinced that this new way of life will truly bring us happiness. We, like the Israelites, prefer the lifestyles we knew were familiar even if they enslaved us in sin rather than embrace our identity as sons and daughters, and risk trusting that the Father s love will fulfill every desire. Caught in the Act In Moses and Aaron, we have two very different models of what leadership looks like in the midst of rampant sin and idolatry. First, Aaron contributes to and enables the sin. When caught, he makes

3 excuses. His response to Moses sounds a lot like Adam in the Garden of Eden. Caught in the act when he was supposed to be in charge, he deflects the blame: It was everyone else s fault. As for the golden calf, Aaron acts as though he doesn t know how it happened: So they gave [the gold] to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out this calf (Ex. 32:24). Moses, on the other hand, took action as soon as he became aware of the rebellion. When he sees what is happening, he takes immediate action. He does not participate or try to win the peoples favor. He simply calls his people to holiness. In a moment of choice, Moses asks the entire nation of Israel, Who is on the Lord s side? Come to me (Ex. 32:26). The only ones who responded were the tribe of Levi (Levi was one of Jacob s twelve sons, generations earlier). When we are faced with temptations, what is our reaction? Do we make excuses or the right decision? When we are in situations where others are sinning, do we stay silent or call others to holiness? In some ways, Aaron s response seems uncomfortably similar to the responses of our own hearts. Often, our first reaction when presented with our sins is defensiveness or denial. But only an honest acknowledgement and desire for forgiveness will restore us. Sometimes, God gives us opportunities like the Levites, to make a definitive choice with our lives whose side do we stand on? In a moment, the Levites had to risk separating from their friends and the ridicule of their nation, but they knew who they were and the kind of life they were made for. That was worth standing apart. Moving Forward The golden calf incident was definitive turning point in salvation history. Prior to this event, every father was a priest in his household. After the golden calf, the priesthood was reserved for the Levites, who would serve God in the temple throughout the Old Testament. God must now put into place many of the strict, ceremonial laws in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as a result of the golden calf. And so, despite the disobedience of the Children of Israel, God continues to renew and expand His covenants through time. This time, the blessing expands from the tribe of Abraham to all of Israel, which has become a nation. God wants them to finally reclaim the Promised Land of Genesis 12. The more He offers His love, the more His children reject that love. But He is a Father who never abandons His wayward sons and daughters. His love searches us out, long before we were ever looking for Him.

4 Discussion Guide: Backdrop: (Read aloud to your group.) The Hebrew people are now in the midst of slavery in Egypt. After four-hundred years, the time has finally come to prepare for a new covenant. But the Children of Israel have fallen into many pagan practices that they need to be cleansed of. In this chapter, through the sign of the Passover, we will see God renew and expand His covenant through Moses. It will extend to all the people of Israel, which has become an entire nation. The Lord desires that they receive what was promised to Abraham that they finally return to the Promised Land, free from their slavery to Egypt as well as the spiritual slavery of sin. Context Pharaoh! Pharaoh! 1. Read Exodus 3: What does God tell Moses to ask Pharaoh? Answer: Moses is supposed to ask Pharaoh to allow the Israelites to take a three-day pilgrimage into the wilderness so that they can make sacrifices to their God. 2. Why do you think plagues would convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go worship their God? The Passover Answer: (Leader: Explain that the Egyptians believed many of their gods manifested themselves in animals and in nature. Each plague was an attack on a different Egyptian god.) The plagues were a way of showing that the God of Israel was more powerful than the gods of Egypt. 3. Read Exodus 12: This describes the last of the plagues God uses on the Egyptians. Based on what we just discussed, why do you think each family has to kill a lamb? Answer: Sheep were worshipped as Egyptian gods. This is the Lord s way of helping the Israelites reject the idolatry of the culture that surrounded them. 4. Why do you think they were instructed to put the lamb s blood on their doorposts? Answer: This was a very public statement, indicating that this household served the God of Israel and did not worship the gods of Egypt. It forced the Israelites to take a side, putting their lives at stake. If their Egyptian neighbors saw this, the Israelite household would likely be killed, so there was no turning back once they marked their doorposts. Only then, after seeing such a commitment to their true identity, would the Lord spare their first-born sons, accepting the lamb s sacrifice in their place. Narrative Defiance in the Desert

5 5. Read Exodus 32:1-6. Now that the Israelites are safely out of slavery, Moses leaves them temporarily so that he can be in the presence of the Lord on Mt. Sinai. After getting impatient for his return, what do the Israelites as Aaron to do? Answer: They ask him to make them gods. 6. Why do you think they would ask for this? Answer: When they got tired of waiting for the Lord and for their leader, Moses, they decided they wanted a replacement for God. They easily fell into their old, bad habits from their time in Egypt. 7. Based on our earlier discussion of the role of animals, why do you think Aaron makes them a golden calf? Answer: The golden calf resembled an Egyptian god. Specifically, it resembled the Egyptian fertility god. 8. In verse 6, it says that the Israelites rose up to play. What do you think this means? Application Answer: This was a Hebrew idiom for sexual immorality, meaning, the whole Israelite camp was filled with debauchery and turned into a huge orgy. Old Habits Die Hard 9. In what ways do we place things or people in the role that only God is supposed to fill? Answer: Allow the group to discuss. 10. Why do you think we have a tendency to do this, even after we ve see God s work in our lives? Answer: Allow the group to discuss. It can be hard to trust when we cannot seem to hear God anymore, or the initial emotions and consolations of new faith have started to fade. It becomes easy to slip back into our own patterns of sin that enslave us, instead of trusting that God s love will fulfill all of our desires. Caught in the Act 11. Read Exodus 32: When questioned by Moses, what do you notice about Aaron s response? Answer: Aaron falls into the blame game (just like Adam and Eve). First, he blames the people, and then, he tries to act as if a golden calf simply appeared out of the fire. 12. What excuses do we make when we commit idolatry? Answer: Allow the group to discuss. 13. Read Exodus 32: When Moses calls for those still faithful to the Lord to take a stand, who responds?

6 Answer: The Tribe of Levi. Leader: Explain the role of the priesthood that the Levites will take on, explained in the Leader s Guide. 14. In what ways can we learn to take a stand and call others to holiness? What risks might be involved? Answer: Allow the group to discuss.