Welcome to our first sermon diving deep into the text of Exodus! Today, we're in chapter one, asking the right questions to unlock its meaning. We'll explore why Israel is in Egypt, why the mighty Pharaoh is unnamed, and how two overlooked midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, become the unlikely heroes of the story.
Scripture References

• Exodus 1: The enslavement of Israel in Egypt.
• Genesis 12:1-3: God’s promise to make a great nation from Abraham.
• Genesis 46:3-4: God’s command for Jacob (Israel) to go to Egypt, promising to be with him.
• Genesis 1:28: The creation mandate to "be fruitful and multiply."
• Genesis 3:1, 15: The "shrewd" serpent and the promise that the woman's offspring would crush its head.

Key Points

1. Israel in Egypt: An Act of Obedience

The book of Exodus starts like a sequel, connecting directly to Genesis. The Israelites are in Egypt not by mistake, but because God led them there during a famine, promising to be with them. This is a crucial reminder: following God often leads us into hard places, not just easy ones.

2. The Unnamed Pharaoh: A Symbol of Evil

Pharaoh is left unnamed for three reasons:

• It’s an insult: "May his name be forgotten," while the Hebrew midwives are named forever.
• He’s a symbol: He represents the oppressive evil of every empire built on exploitation.
• He's the serpent: He acts "shrewdly" (the same word used for the serpent in Genesis 3) against God's people, who are fulfilling the Genesis 1 mandate to be "fruitful and multiply." This is a cosmic battle, not just a political one.

3. The Midwives: A Blueprint for Greatness

Shiphrah and Puah are the heroes because they show us what true greatness looks like in God's kingdom. They were servants to the servants, yet their actions changed history.

Conclusion

True greatness isn't found in power, status, or worldly authority like Pharaoh's. It's found in the quiet, courageous faith of the overlooked. The midwives feared God more than the most powerful man on earth, and that reverence produced a fearlessness that allowed them to defy evil, serve others, and suffer well. Their legacy is a testament that God esteems the humble and uses the seemingly weak to overthrow the proud.

Calls to Action

1. Serve the Servants: Look for opportunities to serve those who are overlooked. Greatness starts with humility.
2. Fear God, Not Man: Let a holy reverence for God be the driving force that frees you from the fear of human opinion or authority.
3. Practice Righteous Resistance: When instructed to do evil, practice civil disobedience for the sake of others, not for personal gain.
4. Abandon "If/Then" Thinking: Don't wait for perfect circumstances to be obedient. Serve, give, and act now, right where you are.
5. Suffer Well: When God feels distant, don't let your reverence for Him fade. Trust Him even when deliverance seems far away.

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Welcome to the sermon! We're continuing our study of Exodus, seeing it as the key pattern for our lives and all of Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Renewal. Today’s point is simple: you can't truly understand Jesus without understanding Exodus. It's the backdrop for His entire life and ministry.

Scripture References

• 1 Corinthians 10:1-11: The Exodus story was written as an example and warning for us.
• Luke 24:27: Jesus explained how all Scriptures, starting with Moses, pointed to Him.
• John 5:39: The Scriptures testify about Jesus.
• Jude 5: It was Jesus who saved a people out of the land of Egypt.
• Hebrews 3:1-6: Jesus is the greater Moses, a son over God’s house.
• Matthew 17:1-8: Jesus discusses His "exodus" (departure) at the Transfiguration.

Key Points

1. Jesus' "Cameos" in the Old Testament

Like a director making a cameo in their own film, Jesus appears throughout the Old Testament. We should read it looking for Him through:

• Prophecies: Predictions of His coming.
• Progenies: Genealogies that point to His arrival.
• Prefiguring: Types and symbols, like the Passover lamb or the manna from heaven.
• Personal Appearances: Pre-incarnate appearances like the "angel of the Lord" who accepts worship.

2. Jesus is the Greater Moses

Jesus’s life recapitulates and fulfills the Exodus story.

• His Birth: Like Moses, born under a tyrannical king slaughtering infants.
• His Baptism: Passed through water (baptism) and was tested in the wilderness, succeeding where Israel failed.
• His Teaching: Delivered the New Covenant ethics (Sermon on the Mount) from a mountain, just as Moses delivered the Law from a mountain.
• His Death: Crucified during Passover week as the ultimate, perfect Lamb of God.

Conclusion

Jesus is leading a new, cosmic Exodus right now. This is a present-tense reality. He is making a way out of our bondage to the cosmic pharaohs of Satan, sin, and death. The way out is not a plan, but a Person. Jesus declared, "I am the Way," and He is leading His people into freedom and new life.

Calls to Action

1. Follow the Leader: Recognize Jesus as the one leading you out of bondage.
2. Join the Migration: Choose to leave the kingdom of darkness for the kingdom of light.
3. Come to the Table: Participate in communion to celebrate your part in this new Exodus.
4. Receive Prayer: If you feel stuck, humbly ask for prayer.

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Intro
Good morning! Today we want to introduce our new series: a deep dive into the Book of Exodus. Just as songs like Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" or Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" borrow from earlier melodies, the Bible has a recurring melody line: the Exodus story. It’s a deliverance archetype that influences the entire biblical narrative, from Genesis to Revelation, making it essential to understand.
Scripture References
Exodus (all of it), Deuteronomy 31:9, Numbers 12:3, Luke 24:25-27, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, John 1:14, Matthew 10:28-29, John 20:21
Key Points

• Exodus is the Bible's Foundational Story:
  • An Archetype for Deliverance: The Exodus story—God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt—is a pattern for every major story of deliverance and redemption in the Bible. It's not just a standalone account but the source material for the whole biblical symphony.
  • Jesus's Exodus: You cannot understand Jesus without knowing Exodus. His baptism, wilderness temptation, teaching on a mountain, and death during Passover are all intentional echoes of the Exodus narrative.
  • Re-hitching the Testaments: We must reject the heresy of Marcionism, which separates the Old and New Testaments. Understanding Exodus provides the context that makes the New Testament "technicolor" and helps us appreciate God's holiness and love.
• Seven Goals for the Series:
  1. See Exodus Echoes: Recognize the themes of creation, bondage, redemption, and renewal woven throughout the Bible.
  2. Re-hitch the Testaments: Grasp that the Old Testament is essential to understanding Jesus and our faith.
  3. Understand the Sacraments: See baptism as a re-enactment of the Red Sea crossing and communion as a memorial of the Passover Lamb.
  4. Grasp the Law's Missionary Heart: Understand that God gave the law not as a set of arbitrary rules but as a distinct way of life to showcase His wisdom to the nations.
  5. Grasp God's Holiness: Appreciate the profound privilege of God's presence dwelling in us.
  6. Find True Freedom: Recognize that true liberation isn't found in a life without a master but in a "blessed bondage" to God. Like a fish in water or a train on tracks, our freedom is found in our created purpose: to worship Him.
  7. Find Yourself in the Story: The story of Israel's journey is an example and warning for us (1 Cor 10:11). Just as they were led from slavery to a wilderness, we have been delivered from the dominion of darkness into this life. We must learn to trust God through its trials, not mistaking the wilderness for the promised land.

Conclusion

The Exodus story is our story. We were once enslaved to sin and death, but have been delivered by Jesus into the "wilderness" of this life. Though the journey may feel like it takes 40 years instead of 11 days, we have hope for the Promised Land.

Calls to Action

• Find Yourself: Ask God to reveal where you are in the Exodus story this week.
• Trust: Pray for a heart to trust God in the "wilderness" of your current life.
• Worship: As we continue our worship, let's sing about our chains being broken, recognizing that our ultimate freedom is found in Jesus.

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