"OUR STORY"

2. Exodus: Moses and the Hebrews

Why did Moses fail to be a Hebrew leader as a young man?

Read Exodus 2:11-22: Moses' early attempt to be the Hebrews' deliverer
Remember that Moses was brought up as an Egyptian prince.
But somewhere along life's way he discovered that he was truly a Hebrew (perhaps from his mother or sister)
What do you think caused him to want to take leadership over the Hebrew people?
How did his first effort to be their leader end up?
What was Moses forced to do to save himself?
How do you think he felt about this disaster?

Why was Moses called as an old man to deliver the Hebrews from slavery?

Read Exodus 2:23 -3:14: God's call to Moses to free the Hebrews
How had Moses changed over the years?
What was he doing when God came calling?
What was his reaction this time to the call to take leadership over the Hebrews? (Exodus 4:10-17)
Why do you suppose he was now more the way God wanted him to be for the task?
What exactly was it that God had Moses do to convince Pharaoh to free the Hebrews from slavery? (Exodus 7-10)

Why do you suppose that it took so many efforts to convince Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go? Why would God want to harden Pharaoh's heart against Moses?
Why do you suppose that the "pass over" of the angel of death was the final act in this drama? (exodus 12:29-36)
What were the miracles that God performed for the Hebrews as they entered the wilderness? (Exodus 14, 16 and 17)

Did this make unshakable believers out of the Hebrews? Why did they do so much complaining?

What was the covenant God made with the Hebrews in the wilderness?

Read Exodus 20:1-20: the 10 commandments
Remember how once the Hebrews were free of Pharaoh, God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai--to receive a set of Laws God was granting to this motley crew?
Why were the 10 commandments and the Law important gifts of God to the Hebrews?

They really had no government or society of their own
They needed to know how to behave as a distinct people or nation called "Israel"
They needed to know how to build their new lives lives around service to God and to their fellow Hebrew

What did the Hebrews do that forced Moses to return to the mountain to get a second copy of the commandments? (Exodus 32:1-14)

They thought Moses was perhaps dead because he had been up the mountain so long
They asked his brother Aaron to design them an idol (golden calf) they could worship
Finally coming down from the mountain, Moses discovered theHebrews worshiping the idol--and got so furious that he smashed the stone tablets that God had written the 10 commandments on

Why did that first generation fail to enter the Promised Land?

Read Numbers 13:17 - 14:23: the Israelites become afraid to enter the Promised Land
Remember that God told the Hebrews/Israelites to send spies into the Promised Land to study the Promised Land before they entered it. Why?
How did the Israelites react to the report brought back by the spies?
Why did their reaction get God so angry?
How did Moses talk God out of his plan?
What did God finally determine to do about the faithlessness of the Israelites?

What later happened to Moses?

Read Numbers 20:1- 13
What did Moses do when God asked him to speak to the rock in order to make water flow from it?
Wasn't this a form of taking matters into his own hands--like what he did when he was a young man?
What did God say to him about his behavior?
Why do you suppose God was so tough in this matter?
Did you think that God stuck with his decision?