A God who Fights

Notes from Teaching Video

• Exodus 5
  • “Who is the Lord?” is quite different than “I am.”
  • This reinforces the very Biblical concept that following God often results in our suffering.
  • Verse 18: “go, work” is the exact phrase said by Pharaoh in Exodus 10:8, 10:24, and 12:31
• Exodus 6
  • Have you ever been unable to see hope because of the depths of your despair?
• Exodus 7-13: The Ten Plagues
• Exodus 14-15
  • God will use this to trap Pharaoh unexpectedly.
  • Once reality hits, the people panic. They can’t see God’s perspective, and it gets them into trouble.
  • The Lord will win the battle.
  • No longer will the Egyptians be able to say, “who is the Lord?”
  • The Song of Moses and Miriam

Questions for Discussion and Reflection

• We don’t typically talk about God as a warrior. How do these texts impact your view of God?

• Included below is a chart that mentions all the places “hardening of the heart” is mentioned in Exodus 1-15. Take some time as a group to work through the handout, circling who does the hardening in each case.

• Looking at the way that Exodus describes the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, think about these questions: How would you respond to someone who said that Pharaoh never had a choice? How would you respond to someone who said that Pharaoh always had a choice?

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart