2011 Lent Study Guide - University Presbyterian Church

We come to our study in Exodus knowing that Scripture will inspire and inform us as we grow in
Christ Jesus.
The book of Exodus is about God, through Moses, leading the nation of Israel from Egypt into the
desert of Sinai, toward the Promised Land. At the end of Genesis, the Israelites were a blessing and
benefit to Egypt, through Joseph’s favorable relationship with Pharaoh. This is a stark contrast to
Exodus, as the Israelites experience oppression and bondage at the hand of a new Pharaoh.
The Exodus story presents a tumultuous deliverance, a hard-hearted Pharaoh, amazing miracles,
provision, and the giving of Ten Commandments. The story is honest about the rebellion, impatience
and doubt of the Israelites. But it also tells of God’s continued reaching out to us. Among the great
themes in Exodus are the significant markers of God’s providence, power, patience, provision, and
presence.
By the term markers, we refer to concrete
and sensory experiences and symbols
in your life that point you toward God.
In the exodus, God points the way to a new beginning, to a new home. “Exodus” is a compound of
the Greek word for “road” or “way.” God frees the descendants of Jacob from slavery in Egypt, and
returns them toward the land of promise—their home. And God marks the road. Again and again,
we read of “signs” that testify to the trustworthy care of their guide and the nature of their journey.
In chapter 1, God-fearing Hebrew midwives thwart the evil plans of Pharaoh to drown the Hebrew male
newborns. In our passage, baby Moses is spared through God’s hand expressed in the risk and love of
his mother, sister, and the daughter of Pharaoh. Moses’ extraordinary escape on the river was the work
of God’s unseen hand.
Marker for our lives: The River
God’s unseen hand is active in our life circumstances
before we are even aware of it.
— 11 —
Week One: A River to Carry