Exodus: The Big Picture
Study Notes
God’s people are his primary vehicle for showing himself to the world. The miracles by which he delivered Israel from slavery and cared for them on their journey had the world’s attention. Israel’s role was to obey what they knew while waiting for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai with more instruction. But they became increasingly stressed in his absence, lost sight of the big picture, and tragically decided to break their covenant with God and enter into covenant with an idol.
The Big Picture - Exodus 32
Outline:
1. Covenant - Exodus 32:1-6
2. Choice - Exodus 32:7-14
3. Correction - Exodus 32:15-35
Lessons from the text
God’s people always struggle to wait for God’s timing.
God is OK with us experiencing discomfort and stress as we follow Him.
We often deal with stress by going back to what is comfortable and familiar.
Disobedience in any area is like a crack in a dam; it always spills over to other areas and can bring the whole structure crashing down.
To glorify God we often must choose obscurity for ourselves.
If we choose to live outside God’s boundaries, we can expect correction.
Application
God wants to reveal himself to the world through our church and our individual lives, which requires consistency, grace, truth, and spiritual growth.
Study Questions
Do you find it hard to wait for God? What are you waiting on him for now?
What do you find it hard to trust God for?
Can you think of times when you wished the adventure would just settle down a bit?
Have you ever gone backwards in your Christian life? What stresses led to that?
Why is it easier to turn to an idol than to follow God? What idols are common in our day?
Have you ever had to give up something you really wanted in order to serve God?
Why do Christians go “out of bounds” rather than staying where God will bless them?
Compare Moses and Aaron as leaders in this chapter. What can we learn from that comparison?
Israel lost sight of the big picture while waiting for Moses. What do you see as the “big picture” of what God is doing in your life now? In your discipleship group? In our church? How well are you/we cooperating with Him?
To represent God well, do you/we need to improve on any of these: consistency, grace, truth, spiritual growth?
Extra credit:
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. What should we learn from Israel’s experience?
The Big Picture - Exodus 32
Outline:
1. Covenant - Exodus 32:1-6
2. Choice - Exodus 32:7-14
3. Correction - Exodus 32:15-35
Lessons from the text
God’s people always struggle to wait for God’s timing.
God is OK with us experiencing discomfort and stress as we follow Him.
We often deal with stress by going back to what is comfortable and familiar.
Disobedience in any area is like a crack in a dam; it always spills over to other areas and can bring the whole structure crashing down.
To glorify God we often must choose obscurity for ourselves.
If we choose to live outside God’s boundaries, we can expect correction.
Application
God wants to reveal himself to the world through our church and our individual lives, which requires consistency, grace, truth, and spiritual growth.
Study Questions
Do you find it hard to wait for God? What are you waiting on him for now?
What do you find it hard to trust God for?
Can you think of times when you wished the adventure would just settle down a bit?
Have you ever gone backwards in your Christian life? What stresses led to that?
Why is it easier to turn to an idol than to follow God? What idols are common in our day?
Have you ever had to give up something you really wanted in order to serve God?
Why do Christians go “out of bounds” rather than staying where God will bless them?
Compare Moses and Aaron as leaders in this chapter. What can we learn from that comparison?
Israel lost sight of the big picture while waiting for Moses. What do you see as the “big picture” of what God is doing in your life now? In your discipleship group? In our church? How well are you/we cooperating with Him?
To represent God well, do you/we need to improve on any of these: consistency, grace, truth, spiritual growth?
Extra credit:
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. What should we learn from Israel’s experience?