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Firm Foundations

Creation to Christ

Lesson 23 - God Delivered Israel At the Red Sea And Provided

Them with Food and Water in the Desert

Questions for the LFC Firm Foundations Coordinator may be emailed to firmfoundations@lenoxchurch.org

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REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. What did Pharaoh say when Moses told him that the Lord God of Israel commanded him to let Israel go? Pharaoh said, “I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

2. Did the king’s answer surprise the Lord? No, the Lord knew that Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go immediately.

3. Does anything which a person says, thinks, or does take the Lord by surprise? No, He knows everything before it ever happens.

4. How did God plan to use this wicked king? God planned to use this proud king to show everyone that the God of Israel is the only true and living God and that He is almighty.

5. How did the Lord show His power? The Lord sent great and terrible plagues on the Egyptians.

6. What were those plagues? The Lord turned the river to blood. He sent frogs, gnats, and flies. He destroyed the Egyptians’ horses, cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys. He also sent boils, hailstorms, locusts, and total darkness.

7. Why didn’t these plagues also come on the Israelites?

a. Because of the Lord’s love and grace.

b. Because God had not forgotten His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would make their descendants into a great nation and that He would be their God.

c. So that the king of Egypt would realize that the God of Israel was the only true and living God in the whole earth and that He does whatever He chooses.

8. Did the Israelites deserve to be protected like this? No, they, too, were sinners and deserved God’s judgment.

9. What did Pharaoh do each time the Lord sent a plague? Pharaoh claimed to have changed his mind and asked Moses to remove the plague.

10. What did Pharaoh do when the Lord removed the plague? Pharaoh changed his mind, hardened his heart, and refused to allow Israel to leave.

11. Was the Lord surprised? No, He knew what the king would do.

12. Was the king of Egypt able to win against God? No.

13. Can anyone fight against God and win? No.

14. What was the last judgment which God sent on the Egyptians? God sent a plague which killed the firstborn in every Egyptian family and the firstborn of all their livestock.

15. What did God tell the Israelites to do so their firstborn children would not die?

a. They must choose a lamb without blemish.

b. They must kill the lamb and catch its blood in a basin.

c. They must place the blood on both doorposts and above the door.

d. They must stay inside the house on which they had placed the blood.

e. They must not break any of the lamb’s bones.

16. What would have happened if the Israelites had not done everything exactly as God instructed Moses? Their firstborn children would also have been killed.

17. Who is the only one who can tell us how we can come to God and be accepted by Him? God.

18. What happened in the Egyptian homes on that night when God said that He would kill the firstborn of every family? God killed them just as He said He would.

19. What was God’s promise to the Israelites? God promised them that, when He saw the blood on either side of and above their doors, He would pass over them.

20. What happened to the Israelites? All of their children were safe. None of them died.

21. Why didn’t the Israelite children die?

a. Because the Israelites did what God said and placed the blood on their houses.

b. Because God is trustworthy, He kept His promise and passed over their houses.

22. Does God always do what He says? Yes, when He says He will punish sin, He always does it. When He makes a promise to those who trust in Him, He always keeps it.

23. What did Pharaoh, the king, tell Moses after the Egyptians’ firstborn children died? Pharaoh told Moses to take all the Israelites out of Egypt.

OPTIONAL DISCUSSION QUESTION:

24. What have you learned from this lesson? The answer to this question will vary since each person has his/her own learning experience. There is no right or wrong answer!

How should we consider a miracle?

- Is it just something to doubt or wonder about?

- Is it just some kind of a strange event?

When God chose to supersede the physical laws He established, He recorded the event in His Word as a miracle. God presents miracles as a part of history—the history of His dealings with the world and its people. And through the record of His miracles, God shows us truths about Himself.

Let’s see what we can learn about God from this passage we’re about to study.

God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and He began to lead them back to the land that He had promised to their forefather, Abraham.

- Archeological note:

A few years ago, archeologists discovered the ruins of a line of Egyptian fortresses that guarded the road through Philistine country. Again, we are reminded of the extreme accuracy of every detail of Scripture. Just as God tells us, this would not have been the way for God’s people to have made their escape from Egypt!

- Text note:

The words that are translated in our Bibles as “Red Sea,” are the Hebrew words which mean “Sea of Reeds.” Many Bible scholars believe that, rather than what we call the Red Sea today, this passage refers to a large inland “sea” or lake which is north of the tip of the Red Sea. This lake does have reeds, which are not found at the northern end of the Red Sea. We do not know the exact location, but we do know that the details of the story told in the Bible are exactly true, and that there was a considerable depth of water, as we will see in the story. We can look at the general area on our maps today.

The number of Israelites had grown tremendously.

- When the Israelites first went to Egypt, there were only seventy of them.

- Now, 430 years later, there were probably about two and a half million Israelites!

God directed them where He wanted them to go by a cloud.

- He kept the cloud before them at all times.

- They would have gotten lost, and eventually they would have died in the desert if the Lord had not directed them. He loved them, and so He took care of them. God was protecting the Israelites so that the great Deliverer would be born into the world.

- The Israelites are the descendants of Abraham.

- The Lord had promised Abraham that one of his descendants would be the Savior of the world.

The Lord also protected Israel because He was entrusting His Word to them to give to the world. The words of God that we have been reading were given to Israel so that we, too, could learn about God and come to know Him.

Pharaoh was guided by Satan.

- He was not going to give up and let the Israelites go.

- He planned to go after them and recapture them.

Even though they had seen all the great and mighty things the Lord had done in Egypt, they still did not trust in the Lord.

Moses, however, trusted in the Lord and told the Israelites to believe God.

- Consider:

Are we any different from the Israelites? Are we willing to believe God’s Word and trust only in Him? Satan does not want us to believe. We may live and work with people who are telling us not to believe. But are we willing to believe God?

Even though the Israelites sinned and didn’t trust in the Lord, He was merciful and planned to deliver them. They couldn’t deliver themselves.

- The sea was in front of them, mountains were around them, and their enemies were behind them.

- ONLY GOD COULD SAVE THEM.

- Recall:

When God put Adam and Eve out of the garden, away from Him, there was no way back into the garden, and they could not make things right between them and God. Only God could provide a way so that they could be accepted once again by Him. It was God who provided a way for Abel to be accepted by God. Only God could save Noah and his family from the flood. When Isaac was bound and placed on the altar and his father had the knife raised above him, only God could save him. The parents of the firstborn children of Israel could not save their children from death unless God chose to provide a way. Likewise, Israel could not escape from the Egyptians unless God made a way for them.

It is the same with us. We cannot make a way to escape the wrath of God. We cannot make things right between us and God by the things we do. Only God can save us from everlasting punishment.

God created the sea, so He has complete control over it.

- Recall:

In the beginning, the whole earth was covered with water. Remember how the Lord caused the water to move back so there was dry ground. The Lord, who in the beginning caused the water to move back, had not changed. He commanded this sea to move back so His people could walk on dry land to the other side. God could do this, for He has control over the whole earth.

It was not difficult for God to open the sea so that the Israelites could walk through to the other side.

- The Lord is almighty.

- Nothing is too hard for Him.

The Lord did not forsake His people.

- He promised to lead them safely out of Egypt and into the land He had promised to Abraham.

- The Lord led the Israelites into the path which He had made through the sea.

- The Lord moved the cloud that was leading Israel and placed it between them and the Egyptians. Behind the Israelites, the cloud was bright and shining like the sun. It gave light so the Israelites could see where they were going. Before the Egyptians, however, the cloud was black. There was only darkness in front of them. Nevertheless, the Egyptians continued to follow because the Lord planned to destroy them.

The Egyptian armies were drowned by God in the sea. No one can fight against God and succeed.

- He punishes all those who fight against Him.

- But He is the merciful Savior of all those who believe His Word and come to Him in the way He says.

The Lord protected all of the Israelites.

- Not one of them was drowned, and the Egyptians did not catch any of them.

- The Lord saved them because of His love for them and because He had promised to save them.

When Israel saw the great things which the Lord did, they believed in Him.

- Consider:

Some people say they will only believe if they can see God do some great and wonderful thing. But God has not promised that He will do spectacular miracles so that we will believe. God has given us His Word, and He tells us to believe that and to trust in Him. If we refuse to believe what He has written in His Word, then we will die without God and go to everlasting punishment.

Even though the Lord had delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians by opening the Red Sea and leading them safely through, they had not learned trust in Him.

- They murmured and grumbled and blamed Moses and Aaron.

- Instead of complaining, they should have trusted in the Lord to give them food.

They could not get food anywhere.

- Moses couldn’t provide food for them.

- Not only were there no “supermarkets;” neither was anything growing there.

- It was a barren desert. God wanted the Israelites to know that He alone could help them in this situation. In the same way, God wants each sinner to realize that God alone can save him from the punishment for sin.

Although the Israelites and Moses couldn’t provide food, the Lord could; nothing is impossible to God.

They didn’t deserve anything from the Lord, but in His grace, He promised to give them food.

- No one deserves God’s grace and mercy.

- We all deserve everlasting punishment.

God helps the helpless; He delivers those who have no way of escape.

- Recall:

When Adam and Eve sinned against God and were therefore separated from Him, God promised to send a Savior to deliver them. They tried to make clothing from leaves, but God provided them with the skins of animals. God, in His mercy and grace, accepted Abel’s offering. God saved Noah and his family from the flood. God called Abraham out of idolatry, protected Jacob’s family from starvation through Joseph, called Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and opened up the sea for them. Now He promised to give the Israelites food. None of these people deserved the things that God did for them. He did it all because He is merciful and gracious.

The Lord faithfully provided manna for the Israelites from this time forward and throughout the time they were in the wilderness.

- He never failed them.

- God is faithful.

- He can be trusted to do everything He has said in His Word.

Although the Israelites were thankful for the Lord’s provision of food, they soon forgot about His great power, and they began to complain again.

- (Does that sound familiar to you?)

- Listen to what happened this time.

- Consider:

How long can a man live without water? Only a few days. The Israelites were afraid they were all going to die there in the desert. Can you imagine the burden Moses felt? He had no way of supplying water for these people. Only God could help them. We know that God can do all things. But where could God get water in that dry, barren place? There was no oasis just ahead. Why should God provide for these people? The people did not deserve God’s help.

God didn’t let the Israelites die of thirst. He gave them water because He is loving, merciful, and gracious.

God told Moses to strike the rock with his rod. God promised that He would give water out of the rock.

- Consider:

How much more sense it would have made to us if God had told them to dig a hole in the sand or make a well. Then we could have “explained” how He provided the water. But this was a true miracle of God. God and only God can bring water out of a rock in the middle of the desert. He wanted the Israelites (and us) to know that only God was able to save them from death.

Moses had to do it God’s way. Every time they had an impossible situation, God told them exactly what they must do.

- Consider:

God is the same today. He does not leave it up to us to work out a way to escape from our sin, Satan’s power, and everlasting punishment. God is the Savior of all those who will turn from trusting in themselves and trust only in Him. He alone makes a way for sinners to escape.

In obedience to the Lord, Moses struck the rock. Immediately, a great stream of water flowed out. There was sufficient for all of the Israelites and their animals.

- Consider:

We do not know the exact number of Israelites at this time—only the men over twenty were counted in the census recorded in the Bible—but we can estimate from this census that there were perhaps two and a half million people. There was enough water for all of them and their animals! Psalm 105:41 says, “He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.” Only Almighty God could give water from a rock in the wilderness— enough water for this vast community of people. Remember, God made everything; He spoke and it was created. Nothing is too hard for God.

God gave the Israelites food and water even though they didn’t deserve anything from God.

- They didn’t work for this food and water.

- God didn’t ask for anything in return.

- He gave them food and water because He is loving and merciful. No person merits God’s love and mercy.

- We cannot gain acceptance with God by the things that we do.

- God’s forgiveness to sinners is a gift.

God faithfully protected the Israelites and provided all they needed.

- God had promised that He would bless Abraham’s descendants.

- God always does whatever He says.

The story of God’s provision for the Israelites is retold many times in the Old Testament and referred to in the New Testament. These are historical events. Yes, they are miracles, and they are God’s miracles.

- They show us His faithfulness to keep His promises

- They show us His great love for His people.

- They show us His sovereign power over all creation. God is beyond our understanding—so are His miracles. But we can believe that these things really happened, because God said so in His Word.

QUESTIONS:

1. How did the Lord show the Israelites where to go?

2. To which land were the Israelites heading?

3. Why did God protect Israel?

a.

b.

c.

d.

4. What did the Israelites do when they saw Pharaoh’s armies coming behind them?

5. Was there any way the Israelites could save themselves?

6. What should they have done?

7. Why wasn’t it difficult for God to open up the sea?

a.

b.

c.

8. What did God do to protect the Israelites from the Egyptians when they were walking through the sea?

9. Why couldn’t the Egyptians escape from God?

10. Can anyone make a way to deliver himself from God’s punishment for his sins and make himself acceptable to God?

11. What new problem did the Israelites face as they began their journey through the wilderness?.

12. Did they remember all the great things God had done, and did they trust in Him?

13. Did Israel deserve to be given food by God?

14. Is there any person who merits God’s love or deserves to be rescued from everlasting punishment?

15. What was the food which the Lord gave to the Israelites?

16. Why couldn’t the Israelites get water?

17. What did God tell Moses that he must do to provide water?

18. When God delivered the Israelites, did He allow them to do things the way they wanted to do them?

Suggested Daily Bible Readings:

Day 111: Judges, Chapters 10 and 11

Day 112: Judges, Chapters 12 and 13

Day 113: Judges, Chapters 14 and 15

Day 114: Judges, Chapters 16 and 17

Day 115: Judges, Chapters 18 and 19