History Makers

Exodus 1:15-21 and Matthew 11:25-26

About the Message
The story of Exodus is “the greatest story ever told” in the Jewish tradition and is reenacted multiple times through their religious rituals and festivals. This story pivots Israel’s history from being a family to being a nation. But this is also a universal story that plays out in our everyday life and is told from the perspective of the most unlikely characters.

Questions for Small Group and Personal Devotions

• Which are the different timelines of Exodus according to Historians?
• What do we mean by "parallel history"?
• What are some of the influential names in your spiritual history?
• In Exodus 1:14, we are told that the Egyptians dreaded the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly, making their lives bitter. Then immediately in verse 15, we hear that the King of Egypt wanted to meet with Shiphrah and Puah. What do you think these midwives were thinking and feeling as they were approached by the King?
• What do you make of the midwives’ response in verse 19 to Pharoah’s question about why they let the boys live? How might this influence the ways in which we engage with the broken systems of our world?
• Exodus 1 says multiple times that these brave midwives “feared God,” and were emboldened to follow Him, even if it meant disobedience to the King. What does it look like for us to “fear God” in today’s world?