The Reluctant Superstar

Exodus 4-6

We will be studying about the biblical teaching on "remembering" this week. We often think of memory as a purely mental faculty involving the retention of information. But when we examine the biblical concept of remembrance, we see that "remembering" in the Bible usually leads to or results from purposeful action.

1. When Moses first went to Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2 to tell him to let God's people go, Pharaoh immediately asked one question: "Who is the LORD that I should obey him?" Given that Pharaoh viewed himself as a god and that his people had many gods, discuss how difficult it would have been for him to obey the LORD.
   
2. Do you think it is difficult for Southern Californians to accept that they should obey the commands and morals of the God of the Bible? Why or why not?
   
3. God's response to Pharaoh came in the form of ten plagues. One of the main points was that each plague showed how the LORD is the God over all their gods. Look briefly at some of these and discuss how God showed himself to be the God over all gods:
   • Devoured snakes (7:8–13)
   • Nile River (a god for them) to blood (7:14–24)
   • Frogs (the head on many of their gods) (7:25–8:15)
   • Livestock (bovine gods abounded) (9:1–7)
   • Boils (even on Pharaoh) (9:8–12)
   • Firstborn (11:1–10)
   
4. Many Bible students see how the plagues are the reversal of Genesis 1 when God created all—from chaos to order and beauty. When God was at the center of relationships in Genesis, all was paradise. Why should Pharaoh obey the LORD? Because he sustains order and beauty. When God is rejected, everything is affected and chaos sets in. Have you seen this happen in people's lives? In our society?
   
5. In these chapters, sometimes Pharaoh hardens his own heart against God's words. As things progress, the Bible says that God hardens Pharaoh heart. Many Jewish and Christian scholars say that this is a description of what happens when we hear God's call and intentionally reject it (see Psalm 95:8–11). What does this say to us and our own daily lives?
   
6. What is the main lesson you hope to apply to your life from this study?
   

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