Who You Serve and Worship-Exodus 5-6

Exodus, Old Testament, Sermons

  • Sermon (10/24/21).
  • Who [What] You Serve and Worship [God or someone/something else] determines whether you are truly free or oppressed / enslaved.
  • If you “serve/worship” money, or sex, or pleasure, or family, or friendship, or a person, or an ideology, or even your home church or denomination, then your choices, decisions and emotions will be dictated and driven by them. But if you “serve/worship” God only (Exo 20:2-3; Dt 6:5), you will truly be free.

Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh (Exodus 5). The conflict that begins here (Exo 5:1) will not be resolved until Exo 12:31-33. [The confrontation with Pharaoh is from 5:1-11:10.]

  1. Why does God want His people to be set free (Exo 5:1,3; 3:12)? What does it mean to worship? (Exo 1:13,14; 3:12b; 4:23; 7:16; 8:1,20; 9:1,13; 10:3,7-8,11,24-26; 12:31; 14:12; 20:5; 21:6; 23:24-25,33; 24:1; 34:14). [‘abad (Exo 3:12) is translated “worship” (NIV, NLT, HCSB, NASB) or “serve” (KJV, NKJV, ESV, NET). The Amplified Bible: “you shall serve and worship God at this mountain.”]
  2. Why did Pharaoh defiantly refuse to let them go (Exo 5:2,4,5)? [The theme of “knowing the Lord” is repeated in Exodus (Exo 1:8; 5:2; 6:3,7; 7:5,17; 8:10,22; 9:14; 10:2,7,26; 11:7; 14:4,18; 16:6,12; 18:11; 23:9; 29:46; 31:13; 33:12,13,16-17).] Do you know the Lord or does the Lord know you (Gal 4:9; 1 Cor 8:3)?
  3. What is Pharaoh’s new policy (Exo 5:4-9)? His contemptuous declaration (Exo 5:8b,17)? What did he regard as “lies” (Exo 5:9,1,3)? How unreasonable was his policy of “no straw, same quota” (Exo 5:10-14,18-19)?
  4. How did the Israelite overseers understandably protest (Exo 5:15-16)? What was their bitter complaint to Moses and Aaron (Exo 5:19-21)? Contrast Pharaoh’s “sword” with the “sword” of the Lord (Exo 5:21,3)? Who won the first round encounter between Moses and Pharaoh?
  5. What was Moses’ complaint [accusation] to the Lord (Exo 5:22-23)? Did the Lord not already tell Moses that Pharaoh would refuse (Exo 3:19; 4:21)? How did the Lord respond (Exo 6:1)?

6:2-7:9 is a chiasm:

  • A. Moses’ renewed call (6:2-9)
  • B. “Faltering [uncircumcised] lips” (6:10-12)
  • C. Aaron’s call and genealogy (6:13-27)
  • B. “Faltering [uncircumcised] lips” (6:28-30)
  • A. Aaron and Moses’ united call (7:1-7)

Renewing Moses’ call after being discouraged and defeated by Pharaoh in Exodus 5

  1. Why did God repeat the refrain “I am the Lord” 4 times in just a few verses (Exo 6:2,6,7,8)?
  2. What are the 7 first-person promises that God makes to Moses (Exo 6:6-8)?
  3. Is God unconditionally promising [“I will”] deliverance, freedom, redemption and election?
  4. What are several reasons why it is important to repeat again and renew these same promises to Moses (Exo 5:10-11,18,21,22-23)?
  5. Why is the Lord’s repeated declaration (Exo 6:6,7,8; 3:10,12; 16:6; 20:2; 32:4) so crucial, central and foundational to Israelite faith?
  6. What is the “gospel” of Exodus which simply needs Moses [and Aaron] to declare (Exo 6:1,6)?
  7. What is enveloped [the inclusio] by Moses’ concern about his “faltering lips” (Exo 6:12,30) and the Lord’s instructions to speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt (Exo 6:10-11,28-29)? Why does the genealogy (6:14-25) subtly reinforce the emphasis on Aaron (Exo 6:23,25) but only mentions Moses as Aaron’s brother (Exo 6:20)? How is this God’s response to Moses’ concern about his faltering lips (Exo 4:10-16)?

Reference:

  1. James K. Bruckner. Exodus. New International Bible Commentary. 2008.
  2. John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. 2010.
  3. Robert Alter. The Hebrew Bible. A translation with commentary. The Five Books of Moses. 2019.
  4. Dennis Prager. Exodus. God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. 2018.

Exodus sermons:

  1. Slaves Need Liberation (1:1-14). Women Power–resisting the authorities (1:1-2:10). A Nowhere Man. A man with no home (2:11-24). From a guerrilla to a fugitive.
  2. God Wants You (3-4). Meeting God on an Ordinary Work Day (3:1-10). God has a Name. The 1st 2 of 5 objections/protests by Moses (3:11-15). 7 points for the elders (3:16-22). Moses’ last 3 protests (4:1-17). 5 short encounters (4:18-31).
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