Through the Bible: Exodus 1-15 Questions

It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word.

But it’s not always easy.

We read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it.

I thought I could try to help you get a little something out of what you are reading by providing you with some questions to ask as you look at the text. Good questions are a good start to understanding. Sometimes there will be more questions, sometimes less.

I began these questions on Exodus a couple of years ago, but now I am trying to finish them. I'll give them in blocks. I've updated Exodus 1-15, 16-18, 19-24, 25-31, and then I will give you 32-34, and if I can, I will complete the series with 35-40. It's a little bit of repeat, so we'll see if I am able to come up with good enough questions to make that part helpful. You can do this!

So, get a notebook, a pen, your Bible, and if you would like some help, take some time to answer the questions, and you may be surprised by all God teaches you.

Exodus 1

1. You have just finished reading through Genesis. How does the very first verse of Exodus make it clear that the story you are about to read is connected to the one you just read? Why is that helpful to know? 
2. What are some of the important things you think you need to remember from Genesis coming into Exodus? What are some of the questions that still need to be answered?
3. Maybe think in terms of problems. What are some of the problems at the beginning of Exodus. If you go back to Genesis. How did Genesis begin? Where were God’s people? What were they experiencing? How does Genesis end? Where are God’s people? And what happens to Joseph? So while Genesis gives us a lot of hope, there’s still a lot more that needs to be done. 
4. One big part of the plan is a nation that is coming from Abraham. At first that looked completely impossible as Abraham was childless. But by the end of Genesis we have come a long way. We’ve gone from Abraham with no children, to Jacob with seventy or so. We are seeing movement. God is fulfilling His promises. But what is the problem in the first six verses of Exodus 1? What parts of the promise have not been fulfilled yet?
5. What stands out as you read verse 7? What phrase does he use here that you have heard before? Where have you heard it before? What story is he connecting this one back to? What hint does that give you about what God is doing through Israel?
6. It’s been many years since Joseph died, yet his influence has been felt in Egypt for generations. What changes in verse 8?
7. What is this Pharaoh concerned about in verses 9 and 10? And what does he try to do about this problem in verse 11? (Why is this ironic given what happens as a result of Pharaoh doing this ultimately?)
8. What has God promised Abram would happen to those who curse him and his descendants? What happens as a result of Pharaoh’s plans in verse 12? What does this tell you about God? How do the Egyptians feel about the Israelites? Why is this surprising? 
9. We remember from Genesis that there are two seeds. The seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. Pharaoh here represents the seed of the serpent and Israel the seed of the woman. What is the seed of the serpent doing to the seed of the woman?
10. In verse 14, the writer gives an interesting detail. What specifically were they using to build for Pharaoh? Now go to Genesis 11:3. What is said here? Now, we don’t always get lots of details in narratives. When we do they usually are significant. This is a connection. Humanity is building an anti God monument in Genesis 11. And Pharaoh, the seed of the serpent is now using the seed of the woman to build his anti God monuments. It looks like Satan is winning.
11. What does Pharaoh try to do in verses 15 and 16?
12. This is terrible. It is genocide. But it is even bigger. Who is Satan using Pharaoh to attack? Why do you think they are going after the first born sons?
13. Were they able to kill the first born sons though? What happened?
14. How do the midwives explain why they weren’t able to kill the sons? God was protecting his people by enabling the women to give birth very quickly, so quickly that the midwives weren’t even able to get there in time! What does God do for the midwives as a result? 
15. If you were to travel back to the time this book was written, between the Pharaoh and the midwives, who would have been looked at as more important? And yet, whose names are recorded in the Bible? What do you think could be the significance of that? 
16. What did Pharaoh command the people to do since the midwives were not able to fulfill his command?
17. Think about this chapter. It’s really sad, isn’t it? But it’s not just a sad story. This is connected to how God is going about saving the world. What can we learn about God’s redemptive plan from this chapter?

Exodus 2

1. Ok, review for a minute. What problem is Israel facing at the beginning of this chapter and why is that a problem for us?
2. Here’s a nationwide problem, and the author zones in on one nameless couple. Can you think of any other times in the Bible where you have this huge problem, and then God zones in on the birth of a seemingly unimportant child? Isn’t it interesting how God often solves big problems through insignificant beginnings!
3. What did this mother do when she couldn’t hide the child any longer? (The word here for basket is actually the Hebrew word for ark. Why might that be significant?)
4. The daughter of Pharaoh comes down to the river to bathe while the baby is in the basket. What do you know about the Pharaoh that makes this a frightening situation?
5. Who is watching all this happen? We know how this story ends but can you imagine being Moses’ sister watching as the daughter of Pharaoh opens the basket and the baby is crying? What does the daughter of Pharaoh say that indicates she knows what “kind” of baby this is?And yet how does she respond? 
6. What does Moses’ sister say to her? How does Pharaoh’s daughter respond? Now you should know something about this particular daughter of Pharaoh. Historically she is known as a very bold woman. She is exactly the kind of woman who would defy her father! What are some of the circumstances has God orchestrated to save Moses here? But notice, God’s name isn’t even mentioned. We are going to see God at work in obvious ways through the plagues, but don’t ever forget God is at work behind the scenes as well.
7. What was Pharaoh trying to do to the Hebrew babies? What happens to this Hebrew baby? Where does he live? What is he technically? What does that tell you about going to war against God and His plans?
8. In what ways does what happened to Moses here illustrate what is going to happen to Israel later? 
9. In verse 9, we fast forward to Moses at 40. What does he see and how does he react? Why do you think he reacts this way? How do the Hebrews feel about what he did? Why do you think Moses’ attempt to deliver Israel fails? How does Pharaoh respond when he hears about what Moses did? 
10. So, Moses flees and he goes to Midian and ends up at a well. He has tried to deliver Israel and failed, and now he is at a well protecting some girls from shepherds. The daughters come home and what do they say about Moses? What do they call him? 
11. The priest shows hospitality to Moses and he marries one of the daughters. So, even as he is running into the middle of nowhere, God is still looking out for and providing for Moses. But what do you think he must have felt going from the palace of Egypt to the hut of a Midianite priest? What a contrast. 
12. Moses and his wife have a son. What does Moses call his son? Why is that name significant?  (Go back to Genesis 15:13. What does God say will happen to Abraham’s descendants? What is the connection between this name and that promise?)
13. Life is very difficult for the Israel. They are hurting, and what do they do? Does it tell you who they cried out to? 
14. So this is not as much about prayer as it is just a cry of pain, and yet how does God respond? Specifically, how does it describe the way God heard their cry for slavery? Why do you think it says it like this?  
15. What does verse 24 describe God doing? When it says God remembered what do you think it means? Why does God act to save Israel? What do you think God knew? 
16. Think about verse 25. What do you think this verse means? What encouragement do you find from what it tells you about God?

Exodus 3

1. What is Moses doing when he meets God? Moses has gone from a position of glory to a very humble position, hasn’t he?
2. God has decided He is going to deliver His people and He goes out to meet a shepherd in the wilderness. God often goes about saving in surprising ways. What does the author tell us about the mountain where he met with Moses?
3. That’s an interesting way to describe a mountain. What do you think the author is doing here? What can you learn about how he expected you to read the Pentateuch?
4. Who does verse 2 say appeared to Moses? Who does he say spoke to Moses in verse 5? What do you think about that?
5. What’s happening in verse 2 that is so surprising?
6. What does God tell Moses to do in verse 5 and why? Think about this in real life terms. What was Moses’ job? What would his sandals have probably been like? What do you think this might be teaching us about God?
7. How does God identify Himself? This is the second time already in Exodus that we see specific connection back to God’s relationship with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why do you think this might be important? How does Moses respond and why? 
8. What does God say He has done in verse 7 and 8? 
9. What is His plan for Israel? What do you think is the significance of calling it a land flowing with milk and honey? 
10. What is Moses’ response in verse 11? Why do you think Moses is responding to God the way He is? What do you think about his response? What does God think about his response? In other words, who is Moses focused on and who is God focused on? How does God reveal the foolishness of that objection in verse 12?
11. What is the sign God gives to encourage Moses? What is funny about that sign? What does God telling us this about the future tell us about God? When God meets with Israel on the mountain, is their story over? They had more to do, and so they would need encouragement. How would looking back on this statement here in verse 12 strengthen them to trust God in the future?   
12. Who is Israel serving at this point? Who does God want Israel to serve? 
13. Once again, clearly this mountain is an important place. God is going to rescue Israel from Egypt and bring him to his mountain to serve Him. What does Moses say next? How does God respond?
14. What does Moses say next in verse 13? What does that tell you about the state of Israel’s spiritual condition? Why do you think Moses is asking this question? 
15. How does God respond? Summarize what you think verse 14 means. 
16. What are some things that name possibly tells you about God? Would you say it tells us a lot or a little? 
17. How does verse 15 give more information about what this name means? 
18. God tells Moses to go and then he goes on and tells him exactly how the future is going to go. What does that tell you about God? I know it’s obvious, but think about the significance of that. How should that impact you? 
19. What does God tell Moses that he is supposed to say to Pharaoh in verse 18? How is Pharaoh going to respond to this request? What does that tell you about Pharaoh? If you just put this in very direct language, Pharaoh is using the Israelites as slaves and he is not… (finish the sentence)This is important to understand, because God is going to war against Pharaoh. 
20. Why does God say that he is going to do signs and wonders in Egypt in verse 19 and 20? 
21. And yet even though God is striking Egypt, what surprising thing is going to happen in verse 21 when the Israelites leave Egypt? How are the Egyptians going to respond? 
22. Egypt at this point is the greatest superpower in the world. The Pharaoh claimed to be God. Israel is just a slave nation. But what is God going to do to Egypt and what does that teach us about God and about salvation? 

Exodus 4

1. God is speaking to Moses. What are some reasons Moses already has to obey what God says? Why should he be excited about what God says? How does he respond instead? Why? What reason do you think he might had for responding that way?
2. Has there ever been a time in your life when God was seeking to do you good and you were complaining and arguing with Him even as He was doing it? 
3. This is important. God can be at work to accomplish an incredible salvation, and people not enjoy it. What do you see here that keeps us from enjoying God’s work in our lives? 
4. What is Moses’ specific concern? Why is that an important question?  
5. What three signs does God give Moses? Who are these signs for? What does each sign say about God? What does God say is the purpose of these signs?
6. If we review how God has assured Moses so far, He’s told the future, He’s made a stick into a snake, given leprosy to Moses in a moment, healed him in a moment, and promised to turn water into blood. And he’s speaking to him from a burning bush. How should Moses have been responding at this point? But in verse 10, how does Moses respond? What objection does he bring up? What do you think about this objection? 
7. What does God say to Moses and what is he revealing about Himself in saying that?
8. Moses has no more excuses. But what does he say to God now?
9. Moses is going to do some great things. But what is this story telling you about who really saved Israel?
10. How does God respond to Moses in verse 14? This is one of the first times it talks about God becoming angry like this in the Bible. What does God do because He is angry? 
11. So, God says he will use Aaron to speak for Moses. Now what do we know about Aaron generally? Think about how he responds under pressure later in this book. Moses is saying he is afraid and needs someone to help him, but he gets help from one of the weakest leaders in Israel’s history.
12. What role is Aaron going to play later in the book of Exodus? What detail in God’s description of him in verse 14 gets us thinking about that role? Aaron is going to be given one of the biggest privileges in Israel in future chapters, but what’s the reason God even brought him into the picture here? 
13. In verse 15, what does God say Moses will do to Aaron? That’s an interesting way of talking, isn’t it? What does that say about what Aaron is going to say? Whose words are they? And where was Moses getting those words from? 
14. Finally, God says to Moses to take in his hand the staff with which he is going to do the signs. That staff had been a very ordinary shepherd’s staff, and yet now God is going to use it do extraordinary things. How might that reality in and of itself be a visible encouragement to Moses?
15. Moses then goes back to his father in law and asks for permission to go to Egypt. Why do you think he does this? What is strange about the reason he gives his father in law? Why do you think Moses might have put it like that? 
16. What does God tell Moses in verse 19 after he makes the request of his father in law? What could be reason God tells Moses this? 
17. God sends Moses back to Egypt and they ride back to Egypt on a donkey with the staff of God in his hand. In verse 21, what does God tell Moses he wants him to do when he stands before Pharaoh? What does he warn Moses will happen though?
18. What did chapter 3:19 say God knows about Pharaoh? But, what is he saying here about Pharaoh? What do you think is the point we should take away from this? 
19. Another way of translating harden is strengthen. How would that impact your understanding this verse if it was translated this way? Who is doing it however? 
20. How does God describe Israel in verse 22? What is he saying about Israel then? Who is the next person in the Old Testament that God says this about? What does God want his son to do? Somebody who serves is a? And so the son is to be a what? What threat does God give Pharaoh if he doesn’t obey? 
21. Next comes a very strange story. Moses and Zipporah are on the way, and what does it say God sought to do? There’s backstory here that we seem to be missing. It’s easy to assume that God is seeking to put Moses to death, and that may be true. But what does Zipporah do and to whom? So, there’s a little bit of ambiguity here. Is God seeking to put the son to death or Moses? But either way, how does she rescue him? And then what does she say to Moses?
22. Does she seem happy with Moses or not? Was she a Jew? So would she have been familiar with this rite normally? So, clearly Moses had failed to circumcise his son. Why? We don’t know. Maybe because his wife wasn’t excited about it. But, what might this be telling you about Moses’ seriousness about the Abrahamic covenant at this point? What does this tell you about God’s attitude toward the Abrahamic covenant? 
23. What happens to Moses is a picture of what will happen to Israel later. How is Moses saved from dying? What word does Zipporah bring up when she talks about how he is saved? How does that connect to how Israel is going to be saved? 
24. If we think of this scene as a lesson for Israel. They are being saved by God, but, what could this scene be telling them about why they are being saved and their responsibilities in light of that salvation?  
25. God sends Aaron out to Moses. God’s activity is being emphasized in so many different ways here. What do you think God is making clear about the way Israel is being rescued? 
26. Where does Aaron meet Moses? Why is this place significant? What happens when they meet?  
27. Aaron and Moses go and speak to the people and how do the people respond? What does this tell us about how we should respond to the promises of God? 
28. Moving from this chapter to the next, how we are feeling about Israel’s future at this point?

Exodus 5

1. God has raised up Moses, the people believed and worship, and now Moses and Aaron go to speak to Pharaoh and tell him that God wants him to let his people go. How does Pharaoh respond to that in verse 2?
2. Moses asked that question as well, right? This hints at a key theme in the book of Exodus. Both Moses and Pharaoh ask who is God. This book is intended to help us get to know who God is.
3. Pharaoh’s question here is less of a question though, it is more of a statement or a challenge. And really this challenge will become a test for Israel. In the previous chapter we read that the people believed God. But do they really? That’s the question. 
4. Now, who did God tell Moses to take with him in 3:18? Who is with him in 5:1? What did God tell Moses to doo in front of Pharaoh in 4:21? Does he do any miracles in 5:1-4?
5. So, this is not looking great. Moses and Aaron aren’t quite doing what God said and Pharaoh is refusing to acknowledge God. In verse 3, Moses and Aaron explain their request again. How does the king of Egypt respond in verse 4 and 5? What does he seem to think is the reason for their request? Does he think they really want to worship God? What does he tell the taskmasters of the people and the foremen to do in verse 7 through 9? What does he say is the reason for the heavier work to be laid on the people? 
6. So he doesn’t want God’s people to pay attention to God’s Word. He wants them to think God’s Word is a lie. Why is this response such a surprise given the fact that God heard Israel’s cry for help? In other words, when God comes to help do things get easier or harder for Israel?
7. What do the taskmasters and foremen say in verse 10? Specifically, what is similar in this verse to what Moses and Aaron says in verse 1? How does that help you understand what Pharaoh really is doing? Who does he say is not giving them any straw. What does that tell you about what Pharaoh thinks of himself? What is he trying to get them to believe about who is really God? 
8. What happens to the foremen of the people in verse 14? Pharaoh is just humiliating Israel. He scatters them. They are searching for stubble just to make bricks. And then even their leaders are beaten. What question do they ask them at the end of the verse? What do you think they are trying to do to the leaders of Israel? 
9. How do the foremen of the sons of Israel respond in verse 15? Who do they cry out to? Why is that significant do you think? 
10. So, the foremen of the people go and complain to Pharaoh, but he won’t change his mind. What reason does Pharaoh say in verse 17 that they are making this request? What is the real reason they were making this request? So what is Pharaoh saying about YHWH really?
11. So they then meet with Moses and Aaron in verse 20. One of the big questions as we read this passage is whether or not Israel will believe. It looked like they would. But now there is a test. Will they believe? What do they say to Moses and Aaron? Why is it surprising that they say YHWH should judge Moses and Aaron? What have Moses and Aaron done? So whose viewpoint is dominating this passage? Is it YHWH’s or Pharaoh’s? This phrase wouldn’t make sense if YHWH was the standard of right and wrong. So who really do the people of Israel think is in charge? 
12. God sent Moses and Aaron to rescue Israel, but what does Israel say they are doing instead? 
13. What does Moses say to God as a result?
14. Should Moses have responded like this? What had God told him that should have caused him to think differently? What does this tell you about Moses’ relationship with God and the way He thinks about God at this point? 
15. What do you learn about God from this chapter? What do you learn about the way He sometimes answers prayer? What do you learn about people? What do you learn about dealing with disappointment as a believer?

Exodus 6

1. In the previous chapter, Pharaoh has said no to God. The situation has gotten harder for the Israelites. As this chapter opens, is God worried? If you look at verse 1, how would you describe God’s attitude toward this situation? 
2. What is God going to cause Pharaoh to do? What did Pharaoh say he did not want to happen in chapter 1? And then in the last chapter we saw that he definitely did not want to let Israel go. But what is happening here? What has God made happen and what does that tell you about God? 
3. It’s important to understand the situation here. Pharaoh claimed to be a god. He was the head of the greatest superpower in the world. And in a sense, he is going to war against Israel’s God. This is a battle. Evil is warring against God. But the outcome is not in doubt. How in control is God? What encouragement can you take from this? 
4. God once again reminds Moses who He is. Moses has been viewing God through his circumstances, but to really understand what is happening, he needs to view his circumstances through what he knows to be true about God. Look at what God says about Himself carefully. What stands out?
5. Once again God links His plan to rescue Israel with His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What does He say he had done for them and what had He not done? Why do you think God says He didn’t reveal Himself by his name the Lord to the patriarchs? Abraham did know the name YHWH. So, what could God possibly mean here? (Hint: He’s not talking so much about them knowing the letters, but rather what that name meant. Through the Exodus, God was going to reveal more of His character and as a result give His people a deep understanding of what it meant for Him to be YHWH.)
6. Who does God say he is going to give the land? What does this assume is going to have to happen in the future? 
7. God has power over good and evil and even over life and death. What hope do we find in verse 5 that we can trust this sovereign God?  
8. God is going to rescue the Israelites. What does God tell Moses to say to the people in verse 6 as a result? What’s the first phrase? 
9. Pharaoh said in chapter 5:4 that he wanted the people to get back to their burdens, but what does God say here he is going to do about those burdens? 
10. God is not only going to deal with the suffering, the burdens, what else is he going to do? 
11. What is going to be the result of this redemption? What is the ultimate purpose beyond just rescue from slavery? What does God want for Israel in verse 7? And what is he going to do for them in verse 8? What does this tell you about God? 
12. This is an incredible privilege. But how do they respond in verse 9? Why? What does that tell you about people? 
13. Again Israel doesn’t believe. But what about Moses in verse 10 through 12?  
14. What is this telling you about who really rescued Israel and why He rescued them?
15. What are you learning about God and how He saves from all this?
16. It’s like Moses hasn’t even listened to what God’s said. He just repeats the same thing he said before he even came to Egypt. This illustrates what problem in Moses? Why do you think we need to see this before the great rescue? 
17. Moses and God’s people don’t believe that God is going to keep the promise he made to Israel in Genesis. That’s where we are at at the end of verse 13. But then in verse 14, what do we find? What do you think could be the possible purpose of this genealogy? What does verse 26 and 27 tell us about the genealogy? 
18. Now think about genealogies in Genesis and how this might encourage us about Moses. How has Moses been represented so far in Exodus? Has he really seemed like a great deliverer? But yet we we have seen in Exodus 2 that God is raising Moses up to be Israel’s deliverer. In Genesis, genealogies often remind us of God’s promise about the seed of the woman. And so, at this point we may be so disappointed in Moses, but this is like a reset. God has a plan to use the seed of the woman to defeat Satan, and Moses in the line of the seed, and this story is going to be about how God rescues Israel and really about how God transforms and uses Moses. 
19. Ok, so Israel and Moses haven’t believed. But God has chosen Moses and He is going to use Moses, so now, verse 28 through 30, it’s like we are ready to go again, and the story is back on line. God is telling Moses to go, and Moses is objecting to the Lord’s plan. 

Exodus 7

1. The last chapter ends with Moses making an objection. “Behold I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” How does God respond to that objection in verse 1? What surprising thing does God say he has made Moses like? So think again about Moses’ objection and God’s response. What are you learning here about God and God’s plan to glorify Himself by saving His people and judging His enemies? 
2. Now, if you think about Moses’ and Aaron’s ministry as a paradigm for the future work of a prophet, what do you learn about how prophecy was supposed to work in Israel? When Moses talks, who is talking? And when Aaron talks, who then is really talking? So, specifically, what can we learn from the way Aaron was supposed to function about what a prophet does and how the word of God works?
3. God has reminded Moses that He is able to overcome his weaknesses and excuses and use him to deliver Israel. Now, what about evil? Israel’s unbelief can’t stop God. Moses’ inability can’t stop God. But can Pharaoh stop God? Pharaoh was going to refuse to listen to Moses. What insight does verse 3 give you as to why? What does that teach you about God? 
4. God said something like this to Moses a couple of times already in Exodus? (Exodus 3:19,20; Exodus 4:21) Why do you think he is repeating himself to Moses? What does that tell you about God and about us as humans? 
5. How does he describe Israel in verse 4? You are going to want to hang on to that description because it is going to help you understand the significance of shock of what God will say later in Exodus.
6. What does verse 5 say was the purpose of how God was rescuing Israel from Egypt? What does that teach you about God and His purpose in this world?
7. So, the next few chapters are going to get bumpy. There’s going to be pain and plagues and difficulties. But what’s the ultimate purpose? What does that tell you about God’s perspective on the world? In God’s mind what was more important, people’s temporary comfort or them knowing and seeing His glory?
8. How old was Moses at this point? We saw the way God worked in Moses’ life as a baby. This is eighty years later. What lesson might you learn from that about the way God works in this world?
9. What do verse 6 and verse 10 say about Moses and Aaron? These men aren’t always acting the way we might expect heroes to. But what are they doing and what can we learn from that? 
10. What is the first miracle God has Aaron perform? Why is it interesting that it turns into this particular animal? Why do you think God may have done it that way? What were the magicians able to do? How do you think they were able to do this? 
11. We are seeing the beginnings of a war here. And in this first stage it is the representatives of God versus the representatives of Pharaoh. Who wins this battle? What does God do even here to show that he is greater? How does Pharaoh respond? What detail does the author of Exodus add at the end of verse 13? Why do you think he reminds us of that? 
12. Pharaoh doesn’t listen. So, God has Moses go back to Pharaoh. When and where is Moses supposed to meet Pharaoh? Why do you think God might remind Moses to take the staff that turned into a serpent? (If you think about Moses’ objections and what Moses is having to do, how might even that simple reminder be an encouragement to him?) What does God want Moses to say? What again is the goal of Israel’s going into the wilderness? 
13. In verse 17, before Moses announces the plague he is to explain the reason for the plague. What is that reason? And then what is the plague? Why would this have been such a terrible plague? What is going to happen to the Nile as a result of this plague?
14. Obviously, this was not a positive thing for Egypt. So, verse 22 is funny. What do the Egyptian magicians do? How did they do it that is different than how Moses and Aaron did? Why is turning water into blood such a foolish thing for the magicians to do? What does that tell you about what happens when you go to war against God?
15. God is giving Pharaoh a definite opportunity to humble himself, but how does it say he responding at the end of verse 22 and then in verse 23? What is the warning for us there? 
16. How long did this plague seem to last? You would think Pharaoh would be ready by the end of the week to listen to God. But, sin doesn’t make sense. Pride definitely doesn’t. And Pharaoh won’t submit to God. Think about this. People are suffering, his country is being devastated, and “he did not even take this to heart.” What does that tell you about the dangers of a harden heart? 

Exodus 8

1. Once again God sends Moses to Pharaoh. And once again he says he wants Pharaoh to let his people to go, so that they can do what? What do you think he’s trying to help us see about Israel through all this repetition?
2. What is the plague that God sends in verse 2? And who is this plague on?
3. Read verse 3 and 4 slowly and think about what this would have been like. What word does he use to describe the Nile? What is the picture being painted with these frogs? What would have been the consequences of this plague?
4. The Egyptians had ‘gods’ they thought were in charge of different areas. And so each of these plagues in a sense is an attack on one of the Egyptian gods. For example, the Egyptians had a god with the head of a frog named Heket who was supposedly the god of fertility. In a sense then God is attacking the one Egypt thought was in charge of them having children. How does this plague make sense in light of the way Pharaoh had attacked Israel?
5. What did the magicians do after Aaron? Notice, what they couldn’t do. They couldn’t stop the plague, they could only make it worse! So here, even these evil men using evil practices are being used by God to accomplish His purposes. 
6. We know the magicians only made the situation worse, because what does Pharaoh do in verse 8 after they practiced their magic? 
7. Moses agrees. But he asks Pharaoh what in verse 9? Why do you think he makes that request? What do you think he is trying to prove?(Hint: he tells us at the end of verse 10?)
8. It seems strange that Pharaoh says tomorrow. That word might be specific or it might be more general, like ‘sometime soon after this conversation.’ Can you think of any possible reasons though Pharaoh might say tomorrow? (If he is a sneaky, deceptive politician and he knows Moses is going to put an end to this plague tomorrow, what might this give him time to do?)
9. What does Moses say will happen in verse 11? What does this tell you about God? Think about frogs everywhere and yet, in a moment, they all die. This must have been quite a scene! What do the people do with all the frogs in verse 14?
10. When Moses leaves Pharaoh, what does it say he does in verse 12? This is significant because back in chapter 2 the people just cried out, and then in chapter 5, they cried out to Pharaoh, and finally here, Moses is learning and he is crying out to God. 
11. Once the plague is over though, what does Pharaoh do? How is this similar to the way people often respond when they are not feeling the consequences of their sin any longer? Remember how Pharaoh had talked about God’s false words. But here he is proving himself to be the liar. What we might learn from Pharaoh about those who oppose God and God’s Word? 
12. Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart here in verse 15? Who does it say hardened it earlier? What do you think that might say about what is happening?
13. Next comes what? God has made the Nile turn against Egypt. Now he is making the ground turn against them. He is proving He is in absolute control over everything they hold dear. Who does verse 17 says this plague impacts? And what happens when the magicians try to do this plague? What do they say about what’s happening? So, again, if you think about this as a war. God’s representatives have gone to war against Pharaoh’s and what do Pharaoh’s representatives come out confessing? 
14. In  verse 19, how does it explain what is going on in Pharaoh’s heart? How is that different than the previous statement?
15. In verse 20, what does God tell Moses to do? This is the second time Moses has met Pharaoh here. Each time he gives Pharaoh an opportunity and warns him what will happen if he doesn’t obey. What plague does he promise this time? Who is this plague going to impact and who is it not going to impact?
16. Think about this. These are flies! How much control do you normally have over where flies go? And yet, what is God doing with the flies? What does that tell you about God?
17. How does Pharaoh respond in verse 25? What is he willing to do? How is this still not going far enough? What is he illustrating about a sinner’s heart? How does Moses respond and what is the reason he gives at the end of verse 27?
18. Pharaoh responds by saying they could go into the wilderness, “only you must not go very far away.” We’re seeing a picture here of someone who externally is willing to obey God, but internally of course, he is not willing to obey for the right reasons. What do you think you are learning here about how unconverted people sometimes relate to God? 
19. God removes the plague. What is the shocking detail that he gives in verse 31 to illustrate how extensively he can reverse the curse? 
20. But what does Pharaoh do? And who is doing the hardening here?

Exodus 9

1. What plagues has God brought on Egypt so far? How severely do you think their country and economy and lifestyle has been impacted so far? God is warring against Egypt and it’s not even a contest. 
2. And yet He is showing mercy. God is sending Moses to Pharaoh and warning him. What does God warn Pharaoh he will do if he refuses to let His people go this time? What do you think will be the impact of that on Egypt?
3. Again, notice, what does God do in verse 4? What does this tell you about God?
4. Read verse 5 and the beginning of verse 6. Is there anything interesting about the way the author expresses this?
5. What did Pharaoh want to check out in verse 7?
6. What are you learning about pride and sin from watching Pharaoh?
7. What does God have Moses do in verse 8-9? How are these plagues impacting the Egyptians now? What happens to the magicians here? This keeps getting more and more intense. If you think of the magicians as like Pharaoh’s lieutenants in this war against God, they aren’t even able to show up to the battlefield any longer. 
8. Once again God sends Moses to Pharaoh in verse 13 in the early morning. What does God say He is going to do in verse 14 and why? Why has God not just wiped Egypt off the planet according to verse 15 and 16?
9. What are you learning about God and His purposes from these statements?
10. Why was Pharaoh not letting Israel go according to verse 17? Think about verser 16 and verse 17 together. God did what to Pharaoh in verse 16. And what was Pharaoh doing here? 
11. What is God going to do in verse 18? How does he describe it? What mercy does He show them in verse 19?
12. Now we are seeing something we might not have realized before. What chance is God giving the Egyptians here? And what happens in verse 20 and 21?
13. What lesson do you think Moses is trying to teach the Israelites who are reading this by telling the story this way? 
14. Think about this storm. How does he describe it in verse 24 and 25? But what shocking thing do we read in verse 26? What specifically have we seen that God is in control of so far in Exodus?
15. What does Pharaoh admit in verse 27? Do you think he is really grieving over his sin? What can you learn from him about why some people seem to repent?
16. What does Moses know about Pharaoh in verse 30, but what does he do anyway?
17. Was Pharaoh responsible for the hardening of his heart according to verse 34? How does the author describe what Pharaoh was doing? And yet was God in control according to verse 35?

Exodus 10

1. In verse 34 of the last chapter, what does it say about Pharaoh’s heart? Now, in the first verse of this chapter, what does it say about his heart?
2. We are learning something about God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Pharaoh is sinning, and yet God is using his sin to accomplish something. What does God say is the purpose of all this in verse 1 and 2?
3. What is the problem with Pharaoh according to verse 3? What can you learn from Pharaoh about the danger of this sin?
4. What is the warning God gives about the locusts? Specifically look down at verse 6. (This will be something to remember when we look at the book of Joel.)
5. What counsel do Pharaoh’s servants give him? What question do they ask him? How desperate must they have been to ask this to the Pharaoh? 
6. At first Pharaoh seems to compromise, but in the end he won’t fully submit to God’s word. What does he refuse to allow? How is this like how many people respond when they start experiencing some of the consequences of their sins?
7. How bad was this locust plague? Look at verse 15 and try to imagine what this must have been like. What do you think the people of Egypt must have been feeling as they saw this after the other plagues they had experienced?
8. What does Pharaoh do in verse 16 and 17? How does God respond? What is amazing about the end of verse 19?
9. Next comes darkness. Who is missing in verse 21? What is different about this plague already? 
10. What kind of darkness does Egypt experience according to verse 22 and 23? How long did it last? What was it like in Goshen where Israel lived during this time? Imagine standing in Goshen and looking into the other parts of Egypt. What would you have seen?
11. Pharaoh again seems to compromise. But what does he still forbid? After Moses responds, what does he say to Moses?
12. After all that God’s done, Pharaoh is still making threats. Isn’t that amazing? Fear pride!

Exodus 11

1. What was Pharaoh attempting to do to Israel in Exodus 1?
2. Besides being genocide, why was this such a horrible attack when you think about God’s great salvation plan and what God was going to do for the world?
3. What does God call Israel in Exodus 4:22? That means when Pharaoh attacked Israel, Pharaoh was really attacking who?
4. So let’s make sure we remember the setting for this chapter. This is war. A merciless dictator is taking advantage of a group of people. And, in the middle of this God is at work making His glory known. We are toward the end of the rescue now. How many more plagues does God say it is going to take to get Pharaoh to let his people go in verse 1? What does the fact that God knows this say about God?
5. What are some of the impossible things God is promising to accomplish in verses 2 and 3? 
6. What did God say He was going to make happen in 3:21 and 22 before the plagues even started?
7. Why is it surprising to read that the people have favor with the Egyptians at this point? What does this tell you about God?
8. Now think about this, Egypt was trying to kill Israel at the beginning and now, they are doing what to Israel?
9. After doing a little review, suddenly we are back to standing with Moses before Pharaoh once again in verse 4. What does God say he is going to do in verse 4 and 5?
10. How they are going to react in verse 6?
11. This is a challenge. Every firstborn in Egypt is going to die. Take a moment to think about what’s going on. Consider how the following statements can help us process this. 

• In the real world there are consequences to actions and those consequences extend beyond yourself. 
• Think about what is happening to Israel. They are being oppressed and Pharaoh has gone on the offensive attacking them.
• God has given Pharaoh lots of warnings. 
• We seen God protecting Israel in supernatural ways the most recent plagues. So what should you do if you saw that and you were an Egyptian? You should do whatever the Israelites did.
• This is bigger than just Israel and Egypt and this moment. We’re going to see in the next chapter that God is judging Egypt’s gods. And then beyond that, He’s acting to teach future generations so that they can be saved.
• We are looking at the actions of God. He’s not just another creature. 
• Do you have any more? 

1. Even though the firstborn of Egypt are going to die, what is not going to happen to Israel in verse 7? Look at that! Why is that such a stunning thing for God to say? What’s the purpose of that particular miracle? 
2. Who did Moses tell all this to? So again, Pharaoh really had an opportunity didn’t he? But he didn’t listen. 
3. What does Moses say is going to happen in verse 8? Slow down and think about that. What has God accomplished here? How does this passage give us hope? 
4. How does Moses leave Pharaoh in verse 8? This brings us back to where we were in the previous chapter, where Pharaoh threatened to kill Moses and now Moses says I am going, but he leaves angry. What do you think he is angry about? 
5. In verse 9 we are back to “the Lord said to Moses.” So what happened is what God told Moses would happen. And why according to God? So this is a bad thing, it makes Moses angry, and yet what is God doing through it? 
6. Verse 10 is sort of a summary of the whole 10 plagues. But why the repetition? What particular truth does this passage make clear about God and what can we learn from the fact that God repeats this throughout this story? 

 Exodus 12

1. At first this chapter seems a bit strange in that we have been reading about all these plagues and we are expecting more action, but instead, it’s as if God takes a pause to explain what? What are the first 28 verses of this chapter about?   
2. We learn something about God here. Pharaoh has clearly refused to let God’s people go. And yet, before God delivers Israel He gives all these instructions about a future festival Israel will hold. What does that tell you about God’s attitude towards Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to let the Israelites go?
3. This might be challenging for us because it feels a little like talking about someone else’s holiday. But there are some reasons we need to think carefully about what this chapter teaches us about the Passover. To get a sense of how much this matters, look at the end of verse 2. What is the month of Passover to be for the Israelites? Imagine your calendar year changing. That is a big change right? What do you think that says about Passover?
4. Now fast forward to the Lord’s Supper. How is that meal connected to the Passover? And what does Jesus use this meal to do? 
5. So this important. The first thing God tells the Israelites they need to do is take a lamb. What kind of lamb were they supposed to take? When were they supposed to kill it? What do you think that would have been like to have the whole of Israel kill a lamb at the same time? What were they to do with the blood of the lamb? And in what manner were they to eat the lamb? What is the name of this festival?
6. Why were they to eat it this way?
7. What was God going to do in verse 12? Who was he executing judgment on?
8. What was the blood a sign for?
9. In a sense, the lamb was dying in the place of the Israelite family. What is a word to describe what the lamb is acting as?
10. This is important to understand because it is a preview of how God is going to save His people in the future through Jesus. What does John the Baptist call Jesus and what might that have to do with this festival?
11. God then creates a week long festival to celebrate this event. What do you think the fact that God did this tell you about what God wants from us as people? And what does it tell us perhaps about the danger we face if we don’t have rhythms in place that help us remember God’s salvation?
12. What do verses 25 through 27 tell us about why God set up the Passover?
13. What did God do in verse 29?
14. Now remember chapter 11 verse 4. What could Pharaoh and the Egyptians have done after Moses announced what was going to happen? But they didn’t!
15. Finally, Pharaoh does what in verse 31 and 32?
16. It’s sad that it sometimes takes these kinds of consequences to get people to obey God, isn’t it? Is there any area in your life where you aren’t listening to God? How can you learn from Pharaoh’s stubbornness and the results here?
17. In verses 33-36, what was the Egyptians attitude toward the Israelites leaving? What surprising thing do they do?
18. What phrase does he use at the end of verse 36 to describe what the Israelites did to the Egyptians?
19. How did they accomplish this? What can we learn from that about how God accomplishes salvation?
20. Who does he say left with the Israelites in verse 38? Who are these people?
21. How long did Israel live in Egypt? Why does he mention that do you think? (Think back to something God said to Abraham in Genesis…)
22. What has to happen for a foreigner to take part of the Passover according to verse 48? What do you think is the purpose of this?
23. How has God saved you in a way that is foreshadowed by the Passover? What meal has he given us to help us remember? What else can do you today to remember and enjoy that salvation?

Exodus 13

1. What does God tell Moses he must do in verses 1 and 2?
2. What does this word consecrate mean?
3. What is the impact on the family do you think if they knew that their father had specially set apart their first born children and the first born of their animals to God?
4. What does Moses tell the people they have to do in verse 3? Now, being delivered this way was pretty awesome. Isn’t it surprising they have to be commanded to remember. What does that tell us about the spiritual life?
5. Moses tells them even as they are leaving that when they enter the Promised Land they are going to have to observe a festival in which they remember the way God delivered them. What do you think that tells the Israelites before they are rescued?
6. Now, look at verse 8 and 9 and verse 14-16, what was the purpose of this festival? What does this tell you even about the responsibility of parents?
7. After Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t take his people a certain way. Why? What does that tell you God already knows about these people?
8. What did Moses take with him on this journey? What do you think about that? What is the significance of that?
9. How did the Israelites know when to go and which way to go? What do you think God’s leading of them that way was meant to teach them?

Exodus 14

1. Where did God want Israel to camp?
2. What was Pharaoh going to think about this particular place to camp? Why?
3. What might that tell you about the difference between God’s perspective and man’s perspective?
4. What is God’s goal in doing it this way?
5. Pharaoh let Israel go which of course is a good thing. But, what happens in verse 5? What does that tell you about his “repentance.”
6. How did the people of Israel respond when they saw Egypt coming? On the one hand, this seems like a natural response. But what had they just been through? How should they have responded instead?
7. Look at Israel’s complaint. What is so shocking about the things they are saying? What does that tell you about the nature of complaining?
8. What does Moses tell the people? What did he command them to do?
9. What do we learn about God in verse 14?
10. What has God told Moses he was going to do already? How might that explain God’s response to Moses in verse 15? What does God repeat in verse 17?
11. Who does verse 19 say was going before Israel? Who did 13:21 say was going before them? What do you think is going on here?
12. What miracle did God perform in verase 20?
13. Think about this! Here’s an entire army intent on destroying Israel. It seems an impossible situation. But it is not difficult for God to keep them from even getting near His people.
14. What are some of the amazing things that happen in verse 21 and 22?
15. What did Moses say God would do in verse 14? What does Egypt recognize is happening in verse 25?
16. God gets all the Egyptian soldiers in the middle of the sea, and then what? What does the end of verse 27 say God did?
17. What does Israel see in verse 30 and 31 and what is their response to what they have seen?

Exodus 15

1. What does Israel do after they have been delivered?
2. What might that tell you about the Christian life?
3. Songs and poems are important in the Pentateuch. They are rare, and when they come up, we should definitely pay attention. Let’s first read through and see if anything is repeated. Is there anything specifically that’s said about God more than once?
4. One thing that he says repeatedly is that God threw Pharaoh and his chariots into the sea. If you think about Israel’s future going into the Promised Land, why might that have especially been a comfort to them? And what lesson should they be learning from that?
5. What surprising thing does Moses say about God in verse 3? What do you think about that? How does that fit into your idea of God?
6. In verse 11, we come to a key part of the song. You might describe this as the central point. What does Moses say about God here? How does fit in with the theme of what God is teaching them through the Exodus?
7. What does Moses anticipate the people’s reaction to God’s work is going to be in verse 14 and 15? If you think about this first generation of Israelites, do you remember why they didn’t want to go into the Promised Land. How does this show that reaction was foolish? And the fact that they saw this, sang this, and then were so afraid of the Canaanites later, what does that tell you about people?
8. What is God’s plan for Israel according to verse 17? What image is brought to your mind by the word planted? He describes the promised land here as a mountain. Why a mountain? What is going to happen at a mountain later in Exodus? Look at Ezekiel 28:14, how is the Garden of Eden described here? How does that help you understand God’s agenda for Israel? What other words in verse 17 help you understand what God’s intending to do with Israel?
9. What does verse 18 say about God? How does that give you hope?
10. After seeing God’s great salvation and singing this beautiful song, what happens in verse 23 and how do the people respond in verse 24?
11. How does God respond?
12. What rule does God give the people in verse 26? What does that indicate about what God wants to do with Israel?
13. Think back to the images you have seen God in this chapter and make a list of the different pictures Moses gives you for who God is. Write them down here. Worship.