Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

God’s Original Plan Read  Exodus 23:20-33 . What methods did God desire to use for conquering the Promised Land? It was not God’s intention for the Israelites to fight for their new territory; it was to be given to them. It had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and should have been received as God’s special gift to Israel. The model for the conquest of the Promised Land was demonstrated d...

More Laws In God’s mercy, He taught the judges how to deal with people in various situations regarding property rights. Several case studies are enumerated, indicating what to do if a bull attacked a neighbor’s bull, if people stole a domestic animal and sold it, if animals grazed in the field or vineyard of another owner, if an item a person borrowed was stolen from him, or if a hired animal was...

The Code of the Covenant At Sinai, with the giving of His law, God set the foundation for teaching His people how, through connection with Him, they could live holy lives. But the principles of the law needed to be applied in everyday life, so God gave them additional laws, the so-called "Code of the Covenant." It was the responsibility of judges to watch over these laws and to apply the...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Exod. 21:1-32; Exod. 22:16-23:33; 2 Kings 19:35; Matt. 5:38-48; Rom. 12:19; Matt. 16:27 Memory Text:  "Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: "You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves&...

Further Thought:  Read  Ellen G. White, "The Law Given to Israel," pp. 303-310 , and  "Satan’s Enmity Against the Law," pp. 331-342, in  Patriarchs and Prophets . "God purposed to make the occasion of speaking His law a scene of awful grandeur, in keeping with its exalted character. The people were to be impressed that everything connected with the service of God must be r...

The Law as God’s Promise for Us Read  Romans 3:20-24 . Though Paul is very clear that we cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, how then should the commandments function in our lives? The Hebrew meaning of the term  dabarim  used in the writing of Moses to describe the Ten Commandments ( Exod. 34:28 ,  Deut. 4:13 ,  Deut. 10:4 ) does not literally mean "commandments," but &quot...

Different Functions of God’s Law The law of God reveals God’s character, who He is. As God is holy, righteous, and good, so also is His law. Paul confirms: "So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good" ( Rom. 7:12 , ESV). In the Bible, the law of God is seen in a very positive light ( Matt. 5:17-18 ;  John 14:15 ;  1  Cor. 7:19). One may create poems on the law...

The Gift of the Decalogue Read  Exodus 20:1-17 . What are the principles of the Decalogue, and how is it organized? Note that the Decalogue does not begin with the commands but with God’s gracious action for His people: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" ( Exod. 20:2 , NIV). The Lord first shows His grace by giving freedom and salvation to...

Preparing for the Gift Read  Exodus 19:9-25 . How did God prepare Israel to receive the Ten Commandments? God gave specific instructions for what the Israelites were to do in preparation for the giving of the law at Sinai. Their external purity was to reflect their total dedication to God. They needed to be ready for the splendid manifestation of the Lord’s glory that was about to come. And when i...

At Mount Sinai Read  Exodus 19:1-8 . What did God promise them here, at the base of Mount Sinai? God led the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where He would soon give them the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue).  Jebel Musa  (elevation: 7,497 feet or 2,285 meters) in the Sinai Peninsula is likely where Moses met with God several times (for example,  Exod. 3:1 ,  Exod. 19:2 ,  Exod. 24:18 ), and, years lat...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Exod. 19:1-20:17; Rev. 21:3; Deut. 5:6-21; James 1:23-25; Rom. 3:20-24; Rom. 10:4 Memory Text:  "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the e...

Further Thought:  Read  Ellen G. White, "From the Red Sea to Sinai," pp. 291-302, in  Patriarchs and Prophets . Not long after the incident with the water, the nation faced a new danger (see  Exod. 17:8-16 )—a fierce and warlike tribe, the Amalekites, had attacked them. "The Amalekites were not ignorant of God’s character or of His sovereignty, but instead of fearing before Him, they had set thems...

The Bread and Water of Life Read  1 Corinthians 10:11 . What reason does Paul give for these events to have been recorded? Paul explains that all the things that happened to the Israelites are examples and warnings for Christ’s followers and will help them avoid the same troubles; that is, they will learn from these examples. This is pertinent instruction for us, we who live at "the end of th...

Jethro Moses was visited by Jethro, his father-in-law, who is also called Reuel ( Exod. 2:18 ). Jethro brought with him Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. When Moses heard that they were coming, he went out to welcome them. Read  Exodus 18:1-27 . What major steps in the history of the nation took place here? Jethro came because he had heard about the astonishing deliverance...

Water From the Rock In the wilderness, you need plenty of water. God took care of this problem, even though the people were quarrelsome, did not trust Him, and even tested His ability and willingness to give them water. In their unbelief, they looked back to Egypt. Read  Exodus 17:1-7 . What lesson should the people have learned from this incident? Moses called the place  Massah,  meaning "te...

Quail and Manna Unfortunately, there is a repetitive pattern of rebellion in these pilgrimage stories. The people were notoriously forgetful that the mighty hand of God had helped them in the past and that He had provided solutions to their problems. They let their present problems blind them to their ultimate goal and their promised wonderful future. It’s a common problem even among God’s people...

Bitter Waters In biblical narratives, different roles are played by different characters, good or bad, and we need to pay close attention to plots, places, timing, and villains. However, the most important point in a storyline is usually the solution and the lessons learned. It’s no different in these accounts. As the episodes show, God is the Problem Solver and the Peacemaker; however, His work i...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Exod. 15:22-16:36; Gen. 3:1-6; Exod. 17:1-7; 1 Cor. 10:4; Exod. 18:1-27; 1 Cor. 10:11 Memory Text:  "And the LORD said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out...

Further Thought:  Read  Ellen G. White, "The Exodus," pp. 281-290, in  Patriarchs and Prophets . God was for the Israelites despite their little faith. He wished to teach and guide them in how to think and behave as His chosen people. God led them patiently and directed them to a location where they would encounter fewer challenges. Ellen G. White explains: "The Israelites … had lit...

The Song of Moses and Miriam The whole Egyptian army was overthrown; no one survived, including Pharaoh (see  Ps. 136:15 ). It was a stunning defeat for the Egyptians and a complete victory for God’s people. No wonder all through their history, and even to this day, the Jews recount this story. Read  Exodus 15:1-21 . What is the content of Moses’ song? This song praises the Lord because He is a mi...

Marching Forward by Faith Read  Exodus 14:13-31 . Despite their lack of faith, what did God do for the children of Israel? Because Moses wholeheartedly trusted God and His Word, he encouraged the people. He presented four crucial points on how to act in difficult situations: "Do not be afraid" ( Exod. 14:13 , NKJV). The first appeal is to trust the Lord, because only in this way can fear...

Crossing the Red Sea Read  Exodus 13:17-14:12 . How did God guide the Israelites when they left Egypt, and what happened next? Following God’s instructions to Moses, the Israelites left Egypt as a well-organized army. The Hebrew terms  tsaba’  and  makhaneh  testify to that description, namely, "army," "division," "camp," and "hosts" ( Exod. 6:26 ;  Exod. 7:...

Consecration of the Firstborn The promised time of redemption, of deliverance, was about to arrive. The people needed to be prepared. They needed not just to believe but to act on those beliefs. God had told them what they needed to do; by faith, they now needed to do it. Though in a totally different context from what James was writing about, the principle fits very well: "But do you want to know...

Go, and Worship the Lord On the night of Passover, divine judgment fell on those not covered by the blood ( Exod. 12:1-12 ). No one escaped because of position, education, social status, or gender. Punishment struck all families, from Pharaoh to slaves, and even the firstborn of the animals. The pride of Egypt was in the dust. Read  Exodus 12:31-36 . What strange request does Pharaoh make and why,...

Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study:   Exod. 12:31-36; James 2:17-20; Exod. 13:1-14:31; Heb. 11:22; Exod. 15:1-21; Rev. 15:2-4 Memory Text:  "And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and...