NIV Lesson 06-07-2009

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lUNE 7,1009LESSON 1 NOTES

WHAT Do You THINK?What can the case ofMoses tell us about God'splan to use people ofvarious

ages in his service today?

VISUALS FOR THESELESSONS

The visual pictured ineach lesson (example: page399) is a small reproductionofa large, full-color posterincluded in the Adult Re-sources packet for the Summer Quarter. That packetalso contains the very usefulPresentation Helps on a CDfor teacher use. The packet isavailable from your supplier.Order No. 492.

_ ~ 3 ~ 9 " ' _ _ ' 6 " _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ HJ:ARINGGOD'Shospitable Midianite family. Moses likely thought he would die in peacamong these foreigners. But God had other ideas!I. GOD APPEARS TO MOSES (EXODUS 3:1-6)A. GOD GETS MOSES' ATTENTION (w. 1-3)1. Now Moses was tending the flock ofJethro his father-in-law, the priest oMidian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horebthe mountain ofGod.After killing an Egyptian and agitating the Israelites, Moses had fled easward (Exodus 2: II-IS); Moses was age 40 at the time (Acts 7:23). This fltook him beyond the Red Sea. Eventually, he encountered a friendly tribewelcomed him (Exodus 2: 16-22). Moses soon picked up shepherding, thtrade of his Israelite forefathers.

At a certain time, Moses' shepherding work leads him in the directioof Egypt. The far side of the desert means westward. The word desert, herand elsewhere, does not always refer to a vast stretch of sand-filled landOften it signifies uninhabited and unirrigated pastureland. It is sometimtranslated wilderness, but this too leads to misunderstandings for thosewho associate wilderness with thick, tree-filled forests. Here the word drefers to the mountainous terrain of the Sinai Peninsula. This area is ferenough to graze flocks temporarily, but no t fertile enough to sustain a pmanent dwelling.It is thus fitting that Horeb means "drought" or "desert." Horeb may sfor the wider area within which Mount Sinai and the Sinai wilderness arelocated. Before God claims this territory for his special purposes, it is marally useful. Afterward, it is honored with the designation mountain ofGodToday, people travel thousands of miles to visit this area.

Yet Moses does not think he is heading toward sacred turf. EncounteriGod is likely the furthest thing from Moses' mind! God is about to meet Moses at an unexpected time (Moses is now age 80) in an unlikely place.2, 3. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames offire from wia bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. SoMoses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush donot burn up. "From Moses' first-glance perspective, a bush is burning without beinconsumed. This apparent suspension of natural laws stops him in histracks. The sight is intriguing enough to make him want to take a closelook.

We wonder about the identity of this angel who appears in flames offirefrom within the bush. We hear no more about an angel in this narrative, aGod himself does all the talking. There are at least two options. This coulan angelic messenger who does the speaking and acting on God's behalf,could be God manifesting himself to Moses in a guarded form so Moses wnot be consumed by his awe-inspiring presence (compare Exodus 33:20)The latter interpretation seems to be favored by Deuteronomy 33: 16, whrefers to God as one who"dwelt in the burning bush. "

Little may be learned about this event by analyzing the potential scientconditions necessary for a bush to bum without being incinerated. IsraelGod, who will later reveal himself again by way of fire (see Exodus 13:21,19: 18), is performing a miracle. Although the text never tells us, God ma

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LESSON 1 _ ___ ~ 3 9 7 ________---lllliJ:__L2cOOchoosing a fiery bush to reveal something about himself to Moses. If that is WHAT Do You THINK?the case, it may stand for God's self-generating and self-sustaining nature. It I In what ways today doesmay also reflect the nature of his judgment. God let people know that hewants them to serve or to leaTHAT WHICH NEVER GOES OU T I a ministly? Should we expeOne dark night when we were all in bed, burning bushes? Why, or whMrs. O'Leary left her lantern in the shed.

not?Well, the cow kicked it over, and this is what they said,"There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight."In a bygone era, this ditty expressed the popular sentiment about the originof the Great Chicago Fire. That popular expression is fiction, but the fire itselfwasn't. It began around 9 PM on October 8, 1871. When it was over, the fire hadkilled between 200 and 300 people, leaving 90,000 of the city's 300,000 homeless. Property loss exceeded $200 million (several billion dollars in today's money) as more than 17,000 structures were lost.In 1971, the city of Chicago held a centennial commemoration of the event.This featured a parade as well as a massive fireworks display over Lake Michigan.It seems that we humans are forever fascinated with fire, whether it is meant forentertainment or results in disasterAsimilar fascination drew Moses to the burning bush, especially since the bushwas not being consumed. From that fire, the Lord spoke. The message ofGod stillspeaks to us, a never extinguished flame of truth. Perhaps the question we eachneed to ask is, "Do God's words hold the same fascination for me as that bushdid for Moses?" -c. R. B.

B. GOD GAINS MOSES' RESPECT (w. 4-6)4. "When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him fromwithin the bush, "Moses! Moses!"And Moses said, "Here I am. "Now that God has Moses' undivided attention, he calls Moses' nametwice. God frequently repeats someone's name when demanding immediateattention (see Genesis 22:11; 46:2; 1 Samuel 3:10).Also noteworthy is Moses' response: Here I am. When God calls one by DAILY BIBLE READINGSname, one does not respond glibly or halfheartedly. One responds deci Monday, June 1-Mosessively and submissively. This is why Abraham, Jacob, and Samuel respond Birth (Exodus 2: 1-1 0)to God the same way as Moses. In responding "Here I am," these godly Tuesday, June 2-Mosespeople are not telling God something he doesn't already know about their Flees (Exodus 2: 11-22)location. Instead, they are at attention, waiting to hear and obey whatever Wednesday, June3-God may say. Moses' Purpose MisGod may convict us to act through various means. These include preach understood (Acts 7:23-29)

ing, teaching, or Bible reading. When that conviction comes, we must Thursday, June 4 -respond as Moses does. Hebrews 12: 18-29 reminds Christians that even Moses' Call (Acts 7:30-34)though God does not speak to us from a fearsome, flaming mountain, we Friday, June 5 -must not refuse him who calls us. Moses' Death F O I ~ t o l d 5. "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take offyour sandals, for the place (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)where you are standing is holy ground. " Saturday, June 6 -Genesis 2:3 sets the Sabbath day apart as a holy period of time, and the Moses' Uniquenessverse before us is the first mention of a holy place. It is not holy by virtue (Deuteronomy 34)of natural properties or ideal location. It is holy because God chooses Sunday,June 7-Come,to inhabit it for Moses' calling and for Israel's later worship and instruc Will Send You (Exodus 3:tion (Exodus 3: 12, below). When Joshua, Moses' successor, enters the 1-12)

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JUNE 7, 2009How TO SAY ITAbraham. AY-bruh-ham.Abram. AY-brum.Amorites. AM-uh-rites.Canaanites. KAY-nun-ites.Egyptians. Ee-JIP-shuns.Hittites. HIT-ites or HIT-tites.Hivites. HI-vites.Jebusites. JEB-yuh-sites.Midianite. MID-ee-un-ite.Perizzites. PAIR-ih-zites.Pharaoh. FAIR-o or FAY-roe.Sanhedrin. SAN-huh-drun orSan-HEED-run.Sinai. SIGH-nye orSIGH-nay-eye.

WHAT Do You THINK?What is the difference, ifany, between being afraid ofGod and having a reverencefor him? How does this difference influence the way youlive?

398 HEARING GOD'Spromised land in order to take it, he encounters the commander of theLord's anny, who also calls him to remove his footwear for similar reasOoshua 5:13-15).This kind of holiness is a temporary characteristic. The fact that Godindwells a particular place at a particular time does not make it and thosearound pennanendy immune to harm or corruption. Centuries later, theraelites will assume wrongly that no harm can befall them since God's hotemple stands in their midst Oeremiah 7:4).6. Then he said, "I am the God ofyour father, the God ofAbraham, the GoIsaac and the God ofJacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afto look at God.Moses learns that God is not simply the God of this particular mountaiHe is the God of Moses' ancestors. He is the God who had called Abrahaout of his home country and who provided for Isaac andJacob as they wadered about the area we now call Palestine. Unlike the fictitious gods of tnations, Israel's God is not restricted to certain plots of land. He stands habove the cosmos and graciously identifies with humble Israelites who arwilling to bear his name and submit to his lordship. He is their God, wheever they live. Through Christ he is also our God, wherever we may servehim. He is God of all creation, whether his creatures worship him or not.God's cosmic reign should serve as an important warning to those in oowrr day who would identify God as the deity of this or that nation wherethey happen to live. Since Christians wish God to be worshiped properly every land, we rightly desire him to be worshiped where we live too. Butmust be careful not to assume that because he was formerly extolled in agiven land that that particular land is somehow forever tied to God in a spcial or unique way.God did not spread his global mission outward from jerusalem only toco-opted by particular cities or countries elsewhere. Rather, God has forma transterritorial kingdom. Its capital city is the newjerusalem in Heaven.citizens live on every continent (Philippians 3:20). jesus' prayer for this sctered people is that they would be one as he and the Father are one Oohn17:20-23). That unity is threatened, however, when God's children mistakidentify God with their preferred nation, as if God cares less for other natioWhen Moses hears his ancestors' God speaking to him, he rightly fearEven sinless heavenly creatures that are made to worship God in his verypresence are equipped with a second set of wings in order to shield themselves from God's glory (Isaiah 6:1-3).II. GOD OBSERVES ISRAEL (EXODUS 3: 7-9)A. GOD KNows ISRAEL'S PLIGHT (v. 7)7. The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery ofmy people in Egypt. Ihave heard them aying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerabout their suffering.God reveals the purpose for his visit: he sees and hears how badly theraelites are being treated in Egypt. Their oppression is spelled out in Exo1: 11-14. There we read that these taskmasters conscript Israelites to beathe burden of Pharaoh's numerous building projects. The taskmasters wthe Israelites into the ground in response to the growth of their populatiSlavery is the only word for this.

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LESSON 1 399 . . - - - - l l J ~ E 7-> 200None of this catches God by surprise. Back in Genesis 15: 13, 14, God had! WHAT Do You THINK?told Abraham that his descendants would be mistreated for 400 years. This ! How do you react to thehad to happen because the sin of those inhabiting the promised land had not news offellow believers Slif-,yet reached full measure (Genesis 15: 16). We may take this to mean that God I fering injUly, imprisonment,so loved those inhabiting Canaan that he refused to bring judgment on them I or death for their faith? Howuntil they deserved it. A collateral result is that God's chosen people end up . should you react?

in slavery. However, this tum of events allows God to display his power inunmistakable ways.B. GOD PREDICTS ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE (w. 8, 9)8. "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and tobring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowingwith milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizz-ites, Hivites and ]ebusites.Israel's patient God is now poised to deliver on the promise he first madeto Abraham (as Abram) back in Genesis 12: 1-3. The description of milk andhonry is a broad reference to agricultural abundance. It is important to notethat God does not simply deliver his people out ofsomething; he also leadsthem into something else. As Jesus teaches, deliverance from a bad situationthat does not include replacing the bad with something better only sets oneup for a potentially worse future (Matthew 12:43-45).The most comprehensive list of the promised land's inhabitants is provided in Genesis 15: 19-21. The presence of these competing people groups Iin an area about the size of the state of Vermont highlights both the instabilityof the area and the challenge the Israelites have ahead of them. Yet if Israel'sGod is powerful enough to free them from an imperial powerhouse likeEgypt, these comparatively miniscule clans will be no problem.9. 'i\nd now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the waythe Egyptians are oppressing them.We are told again of Israel's cry. We should not think of this cry as an infantile whimper. Rather, this verse expresses moral outrage and soul-stirringpassion. It is the anguished cry of the oppressed and the agonizing plea ofhelpless victims.

RESCUE FROM SLAVERY'M unimaginable as it seems, slavery and bondage still persist in the early twenty-first century. Millions of people around the world still suffer in silence in slavelike situations of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation from which theycannot free themselves. rrafficking in persons is one of the greatest human rightschallenges of our time." So says the U.s. State Department Trafficking in Persons

Report ofjune 2003.The names of the offending countries are familiar to us: Sudan, North Korea,and Burma (Myanmar) are just a few. Many nations in the Middle East are on thelist. The type of slavery varies from political to economic to sexual. Some countries are infamous for their "sex tourist trade." The toll in human dignity is enormous. Americans pride themselves on having outlawed slavery over a century ago.Nevertheless, one occasionally still hears about the "sweat shop" garment facto Visual for Lesson 1. Keeries in America where illegal immigrants labor in virtual slavery as payment for a this map posted throughoutticket to live there. the quarter. This will helpOnly God could rescue the ancient Hebrews. Modern slaves also may feel that your students keep a geo-God is their only hope. Shouldn't Christians be God's agents in trying to end these graphical perspective.I

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JUNE 7 2009 400 HEARING GOD'S

WHAT Do You THINK?What is the connection,

ifany, between personalitytype and the way individualsrespond to God's leading?How is this important to theway you react to God's lead-ing and to the way you leadothers?

PRAYERGod ofMoses, we standin awe ofyou. You call us totasks that we cannot completewithout you. You call us tolive like Jesus. You send usinto a world that dismissesyour wisdom as foolishness.You call each ofus to greatworks that you have preparedin advance for us. May wenever hide behind our ex-cuses. As you did with Moses,push through those excusesuntil we see your promisesunfold b ~ f o r e our ryes. InJesus' name. Amen.

abuses? What means do we have for assisting those who are treated as if the imaof God were not in them? And then there is still slavery to sin! What can weabout that? -C . R.III. GOD COMMISSIONS MOSES (EXODUS 3: 10-12)A. GOD CALIS A DELIVERER (v. 10)10. "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israeout of Egypt. "Up to this point in our story, Moses has been receptive to what Godto say. Moses is more than willing to remove his footwear. He is more twilling to hear God's concern for Israel. But Moses' receptivity is aboutchange as God gets personal. God calls Moses to do the seemingly impsible: to approach the powerful Pharaoh and ask him to set free his chelabor force.B. GOD COUNTERS INSECURITIES (w. 11, 12)11. But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bthe Israelites out of Egypt?"Moses' last words up to this point were "Here I am"; his next words aWho am I? This is Moses' first attempt to avoid the job God has for him. Exodus 4: 1 Moses expresses concern that the people will reject him. In 4he claims to be tongue-tied. In 4: 13 he flatly requests that God send somone else. But God is not fazed by human excuses. Instead, he shows greapatience. He listens to Moses' objections, takes them seriously, and offersuppon.12. And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you thatI who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, youworship God on this mountain."

God knows Moses' track record. According to Exodus 2:10, Moses gup in Pharaoh's household and thus received the finest education. Mosalso has spent 40 years exiled in Midian; he may thus sympathize withrael's "outsider" status. Finally, Moses possesses courage, as evident whe risked his life to avenge an Israelite and when he boldly confrontedfeuding Hebrew men (2: 11-13). Yet Moses' impressive pedigree is not hgreatest asset. It is God's presence that will be the decisive factor in whlies ahead.God predicts a sign as a demonstration of his assurance of victory: thocurrently enslaved will soon freely worship God on the very mountain ofMoses' calling. This reminds us of the sign of the rainbow that God gaveNoah (Genesis 9: 12-17). It is a sign of remembrance that is to recall a paevent and an associated promise. As the rainbow reminded Noah of Godprior promise never again to flood the eanh, Israel's later worship on MoSinai will remind them of Moses' call to deliver them from Egypt.CONCLUSIONAbraham discovered that his family situation was no limitation for theancient of days. Gideon learned that nobodies are somebodies when God gwith them. Isaiah received a holiness from God that far exceeded what thmost righteous saint could achieve on his or her own. Jeremiah found thGod's Word and presence surpass the rhetoric and "wisdom" of learned

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L E S S O N ~ " - - - " l ~ _ 401 1lJNE 7, 20Thus Moses stood within a long line of underdogs who were made to be THOUGHT TO REMEMBERoverachievers by the mighty arm of God. It makes perfect sense therefore that Embrace God's call withthose of us with all the "wrong" credentials can find ourselves at God's dis confidence.posal to accomplish what only he can do through us.

Discovery LearningThe following is an alternative lesson plan emphasizing learning activities.Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpful. At theback of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activity learning.

INTO THE LESSONOpen your class with a "hearing test." Prior toclass, locate three portable stereos ("boom boxes")and music CDs (music with lyrics is helpful, butnot absolutely necessary). Set the portable stereosaround the classroom in different locations. Alsobring a copy of your church's most recent newsletter.As students take their seats, simply begin reading the announcements from the church newsletter.After you are finished, ask, "How many of you canrecall just one of the announcements?" Take a fewresponses from the participants, noting, "We couldall hear the announcements read, so we are able torecall them fairly well. "

Arrange for several individuals to tum on thethree stereos simultaneously to a volume level thatdrowns out your voice. (Be careful not to disturbother classes.) Begin reading another item, such asthe minister's newsletter article. When you havecompleted the reading of the article, tum the stereos off.Now ask students to recall anything about whatyou just read. Very few, if any, should be able toanswer. Ask why they could recall the informationfrom the first reading, but not from the second(although the reason is obvious). To move into theBible study, say, "We sometimes cannot hear thevoice of God because of other stuff that we allow todrown out his voice. God has to get our attentionfor us to hear his call."INTO THE WORDForm groups of four or five; each group musthave at least one Bible. Write Exodus 3: 1-12 on theboard. Ask the groups to read the passage and answer the following questions. The questions may

be written on the board, projected on a screen, oreproduced onto a handout. Reproduce only thequestions, not the italicized answers. Each groupwill have the same set of questions. Smaller classwill adjust group sizes accordingly.1. Where was Moses when he received his calWhat was he doing? (near Mount Horeb, tending hfather-in-law's sheep; verse 1)2. How did God get Moses' attention? (burninbush that wasn't consumed; verses 2, 3)3. Why a burning bush? Why didn't God justMoses immediately what to do? (perhaps wanted timpress Moses with the importance of the task; verse4. How did Moses react to God's presence? (hhis face, feared God; verses 5, 6)

5. Who was going to free the Israelites from thEgyptian bondage? (God would free Israel; verses 76. Who was going to be God's agent in bringiabout freedom from bondage? (Moses; verse 10)7. How did Moses respond to the awe-inspirinopportunity to serve God? (questioned his ability tfulfill God's call; verse 11)8. How did God respond to Moses' question?(God would be with him; verse 12)After groups work through the questions, gothrough the answers as a class. To make the transition to the application say, "We too have beencalled by God to serve among his people, thechurch."INTO LIFEHave class members stay in their groups. Askthem to share the following items about their liveif applicable to them. (You can write these questioon the board, distribute them on a handout, etc.) When was a time you sensed God calling yoto serve him in a certain way?

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lJJNE 7, 2009 How did God get your attention? What wasyour burning bush? How did you respond to God's call? If youhesitated, why?After the time of small-group discussion, say,"There are two mistakes we may make with regard

to God's calls. One is to tum a deaf ear to a genuine call of God; the other is to think God is callingus to do something when he really isn't." Ask theparticipants to identify what call they believe God

402 HEARlt'JGlioD'Shas given them, how they evaluate the validitythat supposed call, and if they are currendy engaged in fulfilling that call.You may wish to share with the class a personstory of a time when you made one of those twotakes. Ask for volunteers to explain how they guathemselves from distractions that hinder them fr

I hearing God more clearly. Distribute copies of thproducible activities "Hearing the Call" and "Hethe Call" from page 500 as take-home exercises.