PASTOR’S NOTES
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way”.
This week’s text is seen by many as “Phase 2” in the book of Exodus. Phase 2 starts with the people leaving Egypt as Phase 1 was God sending out Moses to rescue His people.
During our study in the first 12 chapters, people would come to me every week and say, “I can’t wait to read and hear what happens next!” People who have read the book many times and studied it for themselves throughout the years have taken such an interest in the adventurous story of Exodus. I saw this especially to be true during the 10 plagues as people were drawn to learning and seeing God’s goodness through His sovereignty. As believers, we love seeing the “big picture” of God’s great plan. We love to see how everything connects in God’s obvious and great sermon to the world!
With this being true of most of us, we often feel differently when we can’t see God’s plan? What happens when our adventurous story of faith looks as if God is absent and there is no “big picture?” We often struggle when we can’t connect dots or hear the obvious message of God.
This is very easily what God’s people could have felt at the beginning of Phase 2.
God was so obvious during the plagues, but where is He in the journey? Why are we going in this direction when there seems to be so many more paths that would be easier or faster?
The theme of Phase 2 is placing our trust and faith in God’s direction and presence even when He is hard to see.
In the moments we can not see the “big picture,” God still is present and leads the way! God is always present to guide His people. Always! Even though the people might have not always seen God lead them, many years later in His word, you and I will. Today believers will read Exodus and see the “big picture” in Phase 2 just as easily as we saw it in Phase 1, but at times its harder when you are living in the actual phase.
This next part of our study will draw us to a deeper faith in God’s love and direction as we see that the best way is not always the clearest way.
SCRIPTURE TO GO ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE
Read Genesis 50:24-26 as this text goes hand and hand with Exodus 13.
HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR BIBLES
Highlight verses 13:19-21 in Exodus.
