Working Out With Weights: How the Glory of God Shapes Us (Exodus 33:12-34:9)
April 14, 2024 • Jared Bridges • Exodus 33:12—34:9
Dear OBC Family, There's an old adage that goes something like this: "In order to get strong, you have to pick up something heavy." Lifting weights builds muscle, and resistance shapes our bodies and makes us stronger. The weight of God's glory likewise shapes us and strengthens us in ways that we can't do ourselves. This Sunday, we'll take a brief detour from our series on Genesis to ponder how the glory of God affects us and shapes us. We'll look at Exodus 33:12-34:9, and see how Moses encountered God's glory (or some of it) in the wake of his people seeking glory elsewhere. God's glory is foundational for any covenant relationship with him, and it's also foundational in shaping us from the image of ourselves into the image of Christ. This week we will be having a time of corporate confession. To help you prepare, we are sharinghttps://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fobc.us14.list-manage.com%2ftrack%2fclick%3fu%3ddd23918991ea6f542a8065bed%26id%3d1986024976%26e%3df5b57025e0&data=05%7c02%7c%7cea5166ddae1046b8e54108dc5b2f41a2%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c638485505761255405%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjwijoimc4wljawmdailcjqijoiv2lumziilcjbtii6ik1hawwilcjxvci6mn0%3d%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=rg7q18scpris%2fyjjywsarvw6e1hkbv%2bw9mdlkzyvdxu%3d&reserved=0https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fobc.us14.list-manage.com%2ftrack%2fclick%3fu%3ddd23918991ea6f542a8065bed%26id%3db61b4fad31%26e%3df5b57025e0&data=05%7c02%7c%7cea5166ddae1046b8e54108dc5b2f41a2%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c638485505761266085%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjwijoimc4wljawmdailcjqijoiv2lumziilcjbtii6ik1hawwilcjxvci6mn0%3d%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=wvt4znyajn9tdlqto7zggzojm0%2bm2slrijmhfnff5yw%3d&reserved=0. For His Glory and your joy in Jesus, Pastor Jared --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions (Exodus 33:12 – 34:9) What have been your previous perceptions about glory? In Exodus 33, Moses asks the Lord to show him his glory? Why was this an impossible question? The Lord answers the Moses's plea, but not in the way that Moses expected. How did Yahweh's answer (Ex. 33:19) suit Moses better than what he asked for? What are some ways that the weight of sin and the weight of the world compete with God's glory? What are some things that cause us to be short sighted in recognizing God's glory? What are some ways that we often push against the "resistance training effect" that God's glory has upon us? What are a few tangible ways that the glory of God can shape how we live? Because of sin, we're ultimately incapable of truly seeing God's glory on our own. How does the grace of God in the person of Christ help us in this respect?
A Song for the Journey (Exodus 15)
August 27, 2023 • Derek Bass • Exodus 15
On Sunday, we look forward to turning our attention from Titus to the glorious Song of the Sea, the victory song of Moses in Exodus 15. In the Bible, God’s plan of salvation always includes judgment. And those who sing most passionately, do so because their sins have been forgiven and the judgment of God has passed. Indeed, in Christ Jesus this is our hope and our song. And in looking at the lyrics of Moses’s Song, we will see more clearly who God is and what he has done—and is still doing—for his people. If you feel afflicted, discouraged, and defeated, this song of victory will be a great help. And wonderfully, it will be brought to us by Dr. Derek Bass. Derek and his wife, Elizabeth, are friends from Southern Seminary. Derek has been teaching Old Testament at the https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fobc.us14.list-manage.com%2ftrack%2fclick%3fu%3ddd23918991ea6f542a8065bed%26id%3d2f378b27eb%26e%3df5b57025e0&data=05%7c01%7c%7c5ca5e6b0b32648c39fba08dba5ac126b%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c638285930690607837%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjwijoimc4wljawmdailcjqijoiv2lumziilcjbtii6ik1hawwilcjxvci6mn0%3d%7c3000%7c%7c%7c&sdata=2t9gvwuyqpushakwo1mis4exw0l5bx5ecfqzei7xahc%3d&reserved=0 for years. And before returning to Amsterdam for the Fall semester, he and his family are joining us on Sunday. Also, on Saturday evening, at 6:00pm, we will be hosting a dinner for them and they will be sharing about their work, which trains pastors for service all over the world. Please https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fobc.us14.list-manage.com%2ftrack%2fclick%3fu%3ddd23918991ea6f542a8065bed%26id%3ded8afbb28c%26e%3df5b57025e0&data=05%7c01%7c%7c5ca5e6b0b32648c39fba08dba5ac126b%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c638285930690607837%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjwijoimc4wljawmdailcjqijoiv2lumziilcjbtii6ik1hawwilcjxvci6mn0%3d%7c3000%7c%7c%7c&sdata=ld0udqpy2rkmezcpxspqnsxk6h1q%2bkqbtcsvs5rujqs%3d&reserved=0 before the day is over :-) To prepare for Sunday, take time to Read Exodus 14–15. Chapter 14 gives you the historical account. Chapter 15 gives us the poetry of praise. Both are needed to understand the historical reality of this event, as well as the typological nature of the event. That is, Exodus 15 foreshadows the salvation that we find in Christ. So read those chapters and pray for Christ to be magnified as we gather on Sunday. As the Lord allows, I look forward to seeing at 10:00am for worship. If you are coming for youth and children’s training, that will happen at 9:00am. For His Glory and your joy in Christ, Pastor David --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions: Exodus 15 Why do Moses and Miriam sing? Do you think about your singing in this way? What do these songs emphasize about who God is? About what God has done? How do God’s enemies compare to Him? What is the arc of Moses’ song? Notice the shift from singing (vv. 1-21) to grumbling (vv. 22-24). What does this reveal about Israel, and about God? What is significant about this instruction (vv. 25-26) following Israel’s redemption from Egypt? How would you describe the work of God in this text? How does this text point forward to New Covenant realities? How ought we to respond to this text?
3. The Lamb of God (Exodus 12) - 11:00am
David Schrock • Exodus 12
3. Behold the Passover Lamb (Exodus 11-12)
September 26, 2021 • David Schrock • Exodus 12, Exodus 11, John 1:29–35
I once heard it said that the Passover instructions found in Exodus 12 are like planning a family reunion as your house burns down. Imagine the oddity—the absolute insanity!—of setting your children down at the kitchen table as flames engulf your house and telling them, “Get out your notebooks. I have a few things to say. At this time next year, we are going to gather our family to remember this event. We are going to eat a meal together that symbolizes this special occasion. And here are all the things you will need . . .” Pretty strange stuff. But in the book of Exodus, this is exactly what you find. As the God of Israel prepares to deliver his people out of Egypt, and as the impending death of every firstborn son is bearing down on every family in the land, God not only gives Moses instructions for saving his people from death, but he also institutes a meal for families to remember this pivotal moment of God’s saving power. Such are the ways of God. In Exodus 12, God not only saves his people, but he calls them to remember how they are saved. And this fall, we are looking intently at the cross of Christ for this very reason. God wants us to remember his great works. As Psalm 111:2 says, “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” Truly, in the Old Testament, there is no greater work than the Exodus. There is no greater display of God’s mercy and judgment than the Passover. Thus, it is worth our time to study it. And we study it, not simply to see how God worked in history, but to see how this Passover foretold the greater Passover of Jesus Christ. Indeed, 1 Corinthians 5:7 calls Jesus the Passover Lamb and throughout the New Testament Jesus is portrayed as God’s God-given sacrifice (see John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 8, 12, 13). Thus, we return to Exodus 12 this week to better understand how the Lamb of God died as a substitute to secure our salvation. As you have time, read Exodus 12 in preparation. You might want to read John 19 again, too. Together these two chapters, plus a host of others, show us how this climactic moment in Israel’s history lead us to see Christ and his greater sacrifice. I look forward to worshiping Christ with you this Sunday and pondering again the finished work of our glorious Lord. May God open our eyes to see the wisdom of the cross and the way it unites all of Scripture. For His Glory and your joy, Pastor David ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions for Exodus 12 1. What are the three sections of Exodus? How does knowing the outline of Exodus inform our salvation? 2. More specifically, what are some of types and shadows, patterns and promises found in Exodus that point us to Christ? 3. With respect to the Passover itself, what do we learn about God? Salvation? Christ? God’s people? 4. Why is “remembering” so important for God’s people? How does the Passover teach us about the importance of remembering? 5. Where does the New Testament teach us to remember? And how does Jesus connect the Passover feast to Christians remembering his cross? 6. In what ways do we find confirmation in the New Testament that Jesus is the Passover Lamb? 7. Why does it matter that we understand Christ’s death in terms of Old Testament promise? (Hint: The gospel is based upon fulfilled promises. See Acts 10:32–33; Romans 1:1–7; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8) 8. How does the focus on sacrifice and substitution strike you? Is this how you have understood Christ’s cross and your salvation? 9. How does rightly understanding the work of Christ on the cross purify and strengthen your faith? How does it impact your daily living and ethical choices? (Hint: 1 Corinthians 5:7 is set in the context of ethics). 10. What else did you learn about Christ and God’s gospel from studying Exodus 12?