When Faith Breaks Down:The Golden Calf

Dennis McCallum
Exodus 32-34

While the people waited for Moses to come down from the mountain where he was talking with God, the people faltered in their faith and cast a golden calf to worship instead of God. The gold that God compelled the Egyptians to give to the Israelites that was to be used in the fashioning the ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle, the people used to form an idol because they were tired of waiting on God.

The Tabernacle

Conrad Hilario
Exodus 25:1-8

The Tabernacle was a scale model of the heavenly reality. It communicated God's desire to have a relationship with His creation but that there were barriers that prevented them from drawing near to Him. The Tabernacle was a powerful symbol of how He would remove those barriers by the the work of His Son Jesus.

Living Hope

Ben Foust
1 Peter 1:1-12

The Apostle Peter teaches us that we can live well as resident aliens in a fallen world, full of trials, where we can have hope because we are citizens of heaven.

The Role of the Law

Conrad Hilario
Exodus 20:12-17

Because God demands absolute moral perfection, no one can ever be made right with God by following the Law. Even in the Old Testament, people were saved by faith and not by following the Law. Christians are not under the Law because Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, but the Law is useful for giving us a moral orientation.

The God Who Is Leads His People

James Rochford
Exodus 12:35-14:31

When God led His people out of the land of Egypt, the people could not see everything God was doing. The people were only thinking of fleeing slavery but God was accomplishing multiple goals. He was guarding the Israelites but not removing all threats, judging the Egyptians, blocking re-enslavement, and bringing His people to faith.

Responding to Opposition

Patrice McCormac
Nehemiah 4

As Nehemiah rallied the people to rebuild the walls surrounding Jerusalem, he encountered fierce opposition from local rulers. Though the people were afraid, Nehemiah brought God into the situation. He prayed by himself and with others. Then he got back to work. He did not focus on the problems but on the work before them, trusting God was with them.

The Tenth Plague

Conrad Hilario
Exodus 11:12

The powerful way God foreshadowed the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross by the tenth plague of the deaths of the first-born sons in Egypt is a prophetic reminder through the ages of God's desire to save us. God gave the Passover message to strengthen our faith in Jesus and to give faith to those who are not yet Christians.

God's Provision for Them and for Us

Dennis McCallum
Exodus 15-17

God provides for His people, then and now. He provides daily what we need for physical sustenance in the way of food and water. But He also gives us what we need for spiritual life. He gives us a beginning point for spiritual life by offering us forgiveness through Jesus and also for ongoing growth. Just like our physical needs, our spiritual needs must be replenished daily.

The God Who Is Forgiving

James Rochford
Exodus 10:28-12:29

Some argue that the God of the Bible is an unforgiving and judgmental god, but the Exodus tells of a God who hates sin and will judge it and yet loves the sinner and offers a way to come out from under that judgment. This God of the Bible prefigures the work of Jesus on the cross through the Passover event where Jews and even Egyptians could paint their doorframes with the blood of the sacrificial lamb and death would pass over their household, sparing their first-born sons.