The title for our third introductory study of Exodus is "Exodus as a Mirror." Rather than reading from Exodus, I want to start by reading from James 1:23-24, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
As we study this wonderful piece of God's book, it's very important to always keep in mind that Exodus is meant to function as a mirror. And so, as we study, I want to encourage you to study with a humble and open heart. Be ready and willing to look into this book and to see yourself as you actually are. I mean, think about the mirror illustration; you wake up in the morning, and you stumble into your bathroom to survey the damage that the night has done. And you look into the mirror, suppressing your screams, and you don't argue with the mirror; you don't deny what you see. You humbly accept what the mirror is telling you, and you get out instruments of human repair to put yourself back in the condition you would like to be in before you make your public appearance. It's a wonderful illustration.
And so, there are things that we see about ourselves in Exodus. In Exodus, we see our tendency to want to take life into our own hands. In Exodus, we see how hard it is to patiently wait for God to do what he's promised to do. In Exodus, we see how we often try to escape God's clear call for our lives. In Exodus, we see our struggle to rest in God's presence and power, to fall into some functional form of God-amnesia. In Exodus, we see how we tend to want our plan for our lives rather than God's plan. There really are moments when we fall into thinking that perhaps we're smarter than God-we know more; we know better; and obviously, that's never true!
In Exodus, we see our tendency toward idolatry. We were created by God to be worshippers. Worship is not just something that we do, it's our identity-we are worshippers! And so, if we're not worshipping God, we're always worshipping something. And what do we mean by that? There's something that's always ruling our hearts. There's something that's always setting the agenda for our lives.
In Exodus, we see our struggle with trusting God's provision. We live in so much anxiety, so much worry, so beat ourselves up with the "What if" and the "If only," when God is faithful, and he's good, and he's kind, and he's tender, and he's generous, and he has promised to provide. You see, if you put all those things together, the one thing for sure is that Exodus teaches us the desperate and deep nature of our need for God's grace. Exodus is a mirror worth looking into because that mirror will drive you into God's arms!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. How does the thought of Exodus acting like a mirror in your life make you excited and also nervous? Why do you think it's so hard for us to "take a look in the mirror" and honestly examine what the mirror of Scripture tells us? In what ways can you personally allow the mirror of Exodus to diagnose who you currently are and then call you to change in areas that aren't glorifying God?
2. When in the past have you fallen into thinking that you're smarter than God? How did those times play out for you? Why is it always foolish to think, believe, and act like we know better than God about anything?
3. Who or what in your life are you tempted to worship that isn't God? How has worshipping any kind of non-God in your life negatively affected you and others around you? What have been the consequences of worshipping any agenda-setting idol in your life?
4. If Exodus acts like a mirror in your life as we study through it in the coming months, what do you hope the mirror will expose in you? How can that exposure drive you into the arms of God instead of away from him? In what ways are you currently tempted to run away from God? How can you be praying specifically in ways that move you toward God instead of away from him as you study through the book of Exodus?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
1. What does a mirror do in the lives of people? How does a mirror show us the truth about what we look like? Does a mirror ever lie?
2. How do you think the Bible acts like a mirror into our lives? Why is that both scary and exciting at the same time?
3. How can the mirror of the book of Exodus move us toward God instead of away from him?
For Older Children:
1. If you think about the nature of a physical mirror, what does it tell us about who we are? How does a mirror show us the truth about what we look like? Does a mirror ever lie about what we look like?
2. How do you think something like the book of Exodus can act like a mirror in our lives? Why is it important to allow Scripture to examine us and show us the truth?
3. How does a mirror's diagnosis help you want to change? How can the book of Exodus help both you and me to change?
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