Well, if I had to title our second study, we're in the midst of four introductory studies to Exodus, I would entitle this "The Big Plot." Like all the great stories that have ever been written, Exodus is held together by a dramatic and engaging plot. The plot of Exodus comes to us in four acts. Act one is creation. Out of his covenant to Abraham, God creates the great nation of Israel. In Egypt, this nation becomes a nation, prospering and growing and growing.
Act two, slavery. Even though they are prospering and growing, the children of Israel are taken into slavery. It is a horrible, horrible bondage from which they have no independent power to escape. And they are held in this cruel, unending, everyday captivity for over four-hundred years. But that's not the end of the story. That's not the final act of this great plot.
The third act is redemption. God unleashes his gracious and almighty power to redeem Israel from slavery in Egypt, not because they deserved it, not because they earned it, but because he chose to place his love on them.
But there's a fourth act, it's restoration. God not only wants to redeem his people, but he also wants to restore them. And by giving his ceremonial and moral law, God seeks to restore his people to what he created, chose, and redeemed them to be.
Now again, notice that creation, slavery, redemption, and restoration is the overarching plot of the whole Bible. God creates Adam and Eve. They are living in a perfect world in a perfect relationship with him. Yet, they step outside of his boundaries and sin enters the world. And the Bible teaches that sin is enslaving; we are born into the slavery of sin. God, in his grace, is unwilling to leave his world that way. And so, the whole story of the Bible marches to the moment when the Redeemer will be born and live and die and rise again and ascend so that we would have redemption. And then by his Spirit and sanctifying grace, God works to restore us. That's the plot of scripture.
But again, it's the plot of your life. God created you, ordained that you would be born. Sin sadly enslaves you, and you have no ability on your own to escape that slavery. By grace, God redeems you, offers you his forgiveness, his reconciling acceptance that you could never earn, you could never deserve on your own. And then he's not done. In sanctifying mercy, he works to restore you. You see, again, Exodus pictures, for us, the whole sweep of the biblical narrative, but pictures for us again, the work of grace, the work of the gospel in our life.
Yes, it really is true; Exodus is a gospel book!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. How does the "Big Plot" of Exodus help you to not only understand the rest of Scripture, but also your own life? How do you see the overarching story of Exodus reflected in your personal story of creation, slavery, redemption, and restoration?
2. How can your study of Exodus help you to better understand the way God works in the lives of his people? How can it help you understand what God is trying to communicate through the entire story of Scripture? How can it help you understand and communicate to others the ways God chooses to work in your personal life?
3. How has your personal story of slavery to sin impacted the way you look at and relate to God himself? What conclusions have you come to about God that may need to be corrected as you see your personal story reflected in the pages of Exodus?
4. Even though you may know the narrative of the Exodus story by heart, what do you hope to learn as you study this book? Why is Exodus a gospel book and how does that change the way you read and absorb it?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
1. What do you know and remember about the book of Exodus? How does God work in the lives of his people all throughout the book of Exodus?
2. How does the story in Exodus relate to the story of the entire Bible?
3. How does the story in Exodus relate to your personal story of how God worked and presently works in your life?
For Older Children:
1. Tell me what you remember (if anything) about the book of Exodus.
2. Why do you think the book of Exodus is so important to explain the history of God's people and how he worked in their lives?
3. In what ways are you able to see the themes of creation, slavery, redemption, and restoration in Exodus? In the whole of Scripture? In your own life?
4. How can God's care and love for his people in Exodus help you understand his love and care for you personally?
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