His Story of Redemption | Exodus 2:11-22
Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions
In the last study, through Moses we were introduced to the concept of a personal redeemer. In this passage we encounter the crafting of a personal redeemer and our personal redemption.
I. Acknowledge Need (11-14)
In Luke 5, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (32). All people are sinners; the difference is whether or not they acknowledge it.
A. Death:
Pharaoh claimed to be a god. However, verse 23 tells us he died, demonstrating that he, along every other person, must face the reality of death and their need for salvation.
B. Deliverance:
We all have a need to be defended against evil and to defeat evil. However, we do not have the resources to accomplish either. We need to be enlightened by the wisdom of Christ and empowered by the Spirit of Christ to battle the evil around us.
II. Accept Supply (24-25)
No matter how great your needs are, God’s supply of grace is infinitely greater. These two verses demonstrate God’s abundant concern and supply for our need: God heard, remembered, looked, and was concerned!
A. Intellectual
God supplies our need intellectually by remembering his covenant, a covenant he had made with the Israelites’ forefathers, a covenant he would never break.
B. Emotional
The word “know” here is used in a few different ways in the Bible: foreknowledge, empathy, and intimacy. In fact, Revelation 13:8 tells us the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. There has never been a time when God’s heart has not been breaking for the loss of his son, so he knows our pain as well.
III. Gratefully Respond (16-22)
If only God can redeem and if only God redeems infallibly through his faithfulness to Jesus, the only thing left for us to do is respond with gratitude.
A. Groan:
It was not for God to leave his people as slaves in Egypt for a time. It was merciful to force his people “groan” and “cry” to the Lord because they finally recognized that only God was sovereign enough in his grace to rescue them from the most powerful nation on earth. Cruelty would be allowing his children to persist in the delusion that they saved themselves and didn’t need their Redeemer.
B. Imitate:
From all eternity, Jesus planned his trip to get close to us and promises never to leave. It should be a small thing then for us to stay a little longer with someone who needs a drink of cold water from Jesus for the first time or the thousandth time.
Discussion Questions
- If you are a Christian, what enables you to freely acknowledge your need?
Acknowledging our need without accepting God’s supply may humble us but it will ultimately leave us hopeless? Why is it so important to accept God’s supply? - What is one way you can respond gratefully to God’s supply for your need this week?
Going Deeper
- Is it easy for you to acknowledge your need before God and before others? If it is difficult, why do you think that is the case?
- How does our corporate worship service model this pattern of Need, Supply, Response? How can you incorporate that model into your personal devotional life so that you experience the gospel consistently?