(NIV)
I.
Fear can be controlled v.10-13a
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. and behold, the
Egyptians were marching after them.” The deictic particle calls attention in a
dramatic way to what was being seen. It captures the surprise and the sudden
realization of the people.[1] They
were terrified In one look their defiant boldness seems to have evaporated.[2]and
cried out to the Lord. 11 They
said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves
in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?
What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t
we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would
have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to
die in the desert!” The reaction of the Israelites here was much the
same throughout the book (cf. 5:21) in times of duress and fright. Though they
cried out to the Lord, they had no
confidence He could help. Quickly forgetting the
past, they bitterly accused Moses[3]
Surprisingly, as they came to their greatest moment of deliverance, the
people of God were full of distrust and fear.[4]
Remember your past with God’s grace in it
13 Moses answered the people,
“Do not be afraid. It is a more immediate negative command than לֹא (lo’) with the imperfect (as in the Decalogue).[5]
Since this is a command that means our fear can be controlled. Fear is a
nature response when things happened unexpectedly, but we are command to
control it probably after the immediate effect by remembering their past how
God has saved them in the 10th plaques.
II.
How to control your fear v.13b-14
Stand firm without
fleeing (NET)and you will see It could also be
rendered “stand firm and you will see”
meaning the result, or “stand firm that
you may see” meaning the purpose.[6]
the deliverance
the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see the
antithetical parallelism between seeing salvation and seeing the Egyptians[7]
today you will never see
again. 14 The Lord
will fight for you; you need only to be still.” It may be given a potential
imperfect nuance (as here), or it may be obligatory to follow the command to
stand firm: “you must be still.”[8]
Moses, recognizing
that fear was distorting their memories and arousing their passions against
him, sought to reassure them that the Lord would deliver them by fighting for them (cf. 15:3; Neh. 4:20; Ps.
35:1) as they remained firm in confidence[9]
v.10-14
1.
What did Israel see when they look up? Egyptians marching after them
2.
In v.11-12 what was repeated in the response of Israel to the Egyptians
who were marching after them? They thought they were going to die
3.
What was the 1st thing Moses told them to do v.13? Do not be
afraid
4.
Was their response reasonable when they suddenly realized that an arm
which has power to wipe them out was chasing after them? Fear is reasonable as
a first response when you suddenly have fallen into a terrifying situation
5.
Then why did Moses tell them not to be not afraid? Did Moses have any
support that they do not need to be afraid? Their past. God had just saved them
in the 10th plaque.
6.
What can help us when we are commanded to stop fearing? Remembering the
grace that God has given us in the past.
7.
What is the voice of the phrase, “Do not be afraid?” Command
8.
What do you learn from the fact that, ““Do not be afraid?” is a command?
Fear can be controlled
9.
What is the general principle here? (1) Fear is reasonable as a first
response when you suddenly have fallen into a terrifying situation. However we
should control ourselves and stop fearing by remembering the grace that God has
given us in the past.
10.
What is the 2nd command in v.13b and
the 3rd one in v.14? Stand firm (without fleeing) and to be still
(To be still=be silent)
11.
On what basis they could do that? the deliverance the Lord will
bring you today…The Lord will
fight for you (those are the promises of God to them)
12.
Moses back up His commands to Israel not to flee
and be still (be silent from their complain) with the promises of God to them. How
can a person be silent and not fleeing when we are afraid? Trust.
13.
What is the general principle here? (1) Fear is
reasonable as a first response when you suddenly have fallen into a terrifying
situation. However we should control ourselves and stop fearing by trusting His
salvation. Quietness/Trusting
is a strength when you are encountering
difficulties.
14.
What fears have
been regularly invading your thoughts?
15 Then the Lord
said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the
water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after The repetition of
the verb translated “come” is interesting: Moses is to divide the sea in order
that the people may cross, but God will harden the Egyptians’ hearts in order
that they may follow.[10]
them. And I will gain glory
through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The
Egyptians will know that I am the Lord
when I gain glory judgment
will not only destroy the wicked—it will reveal the glory and majesty of the
sovereignty of God.[11]through
Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
[1]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[2]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[3]
Hannah, J. D. (1985). Exodus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck
(Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 131). Victor Books.
[4]
Hannah, J. D. (1985). Exodus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck
(Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 131). Victor Books.
[5]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[6]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[7]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[8]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[9]
Hannah, J. D. (1985). Exodus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck
(Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 131). Victor Books.
[10]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
[11]
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible
(Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.
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