little rock bible study week 2

"The material world, which we believe God created, not only speaks to our minds and hearts but also to our senses. For example, we believe that God listens to our prayers, but that belief is not as tangible as the smell of roses in our garden. We acknowledge that our God expects moral action, but that belief does not have the raw power of a summer thunderstorm. We trust that God journeys with us through life, but that conviction is not as warm as the newborn daughter that sleeps in our arms." 
GOD MAKES ALL THOSE CHARACTERISTICS "TANGIBLE" THROUGH CREATED THINGS AS "SIGNS" UNDERSTOOD BY FAITH!!!

1. How did the exodus from Egypt expand Israel's faith in God?
They now SEE God's power to save DEMONSTRATED by great acts of divine power, INDEPENDENT of their own efforts OR belief. Furthermore, they now have seen that God is BIGGER than they realized-- God is more powerful than Egypt, AND He can control nature itself! This too was PROVEN by MIGHTY WORKS, notably of a truly MIRACULOUS sort-- NO mortal could ever do such things, and no false "god" ever had either. Lastly, God had PROMISED to do this: to save & deliver them & bring them to a good land of their own. God proved His FAITHFULNESS to them.

2. God's Name is revealed to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" or, as it is sometimes translated, "I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE" (Exod 3:14). What does this Name say to you about God? How does this Name influence your faith and hope?
God IS Who He IS, even if I doubt or struggle to believe, even if I don't see or perceive it, even if I don't understand or comprehend it, even if I don't know or realize it. God IS Gracious & merciful & loving & forgiving & faithful & patient & just, no matter WHAT the world says, and REGARDLESS of whether or not I have any proper frame of reference for, or definition of, such things. That gives me SO MUCH HOPE. Even in my bleakest ignorance & stupidity, even in my blindness & woundedness, even in the darkest hour of agony, GOD IS GOOD, and GOD WILL BE WHO HE IS, ALWAYS. I can put ALL my faith in His Word, for it is TRUE. 

3. In the account of the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21-31), God utilizes both supernatural and natural means to save the people of Israel. Have you experienced the power of God working in your life in both ways? Can you share an example of each?
Bro this is my DAILY LIFE. "No such thing as coincidence" and "synchronicity" are ANCIENT terms we've used to refer to God's subtle miracles in everyday events. Countless times, God speaks through unexpected music, words, patterns, people, pictures, etc. He LOVES to shock & surprise me; His "Voice" is always totally unexpected yet so familiar and "just right," even in solemn chastisements & convictions-- and it is ALWAYS loving. As for supernatural... that's System life. How about the "warns ending" on a DIME solely by prayer & grace? How about dreams & headspace events that changed the course of our heart for the better? How about the fact that we exist at ALL, and love each other so much? God is at work in every beat of our heart.

4. The Israelites promise to follow God's laws even before those laws are revealed (Exod 19:7-8). What does that tell you about the nature of their faith?
It's actually where mine is finally headed, by grace, thank God. It means that they realized that God is GOOD, God is TRUSTWORTHY, God is JUST, and God is THEIR GOD, to say the least. But they grasp enough of God's CHARACTER to understand that, WHATEVER commands He gives, WHATEVER laws He establishes, they are INEVITABLY going to REFLECT & MANIFEST God's attributes-- as they had seen in the Exodus-- and WILL be for their HIGHEST GOOD. God could ONLY give the most perfect & righteous laws. Israel had FAITH in that, AND possibly in God's willingness to HELP them obey? But the point is = they TRUSTED that, whatever God would mandate, it was WORTH following, without question. ALSO = the COMMITMENT to UNCONDITIONAL OBEDIENCE shows their RELATIONSHIP was REAL.

5. What does it mean for Israel to be God's "treasured possession among all peoples" and "a kingdom of priests, a holy nation" (Exod 19:5-6)?
"Kingdom" = God is their Ruler in all things. "Priests" = they are to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of others. "Holy" = they are set apart from all other nations, FOR the sake of those nations, as their intercessors before God. "Treasured possession" = they specifically BELONGED to God in a special way, as something particularly & preciously related to Him PERSONALLY. ALL of this was ONLY possible through the RELATIONSHIP of FAITH. Priesthood & holiness REQUIRE a personal devotion to Him, and a deep connection to Him AS a personal God. WE are to "treasure" & "possess" HIM, too.

6. What does the revelation of God as the God of the Nations mean for the way we live our our faith?
The WHOLE WORLD is beloved by God. Israel was chosen IN ORDER TO eventually REGATHER EVERYONE to God, as in Eden, as the prophets foretold. God created ALL and He loves ALL and He wants ALL to be saved. Our faith is a GIFT, a MISSION, not a "reward" or a "club"!! We MUST WORK to invite & call EVERYONE into this same faith! It means everyone is our family. It means "the bell tolls for thee." It means we can NEVER be ignorant, aloof, prejudiced, miserly, uncharitable, distant, or cold. Global events matter to God because ALL men are His creatures & called to be His children. EVERY soul is priceless to Him. So they MUST be to US, too.

7. The Israelites consider living God's law to be a life-giving expression of the covenant relationship with God. Christians experience something similar in following the teachings of Jesus, Who said: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). How can living God's law/ commandments be an expression of faith, hope, and love?
Because NOT living them is BLATANTLY uncaring & shows we DON'T trust God to guide us. When you love someone you LISTEN to them & WANT to do good things for them & make them FEEL loved. With God, Who is our Father, we WANT to obey like a child who TRUSTS their Dad and can't even imagine saying "no." Keeping His commandments shows that we have FAITH in His Truth & Trustworthiness, that we HOPE in whatever outcomes & goals God plans via those commands for us & others, that it all serves His Kingdom, and that we LOVE Him so much that we just delight in doing whatever He tells us to do, because He loves US, and all His Commandments ARE Love.

8. After God forgives Israel for worshipping the golden calf, "gracious and merciful" is revealed as essential to God's Name and Identity (Exod 34:6). How have you experienced God as a forgiving God Who is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love? How has this experience strengthened or shaped your faith and hope?
GOD HASN'T KILLED ME YET. That sounds brutal but it's the hard truth. My past is SIN and I DESERVED to die COUNTLESS times, PLUS I almost DID die BECAUSE of my sins, COUNTLESS times. But what did God do? He mercifully SAVED MY LIFE, BLESSED ME WITH GRACE, AND GAVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE. He didn't kill me because He DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE ME TO SIN. God REFUSED TO LET ME GO OR GIVE UP ON ME. God "SAVED ME BECAUSE HE LOVED ME." And now, by grace, here I am, alive & in love with Him, forgiven & redeemed, snatched right out of hell! It's beyond comprehension, how merciful & kind God has been and ALWAYS will be. If God abandoned me to sin, I'd be dead forever, with NO hope at ALL. But He DIDN'T, and He WON'T. God ALWAYS gives more grace, so I CAN repent and be saved. I have FAITH & HOPE in His LOVE forever.

9. How and when did the creation stories of Genesis 1-2 emerge? How do these stories reflect Israel's growing faith and hope in God?
They emerged DURING BOTH the Israelite MONARCHY (David/ Solomon) AND the Babylonian EXILE-- two totally different contexts. But in each case, the creation stories proclaim God as SOVEREIGN & UNIQUE & GOOD, in contrast to pagan idols & myths. The kings sand God's goodness, seeing it reflected in the beauty of the world, recognizing His characteristics in it, and thereby refuting all Gnostic-esque hatred of creation. This conviction & perception is what SUSTAINED them in exile, and enabled them to KEEP writing about God's justice & mercy too, because no matter what, God WAS in control, God HAD a plan and ALWAYS had, He WOULD follow through, and He WAS STILL GOOD.

10. What insight about faith or hope can you share with your group after studying and reflecting on these stories from Exodus?
Our faith and hope are anchored in GOD'S SELF-REVELATION, through BOTH His WORDS and His WORKS. God TELLS us Who He IS, and then He ALWAYS DEMONSTRATES those attributes IN THE WORLD HE CREATED. So faith ENABLES us to hope; we BELIEVE in what we CAN'T see, because we TRUST that there is a GOOD GOD orchestrating EVERYTHING we CAN see... because we KNOW WHAT TO SEE, since GOD TOLD US. Even to those who DON'T know God, they can recognize His attributes "as they are" and be MOVED to HOPE in "something bigger" BEYOND and yet WITHIN that good they CAN see, a hope that LEADS to faith, by grace. "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You." There is ALWAYS hope because THIS IS REALITY. GOD IS REAL. Creation DOES reflect Who He Is, albeit dimly, "as in a mirror." But "hope does not disappoint," because God WANTS to be found & known & loved. And SCRIPTURE is our roadmap. Our faith finds its foundation in God's TRUE WORDS of hope. BUT IT'S ALL BASED IN LOVE. Without love, without relationship, nothing else can survive. Love IS life, because GOD IS LOVE!!!