[uplifting music] 00:00:00.46\00:00:04.30 [uplifting music] 00:00:10.64\00:00:14.61 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:00:14.64\00:00:15.94 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:00:15.98\00:00:17.95 We're glad that you are joining us today. 00:00:17.98\00:00:20.22 We are beginning a brand new 13-week, 13-lesson journey 00:00:20.25\00:00:25.25 through the book of Exodus. 00:00:25.29\00:00:27.62 The book of Exodus is an incredible story 00:00:27.66\00:00:30.43 of how God led and continues to lead 00:00:30.46\00:00:33.76 His people, and we're going to be exploring that 00:00:33.80\00:00:36.60 as we journey through this book. 00:00:36.63\00:00:38.70 But before we begin, let's start with prayer. 00:00:38.73\00:00:41.84 Father, we wanna thank You for being with us today, 00:00:41.87\00:00:44.97 and as we begin this brand new journey 00:00:45.01\00:00:46.94 through the book of Exodus, we ask that You would lead us, 00:00:46.98\00:00:50.45 guide us, direct us into Your truth, help us 00:00:50.48\00:00:53.95 to get a clearer picture of Your character and to see 00:00:53.98\00:00:57.69 how we can live our lives to glorify You in the last days 00:00:57.72\00:01:01.89 of earth's history. We ask Your blessing upon our time together, 00:01:01.92\00:01:05.23 and we thank You, in Jesus' name, 00:01:05.26\00:01:07.30 [both] amen. 00:01:07.36\00:01:08.76 Well, we are also grateful to have with us the author 00:01:08.80\00:01:12.73 of this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson, 00:01:12.77\00:01:15.07 Dr. Jiri Moskala. He is the dean 00:01:15.10\00:01:17.61 of the Theological Seminary at Andrews University 00:01:17.64\00:01:20.84 and also a professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Theology. 00:01:20.88\00:01:25.05 Dr. Moskala, thank you for joining us. 00:01:25.08\00:01:27.48 >>Dr. Jiri Moskala: I am very excited to be here with you. 00:01:27.52\00:01:29.82 >>Eric: This is an incredible story 00:01:29.85\00:01:31.49 that we're going to be going through, 00:01:31.52\00:01:33.12 a journey, in many senses of the word, 00:01:33.15\00:01:36.12 to see how God has led in the past 00:01:36.16\00:01:38.63 and to see how He is leading us today 00:01:38.66\00:01:40.76 and desires to lead us in the future. 00:01:40.80\00:01:42.96 Now, you've written on the book of Exodus 00:01:43.00\00:01:45.67 and on this journey that Moses kind of leads us through. 00:01:45.70\00:01:49.74 Why is this subject, why is this topic, 00:01:49.77\00:01:52.77 why is this book something that you are 00:01:52.81\00:01:55.48 clearly passionate about? 00:01:55.51\00:01:56.95 What about this kind of grabs your attention 00:01:56.98\00:01:59.45 and your heart and compels you to study 00:01:59.48\00:02:02.42 into this subject more deeply? 00:02:02.45\00:02:04.29 >>Dr. Moskala: Well, the book of Exodus is actually 00:02:04.32\00:02:06.29 the foundation because it's part of the Torah, the Pentateuch, 00:02:06.32\00:02:14.23 and the Torah is really what you have in the basis 00:02:14.30\00:02:17.80 for the whole teaching of the Bible. 00:02:17.83\00:02:20.67 And Exodus is a very beautiful narrative, 00:02:20.70\00:02:24.11 is a story about God, how He was leading His people 00:02:24.14\00:02:27.71 out of the difficulties of life, and it was very close 00:02:27.74\00:02:31.28 to my heart. I always was teaching about that, 00:02:31.31\00:02:35.65 but beside lecturing, it was going back also 00:02:35.68\00:02:39.89 to my life, because I was growing up 00:02:39.92\00:02:42.89 in the former Czechoslovakia. 00:02:42.92\00:02:45.63 It was a communist country, and there was some kind 00:02:45.66\00:02:48.36 of oppression there for the religion. 00:02:48.40\00:02:51.23 And the book of Exodus was speaking to my heart 00:02:51.27\00:02:54.90 because this was God who also was hearing our prayers, 00:02:54.94\00:03:00.11 our cries, our frustrations, and He was also helping us. 00:03:00.14\00:03:05.48 So this is certainly one of the backgrounds 00:03:05.51\00:03:08.02 which helped me to really embrace 00:03:08.05\00:03:11.19 the book of Exodus, and when I was invited 00:03:11.22\00:03:13.89 to write about that, I said, "Yes, why not?" 00:03:13.92\00:03:18.46 Because this is really close to my heart. 00:03:18.49\00:03:21.03 >>Eric: So it's something that you're very passionate about. 00:03:21.06\00:03:23.03 It has a personal application based on experiences 00:03:23.06\00:03:25.93 that you've had and something you've been studying 00:03:25.97\00:03:27.94 for many, many years. 00:03:27.97\00:03:29.60 How long, how far back were you asked 00:03:29.64\00:03:32.27 to write about this? Several years ago? 00:03:32.31\00:03:35.34 When did this begin? 00:03:35.38\00:03:36.95 >>Dr. Moskala: Yes, it was, I think, like five years ago 00:03:36.98\00:03:40.15 when I was asked if I would take this task, 00:03:40.18\00:03:42.68 and I said, "Yes, of course. 00:03:42.72\00:03:45.12 This is a excited book." 00:03:45.15\00:03:47.76 It's, you know, a book which brings 00:03:47.79\00:03:50.89 all the biblical themes, biblical teaching together. 00:03:50.93\00:03:55.50 It's part of the Torah, and Torah is not only something, 00:03:55.53\00:03:59.37 you know, like a law, which is iron and cold 00:03:59.40\00:04:05.01 and telling us what to do and what not to do, but Torah, 00:04:05.04\00:04:08.78 this biblical message, is actually God's instruction. 00:04:08.81\00:04:12.78 It's coming from the word "yarah," 00:04:12.81\00:04:15.95 Torah from "yarah," and it's like pointing 00:04:15.98\00:04:18.65 with a finger to the path on which we should go. 00:04:18.69\00:04:22.99 And there are God's instructions, 00:04:23.02\00:04:25.99 and these instructions are not only laws. 00:04:26.03\00:04:28.60 Actually, the first law is coming in chapter 20 of Exodus. 00:04:28.63\00:04:34.50 But there are stories, there are narratives, 00:04:34.54\00:04:37.04 there are songs, there are beautiful conversations, 00:04:37.07\00:04:40.78 and all this is teaching us something deep 00:04:40.81\00:04:45.45 about God and about life and how to relate to God and to life. 00:04:45.48\00:04:50.25 >>Eric: And so we're going to get to at least touch on 00:04:50.29\00:04:53.25 many of these themes as we go through here. 00:04:53.29\00:04:55.62 Of course, we don't have an entire semester 00:04:55.66\00:04:58.66 at the university to go through it. 00:04:58.69\00:05:00.36 We're kind of taking 13 half-hour episodes 00:05:00.40\00:05:02.53 and condensing as much as we can into it, 00:05:02.56\00:05:04.67 but we'll get the most that we can out. 00:05:04.70\00:05:06.50 You also teach at Andrews University. 00:05:06.53\00:05:09.74 I notice you've got a pin on your lapel there. 00:05:09.77\00:05:12.67 >>Dr. Moskala: Yes, it's now very recent pin, 00:05:12.71\00:05:15.11 because university, Andrews University, 00:05:15.14\00:05:17.68 now celebrating 150 years of existence. 00:05:17.71\00:05:22.15 It was first in Battle Creek and then come later 00:05:22.18\00:05:24.65 to the Berrien Springs, Michigan. 00:05:24.69\00:05:27.66 So it's 150 years. And then I have the pin 00:05:27.69\00:05:31.66 of Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 00:05:31.69\00:05:34.00 where I have the privilege to be the dean. 00:05:34.00\00:05:35.96 And we have all the important things 00:05:36.00\00:05:39.23 in this beautiful logo that we need to, you know, 00:05:39.27\00:05:43.34 serve God, we need to prepare how to serve, 00:05:43.37\00:05:46.98 and also to proclaim, and it's all under 00:05:47.01\00:05:50.31 the power of God. 00:05:50.35\00:05:52.08 It's like a flame there representing the Holy Spirit, 00:05:52.11\00:05:56.25 also the Trinity, and also the eternal gospel, 00:05:56.28\00:06:00.36 three-angel message. 00:06:00.39\00:06:02.12 And also the globe is in this setting 00:06:02.16\00:06:06.33 that we are university for the worldwide church. 00:06:06.36\00:06:10.80 >>Eric: Fantastic, taking the gospel 00:06:10.83\00:06:12.13 to all the world, that's wonderful. 00:06:12.17\00:06:14.50 Well, we're gonna get to experience part of that 00:06:14.54\00:06:16.77 as we look at the book of Exodus. 00:06:16.81\00:06:19.07 So I want to dive in to our first chapter here, 00:06:19.11\00:06:21.61 our first lesson. Let's start with a good place to start, 00:06:21.64\00:06:25.85 and that is, what about the meaning 00:06:25.88\00:06:27.38 of the word "Exodus?" What does the word "Exodus" mean, 00:06:27.42\00:06:30.39 and why in the grand scope of the biblical narrative 00:06:30.42\00:06:33.89 is understanding this really important for us? 00:06:33.92\00:06:37.33 >>Dr. Moskala: Well, the word "Exodus" is actually 00:06:37.36\00:06:39.73 from the Greek "Exodos," which means "to go out." 00:06:39.76\00:06:43.93 It's like "ex," "out," and then "odos," like "the way," 00:06:43.97\00:06:49.14 so it is "the way out." 00:06:49.17\00:06:52.04 And yes, it is God who is leading 00:06:52.07\00:06:55.58 in this way out. 00:06:55.61\00:06:57.88 Here, God's people are in Egypt, they are in oppression, 00:06:57.91\00:07:03.15 and God is finding the way in His intervention, 00:07:03.18\00:07:06.35 in His love, in His care, to take these people 00:07:06.39\00:07:09.56 out of Egypt. 00:07:09.59\00:07:12.13 >>Eric: So, we're going to go with them out of Egypt, 00:07:12.16\00:07:15.20 and of course, as the book gets started-- 00:07:15.23\00:07:16.97 and we'll delve into it here very shortly-- 00:07:17.00\00:07:19.13 they're in Egypt, and they would really like 00:07:19.17\00:07:22.24 to be somewhere else. 00:07:22.27\00:07:23.64 >>Dr. Moskala: That's right, and, you know, 00:07:23.67\00:07:25.11 even the word "Egypt," if you take it from "mitzrayim," 00:07:25.14\00:07:29.04 it's like a dual-- it's like God's people 00:07:29.08\00:07:32.11 are in double grip. 00:07:32.15\00:07:35.02 They are there, and they need to be liberated, 00:07:35.05\00:07:39.05 so God wants to lead them out. 00:07:39.09\00:07:41.66 So Egypt is not only like the country, 00:07:41.69\00:07:44.49 but we can take it as a model for us. 00:07:44.53\00:07:47.23 And it was for me, personally, that we are in this grip of sin, 00:07:47.30\00:07:52.30 of difficulties of life, persecution and misery 00:07:52.33\00:07:56.87 and despair, and God who is intervening, 00:07:56.91\00:08:01.34 and He can find the way, to from these difficulties out, 00:08:01.38\00:08:07.92 "ex," so, "exodus," so that He can really bring liberation, 00:08:07.95\00:08:13.89 deliverance, and redemption. 00:08:13.92\00:08:16.59 >>Eric: And we're going to see that as we continue throughout. 00:08:16.62\00:08:18.43 You know, I was in Greece not too long ago, 00:08:18.46\00:08:22.10 and driving along the highways, as you get ready to go off 00:08:22.13\00:08:24.93 on an exit, it's "exodos." "Exodos," right? 00:08:24.97\00:08:28.94 That's the exit sign. >>Dr. Moskala: Exactly. 00:08:28.97\00:08:30.27 >>Eric: So it's the way out. 00:08:30.31\00:08:31.61 So you still see that, day to day, driving through Greece. 00:08:31.64\00:08:34.28 >>Dr. Moskala: Or you're in the building, 00:08:34.31\00:08:35.61 and then you have "exodos," where to go out. 00:08:35.64\00:08:38.58 >>Eric: This is the way to go out, very good. 00:08:38.61\00:08:41.45 How does the book of Exodus begin? 00:08:41.48\00:08:44.29 We've kind of touched on it a little bit. 00:08:44.32\00:08:45.62 How does the book of Exodus begin? 00:08:45.65\00:08:47.12 What are some of the key events that sort of set the stage 00:08:47.16\00:08:50.59 for the story in the book of Exodus? 00:08:50.63\00:08:52.26 >>Dr. Moskala: Well, of course, the book of Exodus 00:08:52.29\00:08:53.96 is continuation of Genesis, and in Genesis, at the end, 00:08:54.00\00:08:59.17 you see after God created everything, 00:08:59.20\00:09:02.34 and sin came and flood, and God called God's people Israel 00:09:02.37\00:09:07.54 to existence through, you know, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 00:09:07.58\00:09:13.82 then you end with Joseph, who is in Egypt, 00:09:13.85\00:09:19.02 and then the whole family is coming to Egypt. 00:09:19.05\00:09:23.53 So--and the book of Exodus in the first verses 00:09:23.56\00:09:27.10 starts with that and is enumerating 00:09:27.13\00:09:30.60 the family of Jacob. 00:09:30.63\00:09:32.50 But what is important is not now the names and so forth. 00:09:32.53\00:09:36.60 The most important is that God is now fulfilling His promises, 00:09:36.64\00:09:41.91 because He said, "I will bless you. You will multiply. 00:09:41.94\00:09:46.21 You will be great in number. You will be successful." 00:09:46.25\00:09:49.45 And now, you have it, right in the very beginning, 00:09:49.48\00:09:53.05 you have this enumeration of the people of God. 00:09:53.09\00:09:57.23 They came, they were 70, and now you read 00:09:57.26\00:10:01.03 in that passage that they are now, 00:10:01.06\00:10:03.40 the Israelites were "fruitful, multiplied greatly, and became 00:10:03.43\00:10:07.20 exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them." 00:10:07.24\00:10:11.24 So it starts with the beautiful message 00:10:11.27\00:10:14.48 that God is fulfilling His Word, fulfilling His blessings. 00:10:14.51\00:10:20.42 His promises are certain, and it starts there. 00:10:20.45\00:10:24.05 So I would say that the whole book 00:10:24.09\00:10:26.25 is like a gospel, and this gospel is about God, 00:10:26.29\00:10:31.73 who is behind all these stories and is leading His people 00:10:31.76\00:10:39.03 to the new journey, and He is with them. 00:10:39.07\00:10:43.00 >>Eric: So we see as the book begins 00:10:43.04\00:10:44.94 that they have indeed been fruitful, 00:10:44.97\00:10:46.78 they have multiplied, but it doesn't take very long 00:10:46.81\00:10:49.44 for us to realize that even though they are numerous, 00:10:49.48\00:10:51.95 their condition is not very good in Egypt. 00:10:51.98\00:10:56.18 So, what was the condition of the Hebrew people 00:10:56.22\00:10:58.75 when Moses was born, and how did that impact his early life? 00:10:58.79\00:11:03.76 >>Dr. Moskala: Yeah, you know, after this beautiful story, 00:11:03.79\00:11:06.43 how God fulfilled His promises, you read that there is now 00:11:06.46\00:11:11.20 new government, new pharaoh in Egypt 00:11:11.23\00:11:13.90 "who did not know Joseph." 00:11:13.94\00:11:17.84 So, he is now trying, when he see this numerous nation, 00:11:17.87\00:11:23.85 to subject them to the service. 00:11:23.88\00:11:27.02 So he see the cheap labor. [chuckles ruefully] 00:11:27.05\00:11:30.89 And we read, you know, right from the very beginning 00:11:30.92\00:11:34.36 of chapter 1, after this, what God made for God's people, 00:11:34.39\00:11:41.66 that there is oppression. 00:11:41.70\00:11:43.73 Then now, there is the first, it's like 18th dynasty in Egypt. 00:11:43.77\00:11:50.47 Before, there were the Hyksos there. 00:11:50.51\00:11:53.24 Now it's changing, and Ahmose is starting 00:11:53.27\00:11:56.58 the dynasty who did not know Joseph-- 00:11:56.61\00:12:01.02 probably personally, of course, he did not know. 00:12:01.05\00:12:04.25 And then you have these other pharaohs 00:12:04.29\00:12:08.49 who make it more and more difficult. 00:12:08.52\00:12:11.56 >>Eric: So it's an interesting situation 00:12:11.59\00:12:13.26 that Moses' family finds themselves in 00:12:13.29\00:12:15.73 when Moses arrives on the scene, and we're going to 00:12:15.76\00:12:18.30 delve into that in just a little bit. 00:12:18.33\00:12:19.63 >>Dr. Moskala: And this is actually probably 00:12:19.67\00:12:21.27 by God's providence that Moses is born, 00:12:21.30\00:12:25.27 because people of God are crying to God, "Lord, help us! 00:12:25.31\00:12:29.81 We are in misery. We are in desperation." 00:12:29.84\00:12:32.78 And then, you hear that God is seeing that misery, 00:12:32.81\00:12:39.45 that God is hearing their cries. 00:12:39.49\00:12:42.16 So God sees the tears of God's people, 00:12:42.19\00:12:45.39 so He decides, "Yes, I will do something." 00:12:45.43\00:12:48.86 And by His providence, He's leading, you know, 00:12:48.90\00:12:52.87 this family to have a baby, 00:12:52.90\00:12:57.34 and this baby is called later Moses. 00:12:57.37\00:13:00.34 >>Eric: And we're going to see how Moses grows up 00:13:00.38\00:13:02.34 and how he helps to set God's people free. 00:13:02.38\00:13:05.35 Before we go there, though, we're going to go to break 00:13:05.38\00:13:07.35 in just a moment, but there is a companion book 00:13:07.38\00:13:10.22 to this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson, 00:13:10.25\00:13:12.02 which you have also written, that kind of goes 00:13:12.05\00:13:14.59 into a little bit more depth and detail in what we're studying. 00:13:14.62\00:13:18.93 Share with us a little bit about that companion book 00:13:18.96\00:13:20.93 and why someone might want to pick that up. 00:13:20.96\00:13:22.93 >>Dr. Moskala: Yes, it was a joy for me to also be an author 00:13:22.96\00:13:26.27 of this companion book because here I can give 00:13:26.30\00:13:29.44 some more details which are not in the quarterly. 00:13:29.47\00:13:33.58 Like in the first chapter, I can speak more 00:13:33.61\00:13:37.41 about this 18th dynasty and explain who was who 00:13:37.45\00:13:45.05 in that family and match 00:13:45.09\00:13:48.12 these names of different pharaohs, 00:13:48.16\00:13:52.46 which are not named in the biblical text, 00:13:52.49\00:13:54.93 with the different verses there. 00:13:54.96\00:13:57.97 So, I think it's a very important companion 00:13:58.00\00:14:02.14 in order to see more about this God of Exodus, 00:14:02.17\00:14:06.34 God of Moses. 00:14:06.37\00:14:07.68 >>Eric: Very good, so if you would like to pick up 00:14:07.71\00:14:09.68 that companion book to the "Sabbath School" lesson, 00:14:09.71\00:14:12.41 you can do so very easily. 00:14:12.45\00:14:14.15 You will find it at itiswritten.shop, 00:14:14.18\00:14:16.69 again, itiswritten.shop. 00:14:16.72\00:14:19.32 Just look for the companion book to this quarter's 00:14:19.35\00:14:21.29 "Sabbath School" lesson by Dr. Jiri Moskala. 00:14:21.32\00:14:25.23 We're going to be back in just a moment 00:14:25.26\00:14:26.49 as we continue delving into the book of Exodus. 00:14:26.53\00:14:30.60 We'll be right back in just a moment. 00:14:30.63\00:14:32.50 [inspiring music] 00:14:32.53\00:14:35.54 >>John Bradshaw: You know that at It Is Written, 00:14:37.57\00:14:39.44 we are serious about the study of the Word of God, 00:14:39.47\00:14:42.61 and we encourage you to be serious 00:14:42.64\00:14:44.98 about God's Word also. 00:14:45.01\00:14:47.02 Well, I want to share with you another way 00:14:47.05\00:14:49.05 that you can dig deeper into the Word of God, 00:14:49.08\00:14:51.79 and here it is: itiswritten.study. 00:14:51.82\00:14:56.79 Go online to itiswritten.study, and you can access 00:14:56.83\00:15:01.00 the It Is Written Bible Study Guides, 00:15:01.03\00:15:04.17 25 in-depth Bible studies that will walk you 00:15:04.20\00:15:07.54 through the Bible. 00:15:07.57\00:15:09.40 It's going to be good for you, and it's the sort of thing 00:15:09.44\00:15:11.91 that you will want to tell somebody else about 00:15:11.94\00:15:15.24 so that they can dig deeper into the Word of God 00:15:15.28\00:15:18.25 and come to know the things of the Bible intimately. 00:15:18.28\00:15:21.92 As you get into the It Is Written 00:15:21.95\00:15:23.42 online Bible study guides, you'll understand 00:15:23.45\00:15:25.85 the prophecies of the Bible, the plan of salvation, and more. 00:15:25.89\00:15:29.49 So don't forget: itiswritten.study, 00:15:29.52\00:15:32.49 itiswritten.study. 00:15:32.53\00:15:34.66 [uplifting music] 00:15:36.90\00:15:41.54 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 00:15:41.57\00:15:43.10 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:15:43.14\00:15:45.14 We are looking at lesson number 1 of 13 00:15:45.17\00:15:48.41 as we study the book of Exodus. 00:15:48.44\00:15:51.41 Dr. Moskala, as we're looking at the book of Exodus, you and I 00:15:51.45\00:15:55.45 already know that this is really a book about how God is working, 00:15:55.48\00:16:00.79 how He is orchestrating things and giving opportunities 00:16:00.82\00:16:04.03 for Moses and His children-- that is, God's children-- 00:16:04.06\00:16:07.23 to glorify Him in the world. 00:16:07.23\00:16:09.53 Talk with us a little about, a little bit about who this God 00:16:09.56\00:16:12.43 of the Exodus is and how is He described 00:16:12.47\00:16:16.10 in terms of His character, of His actions? 00:16:16.14\00:16:19.37 What do we get to know about God through the story of the Exodus? 00:16:19.41\00:16:24.11 >>Dr. Moskala: Well, I am always excited 00:16:24.15\00:16:25.45 when I can speak about the God of Exodus 00:16:25.48\00:16:28.05 because it's the God of Moses, God of hHis people. 00:16:28.08\00:16:31.65 And the whole book is not actually about Israelites 00:16:31.69\00:16:35.59 or about Moses, even though he's the author 00:16:35.62\00:16:38.76 of these beautiful narratives, how God was leading. 00:16:38.79\00:16:43.03 It is the book about God. 00:16:43.06\00:16:45.53 It is real gospel. It's a good news about Him. 00:16:45.57\00:16:50.57 And what I really see in the whole book 00:16:50.61\00:16:54.38 is that beauty of God, beauty of His character, 00:16:54.41\00:16:59.48 because here are the people, and they are His people, 00:16:59.51\00:17:04.69 but of course, they are growing, and they are now in oppression. 00:17:04.72\00:17:10.33 They are praying to God, and we read 00:17:10.36\00:17:12.66 right in the very beginning that they are now crying to God. 00:17:12.69\00:17:17.20 They are groaning in their misery, 00:17:17.23\00:17:20.07 they are in desperation, and I think that this is why 00:17:20.10\00:17:23.54 so many people who are marginalized 00:17:23.57\00:17:26.68 or in oppression or in persecution, 00:17:26.71\00:17:29.41 or they are overlooked, or they are, like, at the periphery, 00:17:29.44\00:17:35.28 you know, and they are in their despair, 00:17:35.32\00:17:38.55 they can relate to the Israelites, 00:17:38.59\00:17:41.96 and then they can relate to God. 00:17:41.99\00:17:44.03 Because you read right here at the end of chapter 2, 00:17:44.06\00:17:49.33 "God heard their groaning and He remembered 00:17:49.36\00:17:52.53 "His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 00:17:52.57\00:17:57.21 "So God looked on the Israelites and [He] was concerned 00:17:57.24\00:18:01.11 about them," so this compassion of God. 00:18:01.14\00:18:04.55 And then you have many stories, and in the stories 00:18:04.58\00:18:10.12 you have how God is seeing their misery, 00:18:10.15\00:18:14.09 hearing their cries, that He is the one 00:18:14.12\00:18:16.89 who is intervening into their lives. 00:18:16.93\00:18:19.46 And it's really the best description of God 00:18:19.49\00:18:24.53 in that book is what I call the John 3:16 00:18:24.57\00:18:28.80 of the Old Testament, 00:18:28.84\00:18:30.81 and this is in Exodus, chapter 34, verse 6 and 7, 00:18:30.84\00:18:34.31 and I am sure that later on we will study this text 00:18:34.34\00:18:36.91 in more details. 00:18:36.95\00:18:39.25 But this is the text which says that the God is this Yahweh God, 00:18:39.28\00:18:45.02 the God of His people who is intervening, close God, 00:18:45.05\00:18:49.16 intimate God, personal God, and this God is gracious, 00:18:49.19\00:18:54.20 compassionate, slow to anger. 00:18:54.20\00:18:57.47 He's full of patience, He's not only love 00:18:57.50\00:19:00.50 but abounding in love, He's faithful, He's forgiving, 00:19:00.54\00:19:04.44 but He's also just, and He's also holy. 00:19:04.47\00:19:07.51 So, you have all this variety of different pictures, 00:19:07.54\00:19:10.95 and if you go through the different stories, 00:19:10.98\00:19:13.38 of course, He is the leader, He is the legislator, 00:19:13.42\00:19:17.95 He is also the warrior who is fighting for His people. 00:19:17.99\00:19:22.39 He is the one who is like the mother or father 00:19:22.42\00:19:25.89 who is taking care of His people. 00:19:25.93\00:19:29.86 The picture on one of them is that God is like the eagle 00:19:29.90\00:19:34.30 who is carrying His people on His back like an eagle, 00:19:34.34\00:19:41.24 you know, the little ones, and that He is really the one 00:19:41.28\00:19:45.55 who is taking care of what they need. 00:19:45.58\00:19:49.28 So, I think that when you read the book of Exodus, 00:19:49.32\00:19:53.09 you must be excited about this God 00:19:53.12\00:19:55.62 because He is not only the mighty, defeating, you know, 00:19:55.66\00:20:00.50 the enemies, defeating Egyptian gods, 00:20:00.53\00:20:03.83 but also intervening for those who were, like, 00:20:03.87\00:20:08.60 on the periphery, marginalized, suppressed, oppressed, 00:20:08.64\00:20:12.54 persecuted, those who are crying to God, 00:20:12.57\00:20:17.21 and God knows their tears. 00:20:17.25\00:20:19.78 And I think that this is a picture that we can know, 00:20:19.81\00:20:22.55 that God knows your tears, my tears, and our tears, 00:20:22.58\00:20:25.75 everyone, and we can be sure that God is for us 00:20:25.79\00:20:30.86 and never against us. 00:20:30.89\00:20:32.69 >>Eric: So we see this picture of God being the one 00:20:32.73\00:20:34.83 who is for us, but in the story, we see some personifications 00:20:34.86\00:20:40.17 of those who are against God and His people, 00:20:40.20\00:20:42.64 and those would be the pharaohs; 00:20:42.67\00:20:44.24 at least, by the time we get to Exodus, 00:20:44.27\00:20:46.44 that's the case. 00:20:46.47\00:20:48.64 Walk us through-- we have a brief amount of time, 00:20:48.68\00:20:51.48 but give us an idea of who these pharaohs were, 00:20:51.51\00:20:54.48 as best we can match the Bible up with world history. 00:20:54.52\00:20:57.79 Who do we think these pharaohs likely were? 00:20:57.82\00:21:00.42 >>Dr. Moskala: You know, that is very interesting 00:21:00.46\00:21:01.92 that when you read through the book of Exodus, 00:21:01.96\00:21:04.93 there is no one pharaoh named. 00:21:04.96\00:21:08.40 You have the story about two ladies, midwives. 00:21:08.43\00:21:13.17 Their names is there, but, like, these pharaohs 00:21:13.20\00:21:18.37 are without name, but they are powerful, of course, 00:21:18.41\00:21:21.71 and they are making misery for God's people. 00:21:21.74\00:21:26.45 They are oppressing them, and they are against 00:21:26.48\00:21:30.79 God's purposes, so they are really fighting 00:21:30.82\00:21:33.69 against God and His people, against His law. 00:21:33.72\00:21:37.06 And when you start with the book of Exodus, 00:21:37.09\00:21:40.30 you can see that you have then, in verse 11 of chapter 1, 00:21:40.33\00:21:45.47 "So they put slave masters over them to oppress them 00:21:45.50\00:21:48.40 with forced labor." 00:21:48.44\00:21:50.84 And the pharaoh of oppression, we can say that was Amenhotep I. 00:21:50.87\00:21:58.21 And then, of course, you have in verse 15, 00:21:58.25\00:22:03.55 that was now the pharaoh of the death decree, 00:22:03.59\00:22:08.06 when he wanted that all boys who will be in--the baby boys 00:22:08.09\00:22:13.80 who will be born need to be killed. 00:22:13.83\00:22:16.80 And this pharaoh, we can say this was Thutmose I. 00:22:16.83\00:22:22.10 And you can go through it. 00:22:22.14\00:22:25.67 But the most famous pharaoh, where we call, like, pharaoh 00:22:25.71\00:22:30.21 of the Exodus, was Thutmose III, and he is called in literature 00:22:30.25\00:22:36.95 like the Napoleon of the 18th dynasty, 00:22:36.99\00:22:42.62 Napoleon of the Middle East. He was very famous. 00:22:42.66\00:22:45.96 He led so many battles and was always victorious. 00:22:45.99\00:22:50.93 So this was, his army was like the most famous, 00:22:50.97\00:22:55.14 splendid army in that time, 00:22:55.17\00:22:58.71 and he was leading everything 00:22:58.74\00:23:02.04 in order to crush God's people and not allow God to do 00:23:02.08\00:23:08.55 what He wanted with His help for the Israelites. 00:23:08.58\00:23:13.96 >>Eric: So you make an interesting point 00:23:13.99\00:23:15.46 that in the Bible, God doesn't name these pharaohs, 00:23:15.49\00:23:18.96 but we can pretty well put together which ones they were 00:23:18.99\00:23:21.23 through looking at history. 00:23:21.26\00:23:22.86 But He does, as you mentioned, name the two midwives. 00:23:22.90\00:23:27.07 Talk with us a little bit about these midwives 00:23:27.10\00:23:29.34 and the role that they played in God's plan. 00:23:29.37\00:23:32.14 >>Dr. Moskala: You know, the name of these two midwives 00:23:32.17\00:23:34.68 is Shiphrah and Puah. 00:23:34.71\00:23:37.55 It is very interesting, it is there, and it is stated, 00:23:37.58\00:23:42.05 like, the characteristic, that they did not fear the pharaoh, 00:23:42.08\00:23:47.69 but they feared the Lord. 00:23:47.72\00:23:50.23 And because they were not afraid of the pharaoh 00:23:50.26\00:23:53.03 and they were not afraid of pharaoh because they feared God, 00:23:53.06\00:23:56.56 and what does it mean to "fear God"? 00:23:56.60\00:23:58.63 It means that they made their decisions in respect, 00:23:58.67\00:24:02.40 in regard of what God wants, not what pharaoh wants, 00:24:02.44\00:24:06.24 but what really the Lord wants. 00:24:06.27\00:24:09.88 And especially when they were under, you know, 00:24:09.91\00:24:14.68 the command of the pharaoh, they did everything possible 00:24:14.72\00:24:19.52 to save the babies, and they did 00:24:19.55\00:24:24.19 because they feared the Lord, and God blessed them. 00:24:24.23\00:24:27.66 This is what we have in the text. 00:24:27.73\00:24:30.10 And then when pharaoh saw that he cannot change it, 00:24:30.13\00:24:33.17 then he ordered even his people to kill these babies. 00:24:33.20\00:24:37.01 So, this is a very, very sad story of Thutmose I, 00:24:37.04\00:24:42.91 who was so afraid that this nation 00:24:42.94\00:24:47.42 will be maybe stronger than they will be, 00:24:47.45\00:24:49.72 and they try to oppress more and more to make their life 00:24:49.75\00:24:53.92 very miserable and subject it to their commands. 00:24:53.96\00:24:57.49 >>Eric: So these two midwives played a significant role 00:24:57.53\00:25:01.23 in preserving Moses' life. 00:25:01.26\00:25:05.43 And let's talk about the birth of Moses very quickly. 00:25:05.47\00:25:09.24 We don't have a lot of time, but the birth of Moses, 00:25:09.27\00:25:11.67 why was that significant? 00:25:11.71\00:25:13.74 And what about the first 40 years of Moses' life-- 00:25:13.78\00:25:18.75 what did that look like? 00:25:18.78\00:25:20.08 And again, we don't have too long, but let's touch on that. 00:25:20.12\00:25:22.08 >>Dr. Moskala: Yes, this was a miracle 00:25:22.12\00:25:24.09 that his life was preserved. 00:25:24.12\00:25:26.45 And we know that when the pharaoh's daughter 00:25:26.49\00:25:28.96 was coming, it was, again, I believe strongly, 00:25:28.99\00:25:32.26 by God's providence. 00:25:32.29\00:25:34.10 And again, from the history, the best fitting lady 00:25:34.10\00:25:38.33 which will be fulfilling that role was the daughter 00:25:38.37\00:25:43.07 of the pharaoh, which was Hatshepsut. 00:25:43.10\00:25:47.51 And this, you know, queen later on 00:25:47.54\00:25:52.18 saved, actually, Moses, and she actually 00:25:52.21\00:25:56.95 gave also the name to Moses, and maybe the name 00:25:56.99\00:26:02.62 was much more longer, like "Thutmoses." 00:26:02.66\00:26:07.96 You know, you have this "Moses" at the end always. 00:26:08.00\00:26:11.27 Maybe because the god of Nile was happy, 00:26:11.30\00:26:16.00 maybe he was happy Moses, like, taken out of the Nile. 00:26:16.04\00:26:23.28 But then biblical narrative always speak about Moses 00:26:23.31\00:26:27.35 as Moses, as the one who is "taken out." 00:26:27.38\00:26:31.55 And this was, like, a big miracle. 00:26:31.59\00:26:35.76 And then, you know, all, everybody know the story 00:26:35.79\00:26:40.30 that then was the sister of Moses 00:26:40.33\00:26:43.67 plays very important role there 00:26:43.70\00:26:45.93 and spoke about the mother 00:26:45.97\00:26:48.87 of the baby, of Moses. 00:26:48.90\00:26:52.17 And then Moses could stay, like, 12 years in the home 00:26:52.21\00:26:56.91 and was educated about the true God, living God. 00:26:56.95\00:27:01.08 Who is He? What is His plan? 00:27:01.12\00:27:04.75 What is His will? What is His teaching? 00:27:04.79\00:27:07.49 So these 12 years, I am strongly persuaded, 00:27:07.52\00:27:11.59 were the formative years. 00:27:11.63\00:27:13.70 And mother, of course, father, and the family, Israelites 00:27:13.73\00:27:17.67 play very important role in it. 00:27:17.70\00:27:20.94 >>Eric: The book of Exodus and the story of Moses 00:27:20.97\00:27:22.67 gives us a lot to think about, 00:27:22.70\00:27:24.67 a lot that we can learn from, and we're going to be continuing 00:27:24.71\00:27:28.01 to learn from this story from the book of Exodus 00:27:28.04\00:27:31.51 as we delve more deeply into the story of Moses, 00:27:31.55\00:27:34.45 the choices that he made, some choices good, 00:27:34.48\00:27:37.72 some maybe not so good. 00:27:37.75\00:27:39.39 But regardless of the choices that he made, God was able 00:27:39.42\00:27:41.72 to work with him to bring about some incredible things. 00:27:41.76\00:27:45.06 And we have just, just scratched the surface today 00:27:45.09\00:27:48.33 as we are beginning this incredible journey 00:27:48.36\00:27:50.87 on the book of Exodus. 00:27:50.90\00:27:53.74 We invite you to join us next week as we continue 00:27:53.77\00:27:57.07 this journey, looking more at the story of Moses, 00:27:57.11\00:27:59.71 more at the story of God, 00:27:59.74\00:28:01.88 and more at the story of you and me. 00:28:01.91\00:28:05.38 We will see you again next week here on "Sabbath School," 00:28:05.41\00:28:08.05 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:28:08.08\00:28:10.55 [uplifting music] 00:28:10.59\00:28:14.59 [uplifting music] 00:28:25.47\00:28:26.94 [Captions provided by Aberdeen Captioning www.aberdeen.io] 00:28:26.97\00:28:29.97