Sabbath School Lesson for June 28-July 4, 2025
Memory Text: “…the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” Exodus 2:23-25 NKJV
Many people around the world today have been oppressed and abandoned, with no apparent hope for a better future in sight. But their voices of despair are heard by our merciful God in heaven. He feels cries of pain and is doing all He can to bring an end to the undeserved suffering of His children, wherever they are.
Seeing how the Hebrews became slaves in Egypt and the courage they had in resisting their harsh taskmasters, we discover that God did all He could to rescue them from their forced servitude. Looking at the first forty years of Moses’ life causes us to know that God not only hears our cries for help, but actively intervenes in miraculous ways to help us overcome our difficulties.
The book of Exodus is a story of redemption and deliverance that is an encouragement for all God’s people. We can be assured that our caring God is still guiding us into the Promised Land, the New Jerusalem in heaven.
- Sunday: God’s People in Egypt
- Monday: The Historical Background
- Tuesday: The Hebrew Midwives
- Wednesday: Moses Is Born
- Thursday: A Change of Plans
Sunday: God’s People in Egypt
Even though the book of Exodus is a book about the Hebrews coming out of Egypt, their exit or exodus, that is not the original name of the book. The original Hebrew name meant “names”. Notice the first verse in Exodus says, “Now these are the NAMES of the children of Israel who came to Egypt…” It’s nice to know that the names of people aren’t overlooked in Moses’ book about the mass departure, or exodus of God’s children. How sweet to discover that all our names are inscribed on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16).
God was watching over the Israelites, which was why they kept multiplying and becoming more of a threat to the Egyptians. The more their taskmasters afflicted them, the more they increased.
It must have seemed like it could get no worse for the Hebrew slaves. Each new Pharoah on the throne caused them more hardship and toil than the previous one. But, God had not deserted them. Things would eventually turn in their favor.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 1:1-7, Genesis 15:5, 46:27, and Exodus 12:37
- Why do you think the Hebrews kept growing in numbers like they did?
- In what ways do our afflictions cause us to increase, or grow stronger?
Exodus 1:8-12
- Why did the Egyptians feel threatened by the Hebrews?
- What historical or current equivalent do you see here? When have people who have increasing populations been feared by those whose numbers are dwindling?
Monday: The Historical Background
It’s helpful to know the story in Genesis 37 of how Joseph came to be in the land of Egypt. His jealous brothers had sold him to some Ishmaelite merchants who were traveling to Egypt. But God kept blessing faithful Joseph until he managed to ingratiate himself with Egypt’s top ruler and became second in command under Pharoah. See Genesis 41:41-44.
God must have been quietly working behind the scenes during this seemingly difficult period in the life of Joseph. Years later, when his father Jacob and his brothers were experiencing a severe drought, Joseph was able to keep them alive by allowing them to stay and live in Egypt under his protective hand.
After several generations, however, the rulers of Egypt had forgotten Joseph. So, each new pharaoh caused the Hebrews to labor and suffer more. The first Pharoah mentioned in the book of Exodus (Exodus 1:8) is thought to be Ahmose (1580-1546 B.C.). Seeing how strong the Hebrews were becoming, he was the first to enforce their labor in the hopes of weakening their numbers and influence.
Verses and questions:
Genesis 41:41-44 and Exodus 1:8
- How had Joseph risen to such a prominent position of leadership, when he had started out as a slave, and why was his story later forgotten by those who sat on the throne?
- What does Joseph’s story tell us about God’s desire to free us from our bondage of sin?
Hebrews 11:22
- What do we learn here about the kind of faith Joseph had?
Tuesday: The Hebrew Midwives
It’s interesting to note that Moses chose not to mention any of the pharaohs by name. Egyptians believed their pharaohs were directly related to one of their pagan gods. Therefore, their names were derivatives of some deity, such as Ahmose and Thutmose. The god of the Nile River was Hapi. Therefore, Moses’ full name was probably Hapi-mose, meaning he was “born of” or “drawn from” the god of the Nile. It’s not surprising then that Moses never referred to his full name, as it would have given attention to the god of the Nile.
Two women are named, however, in the beginning of Moses’ account. He revealed that the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, feared God and refused the cruel command of the Egyptian ruler to kill all the baby boys who were born. When asked about their negligence, they cleverly explained that the Hebrew women were so robust that they gave birth before the midwives could get to them.
The angry pharaoh then commanded all Egyptians to kill Hebrew male babies. This was sadly the first recorded time that Jews were to be killed merely for being Jews.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 1:12-22, Romans 13:1, and Acts 5:29
- Why did the midwives refuse the unusual command of the king?
- When does our obedience to manmade laws require our compliance, and when does it require our disobedience?
Wednesday: Moses Is Born
Everyone loves the story of Moses’ birth and how he survived the death decree for male Hebrew babies. His parents Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), both Levites, saw the infant as a “goodly”, “beautiful”, “fine”, or “special” child. The Hebrew word tob used to describe him is the same word used in Genesis 1 to describe the world God created.
Both the daughter of Moses’ parents, Miriam, and the daughter of Thutmose I, Hatshepsut, were instrumental in saving baby Moses from a cruel death. Instead of drowning in the Nile, God used the Nile River to save Moses. Once again, God doesn’t want us to forget how essential women were to the Lord’s plan for our salvation.
Some Bible scholars speculate that Moses only spent two or three years under the care of his mother Jochebed while she nursed him. However, the Christian author Ellen G. White believed he spent twelve years with his Hebrew family before he began his education with the Egyptians.
Twelve years was the typical age when a boy leaves childhood and transitions into adulthood–both in Hebrew and ancient Egyptian culture. So, this may be a better estimate of how long Moses spent with his Hebrew family. After all, Moses later remembered and treasured his Hebrew upbringing, which would have been difficult if he’d only been a toddler (Acts 7:23).
Verses and questions:
Exodus 2:1-10, Acts 7:23, and Hebrews 11:23-25
- How important is faith in the story of Moses? Who had faith and how did they get it?
Thursday: A Change of Plans
The miraculous way Moses’ life was spared as a baby was certainly an indication that God had plans for him. We learn in Acts 7:23 that he was forty years old when he killed an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew slave.
This caused Moses to flee toward Arabia to escape punishment for his unwise, impulsive act. He found himself sitting down by a well in Midian (Exodus 2:15). Just as others had their lives changed by meetings at a well, Moses’ spiritual life was changed for the better by those he encountered at the well in Midian. It was God’s plan for him to spend the next forty years as a shepherd in the house of Jethro, drinking the living water that flows from God’s throne in heaven.
God may have had plans for Moses to ascend to the throne of Egypt, so he would be like another Joseph and allow the Hebrews to return to Canaan. But God is willing to change His plans, when our disobedience gets in the way. We understand this better when we recall Romans 8:28, which assures us that all things work together for good to those who love God…”
Verses and questions:
Exodus 2:11-25 and Romans 8:28
- What happened that drastically changed the direction of Moses’ life?
- Was it God’s plan for Moses to kill an Egyptian? What can we learn from this story?
- At what other wells in the Bible narrative do we find the lives of people changing for the better?
- Why does Jesus refer to Himself as the living water?
Friday: Final Thoughts
We all have chapters of hardship in our lives, but God has plans for each of us to serve Him in some way, just like He did for Moses. The closer we are to God, the more we know what that service is, and the more we love doing it.
Like in Moses’ experience, events occur beyond our control, and even unwise actions that we are responsible for, often sidetrack God’s original plan for us. Thankfully though, God is capable of shifting gears and adjusting His plans to fit our needs, if we’re willing to let Him.
It’s important to recognize God’s blessings, even the less obvious ones, and lift them up to Him with prayers that include both praise and our petitions. As in the case of Moses, God hears those prayers, understands and is moved by them, and finally intervenes and acts on our behalf.
Next Week: The Burning Bush
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