Sabbath School Lesson for July 12-18, 2025
Memory Text: “Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharoah, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.” ‘ And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.’ ” Exodus 5:1-2 NKJV
Spoken defiantly, and even boastfully, Thutmose III expressed his contempt for the God of Israel without apology. It must have been disheartening for the elderly brothers to see their proposal ridiculed with such scorn right at the beginning of their negotiations with the pharaoh.
The rough start that Moses and Aaron experienced though once they got to Egypt did not just include the almost expected stubbornness of the one on the throne. Their first encounters with the elders of Israel were most difficult and unpleasant as well.
In the middle of these frustrating dialogues, Moses thought to include a family list of the Hebrew elders who questioned God’s ability to deliver them. Despite their refusal to accept him at first, Moses wanted to include all the names of the Israelites affected by the miraculous events that were about to take place. Those names were evidently more important to God than the names of all the pharaohs, whom Moses never identified by name in his account.
- Sunday: Who Is the Lord?
- Monday: A Rough Start
- Tuesday: The Divine “I”
- Wednesday: Uncircumcised Lips
- Thursday: Like God to Pharaoh
Sunday: Who Is the Lord? (Exodus 5:1-3)
Moses simply stated what the Lord expected of Pharaoh–that the Hebrews be allowed to have a feast of worship in the wilderness, just three miles outside their designated homes in Goshen.
Negotiations often begin with requirements that are easily accepted by both parties, with further talks anticipated that have the possibility of even more satisfactory outcomes. But it appeared from this terse conversation that the pharaoh would have nothing of any negotiated settlement.
The haughty king even suggested that the Hebrews were just being lazy, and thus increased their already heavy workload. Surely, it may have been in his thinking, too, that the new orders to collect their own straw for making bricks would give them no further time to plot against him and his kingdom.
The atheistic tendency of kingdoms that deny the existence of God was seen in the actions and attitudes of Egypt. A similar spirit of rebellion led to the French Revolution and other godless societies. Isaiah 30:1-3 describes how such widespread denial of God leads to shame and humiliation.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 5:1-3, Isaiah 30:1-3, and Revelation 11:8
- What kind of thinking was behind Pharaoh’s answer to Moses’ request?
- Why does the denial of God so often lead to a lawless, disobedient society? Give examples.
Monday: A Rough Start (Exodus 5:4-21)
It must be remembered that the Egyptians had long been at odds with the Hebrews. Joseph had even told his brothers that they should be careful how they presented themselves to Pharaoh, because nomadic shepherds were an “abomination” in Egypt’s agrarian culture (Genesis 46:34). Also, lambs and rams were among those animals thought to be sacred, and to use them for food, as the Hebrews did, was repulsive in their thinking.
Moses and Aaron surely had difficulties ahead of them. They expected Pharoah to be obstinate–God had even forewarned them that his heart would be hardened (Exodus 4:21). However, the brothers most likely didn’t expect just how difficult the Hebrew elders would become.
The elders initially believed the announcement of their mission when they realized that God was about to answer their longings to be free. But when the first attempt to speak to Pharaoh led to more hardship and toil, they let it be known that they were not happy with the outcome. Their bitter cry of “Let the Lord look on you and judge” must have been extremely hurtful for Moses and Aaron. But it would not be the last time complaints would be made against the way God was leading them.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 5:4-21 and Genesis 46:34
- Why was Pharaoh so distrustful of the Hebrew slaves?
- What was behind their cruel treatment and how would the king’s new decree make their lives even more unbearable?
Tuesday: The Divine “I” (Exodus 5:22, 23-6:1-8)
After the Hebrew elders complained to Moses and Aaron about making their lives more difficult, Moses questioned God with a similar complaint. It even sounded like he was blaming God when he said, “Why have you brought trouble on this people?” (Exodus 5:22).
God’s patient answer revealed more fully His purposes, clarifying the mission to which Moses had been called. Several times, the Lord used the word “I”, reminding him of His divine name as the great “I AM”.
He declared: I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I established my covenant with them; I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians; I till take you as my people; and I will bring you into the land promised to your fathers.
Moses and Aaron thus had a clear mandate for what their goals should be and what the final outcome would be. It was simply up to them to trust God and go where He wanted them to go and say what He wanted them to say. God would handle the details.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 5:22-23 and 6:1
- What kind of feelings must Moses have had when he came to God with these questions?
- When is it okay for us to question or complain to God about things that trouble us?
- What other Bible characters have asked similar questions of God?
Exodus 6:2-8
- Why did God give Moses such a comprehensive reply, unfolding who He was and what He planned to do for them?
Wednesday: Uncircumcised Lips (Exodus 6:9-13)
Asaph, a Levite singer and musician during David’s reign, mirrored the feelings of Moses at this point in his life. Psalm 73 reveals how Asaph was also grieved and confused. But God spoke reassuringly and promised to be close by, holding him by the hand and guiding him through his troubles.
Even after God’s clear response, meant to soothe his worried mind, Moses could only reply that he was a man of “uncircumcised lips”. In other words, his overpowering sense of unworthiness had returned. It was probably more than a lack of linguistic ability this time (being “slow of speech” as he had pointed out earlier to God–Exodus 4:10). He most likely felt inadequate to be God’s spokesperson. He felt like Isaiah when he cried to God that he was “a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5), and Jeremiah, saying that he was just a youth (Jeremiah 1:6).
Jesus often uttered words that indicated His desire to be with us and not forsake us, offering us peace of mind instead of worry and fear (Matthew 28:20, John 14:27, and 16:33). In the Garden of Gethsemane though, even Jesus had a fearful dread of being forsaken by the Father and asked that His cup of suffering be taken away from Him (Matthew 26:39).
Verses and questions:
Exodus 6:9-13 and Psalm 73:21-26
- Why was this command to go and speak to Pharaoh again so upsetting for Moses?
- When have you felt it was almost impossible to do something you knew the Lord wanted you to do, and how did you or could you have find the strength to do it anyway?
Thursday: Like God to Pharaoh (Exodus 6:14-7:7)
Thinking about the family names of Moses and Aaron, found listed at the end of chapter six, may have encouraged them to continue their unpleasant mission. After all, they were doing it for family–always a strong motivating factor when we have unpleasant things to do.
God further helped them understand their roles by pointing out that in their dealings with Pharaoh, Moses would represent God and Aaron would be his prophet or mouthpiece. This unusual role of Moses was needed at the time, in order to impress the haughty ruler that he was actually dealing with God Himself. Anything less than God would never have been enough to get them free from Egyptian bondage.
Once again, they were forewarned that Pharaoh would not be easy to win over. His hard heart would make their efforts extremely difficult. But in the end, at least the Egyptians would be impressed with the signs and wonders God was about to unleash on their land. “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord…”, as it says in Exodus 7:5.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 6:14-27
- Why was this list of family names important enough to be in the account of the Exodus, and why do you think we see it here in chapter six?
Exodus 6:28-30 and 7:1-7
- Why was Moses told that he represented God to the pharaoh? Does that mean he was actually equal with God? Why or why not?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 at the beginning of their mission to help the Hebrews escape slavery (Exodus 7:7). It’s encouraging to know that God can equip people for ministry, no matter what their age. Throughout Scripture, people who were young, old, or somewhere in between, were called and used by God as they were needed.
Something else to ponder about their ages is how God often used the younger, rather than the older brother, for a bigger role in ministry. Abel was younger than Cain–Jacob was slightly younger than Esau–Joseph was one of the younger brothers of Jacob. Even in Christ’s parable about the prodigal son, it was the youngest one who shines in the story. This reminds us that “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). In order to lead, we must serve.
Most of the time, these younger ones strayed or made mistakes in judgment at first, but God helped them in the end. This is perhaps why we identify with them so well. Each of us have strayed, and we all need hope that our life stories will end well. These stories in the Bible resonate with all of us. They help us understand what redemption is all about.
Next Week: The Plagues
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