Sabbath School Lesson for July 5-11, 2025
Memory Text: “And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of the taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…’ ” Exodus 3:7, 8 NKJV
What a comfort to know that our cries of despair do not fall on deaf ears. The mighty God we serve hears and does all He can to relieve our suffering. He longs to deliver us from our oppressors and bring us to a place more beautiful than we can imagine.
This land of promise filled with milk and honey may have been the one Isaiah called Beulah land in Isaiah 62:4. It was thought to be a place filled with joy, peace, and prosperity for God’s people. Bordering New Jerusalem, this “good and large” land must have sounded heavenly to the beleaguered Hebrew slaves in Egypt.
The miracle of a burning bush was Moses’ introduction to a divine calling that seemed way beyond his skill set. Moses could not fathom how he could accomplish such a massive undertaking; but God showed him otherwise. It often isn’t easy to accept God’s call. Serving Him can change the direction of our life turning it upside down–not a comfortable position to be in. But in time, when we allow His will to become our own, we find it all worth the initial uncertainty and discomfort.
- Sunday: The Burning Bush
- Monday: The Angel of the Lord
- Tuesday: The Name of the Lord
- Wednesday: Four Excuses
- Thursday: The Circumcision
Sunday: The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-6)
Just as Jesus spent forty days in a wilderness setting before beginning His public ministry, Moses grew closer to God during the quiet, forty years he spent as a shepherd. That time was not wasted. It strengthened him for the incredibly demanding task of leading the Hebrews out of slavery.
God spoke to Moses often during those forty years, inspiring him to write two of the oldest books of the Bible, Genesis and Job. We are blessed with his insights into many themes of salvation, learning much about the God who created and loves us more than we’ll ever deserve.
It took eighty years for Moses to get ready for his public ministry. Remembering this might help us be patient with our own preparation for service. Sometimes, the best spiritual growth is the slow, steady kind. Our humble willingness to do even mundane tasks can prepare us for seemingly impossible works of faith later in life.
Speaking of humility, people of ancient cultures often took their sandals off when entering someone’s home or a sacred space. Knowing that servants and those of lowly status went barefoot helps us understand the reason for removing one’s shoes, as Moses was told to do at the burning bush. For them, it was a sign of humility and respect, putting them on the level of a humble servant in someone’s presence.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 3:1-6
- How might Moses have felt to see such a miracle as this burning bush?
- Why did God tell Moses to remove his sandals?
Monday: The Angel of the Lord (Exodus 3:7-12)
Exodus 3:2 identifies the voice that Moses heard speaking from the burning bush as the “Angel of the Lord”. This voice was more than an ordinary angel and was most likely the Messiah. After all, He said He was the “God of your father” and called the Hebrews “My people” in verses 6 and 7.
How comforting to know that this Angel of the Lord loves us enough to veil His glowing divinity and humbly appear either as a human or an angel, when necessary.
Moses had become more humble after working forty years as a lowly shepherd. But he appeared to have used that humility as an excuse for refusing the task God was giving him. His first response to God’s call was to ask “who am I” to carry out such a challenging mission. That and the rest of their conversation indicated that Moses was hoping God would pick someone else for the dangerous assignment.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 3:7-12
- Why does God need and how does He use our sense of unworthiness to equip us for carrying out His will?
- In what ways and how often do we, like Moses, avoid difficult assignments by pointing out our inadequacies?
- What deficiencies do you use as an excuse not to do God’s will, and how can God help you overcome those feelings of inadequacy?
Tuesday: The Name of the Lord (Exodus 3:13-22)
After Moses questioned his own identity, asking “who am I?”, the reluctant shepherd asked God “who are You?” He reasoned that the Hebrew elders would question him about the God he claimed to represent, and Moses felt unsure of his ability to give them the in-depth reply he would need to gain their confidence.
God told Moses to tell them He was the Lord called I AM, the name commonly used by their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Hebrews would then understand that Moses represented the God of their fathers, the God of the covenant. God went further to say that when he told them about the plans God had for their escape from the Egyptians, they would surely support his effort to secure their release from their cruel taskmasters.
While it’s good to want to know the deeper meaning of God’s name, we must remember that there is nothing mythical or magical about His name. We shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help from the great I AM, or Yahweh. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”, according to Joel 2:32 NIV. It is a great privilege, therefore, to use His name and call on Him for help.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 3:13-22
- Why did Moses want to know God’s name, and what did God tell him?
Wednesday: Four Excuses (Exodus 4:1-17)
Moses had a third question for God, as he continued to grasp for an excuse not to answer God’s call. He asked, “What if they don’t listen to or believe me?” But God anticipated this concern. He demonstrated for Moses two signs that would surely show the Hebrew elders that he was sent by their awesome God of miracles.
First, Moses was told to throw his rod down to the ground. It immediately became a snake, which Moses was instructed to pick up by the tail, causing it to turn back into a rod. Then God told Moses to put his hand inside his cloak and then bring it out. It was seen as leprous, but after covering it again inside his cloak and bringing it out, it would be healed. To further prove His point, God told Moses that he could take some water from the river, which would become blood when he poured it onto the ground.
After four decades of not using Hebrew or the Egyptian language, it’s perhaps understandable why Moses then pointed out that he was not an eloquent speaker. He would certainly stumble to find the right words to convey his message. God countered with a reminder that God would teach him how to speak.
When Moses finally asked God to choose someone else, God, although upset by this suggestion, revealed that his brother Aaron was on the way to join him, erasing his final attempt to dodge his duties.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 4:1-17
- What were the signs that Moses was given to prove that he was sent by God, and why do you think they would impress the Hebrews?
Thursday: The Circumcision (Exodus 4:18-31)
Traveling with his wife Zipporah and two sons to meet his brother Aaron on the way to Egypt, the last half of Exodus 4 tells how Moses was told by God that his neglect of a known duty threatened his life.
It was likely that Zipporah was the one who had persuaded Moses not to circumcise their youngest son. See Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 255-6. For whatever reason, the requirement to circumcise all Hebrew boys back then had been overlooked, and Moses’ wife, not wanting to lose her husband, took the duty upon herself and performed the bloody ritual.
The “bloody foreskin” that Zipporah threw at Moses’ feet symbolized the atonement and covenant the Israelites had made with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not circumcising one of their sons as an infant might seem like a minor detail, but it reminds us that there is no sin, large or small, that doesn’t hurt our heavenly Father, and may even hinder His ability to protect us.
Verses and questions:
Exodus 4:18-31
- Why do you think Moses had not circumcised his second son?
- What characteristics of God do we learn about in these verses?
Friday: Final Thoughts
It might be helpful to know a bit about the pharaoh Moses would have to deal with to understand his reluctance to take on God’s enormous assignment.
Moses’ adoptive mother Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I, had married the pharaoh Thutmose II. But Thutmose II had another son by a concubine, whose name was Thutmose III. Moses knew well this son of the concubine during his years of palace education. There surely had been competition, distrust, and jealousy between them there. No wonder Moses’ life was in danger when he killed an Egyptian and had to flee to Midian.
Thutmose III was now on the throne. Knowing the potential danger to himself, we can perhaps appreciate more fully Moses’ hesitancy in returning to the tumultuous palace of his youth.
Next Week: Rough Start
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