The Book of Exodus
Liberation, Covenant, and the Dwelling of God Among His People
Phase 1 · Foundations
Day 8–12 (Global Day 8–12)
Phase 2 · Depth
Day 92–92 (Global Day 192–192)
Phase 3 · Integration
Day 5–5 (Global Day 205–205)
Phase 3 · Integration
Day 7–7 (Global Day 207–207)
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"I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I am has sent me to you."
Full-page visual overview of The Book of Exodus — key events, themes, and structure at a glance
The Book of Joshua spans approximately 1400 BC and records the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. Written by Joshua himself, it is a story of faith, obedience, military conquest, and covenant renewal.
A new pharaoh arises who does not know Joseph. Israel multiplies and is enslaved. Midwives Shiphrah and Puah defy Pharaoh’s infanticide order — the first act of civil disobedience in the Bible.
Moses is born, hidden in a basket on the Nile, and discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. His mother becomes his nurse. The deliverer grows up in the very house of the oppressor.
Moses kills an Egyptian taskmaster, flees to Midian, marries Zipporah, and tends sheep for forty years. God is silent — but not absent.
The burning bush: fire that does not consume. God reveals His name — I AM WHO I AM (YHWH) — and commissions Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead Israel out of Egypt.
Moses’ objections and God’s responses. Aaron is appointed as spokesman. Moses returns to Egypt. The elders of Israel bow in worship when they hear God has seen their misery.
First confrontation with Pharaoh fails — workloads increase. Moses cries out to God. God reaffirms the covenant and His name: “I am the Lord.”
The Book of Joshua is built around four interlocking theological themes that speak powerfully to modern believers navigating their own "promised lands."
The God Who Sees and Acts
Exodus opens with God hearing the groaning of His people and remembering His covenant (2:24–25). The divine name YHWH — I AM WHO I AM — reveals a God who is not…
Liberation and the Passover Lamb
The Passover is the theological heart of Exodus. An unblemished lamb is sacrificed; its blood is applied to the doorposts; death passes over the households mark…
Covenant at Sinai
The Ten Commandments are not a ladder to climb to God but a charter for a people already redeemed. God does not say, “Obey these commands and I will rescue you.…
The Tabernacle — God Dwelling with His People
The second half of Exodus (chapters 25–40) is almost entirely devoted to the Tabernacle — its design, construction, and consecration. This is not architectural …
Joshua is rich with symbolic imagery operating on multiple levels — historical, theological, and typological. Toggle between the two lenses to explore each symbol's full meaning.
The Burning Bush
Moses encountered a bush that burned but was not consumed on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1–6). This was the site of his divine commission. The burning bush was not a common phenomenon — its uncanny persistence is what drew Moses to look.
Moses encountered a bush that burned but was not consumed on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1–6). This was the site of his divine commission. The burning bush was not a common phenomenon — its uncanny persistence is what drew Moses to look.
The burning bush symbolizes the presence of God — holy, consuming, yet sustaining. It also foreshadows Israel’s experience: a people in the fire of affliction who are not destroyed. In the New Testament, Stephen cites the burning bush as the moment God revealed Himself as the God of the living (Acts 7:30–33). The fire that does not consume is the fire of God’s love.
The Ten Plagues
Each of the ten plagues targeted a specific Egyptian deity: the Nile (Hapi), frogs (Heqet), the sun (Ra). The plagues were not random disasters but a systematic dismantling of Egypt’s religious worldview, demonstrating that YHWH is supreme over every so-called god.
Each of the ten plagues targeted a specific Egyptian deity: the Nile (Hapi), frogs (Heqet), the sun (Ra). The plagues were not random disasters but a systematic dismantling of Egypt’s religious worldview, demonstrating that YHWH is supreme over every so-called god.
The plagues are a cosmic trial: YHWH vs. the gods of Egypt. The verdict is unambiguous. This pattern — God’s judgment exposing the emptiness of idols — runs throughout Scripture. Every idol eventually fails its worshippers. The plagues invite us to examine what we are trusting in besides God.
The Passover Lamb
The Passover lamb had to be without blemish, male, one year old (Exodus 12:5). Its blood was applied to the doorposts with hyssop. The family ate the lamb in haste, dressed for travel. This meal was to be repeated annually as a perpetual ordinance.
The Passover lamb had to be without blemish, male, one year old (Exodus 12:5). Its blood was applied to the doorposts with hyssop. The family ate the lamb in haste, dressed for travel. This meal was to be repeated annually as a perpetual ordinance.
Paul explicitly identifies Christ as our Passover lamb: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). John the Baptist calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Passover is the interpretive key to the cross: substitution, protection through blood, and liberation from bondage.
The Pillar of Cloud and Fire
God led Israel through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day (providing shade and direction) and a pillar of fire by night (providing light and warmth). The pillar moved when Israel was to move and stopped when they were to camp (Exodus 13:21–22).
God led Israel through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day (providing shade and direction) and a pillar of fire by night (providing light and warmth). The pillar moved when Israel was to move and stopped when they were to camp (Exodus 13:21–22).
The pillar is the visible manifestation of God’s presence and guidance. It anticipates the Holy Spirit, who guides believers into all truth (John 16:13). The pillar also connects to the Shekinah glory that fills the Tabernacle and Temple, and ultimately to the glory of God that fills the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23).
The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle (mishkan, meaning “dwelling place”) was a portable sanctuary built according to exact divine specifications. It contained the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place, separated from the Holy Place by a thick curtain. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, once a year on Yom Kippur.
The Tabernacle (mishkan, meaning “dwelling place”) was a portable sanctuary built according to exact divine specifications. It contained the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place, separated from the Holy Place by a thick curtain. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, once a year on Yom Kippur.
John 1:14 says the Word “tabernacled among us” (the Greek word is skenō, the same root as the Hebrew mishkan). Jesus is the true Tabernacle — God’s dwelling among humanity. When Jesus dies, the Temple curtain tears in two (Matthew 27:51), opening access to God’s presence for all. The Tabernacle points to the cross, and the cross points to the New Jerusalem.
These 8 questions are designed for a 60–90 minute small group session. Begin with the icebreaker, then work through observation, interpretation, and application questions. Close with the prayer prompt. Leader's notes are available for select questions.
Have you ever felt “called” to do something that felt far beyond your ability or comfort zone? What happened? How did you respond?
Read Exodus 3:1–14. Moses gives five objections to God's call (3:11, 3:13, 4:1, 4:10, 4:13). How does God respond to each one? What does this pattern tell us about how God handles our doubts and fears?
Compare Exodus 14:10–12 (Israel's fear at the Red Sea) with Exodus 15:1–2 (Israel's song after crossing). What changed between these two moments? What does this rapid shift from fear to praise tell us about human nature and faith?
Exodus 20:2 begins the Ten Commandments with a statement of identity and history: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” Why does God introduce the commandments this way? How does this change how we understand the nature of the law?
In Exodus 32–33, Moses intercedes for Israel after the golden calf incident. He argues that God's reputation is at stake: “What will the Egyptians say?” (32:12). Then he makes the most audacious request in the book: “Show me your glory” (33:18). What does Moses' boldness in prayer reveal about his relationship with God? What does it invite us to?
The Israelites grumbled repeatedly in the wilderness despite witnessing extraordinary miracles. Where do you see a similar pattern in your own life — forgetting past deliverances when facing new challenges? What practices help you remember what God has done?
Exodus 25:8 says God's purpose in the Tabernacle is “that I may dwell among them.” The New Testament says believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). What does it mean for your daily life that God desires to dwell with you — not just visit you?
Close by reading Exodus 33:14 together: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Have each person share one “wilderness” they are currently walking through — a place of uncertainty, waiting, or hardship. Then pray together, asking God for the assurance of His presence in that specific place.
Moses
A Hebrew raised in Pharaoh's palace, called by God to lead his people out of slavery and receive the law on Mount Sinai.
Pharaoh
The king of Egypt whose hardened heart leads to ten devastating plagues and the destruction of his army.
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, appointed as the first High Priest of Israel.
Miriam
Moses' sister, a prophetess who leads the women of Israel in worship after crossing the Red Sea.
God Sees and Hears You
'I have seen their misery and heard their crying.' Whatever you're going through, you are not invisible to God.
Obedience Precedes the Miracle
The priests had to step into the water before it parted. Faith acts first — certainty comes after the step.
Intercession Changes Things
Moses' prayer after the golden calf shows that prayer is not passive — it is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
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