ASHLEY McNARY

this study guide belongs to

REDEFINEHER.COM | ©2016 ASHLEY McNARY

 TA B L E of CONTENTS

session one :: EXODUS 1-5

“A P R O M I S E M A D E ” ....1

session tw o :: EXODUS 6-11

“A P L A N I N P L A C E ” . . . . 23

session thr ee :: EXODUS 12-15

“A J O U R N E Y O F T R U S T ” . . . . 43

session four :: EXODUS 16-19

“A G O D W H O P R O V I D E S ” . . . . 59

session fi ve :: EXODUS 20-24

“A C O V E N A N T D R A W N ” . . . . 77

session six :: EXODUS 32-34

“ A B E T R A Y A L” . . . . 95

session se ven :: EXODUS 25-31

“A PAT H T O W O R S H I P ” . . . . 111

Fam ily tr ee . . . . 4-5

Pla gues . . . . 28

Harden in g o f Ph a r o a h ’s h ea r t . . . . 29

An cien t Jewish Wed din g . . . . 64-65

 a note from me to you

I F YOU HA D ASK ED M E I F I EVE R T HOU GH T I WOU LD WRIT E A BIBLE

ST U DY, I WOULD HAV E SA I D “N O.” Then, on a journey through reading the Old
Testament, I found myself struggling with what I read. For much of it, I was frustrated,
doubt-filled, and confused. Yet I was also intrigued, inspired, and filled with excitement.

I clearly felt God asking me to look beyond the words on the page and see His heart.
And so I did. What I discovered about the heart of God and His loving pursuit of us over-
whelmed me.

And changed everything for me.

In what felt like a step of obedience, I decided to teach what I was learning, discovering,
and processing to the women at my church. That shared learning experience that was
amazing. So now another step of obedience is sharing this journey with you.

I am humbled and blessed that you are joining me on this journey of discovery through the
Book of Exodus.

H e r e are a f ew t i ps t h at may b e help ful to yo u b efo r e yo u b eg in:

• You will need your Bible. We will be reading through a few chapters in Exodus each
week and you will want to follow along.

• I will be reading from the New Living Translation. If you don’t already have that
version, others will work, but NLT will make following along easier.

• Get ready…we will be reading and studying almost every word from the book of
Exodus. We won’t be skipping over the tough, the awkward, or the seemingly boring.

• The study will work best when you complete the exercises in this study guide each
week before the group/teaching session.

• When you meet together for each session, spend some time discussing what you
processed through in your study guide the week before. Be honest, be open, be
vulnerable. When you take the step to do these things, it gives others permission to
do the same.
I want you to know I am praying that God will reveal His heart to you in the same way He
did with me. I want to encourage you to also wrestle with, and be challenged by this study
of Exodus. Beyond everything else, I am praying that you are overwhelmed and blessed
by God’s relentless pursuit of us… of you.

With Love,

a note about this downloadable PDF

Thank you so much for purchasing the downloadable Exodus study guide! I am thrilled
that you have chosen to study Exodus with me! I pray that God shows you more of who
He is as you dig through the pages of this book. God really has come for our rescue.

This study guide was originally designed as a square booklet. As such, we have retained
the extra space in the top and bottom margins in this letter-sized version for you to be able
to write any additional thoughts and notes.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

– permission to print –

Dear Print Shop:

You have my written permission to print the following pages, per your client’s
instructions.

Sincerely,
Ashley McNary
 session one
A PROMISE MADE

EXODUS 1-5
 A DAM A DA M

CA I N ACA IN
B EL SAB EL
ETH S ET H

N OA H NOA H
SH EM SH AM
H EM HJAP
AM ET H JAP ET H

TERA H T ERA H
the line of adam

A B RAM A BR AM
I SA
I S HM
I S HM A EL AC I SA AC
A EL
O B (JAC
ESAU
ESAU JAC I SR O B ( I S RA EL)
AEL)

S I ME ONSI M EO N J UDA H J UDA H N A PH TANLA

I P H TA L I ASH E R ASH E R ZEB ULUN
ZEB ULUN EN JA M I N
B EN JA MBI N
RUEB ENRUEB EN LEV I LEV I DA N DA N GA D GA D I SSAC H A
I SRSAC HA R J O S EP HJ O S EP H

4
 session one

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

1) How familiar are you with the book of Exodus? (There is no right
answer! It is just fun to see and acknowledge that we are all here with
different backgrounds.)

2) What is something that stood out to you from the teaching that you
didn’t know? Is there anything new that you learned about God today
from the text?

Maybe we read something about His character, or His love, or His

concern, or just His presence?

3) Even though we are keeping the teaching about the narrative, were
you able to draw any applications from what we studied? Is there any-
thing that spoke to you about your life and how God works?
 session one :: A PROMISE MADE

S O W E H A V E B E G U N O U R J O U R N E Y . We’ve all opened our Bibles and be-

gun to dig. And there is so much more to find. Are you excited? Have you seen new things?
Has God become bigger? Grander? More confusing? Are you ready to continue to discov-
er more about our God? To wrestle through some things? To live in some tensions?
Me too.

We have only had a glimpse of the amazing story that God is going to write with an ex-
cuse-filled shepherd, a nation of men, women, and children living under extreme oppres-
sion and a king who has yet to see what the True King can do.

I hope that while digging into the story, you became alive at the sight of how much is
packed into five little chapters in the book of Exodus. God’s Word is fascinating and
rich and deep and when we see God’s power and handiwork, it should leave us standing
amazed.

Exodus is an amazing picture of God and the coming of His Son, Jesus. It’s a historical
account of the nation of Israel and God’s unique and complete provision. It’s prophetic,
astounding, confusing, interesting and it will open our eyes to see the bigness of the God
 A P R O M I S E M A D E

we serve, as well as keep us on the edge of our seats. It is a story that will ignite a passion
for God’s Word: the written account of God’s relentless pursuit of His people. We are not
the central character. The book of Exodus is not about you. It’s not about me. It is about
God. And that is enough. It is refreshingly enough.

I have always seen the Bible as a collection of cool stories of great men and women of
our faith. I was wrong. The stories are wild. The men and women are not always great.
I mean, not at all. They are honestly pretty messed up. A lot of them do horribly dumb
things and don’t trust God and argue with Him and whine and complain and disobey over
and over again. But I have come to realize that the Bible isn’t about the characters. The
Bible is about God. The narrative is telling the story of a God bringing His creation back
to Himself.

As we have acknowledged in the teaching, we want to take time to read the story of God
delivering His people and not think about ourselves. But it would be foolish if we didn’t
take time to reflect what this means for us. Because the God of the Israelites is the God of
me. And the God of you. He is our God. Our I AM.

So each week, we will take time on our own to reflect how the narrative that we studied in
Exodus truly echoes through generations and to our own lives.

Although the account is not about us, it is for us. Our lives, our battles, our hope and
our future are all echoes of the Book of Exodus. If we pay close attention, we’ll discover
a love that God has for us, for His people, that will take our breath away. We’ll see that
truly “His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.”

Are you ready? Are you ready to explore, to dig, to discover the God of Exodus? The God
that we serve? The God who continues to deliver His people?
 session one

Buckle up. It’s going to be an exhilarating ride.

About a year ago, I was feeling the pressure not to miss my calling. From an early age,
I have had the desire to do something with my life that mattered. That made a difference
in this world. I was reading books about vision and purpose and I had this overwhelming
tension building that somehow I was going to miss it. That I would miss my calling. That I
would be too busy being scared or living life that I would somehow miss out on my grand
destiny.

At the time I was knee deep in the book of Exodus and God began to reveal some things
about “calling” and “purpose” that I had not seen before. And He began to show me some
of the ugliness that was wrapped up in this desire to make a difference.

If I am honest, much of my fear of missing my calling was wrapped up in a desire to

prove myself. I wanted to prove myself to people, prove that I practiced what I preached.
But even harder to swallow was that I wanted to prove myself to God: that I was worthy
enough to be on His team. I was so grateful for the blessings in my life that I felt like I
owed it to Him to offer back a “big life”.

I would get caught up in comparing dreams and visions and let myself feel either pride
from the seeming “bigness” of my dreams, or feel insecure about the “smallness” of them
compared to others.

And in a moment of feeling the burden of it all, standing in my kitchen cooking Kraft
macaroni and cheese, I felt God asking me to lay it down. To take all my dreams and plans
and visions for my life; to take my desire for calling and purpose and lay it down.
 A P R O M I S E M A D E

As I stirred the neon-orange fake cheese powder into the noodles, I made a conscious
choice to obey. I laid it all down. I took a mental note of all my dreams and visions and
gifts and talents and insecurities and laid them down. I surrendered it all. I let go of it all.
I felt God saying, “Choose Me. I am enough.”

And I found freedom.

And peace.

Over the next few days, God continued to bring to mind Moses and his excuses. He re-
minded me that all true visions are His anyway; He gifts them to us- and like Moses –
when they are His will – there is very little we can do to get in the way. I mean, Moses
flat-out said, ”Don’t make me go!” And yet God wouldn’t let him run.

And then as I continued to read through the Old Testament, I continually saw how it was
God Himself who chose to use people, and even when they flat-out ran away, he used
them anyway.

Gideon tells God He isn’t from the right tribe, He should choose someone else. God uses
Him anyway.

Jonah literally runs from His calling, jumps off a boat to what he thinks is his death, and
God saves him. God uses Him anyway.

David waits and waits to be made king and has to fight for his position for much of his
life. God uses him anyway.

The entire nation of Israel continues to turn away from God, breaking the covenant. But
 session one

God uses them as the vessel to bring redemption anyway.

God works through us anyway. I began to see that when God is at work, it’s hard to “miss
it.” Because here is what I am realizing is the key to calling: our calling isn’t about our
impact on the world. Our calling, any calling, is always for the good of the people God is
yearning to save. His focus seems to be on those who need to know Him, those who need
to see Him, those who need to be freed through the grace and truth of Him. I am finding
that calling has very little to do with you or me and what our “job” or purpose is; it has
everything to do with WHO the calling is for.

I remember sitting in my bathtub and audibly telling God, “I want to be about You. Not
my purpose, not my calling, not my life. I want to be about You. And whatever that means.
However ‘big’ or ‘small’ that is, I want to be about You. I only want You.”

And it was in this that I found rest.

 A P R O M I S E M A D E

Have you ever felt an inner tension to make your life matter?
Or have you felt that you would somehow “miss it”?
 session one

How would you define “a life that matters”?

 A P R O M I S E M A D E

Is it possible that you have fallen into the trap of seeking your purpose or
your calling more than seeking Jesus? Explain why or why not.
 session one

M O S E S W A S O N T H E R U N F R O M H I S P A S T and working a simple,

common job. No one would have guessed God would use him to be the one to deliver
God’s people. Did you notice that God chose to use a simple object as the representation
of His power? God told Moses to use his staff, a shepherd’s staff, to reveal the power and
glory of God. This is just the beginning of God showing up and using what seems com-
mon to display His power. If you flip further in the Old Testament, He uses trumpets and
shouts to take down a city, and uses Samson’s hair to destroy the Philistines. And then in
the New Testament God uses Peter’s shadow and Paul’s handkerchief and apron to heal
the sick. Common objects and unlikely people. Think about the things in your life, the
skills, talents, possessions, qualities you have that seem “normal”. What do you have in
your hand? At your fingertips? Is it possible that God might want to use THAT to bring
about His work? Take some time to do an inventory of what you have. Begin to identify
the common in your life.

To get you started, create space in your life to do this next exercise. Carve out time to go
through this next question. These prompts are not going to be completed in 10 minutes.
This will take some dedicated thought. You may need to come back to this question this
week, or even throughout this study, adding more items to each list.
 A P R O M I S E M A D E

Walk through your house. Look around. What do you have?

List things that might even seem silly. What stands out?
What do you have that is of value to you?
 session one

Now look at your calendar. Look to the past 90 days.

What activities are you creating value around? What do you enjoy doing?
What fills your time? List those.
 A P R O M I S E M A D E

Now think about the things you are good at. List your spiritual gifts if you
know them (1 Corinthians 12:4-10 // Romans 12:6-8). List talents and skills that
you have. It could be public speaking or cooking food. It could be leading a
business or engaging with kids. Ask people who know you to help you with
this list. This is not a time to be humble.
 session one

T A K E A L O O K A T Y O U R L I S T S . Do you believe that God could use the things

on your lists for His purposes? When you think about God using what is ordinary, does
that excite you? Does it make you nervous? Does it change how you view what you have?
It does for me. I often keep waiting for the “magic bullet” to find its way into my life so
that I can use it that to do big things for God. I tend to see what I have as too common
for a big God. But the more I think about it, the more common the tool, the bigger God
it takes to make it useful. I stop and recognize that God just wants to use what I have.
He told Moses, “Look in your hand,” and I think He asks the same of us: “Look in your
hand.” Let’s look in our hands. Let’s look at what we already have that He has given us
and begin to see that He can use it to display His glory. Would you have the courage to
pray this prayer?

“God, those things I listed all seem so mundane. But you used a shepherd’s staff.
Show me how you want to use my ‘ordinary’ to do the extraordinary.”

Ok. Now pray it again.

Now watch. And wait. And allow God to show you what He wants to use and how.
 session two
A PLAN IN PLACE

EXODUS 6-11
 session two

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) Share some of the “normal” or common things that you listed in last
week’s homework. Have you experienced God showing you how He
could use those for His glory?

2) Have you ever been afraid that you would somehow “miss it”?
Explain.

3) How did you describe a life that matters?

4) Is there anything else that stuck out to you from the homework that
you want to share?

post-teaching

1) As we dug into chapters 6-11, what is something that stuck out to you?

2) Where did you see the character of God in today’s lesson? What
characteristic did you see?
N OTES
N OTES
 ten plagues

1. BLOOD IN THE NILE Hapi: god of the Nile

2. FROGS Hegget: goddess of birth with the head of a frog

3. LICE Set: god of the desert

4. FLIES Kheper: in the form of a beetle/sun’s movement

5. CATTLE Hathor: mother goddess of Egypt in form of a cow

6. BOILS Sekhemet: power over diseases

7. HAIL Nut: goddess of the sky

8. LOCUST Ogirisi: god of crops

Serapia: protector from locusts

9. DARKNESS Re: god of the sun

10. FIRST BORN DIE Min: god of reproduction/Taurt: goddess of

maternity
 h a r d e n i n g o f p h a r a o h ’s h e a r t

1. “But I will harden his heart” (4:21)

2. “But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn” (7:3)
3. “Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard” (7:13)
4. “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn” (7:14)
5. “So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard” (7:22)
6. “he became stubborn” (8:15)
7. “Pharaoh’s heart remained hard” (8:19)
8. “But Pharaoh again became stubborn” (8:32)
9. “Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn” (9:7)
10. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. (9:12)
11. “Pharaoh again became stubborn.” (9:34)
12. “Because his heart was hard” (9:35)
13. “I have made him and his officials stubborn” (10:1)
14. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart again” (10:20)
15. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more.” (10:27)
16. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (11:10)
 session two :: A PLAN IN PLACE

T H E I S R A E L I T E S L I V E D I N C A P T I V I T Y F O R 4 3 0 Y E A R S . Captivity
became their normal. Unbeknownst to them, the one true God was pushed aside and in His
place came the gods of the Egyptians. It doesn’t explicitly say in Scripture that the Israel-
ites worshipped the gods of the Egyptians, but it says in Chapter 6 that they did not know
Him as Lord.

Let’s consider this. What happens to us when we are immersed in a culture? We become
like that culture. It’s just inevitable unless we fight against it. But the Israelites did not
know God so they would have no reason to fight against the culture of the Egyptians or
their gods. It’s all they had ever known. Generations and generations of Israelites had
been raised in Egypt and had never been offered the chance to worship anything else. So I
can imagine that worshipping the gods of Egypt and putting their faith in them became the
custom for the Israelites as well.

We, too, have been immersed in a culture. We have adapted to our surroundings. It’s
natural. Is it possible that we have placed our faith in things that aren’t worthy of our
allegiance? We often don’t recognize the things that we “worship.” Especially if they have
become our normal, if they have brought us comfort in some way or provided false hope or
 A P L A N I N P L A C E

identity. And sometimes our “gods” are less obvious.

It takes great courage to face the fact that we have let something have our allegiance. To
admit that we turn to something other than God to provide hope and security. To recognize
that we have indeed worshipped a false god. It’s hard to admit that we worship something
else. But we do. I do. I have had all kinds of false gods in my life: success, significance,
esteem, my reputation. Each of which God has had to knock down one by one.

Throughout my life I have heard pastors and speakers talk about the kind of people that
we want to be, and ask the question, “What do you want people to say about you at your
funeral?” And this is a good question. But for me, it became my god. For years I unknow-
ingly chased this god called reputation. I made certain choices, behaved certain ways,
did certain things. Not because I wanted to honor God, but because I wanted to build MY
reputation. What people thought about me mattered… more than I care to admit. I would
worry about it, try to manage my relationships, all to build up to this glorious “funeral”
someday when everyone would sing my praises.

Then I had an eye-opening moment. I was reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick War-
ren and came across this sentence, “You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were
put here to prepare for eternity.” I began to see that even my reputation, those who knew
me, every kind word spoken about me, would come to an end. I realized that I was, un-
knowingly, giving my allegiance and worship to something that was fleeting. Worshipping
something as empty as my own reputation was exhausting. And unsatisfying. I knew then
and there that I needed to dethrone that little “g” god. And dethrone it I did. I had to do
the work of restructuring my thoughts and habits and begin turning them to an everlasting
God, not my own little self. I want to live for the glory of Yahweh, the great I AM.

Now, obviously, striving for a good reputation is not a bad thing. In Proverbs it says that,
 session two

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or
gold” [Proverbs 22:1, NIV]. But when we put our faith, esteem, allegiance in it, it be-
comes a god. We all can put our security in something other than God. It can be food,
money, the way we look, our success, our reputation, self-help, a certain friend’s advice;
our gods can look different. And all of those things, on their own, are OK. Food should be
enjoyed, exercise is important, success is rewarding, our reputations matter, and seeking
a friend for advice is wise. But if those things are always the FIRST things we turn to, the
place we put our faith, we have built ourselves an idol. OK, now it’s your turn.
 A P L A N I N P L A C E

What do you put your faith in? What gives you security?
 session two

What do you spend time thinking about more than anything else?
 A P L A N I N P L A C E

When you are fearful, what do you turn to?

When you are worried, what do you turn to?
When you are insecure, what do you turn to?
 session two

Spend some time reflecting on those answers. Be honest with yourself,

have you allowed other gods to be worshipped in your life?
 A P L A N I N P L A C E

W E S E E I N C H A P T E R 6 T H AT I T S E E M S T H AT T H E I S R A E L I T E S
H A V E F O R G O T T E N W H O T H E I R G O D W A S . He was a distant memory
to them. Even to Moses. But God revealed Himself to Moses, and His name. YHWH. Or
Yahweh. All-powerful. And, boy, did He show them His power. He proved His reign over
all. But He also revealed another name: El Shaddai, “God who is enough.”

Let that sink in. God who is enough. ENOUGH.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is bigger and better than any
of the idols that we have set in place? Be honest. If you do, why? What has
God done to show you He truly is enough?
 session two

If not, why not? What is keeping you from trusting that He is?
 A P L A N I N P L A C E

I N E A C H I N S T A N C E O F T H E E G Y P T I A N S ’ gods, God proved his power

over them. He showed the Israelites and the Egyptians that He reigned. That He, and He
alone, was worth putting their trust in. And I believe that He wants to do that with us. To
show us His power over our false gods. The only way I know how to do that is through
discovering more truth about our God and through prayer. The purpose of this study is to
provide an opportunity to discover the truth about God’s character, and we are just getting
started. We are about to see His love and wisdom and find that He is enough. But the sec-
ond way for God to destroy our false gods is through prayer, through allowing Him to do
something in us. So here is what I want you to do. Place your hands palms up on the table
in front of you or on your lap. Let this be a representation of wanting to let go of your
false god, and a place of surrender.

Pray this as you read it: “Yahweh, El Shaddai, my God who is enough, will you show
me that you are enough for me? Will you open my eyes to the things that are getting my
worship? I want to replace all the empty things that get my worship and replace them
with You. The One who deserves my worship. I want to trust You. I want to believe with
everything in me that you truly are El Shaddai. That you truly are ENOUGH. And I re-
alize the only way for me to do that is to put myself in a place that allows me to see that.
To experience that first-hand. Show me that You are my El Shaddai.”

Write that prayer, or your own version, on a note card. Post in on your window, mirror,
fridge, or car. Pray it over and over and over. And watch what God will do.
 session three
A JOURNEY OF TRUST

EXODUS 12-15
 session three

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) After spending some time reflecting on the things that you have given
allegiance to or have worshipped, can you share what one or some of
those are? Take the time to explain how it has become a “god” for you.

2) Can you share a time that God has proven to be enough?

3) Why is it hard to trust that He actually is in all things?

4) Did you take time to pray the prayer this week? Did God show you
anything?

post-teaching

1) What is something that stood out to you in the teaching?

2) Plundering the enemy is a theme that we keep seeing. Has there ever
been a time for you that you were able “plunder the enemy?” A time that
not only were you freed from something but that you walked away bet-
ter from it?
3) Are you someone who likes to celebrate? Explain why or why not.

4) Have you ever celebrated what God has done? In the past? Present?
Why do you think it is important?

N OTES
N OTES
 session three :: A JOURNEY OF TRUST

W E A R E B E G I N N I N G T O S E E , I N A N E W W A Y , the great love that

God, Yahweh, has for his people. in our American culture, we can often pass over the
extravagant love that God displays in this narrative. We can tend to see love as letting us
do whatever we want, giving us whatever we want, eliminating rules for our lives and
giving us the directions to easy street. But love does not look like that. God’s perfect love
for us provides boundaries and offers us a way to do life in a way that honors Him and
honors people.

We are all planners. Now some us of may be more planned than others, but we all concoct
a mental plan for how things go down in our lives. We have certain expectations for the
way that our life turns out. And when things do not go according to our plans, no matter
how rigid or free our plans are, we wonder why. How often we doubt God and His good-
ness and love for us. Moses and the Israelites were desperate to be set free from the Egyp-
tians, but they never anticipated this plan of God’s that they were about to experience.
They wanted to be set free but not like this!

In her book Live a Praying Life, Jennifer Kennedy Dean makes a distinction between
God’s will and God’s ways. “God’s desire is for us to know His will so we can pray it.
 A J O U R N E Y O F T R U S T

But how He accomplishes His will never looks anything like we thought it would be, thus
often causing us to doubt.” She says it’s important that we don’t confuse WHAT He’s
doing with HOW He’s doing it – God’s Will and God’s Ways. God has very specific and
unique plans to accomplish His will. To say His thoughts and His plans are above ours is
an understatement.

Are there moments in your life, currently or in the past, that felt like
“This is not how this was supposed to go?” List those:
 session three

I N C H A P T E R 1 3 V E R S E 1 7 , W E R E A D T H A T G O D led then people

through the wilderness so that they would not be faced with a battle. What an idea to
ponder. The wilderness was protection.

Don’t we all hate the wilderness? It is long, and seemingly never-ending. We can feel
isolated, alone, and weary. We can feel aimless or insignificant.

Consider this: the wilderness you experienced or are experiencing, could, in fact, be God’s
protection. The wilderness could be God’s loving hand, guiding you as He leads you to the
promised land.

Wouldn’t we all love to be magically transported from slavery to a land flowing with milk
and honey? It would certainly be easier. But there is something to say for what we learn
in the desert. There is something to say for being in a place where we absolutely need to
depend on God, because there is nothing else. The wilderness is not forever, but it is
necessary.

A few months ago, I was walking through my own wilderness. I was struggling with
understanding God. Some things had happened that I could not understand. I felt like my
faith had lost its footing and I was left grappling for a secure foundation. It wasn’t com-
fortable. I felt alone. And angry. And confused. But I began desperately searching for God
like I never had before. I needed to know Him more; I needed to try to understand Him.
My mind thought about Him day and night and I could not stop seeking, asking, praying,
wondering, reading. I had never felt more confused and uncertain, yet I had never felt
more alive.

It was unsettling and exhilarating. Through opening the pages of Scripture, I began to see
all kinds of new facets of God and who He was. I was discovering more and more about
His character and His ways. And it made me come alive. I had never craved God more. I
 A J O U R N E Y O F T R U S T

had never been so in tune with my own sin, my own shortcomings, my own failures. I had
never needed His presence and direction more. I had never prayed more boldly. That wil-
derness experience opened my eyes to things I never could have seen without it.

There is something about the desert that shows us God like we would
not have seen otherwise. A wilderness can last for a day, a week, a month,
a year. Maybe that time is now. Write about a time that it felt like you were
walking through a wilderness.
 session three

Despite the bleakness of that time, what are some things that you learned,
some things that you wrestled through that would not have been possible
without the wilderness?
 A J O U R N E Y O F T R U S T

D O Y O U S E E G O D ’ S H A N D ? All of our experiences, even those that feel like

we’ve been banished to the desert, prepare us for what God has planned for us next. We
can’t imagine, but it is “exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.”
Watch for what God shows you. This Bible study is just one of the by-products of my
wilderness.

Passions are birthed in the wilderness.

Vision is developed in the wilderness.
Resolve is strengthened in the wilderness.
Wisdom is cultivated in the wilderness.
Trust is built in the wilderness.

C H A P T E R 1 5 I S T H I S B E A U T I F U L S O N G from the Israelites to God for all

He has done. It praises Him for His power, for His character, and for what He did to pro-
tect them.

You would think it would be followed by chapters and chapters of complete trust in God,
right? No. THREE DAYS LATER, they couldn’t find water. So what did the people do?
Did they remember all the God had done and rest assured that God would provide? Nope.
Verse 24 says they complained. They forgot all that they had just sung about and didn’t
believe that God was going to provide for them. Oy. When will these people learn?

Except. I am not too far from this myself.

A few months ago I had an opportunity to speak to a group of women about what God was
doing in my life. There were about 400 women present at this event, but at that moment, it
 session three

didn’t matter. Because they only thing I could feel was God’s pleasure and His presence.
To get there had been quite a journey. He and I had wrestled through a lot. We had walked
through my wilderness. So standing on a stage and speaking about our journey, I couldn’t
deny that this was a moment, our moment. And it was beautiful. I went home that night
and remember telling my husband, “It honestly doesn’t matter what anyone thought, I felt
God’s pleasure and His provision. And that is so enough.”

But then I got into bed not 60 minutes later, and do you know the FIRST thought that
came to my mind was?

“Maybe God isn’t even real. Maybe I am making all of this up.”

Literally three hours earlier I had felt His presence like I never had before, and now I was
questioning His existence.

Sadly, I can SO relate to the Israelites, as much as I don’t want to. I watch first-hand
what He does in me, in my friends, in my family, in my church, and then turn around and
wonder if He is even there. Or if He cares. Or if He really will come through.
 A J O U R N E Y O F T R U S T

Write about a time that this has been true for you, a time that you
undoubtedly experienced God’s hand and then shortly after crumbled in
fear or doubt or mistrust.
 session three

T H E I S R A E L I T E S C H O S E T O S I N G after they saw God work. There is some-

thing that singing does in us that is unlike anything else. It shifts our focus to truth and
creates space for God to work. Today, I want to ask you to sing. Find at least one song that
you can sing that focuses on what God has done for you, that focuses on the kind of God
He is, and sing. Sing, woman, sing! Blast that song in your car and sing your heart out.
Remind yourself.

As you walk through your wilderness, led down a path that you never would have chosen,
may you experience God’s powerful support and presence. May you lean into and hold
onto God’s strong right hand as He guides you and nudges you forward. Don’t turn back;
don’t even look back. Stay the course and step into all that God has set before you. Know
that He’s with you; He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. Remember, He is for you, not
against you. So walk. Savor. And breathe. God is here.
 session four
A GOD WHO PROVIDES

EXODUS 16-19
 session four

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) Can you share about a time that you felt you were in the wilderness?

2) What did you learn in/through the wilderness? Did anything speak to
you this week regarding the wilderness?

3) Can you share a time that you undoubtedly experienced God’s hand
and then shortly after crumbled in fear or mistrust?

4) Did you have time to sing and worship this week? What was that ex-
perience like for you?

post-teaching

1) What is something that stood out to you in the teaching?

2) Plundering the enemy is a theme that we keep seeing. Has there ever
been a time for you that you were able “plunder the enemy?” A time that
not only were you freed from something but that you walked away bet-
ter from it?
3) Are you someone who likes to celebrate? Explain why or why not?

4) Have you ever celebrated what God has done? In the past? Present?
Why do you think it is important?

N OTES
N OTES
 ancient Jewish wedding

1. SELECTION
The bride is chosen by the father. He would send his trusted servant,
known as the agent of the father, to search out the bride.

2. BRIDE PRICE.
A price (mohar) would have to be paid for the bride.

3. BETROTHAL.
The bride and groom are bethrothed to each other (kiddushin).
Betrothed legally binds the bride and groom together in a marriage
contract, except they do not physically live together.

4. WRITTEN DOCUMENT.
A Ketubah (written document) is drawn up. This document states the
bride price, the promises of the groom and the rights of the bride. The
groom promised to work for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in
truth; to provide food, clothing and necessities and to live together with
her as a husband and wife. The Ketubah was the unalienable right of
the bride, and it must be executed and signed before the wedding
ceremony.

5. CONSENT.
The bride must give her consent.
 6. DRINKING OF THE CUP.
The drinking of the cup is what seals the engagement.
The “cup” often refers to shed blood.

7. GIFTS.
Gifts were given to the bride.

8. WASHING OF THE BRIDE.

Mikvah is a ceremonial act of purification by the immersion in water.
It indicates a separation from a former way to a new way. In marriage,
it indicates leaving an old life for a new life with her spouse.

9. A HOME.
The groom then provides a place for his bride. He is to make sure that
they have an adequate place to live together.

10. CONSECRATION.
The bride was consecrated and set apart for a period of time.
Meanwhile, the bride was to wait eagerly for the return of the
bridegroom.

11. THE RETURN.

The bridegroom would return with a shout. “Behold, the bridegroom
comes” and the sound of the ram’s horn (the shofar) would be blown.
 session four :: A GOD WHO PROVIDES

M O S E S H A D B E E N G I V E N T H E J O B of leading the Israelites, His people, out

of captivity and into freedom. But for years, they had lived one way. They had lived with
certain food, certain land, certain schedules, certain lives. Sure, they were in captivity, but
they were certain of what to expect.

Now they found themselves in a place where they had no idea what to expect. They didn’t
know where their food would come from, where their protection would come from, where
their home would be. They were placed in a position to have to trust God. Like they never
had before.

So, when faced with the unknown they griped and moaned and complained. They yearned
for the security back in slavery. But here’s the thing: it was not just a complaint. It was
a fear. They feared that they would die here. They knew that they needed food to live, to
make it through a day, and they didn’t see how that was going to be possible. And God, in
His love, heard the complaint. And answered. God said, “Don’t fear. I will provide.”
God was establishing in the Israelites that He would come through for them daily. When
God promised the manna each day, He gave them specific instructions. They were not able
to store up enough for the next day. It would rot and spoil. Each day forced them to gath-
 A G O D W H O P R O V I D E S

er the provision that God has given them for THAT day. Each day required a new trust
in God. And each day He gave it to them. The first day, I’m sure they were grateful. But
many tried to save it up on that first day, not sure that God would actually provide. And
the second day was probably scary. Would He provide enough? And He did. And each day
that went by, it became more and more apparent that God would provide what they need-
ed, that He would sustain them and that they didn’t have to worry. That they didn’t need to
store up, or lose sleep, or meal plan, or ration. They gathered up and used every ounce of
what they had gathered THAT day. God said, “Don’t be afraid. I will provide.”

For some us we may have a very tangible need: food, money, a car. For some of us it may
be intangible: strength to face something difficult, forgiveness, patience, peace, relational
restoration.

Are there moments in your life, currently or in the past, that felt like
“this is not how this was supposed to go?” List those:
 session four

What we need to face today might be different from what we need to face tomorrow. What
we face today might be different from what someone else faces today. We need to gather
what we know we need.

Every morning. Every morning we wake up to new provision. New grace, new strength,
new hope, new starts. We don’t have to wonder. We don’t have to worry about whether
or not we will have enough for tomorrow. We just have to receive, and gather up, and use
what God gives us for today.

G O D O F F E R E D T H E I S R A E L I T E S T H E G I F T O F S A B B A T H . And He
made some pretty strict rules around it. At first glance it seems almost restrictive. Until
we realize the lives they had been living for the past 400 years. There was not one day that
was their own. Every day they were expected to get up and work for the benefit of a for-
eign people. The Israelites were under great oppression. They worked hard day and night
and their schedules were dictated to them. Now they find themselves under a different
King, the Almighty King, and He does not require their constant daily service. He contin-
ues to pursue His people and offer them the best possible option. And He gifts them a day
of rest.

He has given us this same gift, this same commandment. But, more times than not, we
reject it. We get pulled into the tyranny of the urgent, suffering under the demands of our
bosses, our school work, and our home. We give into the “what ifs,” worried what will
happen if something doesn’t get done. Or fall prey to the empty promise, ”I’ll just be an
hour or two” only to soon discover our whole day has been sucked away.

God created the world in six days and then on the seventh day He rested. He had faith that
what He put in motion would continue without Him on His day of rest. We must have this
 A G O D W H O P R O V I D E S

same faith to let go and choose rest on the Sabbath so we too will be restored and kept
alive physically, spiritually, and morally.

So let me ask you: Do you observe the Sabbath, take a day of rest?

If yes, what does it look like?

If no, what pulls you in? What stops you from taking a rest?

How much time do you spend in rest? In simply being?

In doing something that you enjoy?

Are you providing the gift of rest to your family?

What are some ways that you could begin to bring the gift
of rest into your life?

Take some time to reflect on these pages:

 A G O D W H O P R O V I D E S

T H E I S R A E L I T E S F O U N D T H E M S E L V E S I N A B A T T L E with the war-

riors of Amalek at the end of Chapter 17. The Amalekites were nomadic raiders, had no
fear of God, attacked the rear guard, cut off those who were physically weak (like the old
and children) and had an unrelenting destructive spirit. They have been described “as the
most warlike of the nations at that time.”

Evil prophet Bilaam refers to Amalek as the first among nations, which means he is the
leading force of evil, just as Israel is the leading force of good. This struggle between
these two people represents the eternal struggle of good vs. evil.

Just as soon as God overcame their thirst, a battle ensues. How many times has that
happened? Just when it seems that we have a victory in one area or have experienced God
in big ways, we find ourselves in a battle. I love what we can learn from this particular
battle:

1) We are never to battle alone (verse 9). We are to choose our comrades. Handpick them.
Pick people who God directs you to – people with faith and strength and longsuffering to
stay in the battle.

2) Intercession is a big deal. Intercession is simply “the act of intervening on behalf of

another.” When you find yourself in a battle, you need intercessors. Those who will pray
for you and encourage you and give you strength when you become weary. And when you
have friends who are in a battle, you do the same for them.

I love that Moses did this for Joshua, and that Aaron and Hur did this for Moses. Moses
did not send Joshua alone. He told him that he would be the vessel to bring God’s power
to the battle. And when that normal, average shepherd’s staff was raised, the Israelites
took the advantage. God’s power was there. But Moses became weary; his arms grew
tired. And so his friends took over. I get chills every time I read this, “Then they stood
 session four

on each side of Moses, holding up his hands.” Can you believe the friendship displayed
here? They were all so confident in their God, and they were willing to intercede on each
other’s behalf! I love that Moses didn’t say, “No, no. I got this. It’s my staff, it’s my re-
sponsibility, I can handle this on my own. I just need to muster up more strength.” No. He
allowed his friends to hold his arms. And he had the kind of friends who did. They weren’t
going anywhere. It says that they held his hands steady until sunset. And as a result, the
Israelites were victorious.

Are you seeing all of the parallels? As we fight off the temptations of this world, the lies
and destructive things of our enemy, we cannot go it alone. That is not to say that we only
depend on people, because what was at the CENTER of the victory? It certainly wasn’t
friendship. It was God. It was God’s power in a staff. But we need each other to point us
to God. We need each other to hold up our hands when we are getting weary. We need
each other to pray the prayers that we don’t have the strength to pray. We need each other
to show us that God is active and moving and powerful.

As you are going through this journey, do you have people around you to
do that? Have you invited people in? Have you been that person for others?
One who will pray, like actually say words to God,
not just say “I’m praying for you”?
 A G O D W H O P R O V I D E S

This is a tough one. It’s a challenging thought and convicting question. We are so used to
living isolated lives, only sharing the fun and happy. Or on the other side of the spectrum,
we are accustomed to always sharing a problem, struggle, issue, something that isn’t right
and yet not actually grabbing God’s power and allowing Him to work. We can tend to
want friends who either stay in places that don’t make us uncomfortable, or want friends
who just tell us what we want to hear and allow us to wallow in self-pity. But what we
need are friends who go to the deep places, who know us in and out, and who lovingly,
yet honestly, point us to God. Friends who are willing to pray, walk with us, and hold our
hands steady until sunset.

To get after this idea, answer the list of questions below.

1. Do you have women in your life who are your Aaron and Hur? Y N
If yes, who? And when was a time you invited them in? If not, why not?

2. Are you an Aaron or Hur to someone? Y N

If yes, who? And when was a time you came alongside them, held up their
hands and pointed them to God? If not, why not?
 session four

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies,
but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty pow-
ers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (NLT) This
shouldn’t scare us, but it should put some resolve in us that we need some women
around us who are willing to fight our battles with us. Who will pray, intercede,
and point us to Jesus.

I love that in verse 14 God says that he will erase the memory of Amalek from un-
der the heaven, which means that a time is coming when evil will be defeated and
removed forever! We can look forward to the day when our struggles will once and
for all ended.

But for now, sister, you gather yourself some warriors, and become a warrior for
some others, and let’s fight together.

Father, today is all about trust. Help me trust You, to not worry about tomorrow
but to focus only on today. It’s really hard to do that, to believe that each day You
will meet my needs. Prove me wrong. Please. And help me to also trust in Your
Sabbath. I want to want to let go and rest. I know I need to be restored. I know I
need a fresh breath of Your Spirit. I know I need faith. At least one day a week.
So help me to lay down my work, my job, my school, my ____________________,
and to learn to love the gift of Sabbath. And finally, help me to find my Aaron
and Hur. And help me to also be one. I desperately want to receive and be that
kind of support. Teach me and my friends how to do that, how to intercede, how
to pray and walk until sunset. Teach me to trust You in all things.
 session five
A C O V E N A N T D R AW N

EXODUS 20-24
 session five

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) Was there something that you could identify that you need to trust
God for?

2) How well do you do with the idea of Sabbath? What were some of the
ways that you came up with for bringing the gift of rest into your life?

3) No need to mention names, but do you have an “Aaron and Hur?”

If so, what value have they added to your life? Maybe share a specific
story.

4) Have you ever been a friend like Aaron or Hur for someone? Pointing
them to God and helping them to lean on Him when they couldn’t do it
alone? Share that experience.

post-teaching

1) What is something that stood out to you about today’s teaching?

2) What law surprised you the most?

3) What is something from today’s teaching that shows you God’s

character?

4) Is there anything that still confuses you?

N OTES
N OTES
 session five :: A COVENANT DRAWN

A S W E T A L K E D A B O U T I N O U R S E S S I O N , it is easy to see the command-

ments and these lists as restrictive rules, and not as God’s loving protection. But if we
really dig into them, I think we will see a much bigger picture. We will see a God who
wants to BE with us… even though He knows that our hearts continue to do things that
lead us away from Him.

This week is a bit of a battle cry. A call to us, as women, to be intentional with some
things that can muddy the waters of our relationships: with God and with the people
around us.

A big trend a while ago was the phrase “Jesus is my homeboy.” I’m not sure if it started as
a way to make fun of Jesus or to raise the banner that we can know Him. But either way, it
felt like it was everywhere. And there was a tension in me when I saw it. Because on one
hand, I loved the idea that God and Jesus were approachable and not some big scary deity
up in the sky waiting for us to make a mistake. But the other part of me felt like it was
taking away some of the glory and holiness and perfection of God. Because there is this
tension between God being approachable yet also revering Him as holy. I’m reminded of
a song by Nicole Nordeman called “Tremble,” in which she explores this. She writes:
 A C O V E N A N T D R A W N

Have I come too casually? Because it seems to me there’s something I’ve neglected. How
does one approach a Deity with informality and still protect the Sacred?

‘Cause you came and chose to wear the skin of all of us. And it’s easy to forget You left a
throne.

And the line gets blurry all the time between daily and Divine and it’s hard to know the
difference.

Oh, let me not forget to tremble. Facedown on the ground do I dare to take the liberty to
stare at you. Oh, let me not forget to tremble.

Let me not forget to tremble. I want to remember that my God, Yahweh, is bigger and
grander than I can even comprehend. And that is Whom I want to put my faith in. But I
can tend to make God small. To put Him in a little box with boundaries that I set up for
Him, and when He says or does something outside of that, I start to squirm. And blame
Him. And tell Him that He is not good.

But when I step back, and release my boundaries and see God for who He is and see my-
self for who I am, I fall to my knees. His presence is more than I can bear. His grace is
overwhelming. His love covers me despite the ugliness of my heart. Oh, let me not forget
to tremble.
 session five

Let’s remind ourselves of all the things that God is. Spend some time filling
in the blanks below with truths that you know about Him.

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

God is __________________________

Take a look at that list. Now that is a good list. God is ALL of those things and more. And
yet our mouths sometimes too flippantly use or misuse His name. Let’s just remind our-
selves about God’s name–who He is.

Psalms 8:1 “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!” Your glory is higher
than the heavens.” (NLT)

Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave
him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (NLT)
 A C O V E N A N T D R A W N

Would you say we do this well? Let’s be women who speak God’s name with honor and
not be flippant with His name any longer. Let’s be women who love God so deeply that
when we speak His name our heart skips a beat. Let’s be people who fill our hearts with
the truths of God and those are what spill out of our lips in reference to Him. Let’s be
women who keep His name holy.

A N O T H E R C O M M A N D M E N T T H A T S T O O D O U T to me was the man-

date not to bear a false witness. Let’s be honest. All of us bear false witness. Whether it’s
a friend, family member, neighbor, TV personality, we have spoken negatively against
someone else. We have cut someone down, shared misinformation about, said something
mean about another person. It is ugly, but unfortunately, it is true.

About a year ago someone said some hurtful things about me and about my character to
a friend of mine. Of course, I felt the comments were unfair and not true. And, of course,
the comments bothered me. What I felt in my heart was ugly.

I remember sitting across the table from another friend and wanting to share with her what
I had heard. Now, of course, I felt justified telling my friend about all of this because I
just needed “to get it off my chest.” And even though we both knew the person who made
the comment, I felt justified telling her so that I could “talk it through with her.”

But you know what? Neither of those were the real reasons I wanted to share. The real
reason that I wanted to share this information was to make that person who made the com-
ment look bad. I wanted to discredit her character the way she had discredited mine.

Yuck. Now that is ugly. That is hard to admit.

 session five

I remember so clearly God speaking to me, “Ashley, stop. Do not say it. Keep your mouth
closed.”

But I didn’t want to. You see, it would have felt good to share the information. It would
have felt good to roll our eyes and speak badly against this person. It would have felt good
to get the sympathy and attention that I wanted from my friend. And I had “justified”
reasons.

But it would also be sin. I would be bearing a false witness. Sure, it was true. But it would
hurt this person’s character in my friend’s eyes.

I wanted SO badly to open my mouth and do what my flesh wanted to. But the battle in
my mind was raging. Do I choose what would feel good, since really no one would know?
Or do I choose to honor God?

I physically had to excuse myself to the restroom, compose myself and admit (to myself)
that I was fighting a battle against my flesh.

I walked back to the table and brought up a different topic. I kept my mouth shut. But it
was incredibly hard.

I don’t share that to give myself a pat on the back. I share that because I know the struggle
that we fight daily – hourly with this idea of bearing a false witness. And often I allow my
flesh to win the battle. I open my mouth when I should keep it sealed. I share that be-
cause I wonder, if you are honest, if that same sin and ugliness is in you too? I just want to
spend some time reflecting on why this is even a battle in the first place. What is it in us
that craves speaking against another person?
 A C O V E N A N T D R A W N

When we speak against another person, what we are getting out of it? Spend
some time on this, don’t just write down an answer. Dig deep. What do you
get out of speaking against someone else?
 session five

Think about one person that you tend to speak against. This could be a family member,
co-worker, boss, or even a celebrity that you just like to tear down. Take a look at this
Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as
you are already doing. Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the
Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great
respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are
timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one
pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.” (NLT)

LET’S BE WOMEN WHO BUILD UP INSTEAD OF TEAR DOWN.

Let’s be women who are each other’s advocates, not each other’s critics. Let’s be women
who season our lips with honey and let the things that come out of our mouths be good
for those who hear it. Let’s be women who acknowledge the good in each other and live
in peace with one another. Let’s be women who strive to do what is good for each other.
What would happen to our conversations if we eliminated talk of others? What we would
talk about? What kinds of things could we accomplish? What kind of encouragement
could be given?

Will you join me in doing our best, our absolute best, to not bear false witness against our
fellow persons?

If so, simply write “I will” ________________________________.

Let’s do this together.

 A C O V E N A N T D R A W N

T H E L A S T C O M M A N D M E N T T H A T I W A N T T O T O U C H O N is the
final commandment that God gives the Israelites, “Do not covet your neighbor’s house.”
This one doesn’t need much explanation. We are just commanded not to want other peo-
ple’s stuff. Pretty simple. And yet incredibly difficult.

Wanting the life, possessions, experiences, spouses, looks, talents, skills, abilities, oppor-
tunities, and just plain stuff of others is another ugly part of all of us that lurks in the cor-
ners of our souls. It quietly whispers, “You deserve that as much as they do,” or “If you
just had what they have, then you would be truly happy.” And it gets us. Every. Time.

I can’t even stand to think about how much time I have wasted wanting what someone else
had. Coveting starts with us deciding that something is unfair.

There are certain things that make this commandment harder to live by for me. For exam-
ple, I can’t do Pinterest. I can do recipes, but that is about all. I have friends who go to
Pinterest for inspiration, and they are truly inspired. But for me, Pinterest makes me wish
and dream of a life that I don’t have. I have never left Pinterest thinking, “I am so grateful
for what I have or who I am.” So I have to limit my time there.

What do you covet? Or what is something you have coveted?

 session five

How does that affect you?

Is there something you can do to help you fight against coveting?

 A C O V E N A N T D R A W N

The opposite of a heart that covets is a heart that is content. Just writing that word
brings peace to my soul. What a great word – content. Isn’t that what we all wish we had?
True contentment. That no matter what we have or don’t have, we have a spirit of
contentedness.

Can you think of a time that you have been truly content?
And why do you think you had the freedom to feel content?
 session five

Can you think about someone in your life who is content? What qualities do
they have? What perspectives do they have? What practices have they put
into their lives that make them this way?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions, I encourage you to ask them. Let’s be
researchers of things that truly matter. We pick each other’s brains on things like brands of
make-up, food, the best places to shop. And that’s ok. But why are we shy to pick people’s
brains on things that truly matter? Take that person to coffee and ask them “what makes
you content?” I think it would be a rich conversation for you both.

Let’s be women who are grateful. Let’s be women who are content. There is something
so beautiful about contented women. We are drawn to those who live grateful lives. Let’s
be women who celebrate each other and want contentment for each other. Let’s be women
who accept that our lives will look different. We can have much or have little, we can have
it easy or have it hard, but we will seek contentment as our joy.
session six
A B E T R AYA L

EXODUS 32-34
 session six

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) How did you fill in the blanks for “God is…”?

2) Why do you think we have such a desire to speak against others?

3) What are the qualities of someone who lives content? Do you know
anyone like that?

4) Why do you think it is difficult to live with contentment, not wishing for
what others have?

post-teaching

1) What is something that stood out to you about today’s teaching?

2) Could you relate to the Israelites in any way?

3) Have you ever considered that our choices affect God?

N OTES
N OTES
 session six : : A B E T R AYA L

W E H A V E B E E N O N T H I S J O U R N E Y W I T H T H E I S R A E L I T E S . We
have come to understand their fear, their lack of trust, and their worship of other gods.
And we observed as they literally HEARD the voice of God revealing to them His com-
mandments for their lives. We have seen, along with them, His provision over and over
again, and we have read as God displayed the power of His hand.

But then Moses goes up on the mountain that God is inhabiting, and what happens? He’s
up there too long. So the Israelites decide to create a new god. After ALL that they had
seen and ALL that they had heard and ALL they had witnessed, they chose to make an
idol. Out of their own belongings, nonetheless!

We think this is crazy, confusing, and mind boggling.

But is it?

God often tells us to wait for Him, to wait for His promises. After all we have heard and
seen and witnessed, this should be easy. Right? But it’s not. It’s actually one of the hardest
things we have to do.
 A B E T R A Y A L

I grew up with a mom who was a “get it done” lady. If she wanted something done, she
did it, and she encouraged us to do the same. It is something that I have admired about
her. She didn’t let her gender, size, or insecurity get in the way. She just jumped in with
two feet and tried it, and most of the time… she got it done. I have become a “get it done”
lady. If I want to move my furniture, I move it myself. If I want to paint my office, I paint
it that day. If I want something built, or fixed, I will attempt to do it myself. My husband,
however, does not always find this quality the most appealing thing about me, because he
likes things done the right way and in the right time. But I don’t like to wait. Even if that
means assembling a bookshelf from Target at 4:30 in the afternoon as kids are going crazy
and begging for dinner… I want it done, so I am going to build the bookshelf.

But this same principle carries over to how I view God’s workings. I want God to have
a plan and snap His fingers and make it happen. I want God to give me a vision and then
make it happen the next day. I want God’s answer to my prayers and for Him to make it
happen right now. If I ask, I want to receive. Now. I want God to operate the same way as
I do.

But I am learning that is not how God works. He often works in a process. I don’t always
appreciate the process. And so often I become impatient. And when I become impatient, I
find other things to turn to. When I get tired of waiting on God, I figure that He has for-
gotten me. That the vision He gave me wasn’t real. That the prayers I am praying aren’t
being heard. Or worse yet, He doesn’t care. And so instead of waiting at the foot of the
mountain, expectant, I start going to work myself. I start seeking other answers, other
plans, other things that could satisfy me or give me the answers that I want. I start creating
new gods.

How many times have I missed the miracle because I rushed the answer?
 session six

Do you have a hard time waiting on God? Describe a time when you were
expectant of Him, but got impatient in the wait:
 A B E T R A Y A L

My husband is wired very differently than I am. He is the one of the most patient people
I know. Sometime I complain that he is TOO patient. As if there were ever such a thing.
I guess it’s my way of making myself feel better. But he always reminds me to “trust the
process.” He sees value in the process. He reminds me that we learn a lot, about ourselves
and the situation in the process. The process is our friend. And while everything in my
“get it done” body wants to push back and challenge this idea, I can’t help but see its
truth.

There is value in the process. God isn’t in a hurry. He never has been.

What is something about which you need to trust God in His process? Where
are you tempted to take matters into your own hands and create something
to replace the “silence” of God?
 session six

G O B A C K A N D R E A D E X O D U S 3 3 : 1 5 - 3 4 : 9 . This part of the narrative is

one of my favorite things recorded for us. Moses sees God. Moses experiences His pres-
ence. What an amazing encounter.

A couple of months ago, I was in a period of trying to figure out what God was calling
me to do. I was desperately seeking God and His will. I was at work doing normal work
things, and all of the sudden I felt this insatiable desire to get onto my knees and be with
God. It honestly made my stomach have butterflies as if it was craving something. It
was like God was beckoning me to be near Him. I dropped what I was doing and walked
around trying to look for a place to be alone. Our offices are all open-air offices with no
doors so that was proving to be a little tricky. Finally, I went to my husband’s office, the
only office with a closed door, and said, “I need your office. I don’t know for how long,
but I need to be in here alone.” He graciously took his computer and left. I took off my
shoes, dropped to my knees and sat in what I can only describe as the presence of God.
And I wept. I cried tears of peace. (And for those who know me, crying is something I do
not do very often). I sat and took it in. I figured this was His way of revealing His calling
to me. I waited for what He wanted to say to me. But I got nothing. Within a few minutes,
it was over. I stood back up, wiped the tears from my eyes and thought, “That is the one
of the strangest things I have ever experienced.” I kept thinking I had missed something.
Until I felt Him gently whisper in my spirit, “Ashley, My presence is enough.”

His presence was enough.

For my whole life, I have always been seeking God for His answers, His guidance, His
voice. I seek His conviction and discipline. But that day, I experienced that His presence,
knowing Him, is enough.

I need only to seek and desire His presence in my life.

 A B E T R A Y A L

When I read about Moses’ encounter, I can’t help but wonder what it felt like to experi-
ence just a portion of the glory of God? I mean, Moses had to VEIL HIS FACE after that.
I have to imagine it changed everything for Moses.

When was a time you experienced God’s presence in your life? Maybe not
the way I described in my story, but in some small way that left you standing
amazed?

What keeps you from seeking His presence?

 session six

What are some ways that you can simply carve out time to BE with Him? Not
asking for a thing, not telling Him a thing. Just being in God’s presence.

I encourage you to take some time this week and do one of the things you listed. Take
some time to intentionally seek God. Allow His love to rush over you. Allow the glory of
His character to overwhelm you. Allow yourself to just be…
 A B E T R A Y A L

I N E X O D U S 3 4 : 6 - 9 W E S E E G O D A D D R E S S M O S E S and reveal his

character.we studied these as the 13 attributes of God. Look through them again. Let them
sink in. Circle two that really stick out to you.

Y A H W E H ! : : God is merciful before a person sins! Even though aware that future evil
lies dormant within him.

T H E L O R D ! : : God is merciful after the sinner has gone astray.



G O D : : a name that denotes power as ruler over nature and humankind, indicating that
God’s mercy sometimes surpasses even the degree indicated by this name.



C O M P A S S I O N A T E : : God is filled with loving sympathy for human frailty; He

does not put people into situations of extreme temptation, and He eases the punishment of
the guilty.



M E R C I F U L : : God shows mercy even to those who do not deserve it, consoling the
afflicted and raising up the oppressed.



S L O W T O A N G E R : : God gives the sinner ample time to reflect, improve, and

repent.



A B U N D A N T I N K I N D N E S S : : God is kind toward those who lack personal

merits, providing more gifts and blessings than they deserve; if one’s personal behavior is
evenly balanced between virtue and sin, God tips the scales of justice toward the good.



F A I T H F U L : : God never reneges on His word to reward those who serve Him.


 session six

PRESERVER OF KINDNESS FOR THOUSANDS OF

G E N E R A T I O N S : : God remembers the deeds of the righteous for the benefit of their
less virtuous generations of offspring.

F O R G I V E R O F I N I Q U I T Y : : God forgives intentional sin resulting from an evil

disposition, as long as the sinner repents.



F O R G I V E R O F W I L L F U L S I N : : God allows even those who commit a sin with

the malicious intent of rebelling against and angering Him the opportunity to repent.



F O R G I V E R O F E R R O R : : God forgives a sin committed out of carelessness,

thoughtlessness, or apathy.



W H O C L E A N S E S : : God is merciful, gracious, and forgiving, wiping away the sins

of those who truly repent.

Spend some time reflecting on why those attributes stand out. Take the space below to
write a prayer. Maybe you need to ask for help to see God this way, maybe you need to
thank God for these attributes. Whatever it is, let your heart determine the content of this
prayer:
 session seven
A PAT H T O W O R S H I P

EXODUS 25-31
 session seven

DISCUSSI O N Q UESTI O N S

pre-teaching

1) From last week’s homework, was there a time that you had a hard time
waiting on God? Talk about that experience.

2) Did you make time this week to really experience God’s presence?
If so, share about that.

3) Look back at the list of attributes. Which ones stood out to you? Why?

post-teaching

1) What is something that stood out to you from today? What did you see
God in a new way through the text?

2) Do these details that we studied today impact your faith? If so, how?
N OTES
N OTES
 session seven : : A PAT H T O W O R S H I P

W H A T A J O U R N E Y T H I S H A S B E E N . We have read through the amazing

narrative, watching God show His power, His faithfulness, His character, and His love. We
have taken all of this in, and I hope that you sense God now, more than ever. That He has
become real and you have broken down the walls that you might have boxed God in with.
I pray that you see Him for how big and so above us He is.

These last few chapters can seem, at first glance, like a bunch of unimportant details.
When I first read through it all, I was bored. Where was the manna-from-heaven-and-bat-
tle-with-Amalekites kind of stuff? But the further I dug into these instructions, the more
I saw God. Saw that this was God’s way to bring HIMSELF to His people. He wasn’t just
on a power trip. He wanted to create a habitat among them. He wanted to live with them.
He did not want to be the God up on the mountain forever… and good thing for the Isra-
elites. They weren’t the best at remembering the God on the mountain. But here, with His
dwelling among them, they would see and remember. What a beautiful picture. God came
to dwell among them. He came to dwell among us.

This week we talked in detail about the priestly garments, the detail and attention that God
placed on what the priests were to wear. I love the colors and symbols and unique touches
 A P A T H T O W O R S H I P

that God directed in the making of these garments.

It’s important to note that the priests didn’t wear these garments the way we wear the
newest fashion trends today. Our garments bring attention to us. These garments were for
God, brought attention to Him. They reflected the glory of God. And when the priests put
on these clothes, they were changed.

Too many times I’ve clothed myself in things that don’t reflect God. I’ve clothed myself
in worry, in defeat, in insecurity and pride. When people looked at me, they didn’t see
God or joy and peace or contentment.

Colossians 3:12-14 says,

“Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with
tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for
each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all
together in perfect harmony.” (NLT)

What do you clothe yourself in?

What kind of things do you show the world around you?
Worry? Jealousy? Bitterness? Sarcasm? Defeat? Fear? Joy? Peace?
Take some time to reflect the things that you clothe yourself in and write
them down on the next page.
 session seven

Now go back to your list. Next to each one, ask yourself why?
And write your answer beside it.
 A P A T H T O W O R S H I P

Now look back at the ones that don’t reflect God and choose to clothe
yourself differently. Write it down. How can you dress like this?
 session seven

T H I S W H O L E B O O K B E G A N W I T H T H E L E A S T L I K E LY of characters:
a couple of midwives, a slave family, a man on the run, and a group of people who had
no chance of escaping their reality. But when God intervened… the story changed. Out of
love for His people, He brought them back to Himself. He relentlessly pursued them. And
He created a dwelling place among them. When I see how much detail and intentionality
He put into the Tabernacle, I am humbled that He then chose to live in me. Sinful, selfish,
unholy me. I am filled with gratitude.

As we bring this study to a close, there are a few last questions I would love to invite you
to ask yourself.

At the beginning of Exodus, Moses was not too keen on this idea of freeing the Israelites.
Now that we know the end of the story, we can see how Moses would have missed out.
But Moses used a slew of excuses when God approached him with His plan. We can look
at Moses’ excuses and think, “Come on, Moses!” But truth be told, we so often use our
own excuses for what we know God is asking us to do in our own lives.

Let me ask you this: What is God asking you to do?

 A P A T H T O W O R S H I P

Are you, like Moses, standing before Him and dishing out
excuse after excuse?

I’m not qualified.

I’m not smart enough.
Someone could do it better.
I don’t want to.
I just can’t.

What’s your excuse?:

 session seven

Are you willing to just say yes? To go where He wants to lead you? To journey into
the unknown? Maybe the time is now to just surrender to His plan and say yes.
Spend some time writing a prayer below on what you are feeling.
 A P A T H T O W O R S H I P

W H E N E V E R W E T A K E A T R I P O R V A C A T I O N , I like to take pictures of

the things we have done. When we reach the end of our trip, I like to look back and re-
member. I like to spend time reflecting on our time and the investment that we made. I’d
like for us all to do the same with this journey, with this discovery. To answer this next set
of questions, take a look back through this study guide and spend some time reflecting on
your answers.

1. What did you say were your “common” thing(s) that God may want to use? ( s e s -
sion one)

2. What have been your “gods” that you need God to dethrone in your life? ( s e s -
sion two)

3. What have you learned in the wilderness? ( s e s s i o n t h r e e )

 session seven

4. What provisions do you need to trust God for? ( s e s s i o n f o u r )

5. How will you create rest in your life? ( s e s s i o n f o u r )

6. Who will be your Aaron and Hur? And how will you invite them in?
(session four)

7. How can you make sure that you are honoring God in regards to how you use His
name? ( s e s s i o n f i v e )
 A P A T H T O W O R S H I P

8. How will you speak about others? ( s e s s i o n f i v e )

9. What are you waiting on God for? ( s e s s i o n s i x )

10. What are you waiting for? What are you controlling that you need to let
go of ? ( s e s s i o n s i x )

11. How will you intentionally seek God’s presence? ( s e s s i o n s i x )

 session seven

I T H A S B E E N A J O U R N E Y . Quite a journey. And I am so grateful that you al-

lowed me to share mine with you. Look at all that we have covered together. Look at all
that God has done. When God wanted the Israelites to remember all that He had done, He
instituted a celebration, a festival. The Israelites would gather and celebrate all that God
did in their midst. They would celebrate and tell of His good works. And I can’t think of a
better way to end the study than with a celebration.

Celebrate all that God has done. Celebrate what He has done in your life. Celebrate what
He has done in others’ lives. Because God’s work deserves to be celebrated!

So here is the plan. The last week of the study, you will gather together to remember and
celebrate with a Seder Meal. Taking part in this historical meal reminds us of all that God
has done. It shows us the true sacrifice that Jesus was and points our eyes to Him.

Your study leader will guide you through the meal, and I want to encourage you to let it
soak in. Let the beauty of the symbolism take root.

And then there will be time to share. Remember that God told the Israelites to tell their
families and the next generation all that God had done, so that they could know.
And the only one who can tell the story of God’s work in your life is you. And if you
don’t tell no one will know. So allow your group to celebrate with you, allow them to see
the greatness of our God.

May this be a week of constant reflection. Wherever you turn, whatever you do, may you
find yourself aware of God and His love and His unwavering pursuit of you. Bask in His
love and allow Him to dwell in you. Allow Him to change you. And may every word you
say and every thing you face be clothed in mercy, gentleness, patience, and love.
 W O R K S C O N S U LT E D

Addington, Gordon L. Discovering the Bible: A Daily Reading Schedule with

Accompanying Notes to Read through the Bible in One Year. Colorado Springs, CO:
NavPress, 2009. Print.

Allister, John. “The Amalekite Genocide.” The Briefing. matthiasmedia.com, 11 Aug.

2013. Web. Fall 2014.

“BibleGateway.” Biblegateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and

50 Languages. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2015.

Clowney, Edmund P. The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament.
Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1988. Print.

Edersheim, Alfred. Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ. Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans, 1982. Print.

Exploring the Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2002. Print.

Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

Deuteronomy. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1982. Print.

Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996. Print.

Jewishanswers.org. Project Genesis, 1996. Web. www.judaism.org.

MyJewishLearning.com. MyJewishLearning, Inc., 2003. Web.

Scherman, Nosson. The Chumash: The Torah: Haftaros and Five Megillos, with a
Commentary Anthologized from the Rabbinic Writings. Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah
Publications, 1998. Print.

www.chabad.org. Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center, 1993. Web.

“The Tabernacle.” www.oldtestamenttablernacle.com. Tabernacle Ministries, 2015. Web.

Mar. 2015.*
*A special thank you to Tabernacle Ministries for allowing us to use their video
animations from www.oldtestamenttabernacle.com. Original audio was replaced
with permission.
 ASHLEY McNARY
lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin where she and her
husband Jon launched and lead Heartland Community
Church. Jon is the Lead Pastor and Ashley is the Creative
Director and Director and Teacher of the Women’s Ministry.
They have three active children – Beckam, Easton, and
Braylin – and recently became a licensed foster home.
Ashley loves variety, the color grey, gardening, spending
time with friends and family and unstructured time.

REDEFINEHER.COM | ©2016 ASHLEY McNARY