The House You're Building

Introduction :   If you’ve ever been to a performance, you know there is a certain amount of anticipation before the curtain rises.  Attendees find their seats and settle in their coats and handbags.  They may make conversation with those around them or check the programs.  Ushers roam the isles and children make last minute visits to the restroom.  When the curtain rises, hushed attention now shifts from the waiting to the experience you have come to see.  The same can be said of the first chapter of Exodus.  The first paragraph serves as a transition, a summary of where the people have Israel left off from Genesis.  The curtain rises and we see what God has planned next for His people.     Scripture :  Read Exodus Chapter 1.    v. 1-7 …they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong When we pick up the narrative at the end of Genesis, the sons of Israel were already in Egypt. ...

This week I’m introducing a new series that we will be in for quite some time.  Last spring and summer I completed an epic study on Exodus and it has probably been my favorite study of all time! I’m so excited to write about it some of what I’ve gleaned and share it with you.  This post is to share some information about Exodus as a whole so the sections you read each week have more context.  In a broad sense, Exodus is God’s people leaving Egypt after 430 years of slavery.  To best understand it, you have to look at the larger storyline of books surrounding it.  Exodus is the 2 nd  book of the bible and included in the Pentateuch, five books of history that read like a series.  Genesis, which comes before, is the story of individuals, where Exodus covers the story of a nation.  The next three books, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, expand on Exodus by covering more covenant instructions, the journey toward the pr...