Introduction to With God: In the Wilderness
After the Israelites are rescued from Egypt, the journey begins. This section of study dives into the heart of the wilderness narrative, where Israel learns to live “with God” outside the shackles of slavery. This narrative in Scripture reveals the necessity of atonement for approaching a holy God, confronting the devastating impact of unbelief, and discovering that God's unwavering presence is the source of all courage. Ultimately, the “Great Shema” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) provides the truth that wholehearted love is the only response to God who is always true to his people and his promises, especially in the midst of extraordinary change.
In theFormed.life, the daily Scripture reading encompasses the whole story of Scripture in manageable chunks, allowing time for other study, reflection, and prayer, rather than including every verse and chapter in the Bible. If you would like to go deeper and read through the entire Bible in a year, use this whole Bible reading plan from the BibleProject.
Whether you are new to following Jesus or have read through the Bible multiple times already, join us in this journey to grow in knowledge of and love for God’s word as you experience his presence through it.
The Discipline of Meditation
Meditating on God's word goes beyond simply reading or studying Scripture. Meditation practices deep, sustained, and prayerful reflection on the word, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our time in the Scriptures into an intimate relational experience with God. The goal of meditation is not intellectual mastery but chewing on the truth until it becomes a part of our hearts and minds.
Included in the study of “With God: In the Wilderness,” will be prompts and activities that help us to slow down and simmer in God’s word, growing in the discipline and skills of meditation.
Read this blog by Rachel Nesse on meditation.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
As I open your sacred word, open my mind and heart to receive it. Spirit, illuminate these pages and remove the barriers of my own pride, distraction, and misunderstanding. Help me to approach your word not as simply words on a page, but may I come to know your heart, see your Son, Jesus Christ, and be changed by you in your word.
May this time of meditation be marked by deep understanding and obedient application. For your glory alone. Amen.
Read | Exodus 12:29–42
Now at midnight the LORD struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock. During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get out immediately from among my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the LORD as you have said. Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”
Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.
The Israelites acted on Moses’s word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold items and for clothing. And the LORD gave the people such favor with the Egyptians that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.
The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand able-bodied men on foot, besides their families. A mixed crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they were driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared provisions for themselves.
The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the LORD’s military divisions went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of vigil in honor of the LORD, because he would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the LORD, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
What aspects of God’s character do you see at work in this passage? How do you see God present and working with his people in this text?
Focus
Read this devotional made available from the Story of Scripture team at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Exodus 1–15 | Passover and The Exodus (Deliverance)
“...I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians and rescue you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment.” -Exodus 6:6
Exodus chapters 1–15 covers a lot of ground, historically and through time. We must not miss that God is getting his people—the nation of Israel—ready to leave a country (Egypt) where they had been fruitful under Joseph (Exodus 1:7), so they can be led by the one true King, Yahweh! The problem is that descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have had to endure generational slavery in Egypt, under various pharaohs, by the time Moses comes on to the scene. Their fruitfulness has turned to forgetfulness for many.
No doubt, many of God’s people, by the time of Moses’ leadership, were wondering if God’s promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3) were true. Was God going to indeed make the descendants of Abraham a great people, give them their own promised land, and cause them to be a blessing to all nations?
The introduction of Moses into the narrative in Exodus brings God’s story into focus prior to the people of Israel being delivered from Pharoah and Egypt (chapters 7–15) through the incredible display of Yahweh’s power through the ten plagues. Through his servant Moses we see that rescuing is God’s “superpower”.
Contemporary filmgoers cannot get enough of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). No other film-franchise has earned what the MCU has—over $30 billion! We love our superheroes! Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Black Panther are part of the western cultural mindset because who doesn’t like someone who has a special power that can rescue others!?
Thus, the story of Exodus 1–15 sets forth the reality that Yahweh—the King of the universe—can rescue his people from bondage because he will keep his promise to a crusty old shepherd named Abraham.
Colossians 1:13 says, “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”
And Romans 5:8 says, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died (read: rescued) for the ungodly.”
From Exodus 1–15 we learn that when God seems silent and his promises seem as distant as the stars of the next galaxy, he is still working behind the scenes to accomplish his good and perfect will, and when the time is right, he will exercise his superpower of rescue to make his own name great!
What stood out to you from today’s devotional? What was familiar to you already and what struck you as new?
Pray
Ask God to help you meditate on his character through reading his word.
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what you learned today. Praise God for one aspect of his character that you see in the passage today (e.g., God’s rescue, God’s care for his people, God’s justice). Ask God to help you meditate on his character shown through the rescue of his people in the Exodus.
Going Deeper
Throughout this year-long series in theFormed.life, the daily Scripture reading will take you through the whole story of Scripture in manageable chunks, allowing time for other study, reflection, and prayer, rather than including every verse and chapter in the Bible. If you would like to go deeper and read through the entire Bible, use this whole Bible reading plan from the BibleProject. Print it off and use it as a checklist to track your progress!
