Read Exodus 2:16-22

Moses gets rewarded with a wife and a family for his good action of protecting the sisters. In a sense he gets “new people.”

And yet he names his son Gershom remembering that he is an ‘alien’ there.

Remember back last week when we looked at the word Hebrew? “One who crosses over” or “went from place to place, an alien, or traveler.” From the beginning, God called his people to be aliens- Abram left his home, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents, Joseph was taken to Egypt, and now Moses in Midian.

We also are called to be ‘aliens’.

1 Peter 2:11 says in the NLT:

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

In the NIV:

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

In the Message:

Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life in your neighborhood so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

• In what way does your life reflect the truth of being an ‘alien’ here in Indiana?

Read Exodus 2:15-20

Moses obviously has a desire to see things “right”. He protects these women, he cares for their flock, he stood up for his fellow Hebrew, and he questions the Hebrews fighting each other.

This desire for justice in his world was a huge motivator for Moses. And yet, he is often unable to accomplish it himself.

• What are the strong motivators for you? Why do you get up the morning and do the things that you do?
• What would it look like for you to involve the Holy Spirit in your day to speak into your motives and desires?
• What would need to change to see this happen?

Read Exodus 2:11-14

Moses hides the man that he killed but cannot hide the knowledge of this murder.

We don’t know whether Moses was afraid because he had committed this grievous sin, or because he’d been found out and feared the consequences.

Read James 4:1-12

• What does James state as truth in this section?
• What is the difference between the envy that moves us to sin, and the jealousy that God feels for us as His people?
• What are some ways that you would describe us as a people of God based on this passage in James? (e.g. We are a people who seek to be humble).

Read through Exodus 2:11-25 a couple times.

• What words or phrases pop out to you as you read?

Moses obviously knew that he was a Hebrew. This is interesting being raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. He is angered by the injustice that he sees and takes matters into his own hands.

• What injustice in your world causes the anger to rise up in you?
• How do you generally respond to injustice?

Read Psalm 82 and pray through this regarding the above situation.

Let’s take this morning to sit with the Lord in some of the losses in our lives.

We just read in Exodus how mother’s lost their babies. Who knows how many died at the whim of this Pharoah, but the loss was tremendous- individually and corporately.

Read Psalm 6 and ask the Holy Spirit to bring up those things in your own life that need to be lamented and grieved with the Lord.

Read again:

Exodus 1:1- 22

Exodus 2:1-25

• What stands out to you from these two chapters?
• What are you learning about who God is?
• Are there things that you have learned about yourself? Or people in general?

We will read one more passage about some of the names that our Father God calls us and speaks over us.

Read 1 Peter 2:1-12

• What are some of the names used of you in this passage?
• Which one stands out to you as most meaningful right now?
• What are some real ways in which you live as a foreigner or exile?
• What do all these names that God calls us have to do with His command to abstain from worldly desires? How does one flow from the other?

Pray about the worldly desire that trips you up the most.