A January evening in 2006, a Katowice exhibition hall full of people admiring carrier pigeons, and a roof that suddenly collapsed under the weight of snow. That tragedy opens a reflection on the beginning of Exodus (Exodus 1-2): the story of the Israelites, on whom slavery fell like a bolt from the blue, and of Moses, saved from the water in defiance of Pharaoh’s orders. The sermon shows that with God there is no such thing as a hopeless situation, He sees a way out even where we no longer see anything. Listen and discover why, when life comes crashing down, it is better to draw near to God than to make desperate moves.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The Israelites came to Egypt as a family for a short stay, yet remained for 400 years. According to the sermon, how did their prosperity in the land of Goshen affect their memory of their spiritual calling and the Promised Land?
- The more Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites, the more they grew in strength. What does this paradox in Exodus 1 reveal about how God works, even when He seems absent?
- The two midwives, Moses' mother and sister, and Pharaoh's daughter all listened to God rather than Pharaoh. What do you think gave them the courage to defy the king's order?
- Moses tries to defend a fellow Hebrew by killing an Egyptian, and his mission ends with him fleeing. Why, according to the sermon, does rash action in a seemingly hopeless situation draw us away from God?
- God leads Moses to a well, that is, into a living relationship with Himself. How does this image help you understand what God wants from you when you can't see a way out of your problems?
- Faced with a choice between money and the sober life he had received, Lukasz heeded God's warning signs. In what area this week do you need to pause and listen to God before making a decision?
