This Bible study is all about removing all idols from your life to serve God alone.
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Moses faced many situations where he needed to trust God alone. He stumbled and argued with God, but ultimately he followed the commands of God, bringing 10 plagues to Egypt. Each one of these plagues was directed at Egyptian gods, destroying their image and proving that God along is worthy of all honor and praise.
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Read all about removing all idols to serve God alone, before reflecting on it below
Exodus 5-8
He alone is my God
Moses goes to Pharaoh, demanding that he let the Israelites go. Pharaoh’s response is “who is the Lord that I should let them go?”. The Egyptians considered Pharaoh a god himself, and he more than likely knows who the Hebrew God is. Here, he is saying “he may be your God, but he isn’t mine, I don’t have to listen”. Moses essentially responds not with a description of who God is, but rather “He alone is my God and I will listen even if you don’t”. There are times that we need to be steadfast in our knowledge that God is our God and we will listen to what He says even if those around us don’t.
In Exodus 5:3, Moses repeats verbatim what God commanded him to say in Exodus 3:18. Why would God command him to say this instead of giving a description of who God is? Do you chose to listen to the voice of God alone, regardless of what others are doing (1 John 5:3-4)?
When God sets you free, you are free indeed
After the Israelites worshiped God for bringing Moses as their deliver, Pharaoh increased their work. Instead of going to God alone, they went to Pharaoh and asked that it be lightened. Even though God promised to be their deliverer, they remained under the mindset of slavery.
Where in you own life has God promised to be your deliverer? Do you still live as slaves or as someone who has been set free (John 8:36)?
No other gods
God appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty. This name was El Shaddai, and meant “overpowering strength.” God revealed Himself as the One who makes promises – or a covenant – with His people. Now God revealed Himself as Jehovah to Moses. This is a more intimate name of God. He is absolute, eternal, and independent. The meaning is two-fold. It is a reminder to the Israelites to not turn to other gods, which was easy in a polytheistic world. So, God is stating that He is a personal God. He is also saying that He is the God who keeps His promises.
The patriarchs knew God as the One who makes promises, but Moses knew Him as the One who keeps promises. How do you know God? Is He unconditional and absolute in your life (Exodus 20:3-5)?
God alone knows you best
When Moses and Aaron confront pharaoh and their rod turns into a snake, a different Hebrew word is used here than the previous two times. Before, the rod became nahas – translated as “a snake”. Now, the rod becomes tannin – translated as “a dragon, sea monster, or whale”. God used an imagery with the Israelites that they would understand – the serpent in the garden of Eden. But when dealing with the Egyptians, He uses an imagery they would understand. Tannin was the opposite of light and life to the Egyptians.
Why does God choose a different image with dealing with the Israelites and Egyptians (1 Corinthians 9:22)?
God is the only one with power
God used the plagues to tell Pharaoh who He is. When Moses and Aaron first went to Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked “who is the Lord that I should let the people go” (Exodus 5:2). God was responding to that question, and demonstrating that He is God alone. The ONLY God. Each of the Plagues corresponds to an Egyptian god, showing that they have no power.
Is there something in your life that holds power over you? Will you let God speak into that area of your life and give all power to God Himself (1 John 2:15-17)?
The plague of blood
The Egyptians believed that water, and especially the Nile, were gods, so in turning the Nile into blood, God was demonstrating his authority over water, letting the Egyptians – and Israelites – know that God is greater than anything else they might worship. Although the Egyptian magicians were also able to turn water into blood, they were helpless to turn the blood back into water. They were able to embrace their idols but unable to turn away from them.
Water is something that should be life-giving, but the nile was distorted into something that stole life. What do you worship (1 John 5:21)?
The plague of frogs
Frogs were considered so sacred in Egypt because their goddess of fertility (Heqet) had the head of a frog. The number of frogs that God sent was obnoxious to the Egyptians, but they were helpless to do anything about it because they could not kill something that resembled one of their gods. Finally, Pharaoh asked Moses and Arron to pray to the Lord so that the frogs would disappear. God answered their prayer, but the frogs died throughout the land so that the people had to pick them up and heap them in piles. They were all seeing firsthand that their gods had no power.
Maybe you are struggling with getting pregnant, or maybe you are in the midst of yet another unplanned pregnancy. Perhaps there is another way that fertility has become forefront in your mind. Do you worship a god of fertility (Philippians 4:6-7)?
The plague of gnats
The third plague comes with no warning for Pharaoh. God told Moses to have Arron stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the ground so that gnats would appear. Not even the magicians could do this and they announced that it had to be God. The dust that was struck represents the Egyptian god of the earth, and the gnats came upon people making them unclean for worship of their gods. The gnats were also on animals, meaning that no sacrifices could be made to their gods.
The Egyptians were unable to become clean enough to worship their gods. Our God says that HE alone will make us clean. Do you trust God for salvation through HIM alone (Acts 4:12)?
The plague of flies
For the fourth plague, God instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that there would be a plague of flies. Again, the flies would come upon people and their animals, still allowing for no worship of the pagan god. However, the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, would be spared. Once again, the land is so full of pests that pharaoh tells Moses that they can Worship God in Egypt. Moses is not willing to compromise on the command of God and insists that they take a three day journey into the wilderness.
Are you willing to compromise on a command of God because it is what those in authority over you want you to do (Hebrews 10:26)?
Reflect on serving God alone
Do you serve God alone, or do you allow small compromises into your life? Do these compromises become idols for you, getting in the way and taking the place of God?
