Ex.1:11–22, 2:23–25; Prayer Amidst Suffering(Lord's day)

Ex.1:11–22, 2:23–25; Prayer Amidst Suffering(God Calling Through the Environment of Suffering, Chapters 1–2)

1:11-22, 2:23-25,
11.So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12.But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13.and worked them ruthlessly. 14They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. 15.The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16."When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17.The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18.Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" 19.The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." 20.So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21.And because the midwives feared God, he  gave them families of their own. 22.Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

2:23-25, 23.During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24.God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25.So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

(Sermon Summary)
1. The Environment of Suffering Faced by Israel
God has various ways of calling His people. After the Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years—having left Canaan—they forgot God. A common method God uses to awaken His people is suffering, for it is in times of suffering that God’s chosen people turn to seek Him.

1) What severe suffering befell the Israelites during their 400 years in Egypt? How did this ordeal change the Israelite people? (Chapter 1)

2) Even while Israel was enduring great hardship, God was keeping His promises. What were those promises? (1:9, 12; cf. Genesis 15:5, 17:4–6)

3) God knew of their difficult situation and heard their groaning. He also remembered the covenant He had established with their ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What moved God to turn His attention toward caring for Israel? (2:23–25)

2. Stories of Unexpected Suffering Faced by People of Faith
The Bible contains many accounts of suffering experienced by people of faith. However, such suffering does not merely end in hardship; it often serves as an opportunity for growth into a new stage. How did the crises of suffering that befell these people of faith mature their lives?

1) What crisis did Abraham face after entering Canaan under God’s guidance, and what kind of difficulties did he experience?

2) During David's time, a war with the Philistines caused difficulties for Israel, yet this very event paved the way for a new king to rise in Israel. How did David’s new chapter in history begin? (1 Samuel 17:1–58)

3) What crises did Daniel and his three friends face in Babylon? (Daniel 3, 6) What benefits did they gain from the hardships they endured?

3. Circumstances going awry while trying to live by faith
Hardship does not arise because God fails to help. There is meaning in the redemptive hardships God orchestrates to mature people of faith.
1) God chose Joseph to be a sustainer of life. Through him, Egypt and its neighboring nations survived, as did Jacob’s family of seventy, setting the stage for Israel’s 430-year sojourn in Egypt. What methods did God use to raise him up as the prime minister of Egypt? (Gn.37–50)

2) God chose the Jerusalem church for world mission (Acts 1:8). However, the Jerusalem church was content with its own revival. What event served as the catalyst for them to finally fulfill their missionary calling? (Acts 8:1–8)

3) After healing a demon-possessed woman in Philippi, Paul was severely beaten and imprisoned. A miraculous event occurred while he and Silas were praying and singing hymns: the prison doors flew open. What benefit did the suffering endured in Philippi bring to redemptive history? (Acts 16:16–40)

4. Application Questions
1) How have I responded when facing unexpected hardships? Let’s share about the most difficult challenge we have faced recently.
*View the situation from God’s perspective. Instead of dwelling solely on the distress caused by the events that trouble us, let us view them through the lens of faith. Let us consider why God orchestrated these events and interpret them from His perspective.

2) There is a divine purpose within suffering. Reflecting on past times of hardship, what mission have I come to realize?
*Suffering holds meaning. We must grasp our mission through suffering. No suffering is without purpose. Suffering is a mission; blessings are a mission; burdens are a mission.

3) When faced with a crisis, Israel cried out in prayer. The Bible tells us that God heard their cry and remembered the covenant He had made with their ancestors. Let us share testimonies of how we resolved problems through prayer.
*When the people of Israel cried out, God saw, heard, and knew. We must recognize that there is a purpose in suffering. The situation I stand in and the environment of hardship I face carry a message. Let us remember that these circumstances were orchestrated because there are people we must meet and lessons we must learn.

Prayer : Heavenly Father God, when we face suffering and circumstances beyond our understanding, help us to remember that You see, hear, and know our pain. Teach us to cry out to You in faith, trusting that You are working through every hardship for Your good purpose. Strengthen us to persevere, to see our trials from Your perspective, and to follow Your calling with confidence and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.