Exodus 7-13 Teaching Activities and Insights
- Benjamin Wilcox
- 35 minutes ago
- 39 min read
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LESSON #1 THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAGUES (Exodus 7-10)
TRUTH:
God is greater than the “gods” of this world, and I can trust Him and his power more than anything the world can offer.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
I get excited to teach this lesson because the plagues part of the Exodus story don’t get much application attention. Yes, it’s dramatic, yes, it’s interesting, but there’s a purpose in the plagues. For us! The story is in there to teach us as the reader a principle. And that principle is that God’s power, and knowledge, and blessings are greater than anything that the world can offer. The plagues were intended to inspire faith and belief in the Israelites, and they can do the same for us. And that message matters just as much today. Our world still offers many things that promise happiness, security, and power. But the story of the plagues reminds us that none of those things can replace God.
OBJECT:
Two suggested objects for this lesson. A crown (a toy one will do) and a walking staff representing Moses’s staff. The crown stands as a symbol of worldly power, while the staff acts as a symbol of God’s power or priesthood power.
ICEBREAKER:
For the icebreaker, I like to do the “Who do you think would win the battle?” activity. And, for each of the examples that I give, I require my students to come up with a reason why. And here are some of the characters that I pit against each other, but feel free to come up with some of your own.
Then to transition to the scriptures you can say: Today we’re going to see another showdown but not between fictional characters. We’re going to see a showdown between Moses and Pharaoh, or more symbolically speaking, a showdown between the power of Egypt and the power of God.”
SEARCH ACTIVITY/HANDOUT:
For the search activity, and to act as a review of what the 10 plagues actually were, I have my students do the Plagues of Egypt secret phrase activity. And when they’ve completed that, the secret phrase reveals a major truth of the lesson, which comes right from the scriptures. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. You see, the plagues were a direct challenge to each of the gods of the Egyptians. The Egyptians worshipped the Nile, they worshipped a cattle god, a frog goddess, a god of crops, and one by one, the Lord shows that none of Egypt’s gods can compete with Him.
Then invite your students to go through the following verses and mark every time throughout the plagues the Lord makes that point.
In 7:17, 8:10, 8:22, 9:14, 9:29, 10:2
And I would write that truth up on the board. The plagues were not random disasters. They were messages. God was showing Egypt, and Israel, and us, who truly has power. It’s Jehovah. Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law comes to that very conclusion later in Exodus 18:11: Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Have you class liken the scriptures by brainstorming here. Who/ what are some of the gods of our world? Explain that the gods of our world are anything, or idea that we place above God or things that people put their trust in, other than God. Possible answers could be, their own abilities? Money? Influence? Other people? Politics? Success? Lust? Sports? Leisure? Anything that draws people away from the true God and His power.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
What experiences have helped you personally come to know that the Lord is real, powerful, and that what He has to offer is greater than anything the world can?
I WILL GO AND DO HANDOUT:
Invite class members to choose one simple action this week that helps them remember who really has power.
Suggestions:
Pause and pray before making an important decision this week.
Turn to scripture or prayer first when facing a problem
Thank God for a blessing that reminds you of His power
Look for one moment this week where you can say, “The Lord helped me.”
TAKEAWAY:
The message of the takeaway slide is that God is greater. He was more powerful than the Gods of the Egyptians, and he’s more powerful than the modern gods that many worship in our days. So put your trust in Him!
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
I really like these short, animated stories that the Church has put together. If you want to show a video summary of the story, you could show this one called: The Plagues of Egypt.
QUOTE:
From C.S. Lewis:
“What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
(Mere Christianity)
GAME:If you’d like to add a quick game to this lesson, you could play a round of Plague Charades. Divide the class into two teams. Invite one student from the first team to come to the front and secretly draw the name of one of the plagues from a small stack of cards (water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, cattle dying, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of the first born). The student must then act out the plague without speaking while their team tries to guess which plague it is. You can either award a point for each correct guess or keep track of how many seconds it takes each team to identify the plague and see which team guesses the fastest. Then switch to the other team with a new volunteer. To keep your students from just randomly shouting out all of the plagues and hoping they get it right, tell them that the team is limited to only three guesses per round, so to make sure that each guess counts. Play a few rounds until several plagues have been acted out. Whichever team has the highest score, wins.
LESSON #2 A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE (Exodus 8-11)
TRUTH:
Choosing the Lord protects me from many of the consequences of sin.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
To help ignite a fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how it can help your students to see the commandments in a new light. They live in a world full of voices that try to convince them that God’s commandments restrict happiness and freedom. Help them to see that the Lord’s way protects and guides, and that living the gospel really does make a difference. The Lord still puts a difference between those who follow Him and those who don’t.
OBJECT:
One simple object you could use for this lesson is a piece of masking tape placed down the middle of the classroom floor. As you teach the principle of the lesson, you can make the point that God placed a division between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The boundary between these two groups would have been painfully apparent throughout the plagues.
ICEBREAKER/HANDOUT:
For the icebreaker, you could play a game of “Spot the Difference.” What you’ll do is give them a handout with the following picture on it. Their challenge is to compare the two pictures and be the first person that can spot all four differences. And here they are. Then you could give them another challenge, again, trying to spot the four differences. And here are the answers to that puzzle.
Then to transition to the scriptures, tell them the that plagues of Egypt revealed an interesting comparison between the Egyptians and the Israelites. We’re going to compare and contrast those two groups of people now.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Invite them to now go into their scriptures and see if they can identify what the common message is in all of these verses. What is the pattern in the plagues?
Exodus 8:22-23
Exodus 9:4, 6
Exodus 9:11
Exodus 9:20-21
Exodus 9:26
Exodus 10:22-23
Exodus 11:7
If they struggle to see the pattern, ask: What difference do you notice between Egypt and Goshen in these verses? And they should get it. Those that chose Jehovah and to follow his prophet did not suffer from the plagues. There was a difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians—a severance in their experiences.
To tie this back to our icebreaker, I like to point out that our activity at the beginning didn’t really capture the kind of difference we see in the scriptures. In the puzzle, the differences were small and subtle—you had to look carefully to spot them. But the difference between Egypt and Goshen wasn’t like that at all. It was dramatic and unmistakable. Darkness in one place, light in another. Destruction in one place, protection in another. If our icebreaker had truly matched the story, it might have looked more like this—one of these things is clearly not like the others. That’s the point the Lord was making. When people choose Him and follow His word, it creates a real difference in the kind of life they experience.
TEACHER INSIGHT:
Then I would make the point that the Lord is teaching Israel and all of us an important principle. They are not just another nation; they are a covenant people. And covenant living creates a different kind of life experience. Those that choose the Lord and to follow his prophets don’t suffer the same plagues that the world does. They are separated from those problems.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Do you think living the gospel creates differences in people’s lives today? How?
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES:
Tell them that you are going give them an example of a god of this world, and their job is to identify some of the “plagues” that accompany its worship.
The God of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.
The God of immorality or sensuality.
The God of anger.
The God of money.
And just overall The Gods of this World.
TEACHER INSIGHT:
And then I would be sure to offer the following important caveat to this truth. Yes, there’s a difference between the life experience of the obedient and the disobedient. But that’s not to say that the righteous don’t suffer in life, or face challenges, or have discouraging times. In fact, sometimes righteousness CAN make our lives more difficult. But, the quality and nature of that suffering is very different. The suffering of common mortality or the suffering of the persecution of the righteous has a redeeming heaven-like quality to it. The suffering of sin, is well, just suffering. Wickedness never was happiness. But, if we just live the commandments and follow the prophet, then the plagues of this world will not affect us! We will be protected, separate, and severed from the spiritual pandemics of the world.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Name a law of God that you are personally grateful for and what plagues do you feel it protected you from?
I WILL GO AND DO HANDOUT:
Invite class members to think of one commandment that they intend to live more intentionally this week.
TAKEAWAY:
The takeaway slide reminds us that choosing God makes a world of difference. Small choices to follow the Lord often create big differences in the direction of our lives. Encourage them to avoid the plagues like the plague by choosing God and his prophets.
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
A suggested video you could show to accompany the message of this lesson. It’s called “Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God”. It compares the commandments to a barrier in the surf on a beach protecting surfers from sharks on the other side. Sometimes we may be annoyed by the barrier because we think it’s keeping us from the best waves, but really, it’s there to make a difference in our lives and protect us from the consequences of swimming with sharks.
LESSON #3 PASSOVER PRINCIPLES (Exodus 12-13)
TRUTH:
Through the sacrifice of Christ, I can be freed from the bondage of sin.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
I feel a fire in the bones for this lesson because I absolutely love symbolism. It’s such a powerful teaching technique, and God is the master of it. When people read the Old Testament, they sometimes struggle to see why the law of Moses mattered so much. Why all the rituals? Why sacrifices? Why feasts like Passover? The answer is simple: they were all teaching tools. They pointed people to Jesus Christ. So teachers, help your students to see and understand the symbols of the Passover, but more importantly, to feel the power of the still-relevant principles that they teach us.
OBJECT:
Since this is a lesson grounded in symbolism, I suggest you try to gather up as many different symbols of the Passover as you can to refer to throughout the lesson. Some possible suggestions. A picture of the pyramids. A calendar. A lamb stuffed animal or figurine. A small cup of red liquid to represent blood. You could bring in some flatbread, matzah, or even a tortilla to represent unleavened bread. Some horseradish or parsley for the bitter herbs. And a staff or walking stick. As you go through the different symbols of the Passover, you could refer them to these objects. You may even want to give them some of the flatbread and the bitter herbs to eat during the lesson. I’ve even known of some teachers who go through the trouble of cooking and bringing in lamb or mutton to eat. Which is usually more effort than I’m willing to go through, but I know it makes for a memorable experience for the students.
ICEBREAKER:
For the icebreaker, I do the symbolism activity. I explain that symbols can be a simple yet effective means of communication and I challenge them to see if they can recognize the following symbols and what they mean.
I also like to give them a list of some common scriptural symbols that they might encounter and challenge them to match what they feel those elements typically represent.
Then transition to the scriptures by explaining that in Exodus the Lord gave the children of Israel a very symbolically rich feast to observe. The Passover was an ordinance instituted by Moses here in Exodus chapter 12 that would forever after teach those that observed it truths about God and life.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Next, invite students to search Exodus 12:1-13 for symbolic elements in the Passover. Just invite them to mark any portion of the instructions that they feel might have some symbolic depth to it. Then review those elements and point out any that they might have missed.
HANDOUT:
Then you can provide them with the following handout that lists all the symbols and a place to write down some possible interpretations. And that’s really going to guide you through the bulk of your lesson. And it’s fun. For each of the symbols, simply ask: What do you think this might represent. Then discuss it and guide them as you go. The insight video has plenty of help if you struggle to interpret the symbols yourselves. Keep in mind that one of the great strengths of symbolism is that it allows for multiple interpretations. So if your students come up with different possible interpretations, be sure to validate and include them in your discussion. You may not be able to cover all the symbols in depth, so keep your eye on the time. If you feel you won’t have enough to cover all of them and still leave some good time for application, then just summarize the remaining symbols yourself as the teacher.
Something I like to do in that discussion is to combine all the elements of the Passover into one summary sentence. Here’s how I put it:While living in the bondage of Egypt, the Israelites were asked to begin a new calendar by sacrificing a young, male lamb without blemish. They placed the blood of that lamb on the doorposts of their home and would roast the lamb with fire and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were to eat it completely and with haste as if they were ready to leave quickly. If they were obedient to this instruction, the destroyer would pass by them, and they would be freed from their bondage. From that point on, they were to remember this miracle frequently by observing this ordinance yearly.
Then after the discussion of the possible symbolic meaning of those elements, I read the sentence again with the interpretations substituted. Then it reads like this:
“While living in the world, I can begin a new life through the sacrifice of Christ. If I rely on His atonement in my daily life, have the Spirit, nourished by the eternal word of God, and remember the bitterness of sin and flee from it quickly. If I am obedient to this instruction, then the destructive power of Satan will pass by me, and I will be free from the slavery of sin and death.
Now before you interpret the final line of the previous statement, you want to help your students see the connection between the Passover and the Sacrament. Show them that one of the main purposes of the Passover was to help them REMEMBER how the Lord had delivered them from bondage. But we don’t observe the Passover anymore. Why?
And whether they share it, or you do, make sure that the point is made that we have a different but similar type of ordinance to help us remember the Savior’s sacrifice that frees us from spiritual bondage. And that would be the sacrament of course. The Passover looked FORWARD to the Savior’s sacrifice, the Sacrament looks BACK to it. So I add the final phrase of our Passover paragraph: From this point on, I can remember this miracle by observing the sacrament weekly. I can remember that the blood of the lamb frees me from spiritual bondage. It makes me free. And I can reflect on that every single week as I bring that tiny piece of bread, and that small cup of water to my lips. Christ’s sacrifice brings us hope. Hope of deliverance, and hope for a better world. A promised land of freedom and great blessing.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Why do you think God chose an ordinance full of symbols to teach this lesson?
TAKE IT TO HEART/VIDEO:
For the Take it to Heart portion of this lesson, I like to sing a hymn or show a video of a musical number focused on the Savior’s sacrifice. There are many options out there for this. You’ve got, I Know that My Redeemer Lives, How Great thou Art, or I Stand All Amazed. Or my favorite option is to show one of the following performances of “Amazing Grace”. Both are excellent.
How has the Savior’s sacrifice(the blood of the Lamb) blessed your life?
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2arm5ydeJc
I WILL GO AND DO:
For the I will go and do, you can just invite your students to partake of the sacrament this week with greater focus on Christ’s sacrifice.
TAKEAWAY:
The takeaway slide reminds us that we can be liberated by the lamb. Bear testimony that Christ’s atonement truly has the power to free us. Remind your students that just as the Israelites walked away from slavery because of the lamb’s blood, we too can walk away from sin because of the Savior. And through Him, our chains really can fall away.
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
There is another Church video you might consider showing that’s called “The Passover” that does a really good job explaining the history behind the Passover and the different elements that it contained. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0041-the-passover?lang=eng
QUOTE:
From Elder Boyd K. Packer:At Gethsemane and Golgotha the Savior’s blood was shed. Centuries earlier the Passover had been introduced as a symbol and a type of things to come. It was an ordinance to be kept forever (see Exodus 12). …
After the crucifixion of the Lord, the law of sacrifice required no more shedding of blood. … The sacrifice thenceforth was to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit—repentance.
And the Passover would be commemorated forever as the sacrament, in which we renew our covenant of baptism and partake in remembrance of the body of the Lamb of God and of His blood, which was shed for us. (“Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 72)
INSIGHTS
THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAGUES
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker, I like to start this lesson by out by asking my students which fictional characters they think would win in an imaginary battle. And they have to give at least one reason why. So, for example:
Darth Vader vs. Voldemort?
Batman vs. Iron Man?
Jason Bourne vs James Bond?
Yoda vs. Gandalf?
R2-D2 vs. Wall-E?
TRANSITION
Now I know that’s kind of silly, but it’s a fun way to get your students talking before you dig into the more serious confrontation between the opposing forces that you find in Exodus chapters 7-13. There, we’re going to witness an epic battle of wills between two very powerful men. Pharoah and Moses, both yielding very different kinds of power. Pharoah is the great wielder of worldly power. He’s a symbol for it even. There is no civilization like his in the world at that time and he’s the most powerful man on earth, in temporal terms. Moses, on the other hand comes with the power of the priesthood, represented by his staff. And his objective: to free the children of Israel from bondage. Pharoah’s goal, on the other hand, is to maintain his grip on his slave labor, and he’s not going to just easily let go of his monument building workforce. Now who do you think is going to win that battle? Priesthood power vs. worldly power. And then, on a grander scale. This is really a battle of religion against religion or God against gods. The Hebrews worship Jehovah, and that’s it, while the Egyptians worshipped a pantheon of various deities represented by different animals or forces of nature. Maybe when you were a kid, you might have said things like “My Dad is stronger than your dad,” or “my brother could beat up your brother.” Well, Moses comes in and, in a way, says, “My God can beat up your gods?” to which Pharoah responds, “Bring it on.” This confrontation is going to be played out in these chapters through the episode we call the Plagues of Egypt.
But keep in mind that this contest didn’t start out with a plague but a sign. God didn’t resort to the tough stuff quite yet. He went easy on them at first. And that sign, I believe, is a type of microcosm of the message of the entire conflict. What was that sign? What does Moses do in Exodus 7:10? He turns his staff into a snake. Now remember that the staff was a symbol of Moses’ power and priesthood. Now that’s kind of an interesting sign for God to use when you think about it. Why start with that? One possible theory here. Perhaps God knew that this was a common trick of the Egyptian sorcerers and magicians. He knew they could do the same thing and was anticipating the false priesthood to come in and mimic the same act—which they promptly do in the next verse. And how were the sorcerers able to do it? I’m not sure. Maybe with sleight of hand? I’m an amateur magician myself and I know that one can make the impossible appear possible. Or maybe they’re doing it by using some measure of satanic power, or maybe God just allowed them to so that he could send his message through what Moses does next. So what happens in 7:12? Moses’s snake eats their snakes. What’s the message? Just ponder that and keep that in mind as we study the rest of the story. We’ll come back to that question later.
SEARCH
So then we begin in on the plagues themselves. That little sign of the snakes is not going to be enough to convince Pharoah to let the Israelites go. It’s going to take much more. Now as a teacher, I’m not as concerned about going over each of the plagues themselves and talking about the damage that they cause and what the people experienced as much as I am about the message that God was sending through the plagues. But, it’s not a bad idea to review them first and mark them in your scriptures. You could do that with this secret message activity. The secret message at the bottom is going to reveal the great purpose of the plagues— or the message that God was sending to the Egyptians and all of us through them.
Here are the answers:
(Exodus 7:20-21) Moses turned the water of the Nile into __________. BLOOD
(Exodus 8:1-6) The land was covered with ___________. FROGS
(Exodus 8:16-17) The dust of the land was turned into _______. LICE
(Exodus 8:21-24) Moses sent forth large swarms of ________. FLIES
(Exodus 9:3-7) A disease came upon all the _________ of Egypt, and they died. CATTLE
(Exodus 9:8-12) The Egyptians themselves became covered with _______. BOILS
(Exodus 9:22-26) There was a great storm of ______ mixed with fire (lightning) that killed people, plants, and animals. HAIL
(Exodus 10:12-15) Moses called a swarm of ___________ that covered the whole land and ate everything that was left. LOCUSTS
(Exodus 10:21-23) A thick _______________ covered the land. DARKNESS
(Exodus 12:29-30) The Lord __________ all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. SMOTE
Sounds terrible doesn’t it! It’s hard to imagine a heart so hard as to continue to deny a God with that measure of power. And what is the secret message, or the great principle of the plagues? It’s the statement that God initially makes to Moses before he ever even goes into Pharaoh. And it comes right from the scriptures. It’s found in Exodus 7:5.
“And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord”. They are going to KNOW whose power is greater. The gods of the Egyptians were no match for Jehovah. The plagues can be seen as a direct challenge to their gods. The Egyptians worshipped the Nile. Well, Jehovah turned it into blood. (which, by the way, probably doesn’t mean he actually turned the Nile into B-positive or A-negative because blood in the scriptures can also be translated as disease or poison. The waters of the Nile probably became undrinkable or would cause sickness in those that drank it) The Egyptians worshipped the earth, well Jehovah took the dust of it and turned it into lice. The Egyptians had a frog goddess, a cattle god, a god of crops, a god of healing. Well, Jehovah was able to confront each and every one with a power that showed his dominance and control over each. The greatest God of the Egyptians was Ra, the sun God. And Jehovah was able to just black him out for three days. Then, Pharoah himself was considered a God to the Egyptians. But even he couldn’t save his own son from the destroyer.
Now, do you remember the very first thing Moses did when he initially came into Pharoah? He turned his staff into a snake which devoured the snakes of the Egyptian sorcerers. What did you feel the message of that sign was? Right from the outset God showed Pharoah that Moses’ power was greater than theirs—that Moses’ God could consume their gods. And remember, that the Egyptians were very proud of their gods. I mean, look at what they left behind. Giant, enormous statues of them. I’ve been to Egypt. It’s very impressive. The scale of their accomplishments is mind-boggling, especially considering the technology that they had available to them. Pictures just don’t do it justice. The pyramids, Luxor, Abu Simbel. These places stand as an incredible testament to what man can do—the great power of man! But it’s still the works of man. And their gods were merely gods of stone—gods of their own imagination and creating. But Jehovah was God, the real God. And their power was no match for His.
KNOWING THE LORD MARKING ACTIVITY
Now look how many times he sends that message throughout these chapters: Take a colored pencil and mark each time and way he says it. We’ve already got the one in 7:5. But look at
7:17 In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord
8:10 That thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.
8:22 to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
9:14 that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
9:29 that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's.
10:2 that ye may know how that I am the Lord.
TRUTH
That’s the message! That’s the great truth of the plagues. Jehovah, IS God. The great I AM. God is greater and more powerful than the gods of this world. He is stronger. There is NONE like unto him. That’s the conclusion that Moses’s father-in-law Jethro comes to later in the story. After the Israelites have been freed from bondage he declares:
18:11
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
That message was not only sent for the benefit of the Egyptians, but the children of Israel too. As well as all of us who read and study these chapters.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES-Brainstorm
Now what does this mean for you and me? More than likely, none of you out there are going to be tempted to bow down to idols of stone or pictures of men with bird or cow heads. But in our modern world, I feel we’re still tempted just as much to worship the gods of this world as the Egyptians were. What do I mean? Well, what are some of the gods of our world? We’re not tempted to bow down to statues of Osiris, or Odin, or Zeus, but what kinds of things do people place before God? What do they worship or prioritize over Him? Let’s brainstorm here:
Some worship money. Others, success. Others, popularity. You’ve got the gods of lust, pride, sex, partying. Some worship cars, sports, celebrities, or leisure. And when we prioritize these worldly things over the commandments and the works of God, we are, in a sense, worshipping the gods of this world. We might be tempted to think that we we’ll find more happiness and fulfillment and meaning in those things. But what did the story of the plagues just teach us? God is greater than those things. The goodness and greatness and power of God can consume all those things. Eventually, all will discover that those gods will not save us. They don’t deliver on their promises. They won’t make us happy or offer us fulfillment. All of God’s children need to come to that conclusion. We all need to come to know the Lord and that there is none like Him in all the earth.
C.S. Lewis once observed:
“What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
(Mere Christianity)
That reliance on something else is like the Egyptians hoping that their statues and rituals could save them from the power of Jehovah.
Now, some questions to ask ourselves. Do we live our lives as if we believe that principle? That God is greater than anything this world has to offer?
Well, what experiences have you had that have taught you that God and His gospel is greater than anything the world has to offer?
A few personal thoughts.
I’ve read great novels, and biographies, and works of non-fiction, but they’re nothing compared to what I’ve experienced in the scriptures.
I’ve enjoyed concerts, and performances, and sporting events in my life, but they’re nothing compared to the experience I have watching general conference.
I’ve looked with awe and wonder at incredible works of architecture, and art, and sculpture conceived by the mind and hand of my fellowman, but they’re nothing compared with the mountains, and canyons, and oceans, and forests of our Heavenly Father’s creation.
And, I’m sad to admit, that at times in my life, I’ve fallen prey to the temptations and priorities and enticements of this world. And I can tell you, from personal experience, that the meager wages they offer pale in comparison to the great rewards that God offers.
CONCLUSION
So, I pray that we can all come to the same conclusion as Jethro. That God is above all. And I assure you that our lives will be better, more fulfilling, and happier when we act as if we understand that. If not, I’m afraid we may have to suffer some plague like consequences in our lives. But hopefully, we can be wiser than that. We can trust the scriptures and the Lord’s prophets whose counsel and teachings can deliver us from the grasp of false “deities”. God is greater! He always wins!
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Now, a companion principle. What will recognizing God’s power do for us? There is another idea that is emphasized in these plague chapters. Let’s see if you can find it. Study the following verses and tell me what you feel their common message is. What is the pattern in the plagues?
8:22-23
9:4, 6
9:11
9:20-21
9:26
10:22-23
11:7
8:22-23 With the plague of flies
22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
9:4 , 6 And with the plague of the disease among the cattle
4 And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.
6 And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.
9:11 With the boils. Who did they affect?
11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
9:20-21 This is interesting. When it came to the hailstorm, some of the Egyptians, by this time, have been convinced of God and Moses’s power. So . . .
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Therefore, those that feared him, (or believed in Moses), their cattle was spared. Those that didn’t lost their cattle. And then . . .
9:26
26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
10:22-23
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
11:7 Finally, with the plague of the death of the firstborn, Moses prophesies:
7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
What did you notice? What’s the pattern? Those that chose Jehovah and to follow his prophet did not suffer from the plagues. There was a difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians—a severance in their experiences. What’s the truth that the scriptures have just taught us? IF I . . . THEN what?
TRUTH
If I choose the Lord and follow his prophets, then I will not suffer from the plagues of this world .
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Let’s take a look at that truth a little deeper. What are some of the plagues of the earth today? I’ll give you one of the gods of this world, you tell me what “plagues” accompany their worship?
The god of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. There are those who worship these gods daily. What plagues accompany their worship? Addiction, disease, hangovers, DUI’s, accidents.
The god of sensuality or sexuality? STD’s, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, meaningless relationships.
The god of anger? Violence, crime, and prison, pain.
The god of money? Materialism, financial ruin, regret over lost opportunities because money has been such a focus of their life, obsession, selfishness.
And then overall, those that choose the gods of this world will more often than not suffer from the plagues of misery, despair, and emptiness.
BUT . . .If I choose God and his prophets, I will be spared those plagues. There will be a difference between us and them. And is that true?
You tell me, do those who follow the Word of Wisdom suffer from the plagues of substance addiction, hangovers, or DUI’s? No, there’s a difference between them.
Do those who live the law of chastity have to worry about the plagues of STD’s, unwanted pregnancy, or abortion? No, there’s a difference.
Do those who live the gospel of peacemaking suffer from the fallout of violence and anger? No, there’s a difference.
Do those who strive to live the gospel suffer from the plagues of sin-induced misery, regret, and meaninglessness?
No. There’s a difference. Now that’s not to say that the righteous don’t suffer in life, or face challenges, or have discouraging times. In fact, sometimes righteousness can make our lives more difficult. But, the quality and nature of that suffering quality is very different. The suffering of common mortality or the suffering of the persecution of righteousness has a redeeming heaven-like quality to it. The suffering of sin, is well, just suffering. Wickedness never was happiness.
But, if we just live the commandments and follow the prophet, then the plagues of this world will not affect us! We will be protected, separate, and severed from the spiritual pandemics of the world.
And is this true in your life? Name a law of God that you are grateful for. And what plagues has it protected you from?
For me, I’m grateful for the law of sacrifice. That law has helped to protect me from the plagues of self-centeredness, materialism, and pride. Every time I make the sacrifices asked of tithing, service, fasting, temple work, I feel good! It offers real meaning to my life. By putting something other than myself first, I receive peace and fulfillment in return.
One thing I find interesting. What state in the United States is statistically ranked as being the happiest? It’s Utah. Fascinating. The state with the highest percentage of members of the restored church is the happiest, collectively speaking. Now that’s not to suggest that every member of the church is happy, and every one that is not a member of the church is miserable. But I do believe there is a direct correlation between living gospel principles and happiness.
CONCLUSION
So, what’s the message here: Make a world of difference! Avoid the plagues like the plague. Choose God. I can assure you that if you will, there will be a vast difference between your life experience and the experiences of those that worship the gods of this world.
GODLY PATIENCE
Another brief insight here from these chapters: Something that struck me as I studied this time was the number of the plagues. God sends them ten plagues! TEN! He gives them nine chances before he finally lets them really have it with the death of the firstborn. What does that tell us about our Heavenly Father? God is patient. Very patient. He is not quick to judge or destroy. He tries many different ways and many times to get us to change before things get really bad. There was a pause in between each plague where Moses would go in and ask, “Pharoah, are you going to change? Are you going to let my people go? No? OK, prepare for the next one. Now, are you going to change, and let my people go? No? Ok, here comes the next one.” And I sense a bit of a progression in the plagues. He starts out easy on them. In fact, the first thing he tries is just giving them a sign, with the snakes. But then, the Lord seems to progress from irritations, to destructions, to death. The water to blood, lice, and frogs. Uncomfortable, but not devastating. Then he ups the ante a little bit. The cattle die, the hail destroys their crops. Now that hits the ol’ pocketbook. That’s a bit more painful. Then the boils they felt directly, in their own bodies. And then, after all of that, comes the death of their firstborn. But not until He’s tried 9 other things first. All of which could be recovered from. And I honestly believe that if they had changed earlier, he would have stopped. It’s not as if God’s plan was to use all ten no matter what. He had to continue sending them because Pharoah continued to harden his heart. I believe that God will be just as patient with us as well. He will try many ways and give us many chances to change. He is a God of patience and longsuffering.
PASSOVER PRINCIPLES
Now let’s zero in on chapters 12 and 13.
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker, I remind my students that we often use symbols to represent complex ideas or messages. You can see this in the emojis we use in our texts and messages nowadays. Symbols can be a simple yet effective means of communication. So I challenge my students to see if they recognize the following symbols and what they mean.
Peace
Infiniti
Yin and Yang
Female
USB Port
Power
Superman-but remember, it’s not an S. It’s a symbol for hope. Right?
But what about scriptural symbols. See if they can match the following common scriptural symbols with what they are traditionally associated with.
Chains=Sin
Sword=Truth or the Word of God
Serpent=Satan
Fire=The Holy Spirit
The Color Purple=Royalty
The Color White=Innocence and Purity
The Color Green=Life and well-being
The Number 7=Wholeness or completeness
SEARCH
This skill of interpreting symbols is going to be key to our understanding and the personal application of the Book of Exodus. It’s something we’re going to be doing a lot of in the next couple of weeks. So let’s put our symbolism interpreting skills into practice by examining one of the most symbolically rich practices in the entire Bible. The Passover. The Passover was an ordinance instituted by Moses here in Exodus chapter 12 that would forever after teach those that observed it truths about God and life. That’s why we continue to do ordinances in the Church today. They aren’t just mere rituals. They have meaning. They are designed to teach us. So let’s see what the Passover can teach us.
The first thing we need to do is identify the symbols. Look for symbols in the following verses. What elements of the Passover do you think might be symbolic? You could do this with your students as a handout. Now as you do this, if you don’t feel you see anything in one of the verses, don’t worry, just leave it blank. Also, keep in mind that some of the verses will have more than one symbol in them.
Now let me show you what I see here.
12:1 The Land of Egypt
12:2 A New Calendar began-it says that the Passover would signify the beginning of the new year. That month would now be the first month of the year.
12:3-5 The sacrifice of a male lamb without blemish, of the first year, or a young lamb.
12:7 The blood of the lamb
12:7 Blood marking the doorposts.
12:8 Eat the meat of the lamb roast with fire
12:8 Eat unleavened bread
12:8 Eat bitter herbs
12:10 Fully eat the meat.
12:11 Eat it in haste, loins girt, staff in hand.
12:12 The smiting of the firstborn is what will free you from Egypt
12:13 Those who follow these instructions will have the destroyer pass over them.
Now. This is where it gets really fun. The interpretation. You can have a really great discussion with your class about what these symbols could mean. That’s what’s going to make this lesson relevant to us. If we were to combine all of the elements of the Passover into one summary sentence. It could go something like this:
While living in the bondage of Egypt, the Israelites were asked to begin a new calendar by sacrificing a young, male lamb without blemish. They placed the blood of that lamb on the doorposts of their home and would roast the lamb with fire and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were to eat it completely and with haste as if they were ready to leave quickly. If they were obedient to this instruction, the destroyer would pass by them, and they would be freed from their bondage. From that point on, they were to remember this miracle frequently by observing this ordinance yearly.
We could add some more elements to this, but that will suffice. Now let’s take each underlined element and exchange it with its symbolic meaning so that it applies to us.
So first, the bondage of Egypt. What does that represent? What do chains, and slavery, and bondage usually represent in the scriptures? Sin. Sin makes us slaves to the adversary. We lose our agency in consequences, and addictions, and loss of freedoms.
And who can we compare the Israelites to? US! Let’s compare their experience to our own, because we too are considered to be of the House of Israel, or the Lord’s covenant people.
Why would the Passover be celebrated in the first month of the year. That month would be the first month of the year from then on. Well, what do we usually associate with the new year? Renewal. Change. A fresh start. What is life like when we leave the bondage of sin? It’s a new life. The beginning of something better, purer, and happier. But what is going to make that new life possible?
Well, let’s move on to the blood of the lamb. Who do you think the lamb represents? I’m sure most of you can get this one. Who is referred to as the lamb of God in the scriptures? That would be Jesus Christ. Remember that the law of Moses pointed people towards Christ. Alma taught this in Alma 34:14
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law [of Moses], every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
That lamb was to be a young, male, lamb without blemish. Why? Because Christ would be a young man, that would live his life without sin.
Then what would the blood of the lamb represent? That’s the symbol for his atoning sacrifice. Jesus would shed his blood in Gethsemane and Golgotha and would be slain for the sins and sufferings of this world. When the destroyer came to the homes of the people with the blood of the lamb marked on them, it would pass over those homes and not slay them.
Now that blood was placed on the doorposts of their homes. This one is a little bit tougher. Why the doorposts? The doorposts were a symbol for everyday life. Every day you leave your home by going through the doorway and out into the world to do your labor. And every night you would return back through that same doorway to rest. Doorways are focal points. You can’t get to your food, and family, and bed without passing through that doorway. It was a place where you would be sure to see it. The purifying, sanctifying power of the blood of Christ’s atonement is something we need how often? Every day. It’s not just a one-time thing. Another possible interpretation. The blood would have been very visible to anyone who passed by that person’s home. Hopefully, we too are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but display our commitment to him to the world boldly and without reservation.
There is some powerful symbolism in what the Israelites would eat at Passover. There were three things
The meat of the lamb
Unleavened bread
And bitter herbs.
First of all, the act of eating is symbolic. When we eat something, it gets inside us, it nourishes us, sustains us, and keeps us alive. So they were to eat the flesh of the lamb. To get it inside them. What does Christ want us to do with him, his character, his lifestyle, his attributes, his sacrifice? To get it down inside of us. To make it a part of our lives. To be nourished and sustained by Him!
And that meat was to be roast with fire. Fire is a purifying and cleansing agent in the scriptures. It burns out impurities. We boil water to purify it. We cook meat to make it palatable and safe to eat. Fire is almost always a symbol for the Holy Ghost in the scriptures. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning. We take Christ and the Holy Ghost together to sanctify and purify ourselves.
What about the unleavened bread-what would that symbolize? Leaven is yeast. What effect does yeast have on bread? Well, what’s a big difference between a piece of bread and say a tortilla, or a cracker. Bread is going to go bad much more quickly. It spoils within a very short amount of time. Unleavened bread, on the other hand endures, it lasts. Bread is a common symbol for the word of God in the scriptures, or his doctrine. Jesus Christ called on that symbolism frequently. “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees” he would say. But, in Christ, in the doctrine of Christ, there is no corruption, no spoilage, no fermenting. It endures and is unchanging.
In verse :19 there wasn’t even supposed to be ANY leaven in their houses. How completely does God want us to rid ourselves of the doctrines of the world? Get rid of all of it. Take that which is spoiling in your house and get it out!
And the bitter herbs? That was to remind them of the bitterness of bondage. That’s important to keep in mind too. Sometimes, when people repent, after a time, they begin to forget the bitterness of sin. They may even be tempted to make the mistake of returning to those sins. The bitter herbs would help them to remember the unpleasantness of that slavery. That’s going to be a theme we see later in the Exodus. The children of Israel are going to struggle with that desire to return to Egypt. They began to forget the bitterness of bondage.
They were to eat the meat of the lamb completely and not leave anything left over. How should we accept Christ and his doctrine into our lives. Wholly, fully, entirely. No half measures. Not picking and choosing which commandments we want to keep and those we wish to ignore. We must completely accept his gospel!
The Israelites were to eat this meal with haste—with their loins girt, staff in hand, ready to go. Why? Because they were going to be leaving that night! How quickly does God want us to flee sin! As quickly as we can. Like Joseph of Egypt from Potiphar’s wife. Flee and get you out.
Also, as soon as the destroyer passes through Egypt what happened? Read 12:31-33
31 And he [Pharoah] called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.
32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
Therefore, how fast can the Savior’s sacrifice work for us. Immediately. As soon as call upon the power of Christ’s blood, it can instantly have a saving effect on us. How fast did it work for Alma the Younger? Immediately. He taught that in Alma 34:31
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
The blood of the lamb immediately protected the Israelites from the power of the destroyer. Now who is the great destroyer of life and love and happiness? That would be Satan. He is the destroyer of all good things. Christ’s sacrifice protects us from his influence though. His blood overcomes the effects of both sin and death in our lives.
And it was this final plague that made it possible for the children of Israel to escape Egypt. And what did we already decide that Egypt represented? Sin. The bondage of sin. It was the death of the firstborn that allowed them to leave and live. Do you see the parallel there? Jesus was the firstborn of our heavenly parents. He’s our older brother. His death and sacrifice and blood made our escape possible.
TRUTH
Now, if we put all of these symbols together, we come up with a new sentence. One that is relevant and applicable to us.
“While living in the world, I can begin a new life through the sacrifice of Christ. If I rely on His atonement in my daily life, have the Spirit, nourished by the eternal word of God, and remember the bitterness of sin and flee from it quickly. If I am obedient to this instruction, then the destructive power of Satan will pass by me, and I will be free from the slavery of sin and death.
Now this is where I’ll interrupt our sentence and make another observation. We, as disciples of Jehovah, don’t observe the ordinance of the Passover anymore. Why not? Well, because the sacrifice has now been made. Now, we don’t look forward to this miracle, but we look back at it. And therefore, we observe a new ordinance. What would that be? The sacrament. The Passover was the ordinance that looked forward to Christ’s Atonement. The Sacrament is the ordinance that looks back, but it’s message is basically the same.
Go to Exodus 13:3 at what Moses says after the people are freed.
3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
That’s the major message of Exodus 13. REMEMBER THIS DAY. Don’t forget what the Lord has done for you. Because when you begin to forget what the Lord has done for you, that’s when the problems start. In verse 14 he says:
14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
Always remember this. Teach it to your children. Let this ordinance be observed every year so that you can remember the miracle of the Passover. Now we observe that ordinance more than once a year. Maybe in the last days we need to be reminded a little more frequently. But we remember that sacrifice every week. Therefore, to complete our sentence: From this point on, I can remember this miracle by observing the sacrament weekly. Now we’re baptized once, we’re ordained to an office of the priesthood once, we’re endowed once (for ourselves of course). But how often do we partake of the sacrament? Every week, because we need it every week. I mean, have you ever looked down at the sacrament and passed it along saying, “Well, don’t need it this week!”. I’ve never had that experience. Instead, I’m grateful that I can call on the blood of Christ every week because every week I fall short.
There are many aspects and applications of the atonement taught all over the scriptures. But if there was one particular message that I would emphasize from the story of the Passover, it would be the freeing power of the atonement. It was the blood of the lamb that made it possible for them to escape bondage. It gave them a new life! It gave them freedom! It gave them hope! The sacrifice of Christ gives us the same thing. We too may find ourselves languishing in the bonds of sin. Whether that’s an addiction, a devastating consequence that has come into our lives because of poor choices, the guilt or shame that we feel for past mistakes, the despair and darkness that accompanies wrongdoing. Let me assure you that the blood of the lamb can free us from all that! No matter how powerful we feel the grasp of the oppressor is. There is a way out! There is hope! Just imagine how the children of Israel must have felt as they walked away from the land of Egypt. As they dropped their burdens, as they left the whippings of their taskmasters, as they joyfully turned from their bricks and walked towards freedom. I hope we feel the same thing as we partake of the sacrament. I hope we remember that as we commemorate OUR ordinance of his sacrifice. Remember that in the blessing of the sacrament we make a covenant to always remember Him. I’ve usually taken that to mean that I should think about Jesus during the sacrament, his life, his teachings, his sacrifice, and we should. But, we take the sacrament as sinners. As people who have found ourselves slipping back into the bondage of sin—and that can be quite discouraging especially when placed against the backdrop of Jesus’ perfect life. But that’s why I think he whispers to us, in that moment, as we take that cup of water or that small piece of bread to our lips. “Always remember me”. Remember me in hope. Remember what my blood does for you! It frees you! Don’t dwell on the memory of the bondage. Don’t look back to Egypt. Look forward to YOUR promised land!
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To help your students feel the power of this message, music can often speak in a way that mere words can’t. Either sing a hymn or show a performance of a hymn that helps your students focus on Christ and his atoning sacrifice. Some possible suggestions:
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
How Great thou Art
I Stand All Amazed
Or, one of my favorites that’s not found in the hymnbook: Amazing Grace.
There are two video recommendations I have for this hymn, and I’ll provide the links to them in the video description. One from the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and the other from a musical group made up of members of the Church called Gentri.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2arm5ydeJc
The line from this hymn that really stands out to me, especially in relation to the story of the Exodus:
My chains are gone,
I’ve been set free,
My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
And while they listen or sing, have them ponder the following question: What effect has the blood of the slain lamb had on your life?
CONCLUSION
I bear witness that Christ lives—that the Passover principle applies to us too! That his blood has the power to free us from bondage-to set us free from the chains and the slavery of the adversary. I believe in Christ and am forever grateful for his sacrifice. At the beginning of this lesson we said that one of the major things the Lord wanted his people to gain from this episode in the Bible story was to come to know Him. This is part of the way we come to KNOW Christ. We come to know him through the ordinances of his atonement—through the lessons of the Passover and the sacrament. My chains are gone, I’ve been set free, My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
