The Story
Chapter 5: New Commands and a New Covenant
Introduction: God gives Israel both His Law and His covenant. We live with laws and ordinances that
restrict our lives for our own benefit and punish those who do not follow them. Many human laws are
based on God’s Law, but we know also through His covenant that we are not saved by keeping the law.
Discuss: What human laws come to mind that you appreciate? What human laws frustrate you?
I.
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21)
a. The first three commandments (or the First Table) address our living before God. They
show us that we have sinned and deserve God’s condemnation.
b. The final seven commandments (or the Second Table) address our living before our
fellow human beings. They show us that we have sinned against those around us in
addition to our Lord.
NOTE: The numbering of the Ten Commandments differs among Christians. The paragraphing found in
the oldest text we have (from the Dead Sea Scrolls) groups all of the words about God together in the
first section and splits the two commandments that address coveting. The King James translation
brought about a change as it included a commandment about not worshiping graven images and then
combined the commandments that cover covetousness. Most non-Lutheran Protestants keep this order
in spite of the evidence given by the original manuscripts. This is not a big deal—only a potential point of
confusion when teaching the commandments and calling people to repentance with them.
c. In this account we see God identify Himself as the One who brought Israel out of Egypt.
His holiness is also made very clear through the fear of the people.
d. “Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the
people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words that the Lord has spoken we
will do’” (Exodus 24:3).
e. We cannot and do not keep the commandments as the Lord has given them to us. Each
of us is guilty of breaking them daily. However, we use these Ten Commandments to
compare our lives with how God calls us to live. Where we fall short of His glory and sin,
we confess it before Him and lean on His promise of forgiveness that comes in Holy
Baptism and in the eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion.
f. From the Lutheran Book of Prayer (page 94), for one preparing for Confession and
Absolution: “…As You have taught my heart to believe and trust in You, so shall I also
confess with my mouth. Grant me the honesty to examine my life according to Your holy
Ten Commandments, especially as they address my vocations in life. Discipline me as
Your beloved child. Enable me to recognize my sin, to know and feel it in my heart, and
rightly to bemoan and lament my iniquity and offenses…”
g. Our hymnal (LSB 292) contains an order for Private Confession and Absolution which
includes this confession and instruction: “I, a poor miserable sinner, plead guilty before
God of all sins. I have lived as if God did not matter and as if I mattered most. My Lord’s
name I have not honored as I should; my worship and prayers have faltered. I have not
let His love have its way with me, and so my love for others has failed. There are those
whom I have hurt, and those whom I have failed to help. My thoughts and desires have
been soiled with sin.” It goes on to call the sinner to reflect: “Confess whatever you have
done against the commandments of God, according to your own place in life.”
h. Martin Luther on the Ten Commandments: “Each of us is to make them a matter of daily
practice in all circumstances, in all activities and dealings, as if they were written
everywhere we look, even wherever we go or wherever we stand. Thus, both for
ourselves at home and abroad among our neighbors, we will find occasion enough to
practice the Ten Commandments, and no one need search far for them” (LC 332).
II. The Golden Calf (Exodus 32)
a. Part of this declaration is an understanding of the forgiveness that the sacrificial system
was established to bring about. Through circumcision, Israel was a part of God’s
covenant people. Through the sacrifices made on behalf of the people, the blood shed
due to Israel’s unfaithfulness anticipated the blood Christ would shed for all people.
b. While Moses was gone, Israel became restless and brought a demand to Aaron: “Up,
make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out
of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him” (Exodus 32:1).
c. Aaron then proceeds to craft a golden calf and identifies it as that which brought them
up out of the land of Egypt. This idolatry kindles God’s anger which cools only after
Moses pleads with Him not to destroy them all. Moses, seeing the worship of the golden
calf, then destroys the tablets containing the Ten Commandments as written by the
hand of God (Exodus 32:19). He also grinds the golden calf into powder and makes the
people of Israel drink it with water (Exodus 32:20).
d. “The next day Moses said to the people, ‘You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go
up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin” (Exodus 32:31).
e. The covenants or promises we make before God are not what brings us salvation.
Instead, we look to the one-sided covenant first made with Abram that anticipated the
coming Messiah Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is offered after Israel confesses their sin.
f. As Lutherans, we read and interpret Scripture through Law and Gospel. The Law shows
us our sin and the Gospel shows us our Savior. No one is saved by the Law, but the
Gospel assures us that Christ fulfilled the Law and shares His victory with us freely.
III. The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22)
Discuss: What do you know about the Ark of the Covenant? What purpose did it serve? What significance
would it bear today if it were found?
a. Israel would continually struggle with idolatry just as we do today. Every sin we commit
comes forth from placing something or someone above the one true God.
b. While the making and worshiping of literal false idols is not something our current
culture draws us to, Israel’s history shows how difficult and prevalent this was.
c. The golden calf was illegitimately worshiped and then destroyed by Moses. It was not
instituted by God with His word and did not have a divine promise attached to it.
d. Instead, God gave Israel the Ark of the Covenant, which would serve as a constant
visible reminder of His invisible presence among His people for their benefit.
“Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat
shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above,
overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another, toward the mercy seat shall
the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you
shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat,
from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that
I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel” (Exodus 25:19-22).
e. The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden box covered with gold. It was roughly four feet
long, two feet wide, two feet high, and was fitted with carrying poles for the forty year
journey Israel took through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
f. It contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna from the
desert, and the rod of Aaron. Each of these items pointed to God’s deliverance of Israel.
g. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place
in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) and appear before the Ark. He would sprinkle
the blood of sacrificed animals onto the space between the cherubim and thus cleanse
the people from all their sins before the Lord.
h. This space between the cherubim on the Ark is what makes it so important. This is the
mercy seat—the earthly dwelling place of God Himself. As a result, the Ark was present
at all of Israel’s true worship services (and noticeably absent at others).
i. The ark eventually disappeared, though archaeologists and historians remain interested
in it. If found today, it would simply be a connection to the history of our faith and
nothing more. This is because of the new covenant made through the One whom God’s
covenant with Israel anticipated.
j. Because we cannot keep the commandments and because of our idolatrous ways, the
Father sent His Son Jesus to keep the commandments for us. His perfect life, given up as
a sacrifice for all sinners, is what brings us atonement today.
k. The Ark of the Covenant assured Israel of God’s physical presence among them and of
the promise given them regarding the coming Messiah. This presence today continues
through Jesus Christ and through His gifts of Word and sacrament.
Conclusion: God’s promise with Israel and with all believers throughout time points to His mercy and
forgiveness which He shares freely through His Son Jesus Christ. Israel looked to the Law and the Ark of
the Covenant for understanding who they were. We continue to look to God’s Law and to the Gospel
promise that we are saved by grace through faith because of Christ’s death and resurrection and the gift
of faith that He shares with us by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Adult Sunday School Lesson Guide
Chapter 6
Wanderings
Timeless Truth: God’s Promises Are Deserving of Our Trust.
Table Talk
What Words of Wisdom has someone once shared that hold meaning and/or influence in your life?
I.
The Wandering Begins (Spiritually and Physically)
A. Thirteen months after the Exodus, the book of Numbers begins.
B. The Story summarized: The census is taken; the people organized; they march to Canaan; God
leads; Canaan is in sight; Israel disbelieves and rebels; judgment falls; 40 years of wandering set
in; the old generation dies off; the new generation is numbered (counted) ; they prepare to
enter the land of Canaan.
II. Wrongdoings to Die For
Israel spent forty years wandering in the wilderness for their unbelief. God told Israel to go into the
Land that He would give them. But they did not trust Him.
A. Numbers 11 – Israel grumbled about their hardships God’s anger burned.
B. Numbers 11 – Israel and the Egyptian rabble complained about the manna  God’s anger
burned.
C. Numbers 11 – Israel wanted meat so God gave them quail and a plague God’s anger burned.
D. Numbers 12 – Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses  God’s anger burned.
E. Numbers 14 – Israel’s leaders brought back a bad report from the Land and refused to enter as
God instructed  God’s anger burned.
1. Because Israel refused to go into the Land that God had given them, He disciplined them
with forty years in the desert (Numbers 14:34). The unbelieving generation would die in the
desert and never enjoy the benefits of the Land given to Israel by covenant (Numbers 14:2933).
2. The new generation would be led into the land by Joshua and Caleb, the only two leaders
who believed God to take the Land.
F. Numbers 20-21 – Forty years later, the new generation was repeating the sins of their fathers.
1. They grumbled for lack of water.
2. They grumbled for lack of food  God sent snakes.
3. They worshiped Baal and indulged in immorality  God sent a plague.
III. Words to Live By
A. Moses had spent forty years investing his life into the Israelites. He had faced down Pharaoh and
seen God face to face! He listened to their grumblings with exasperation. He watched the old
generation die in the desert with grief and frustration. His unchecked frustration resulted in
God’s discipline so that even Moses would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land
(Numbers 20:12). But Moses was a faithful leader to the end.
B. Moses had begun his ministry worried about his inability to speak well (Exodus 4:10). Through
his forty years of leadership, only his final three sermons are recorded in the Bible. (These make
up the book of Deuteronomy. In The Story they are summarized on pp. 68-70.)
C. Knowing that he would die soon (Deuteronomy 34), Moses must have had a heavy burden on
his heart for these people. He needed to impart wisdom and instruction to his children. He
needed to pass on to them their own history so that they could learn from their fathers’
mistakes (Deuteronomy 28-29). Most of all, Moses desperately needed to convey to them the
work of God on their behalf and encourage their appropriate responses of trust, love and
obedience.
D. The message is summarized as follows (Deuteronomy 30:11-20):
1. There is only one true God. He loved you and redeemed you. Therefore, believe and obey.
2. Trust from the heart will result in prosperity in the Land.
3. Loving God results in trust and obedience; trust and obedience results in life.
4. Turning away from God results in disobedience; disobedience results in death and you will
not live in the Land.
5. The LORD is your life—choose life!
IV. Implications and Applications
A. I should learn from the Israelites and not grumble, commit idolatry or immorality.
B. God provides for my needs. I should be thankful.
C. There are consequences for my choices. I should choose with God-given wisdom.
D. Sin leads to death, but Christ overcame death! I should trust Him for my life.
E. Moses’ final words were God-inspired and important. Therefore, I should listen carefully to the
message.
F. There are still only two ways, but only one leads to life.
G. I gain life when, only by God’s grace, I believe and trust in Him.
H. Trust and obedience is an outward expression of an inward faith and relationship. My
motivation is from my heart that loves God.
Table Talk
A. If you were leaving a church or a company or a family for the last time, what would you say?
What words would you want echoing in their ears long after your departure?
B. How could your words to live by help guide your priorities right now?
The Story
Chapter 7
Joshua: The Battle Begins
The Story continues…
The children of Israel have been wandering for 40 years. The only survivors from those held captive in
Egypt are Joshua and Caleb.
They arrive at the edge of Canaan. The promise made to Abraham over 600 years ago that they would
have a land is about to come true.
The LORD spoke to Joshua to “Be strong and Courageous.”
Question: On what basis could Joshua be strong and courageous?
Joshua sent 2 spies into the city of Jericho to assess the situation (no committee this time, just two
spies). They are hidden by Rahab, a prostitute, in her house.
Hebrews 11:31 “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because
she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”
In Matthew 1:5 Rahab is listed as the mother of Boaz, and the great-great grandmother of David. She is
in the line of Jesus!
Question: How can a dishonest prostitute be held up as an example of faith?
The Jordan River is dried up where the children of Israel can cross. They follow an unorthodox strategy
to take the city of Jericho. The walls come down after the seventh march on the seventh day. Rahab’s
entire family is saved when Jericho is taken.
Question: Can you think of examples in your life where the plan you were to carry out was
unorthodox but according to what scripture says?
Joshua begins the conquest of the entire region, taking cities one by one. As they do, the entire
inhabitants are often annihilated. When the people follow God’s directions, they are victorious. When
Achan kept some of the spoils of a defeat, Israel is unable to defeat Ai because God was not with them.
When justice is served, they are able to defeat Ai.
In their original languages, Joshua and Jesus both mean “Yahweh Saves.”
Question: How do Jesus and Joshua function similarly for God’s people?
God demands the complete destruction of cities that are not faithful to him, yet saves the city of Gibeon
that submits to follow the LORD.
Question: How does the complete destruction of cities mirror Christ’s work?
Joshua renews the covenant with God and the people. Joshua recounts the works of God and the
deliverance of Israel.
Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away
the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in
your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served
in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Question: What does this look like in YOUR house?
The Story
Chapter 8
Joshua: A Few Good Men…and Women
God Uses Judges to Lead His People
The story of the judges: shows a relationship between God and Israel.
Several of the judges are deeply flawed and help deliver a deeply flawed nation.
Historically: between Joshua and the rise of the monarchy.
Pattern-Framework for the Judges:
1. Children of Israel do Evil in the eyes of the Lord.
2. God brings punishment; often Israel falls into enemy hands.
3. During their oppression, the Israelites cry out to the Lord.
4. The LORD hears their cry and raises a deliverer.
5. The deliverance often leads to the submission of an enemy and peace.
God knew what Israel would do: Deuteronomy 31:19-22
Meet Judge #1 – Deborah
She is a military leader that defeats a powerful Canaanite Army. God demonstrates his
power through using a woman (thought of as unable to lead a military)
Meet Judge #2 – Gideon
Look at Judges 6: verses 12,14,16,23 – How does God reassure Gideon?
What signs does God give Gideon in v 21-22 and 36-40?
How did Gideon show his willingness to obey God? V. 25-30
Meet Judge #3 – Samson
God promises to use a child from a barren woman to deliver his people. Samson is set apart
from the womb to be a leader of God’s people. Samson embodied the horrible pattern that
Israel as a nation displayed.
Look up: Matthew 5:3
1 Corinthians 1:18, 27-31
How does the story of the judges demonstrate the truths found in these verses?
Take Home:
A Cry for “HELP!”
What are some of the sinful patterns you have fallen into?
What painful consequences arise form those sinful patterns?
Who are the judges that have shared God’s Word to steer you?
When have you been a judge to steer someone?
Where do you need to be a judge to steer someone?
What is the battle for us? Who wins? What comfort can we find in the story of the
judges? How does God equip us for battle today?