Discover Bible Study | Moses

A Discover Bible Study (DBS) is a simple way to discover, do, and share what God is saying through his Word! To discover means to find (something or someone) unexpectedly or in the course of a search. If you already know everything there is to know, there is no discovery. And, knowing that humans don't and can't know everything of an all-knowing, infinite God who wants to be known and found, there is always an invitation to discover more!

 Look at the story of Moses in Exodus 3. The story involves God's people, oppressed and in need of rescue, and the way God will rescue his people is through Moses. Moses will have to discover for himself that God will be faithful to his Word, taking the leap of curiosity to experience what God wants to reveal to him...along the way. 

The story starts, "Then the Lord told him, 'I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land.' Now go, for I am sending you to Pharoah. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."

Pause. What does this passage say about God? Can you imagine agreeing with God until the part where he says, "now go." His plan is to invite Moses into partnership to reveal more of who he is. 

The story continues, "But Moses protested to God, "Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?" 

Pause again. What does this passage say about people? Moses doesn't just immediately step into obedience; he has a lot of questions! If you knew his history, you would know why. Moses' baggage of failure from his past made it hard to show up with hope and possibility. Moses wanted to be safe in the known. Can you relate? Wouldn't you rather know all about the experience before you actually just experience something for what it is? God said where he was going but didn't say how it would go. Once you have discussed/thought through what the passage says about people keep reading.

The Scripture continues, "God answered, "I will be with you...Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations."

Pause again. What does this passage say about God? Why would God respond to Moses' questions of his identity with who God is? What does God mean when he says his name is "I am"? What does 'Yahweh' mean?

Yahweh, which means Lord, also means "to be." So, God is saying, "I will be what I will be." God is saying to Moses - let me tell you who I am. God shows his identity when Moses asks for his own identity. Why? It wasn't about Moses being qualified; it was about Moses discovering who God is along the way. Moses becomes who he is through who he sees God become to him. Yahweh is an invitation to discover.

The discovery method can be used while you read any passage in the bible. What if you intentionally slowed down while you were reading scripture and asked yourself these questions? Reading scripture with others while leaving space to discover more of who God is invites the Holy Spirit in on the process. Life with Jesus is an invitation to live curiously, with a posture of always seeking to know more of who God is. 

Following Jesus isn't just knowing a lot of things about him; it's what you discover along the way about who he is. It's great to read a story of Moses about who God is, but it doesn't really become real until you experience the same God for yourself. Life with Jesus is this kind of invitation to live curious. There are things to be found - there is a God to be found.