FELLOWSHIP GROUP NOTES  AUTUMN 2006   Oct 17/19

‘GOD’S PEOPLE AT PRAYER’

 

(3) EXODUS 33 – 34.9:  MOSES AT PRAYER

‘PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL’

 

BACKGROUND: The people of Israel have only been out of Egypt 4 or 5 months.  They are camped at Mount Sinai, deep in the desert.  Moses has spent extended times alone with God on Mount Sinai and has received the Law.  All the people, awed by God’s glory seen on Sinai and his great deliverance of them from Egypt, have entered into a solemn promise to be God’s special, covenant people and keep his commands.  Yet, when Moses is away from them on the Mountain for 40 days, they make a golden image and worship it instead of the Lord.  He is angry.  Many die.  Now the whole future of this redeemed people is uncertain.  In this huge spiritual crisis, Moses prays.   

TODAY WE SEE HOW CRITICAL PRAYER CAN BE TO OUR SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL

His great prayer is recorded in 33.12-23; but once again we look at the context before we look at the prayer.  To do this logically, we take the passage ‘out of order’.

 

I.  MOSES’ ‘HOLY HABIT’: 33.7-11

- THE TENT MOSES USED TO PITCH

· Moses’ tent: What was it for?  Why did he pitch it every time they set up camp?  What did he call it?

[NOTE:  This was not the Tabernacle. This had not yet been made or erected.  It was a simple tent]

· What happened when Moses entered the tent?

· Was the tent only for Moses’ use?

- Did anyone else use it?  Who?

§ How important for Moses, in his life and leadership, do you think this tent was?  How crucial?

§ Should we have such ‘a tent’, such a place in our lives?  What would be its equivalent?  Where is the best place for you to spend time alone with God?  Is this ‘desirable’ or ‘essential’ for our spiritual lives?

§ Did the Lord Jesus have an equivalent?  (See Luke 5.16, 6.12, 9.28, 11.1)

§ What ‘holy habits’ have you formed? Why is it important to develop good ‘habits’?

 

 

II.  MOSES’ CRITICAL DILEMMA :  33.1-6

 - THE CRISIS MOSES FACED

§ What exactly was the particular crisis Moses was facing?  (see chapter 32 as well as 33.1-6) Just how huge was this crisis?

What exactly would deeply trouble Moses, as leader, in God’s words?

§ What sort of pressures throw you into spiritual crisis?  What effect do they have on you?

 

III. MOSES’ EARNEST PRAYER:  33.12-23

- THE REQUESTS MOSES MADE.

 

(In 33.12-23, we are given the special prayer Moses offered in his tent in this particular crisis.)

 

· How did Moses react to the spiritual crisis?

- How might he have reacted?

- How do we react?        

§ For what 3 big things did Moses pray in this crisis?

- Why did he pray for these 3 things?  Why were they so vital for him?

- How important for us in our spiritual lives are these same three things?

 

§ What part does our prayer life have in

- understanding God’s ways?

- experiencing God’s presence?

- grasping God’s ‘glory’?

 

§ What reasons did Moses give to the Lord for why he should listen and answer his requests? (12-13)

- What reasons can we put forward?

(See perhaps Matt 7.7-12; John 15.7; Heb 4.14-16)

 

IV. THE LORD’S GRACIOUS RESPONSE;  33.21-34.9

§ THE EXPERIENCE MOSES WAS GIVEN

§ Talk about the way the Lord responded to Moses.

-    What do you think this experience meant to Moses? How necessary do you    think such an experience was to Moses as leader at this time?

§ What do we learn about God from the way he revealed himself to Moses?

 

 

HOMEWORK!

Before the next Group meeting, study 1 Samuel 1-2 and HANNAH AT PRAYER.