The Christian Message

Sunday School Lesson, September 22, 2019 - Exodus 3:1-10 3:1–3. These verses present the circumstances of Moses’ call by God. After 40 years of training in the courts of Pharaoh, Moses now neared the end of another 40 years of his life as a shepherd. Leading his father-in-law’s flock in search of grassland, Moses approached Mount Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai; cf. 19:10–11 with Deut. 4:10). Why his father-in-law is here called Jethro instead of Reuel (cf. Ex. 2:16, 18) is uncertain. Perhaps Reuel thought his daughter’s marriage to Moses, an Egyptian raised in the royal family, brought him (Reuel) prestige so he changed his name to Jethro, which means abundance or superiority. Moses’ reference to Horeb as the mountain of God (cf. 4:27; 18:5; 24:13) probably reflects his estimation of that mountain after the events that took place there later. Interestingly Moses’ communication from God here (3:1–3) is at the same mountain where God later gave him the Law (19:20; 24:13–18;...

Can God break the cycle of generational sin? Question: "Can God break the cycle of generational sin?" Answer: The Lord created families as a beautiful extension of His image. Sadly, in our fallen world, we are born in a natural sinful state and can only be redeemed by our Creator. Our natural state is selfish at best and pathological at its worst. Dysfunction comes naturally to us. That is why salvation through Jesus is the key to breaking generational sin. Jesus offers us forgiveness, cleansing of sin, and real, unconditional love ( 1 John 1:9 ). Jesus gives His followers the power to love like He does, a love that is filled with grace and compassion. He is our example for how to love rather than love ourselves or pleasures ( John 13:34 ). Jeremiah 32:18 says that the consequences of sin from one generation are visited on the next generations. Sin’s destructive consequences hurt the person committing the sin as well as those around him. Each generation has the choi...