Discover how God answers the cry of his persecuted people and proclaims himself Lord to them and their oppressors. In this eighth volume of the series That The World May Know , journey with teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan to the places where God heard his people's cry and delivered them—places like Luxor, Egypt; Deir al Medina, Ramesseum, and the Red Sea. You'll gain a new understanding of the Bible and a greater conviction in God's power. This discovery guide includes passages of Scripture explored in the DVD (sold separately); questions for discussion and personal reflection; personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions; as well as sidebars, maps, photos, and other study tools. Lessons include: How Big Is our God? – Filmed in Luxor, Egypt - Israel in Bondage: God Heard Their Cry – Filmed at Dier al Medina - Finger of God: The Plagues – Filmed at Ramesseum - Watch with Me: Israel Leaves Egypt – Filmed at the Red Sea - The Lord Reigns: The Red Sea – Filmed at the Red Sea Designed for use with the God Heard Their Cry Video Study (sold separately). _______________ THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus. Ray Vander Laan is the founder of That the World May Know Ministries and creator of the Faith Lessons video series with Focus on the Family. An ordained minister, he holds the chair of biblical cultural studies as a religion instructor at Holland Christian Schools in Holland, Michigan. He and his wife, Esther, have four children and fifteen grandchildren. Stephen and Amanda Sorenson are founders of Sorenson Communications and have co-written many small group curriculum guidebooks, including the entire Faith Lessons series. God Heard Their Cry Discovery Guide By Ray Vander Laan ZONDERVAN Copyright © 2009 Ray Vander Laan All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-310-87974-9 Contents Introduction, 7, Session One How Big Is Our God?, 15, Session Two Israel in Bondage: God Heard Their Cry, 57, Session Three Finger of God: The Plagues, 103, Session Four Watch with Me: Israel Leaves Egypt, 151, Session Five The Lord Reigns: The Red Sea, 199, Notes, 243, Bibliography, 245, Website Resources, 247, CHAPTER 1 HOW BIG IS OUR GOD? God loves a story. In fact, one could describe the Bible as one story made up of many stories. Yet when we read the Bible, we tend to concentrate on the individual stories without considering how each story fits into and contributes to the greater story that God is unfolding. This is particularly true of the story of the exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. God's protective care for his chosen people thrills us. His demonstrations of power through the plagues and the dividing of the Red Sea amaze us. Yet we seldom consider God's greater story of which the exodus is but an early chapter. So let's begin by discovering where the story of the exodus fits into that greater story. God's greater story began when he created the universe out of a watery chaos (which he also had created). God's creation culminated in his formation of two humans, Adam and Eve, who were to partner with him in caring for his world. However, they rebelled against the terms of their partnership with God and reintroduced chaos to the harmony of God's creation. Fortunately, God's story did not end with the return of chaos. Instead, he began a long process of restoring harmony (the Bible calls it shalom ) to his creation. What is truly amazing is that he chose to accomplish this process in partnership with people — the same created beings who had ruined it in the first place! He commands his created human beings to live lives that bring harmony to his creation and forbids whatever causes brokenness or prevents the restoration he desires. Into this story he invites the Hebrews, the descendants of the patriarchs, to partner with him so that through them the whole world will know of God's restoration of shalom. But God's story is not the only story. The other story can be traced to the evil one, the snake, the deceiver who tempted Adam and Eve. He loves chaos and seeks to destroy the shalom of God's creation. The evil one promises harmony and the defeat of the chaos that causes pain, but his definition of harmony actually creates the very brokenness from which he promises deliverance. By the time of the exodus, that story had become the story of all cultures, including the culture of Egypt. That is why the story written in the stones of Egypt is so important. The spectacular temples, architectural details, and carvings in stone found in ancient Egypt are, in effect, the