Exodus 1–6: Lesson 40

Exodus 5–6

Doing the Lord’s Will, Regardless of the Outcome

After the Lord called him to deliver Israel from Egyptian captivity, Moses asked Pharaoh to let the Lord’s people go. Pharaoh refused and instead increased the Israelites’ burden. Despite Pharaoh’s response, Moses continued to follow what the Lord asked him to do. This lesson can help students recognize that the Lord’s promises can motivate them to do His will, regardless of the immediate outcome.

Student preparation: Invite students to come to class prepared to share their answers to the following question: Does following Jesus Christ make your life easier or harder?

Possible Learning Activities

Following Jesus Christ

Invite students to consider how they would respond if someone asked them the following question.

• Does following Jesus Christ make your life easier or harder?

To discuss this question, you could write Easier and Harder as headings on the board and list students’ reasons for their response under the appropriate heading. Consider having a few students explain their responses.

Moses asks Pharaoh to set the Israelites free

You might want to point out that in Exodus 5–7, Moses and the Israelites may have wondered if following the Savior makes life easier or harder. To help students understand the context of Exodus 5–7, consider inviting class members to share what they remember about Moses and the children of Israel from Lesson 39: “Exodus 2–4.” If needed, invite a student to read the following summary.

The children of Israel had been in bondage to the Egyptians for many generations. The Lord heard His people’s cry and called Moses to help deliver them from bondage (see Exodus 3:9–10).

Read Exodus 5:1–2, looking for what Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh from the Lord.

• What was Pharaoh’s response?

Consider writing on the board Pharaoh’s response: “Who is the Lord?” You might ask students why this question is important for us to answer for ourselves. The next section of the lesson will refer to this question.

In his anger, Pharaoh made the lives of the Israelites harder by increasing their daily workload (see Exodus 5:6–9, including footnote 8a, 15–19). The Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron about their increased burdens (see Exodus 5:20–21).

• If you were Moses, how might you have felt?

Read Exodus 5:22–23, thinking about how you might summarize what Moses is saying to the Lord.

• How might we relate to Moses in Exodus 5:22–23?

Students may share how they feel when they don’t see immediate blessings after obeying the Lord. Validate their answers and feelings.

Display the following self-assessment, and invite students to ponder their responses.

Complete the following sentence in a way that best reflects your feelings. You might select more than one answer:

When I don’t see immediate blessings after obeying Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I feel …

If students would benefit from prompts to this self-assessment, you might write some of the following words on the board for them to choose from: frustrated, confused, angry, disappointed, resolved, hopeful, confident, peaceful. They could also add what they might do in this situation.

As you continue to learn today, look for truths about Jesus Christ that can help you follow Him even when it is hard and the blessings are not immediate. Pay attention to impressions from the Holy Ghost that can help you in your personal circumstances.

The Lord’s promises

As students read the following passages, consider inviting them to mark all the statements in which the Lord refers to Himself (statements beginning with I, I am, I will, and I have). Marking scriptures can help students notice and remember important insights and truths they learn.

Read Exodus 6:1–8; 7:1–2, 5, looking for what the Lord taught Moses about Himself.

After students have had time to read and mark, they could discuss the following question with a partner.

Questions that help students assess what they are learning can help a teacher identify when students are ready to move on in the lesson. One way to do this is to ask questions about what students have read in the scriptures, such as the one below. For additional training on asking questions that assess learning, see “Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners” in Teacher Development Skills.

• What are you learning about the Lord from His promises to Moses?

Students could write their answers under “Who is the Lord?” on the board. Students’ answers could include the following list:

He is God Almighty (6:2–3).

He remembers and keeps His promises (6:3–5).

He promised to free the Israelites from bondage (6:6; 7:5), give them the land of Canaan (6:4, 8), and be their God (6:7)

Continuing to do the Lord’s will

Recall how Moses felt previously. Read Exodus 7:6, and mark what Moses and Aaron did after learning from the Lord and hearing His promises.

• If you were Moses, which of the promises from the Lord would have helped you go back to Pharaoh? Why?

• What truth can we learn from Moses’s experience?

Using their own words, students could identify a truth similar to the following: When we believe the Lord and His promises, we can trust and follow Him even when we don’t see the immediate outcome.

To help students understand how this truth can apply to situations they might face, consider sharing the following statement. Willing students could read each paragraph aloud to the class.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provided important counsel for us as we await the Lord’s promised blessings:

Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule. They might think, “If I diligently serve a full-time mission, God will bless me with a happy marriage and children” or “If I refrain from doing schoolwork on the Sabbath, God will bless me with good grades” or “If I pay tithing, God will bless me with that job I’ve been wanting.” … We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.

God will indeed honor His covenants and promises to each of us. We need not worry about that. The atoning power of Jesus Christ … ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises. It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual. (“Our Relationship with God,” Liahona, May 2022, 78)

• What stood out to you from this statement?

Remind students that one thing we learned about the Lord is that He remembers and keeps His promises (see Exodus 6:3–5).

Explain that the Lord fulfilled His promises to Moses (see Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; Joshua 24:5–7, 13). If you have sufficient time, you could write these references on the board and have students match the fulfillment to the promise.

Just as the Lord taught Moses more about Himself by reiterating His promises, we can also better know the Lord by identifying promises He has made to us. Reviewing these promises can help us to obey Him, even if we do not receive immediate results.

Identify three promises the Lord has made to you in the scriptures or from recent teachings through His chosen servants. You might find promises in:

• Doctrinal mastery passages or other scriptures.

• For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices.

• Recent general conference talks.

After sufficient time, you could invite willing students to share what they learned or felt as they studied some of the promises. Encourage students to continue to trust the Lord regardless of the immediate outcome.

Additional Resources

How am I immediately blessed when I don’t see the blessings I seek?

Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus of the Young Women General Presidency explained:

As you also choose to hold on to faith and hope for the blessings you seek, you will see that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always with you. Always. We can have hope in His promises even when the specific blessings we are seeking are still out of reach. We can remain faithful even as we wait. (“How Can We Continue to Have Faith When Promised Blessings Don’t Seem to Come?” YA Weekly, Apr. 29, 2022, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

What can I do when blessings don’t seem to come from my obedience?

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:

If a desired blessing from God has not been received—yet—you do not need to go crazy, wondering what more you need to do. Instead, heed Joseph Smith’s counsel to “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power; and then … stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the … arm [of God] … revealed” [Doctrine and Covenants 123:17]. Some blessings are reserved for later, even for the most valiant of God’s children. (“Abound with Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 72)

What does it take to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

To be a follower of Jesus Christ, one must sometimes carry a burden … and go where sacrifice is required and suffering is inevitable. A true Christian cannot follow the Master only in those matters with which he or she agrees. No. We follow Him everywhere, including, if necessary, into arenas filled with tears and trouble, where sometimes we may stand very much alone. (“Lifted Up upon the Cross,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 78)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternative beginning

To help students see connections between their lives and Exodus 5–6, consider beginning class with a question like:

• What are some examples of instant gratification or on-demand types of things you have access to in your life?

You could share the following statement from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, formerly of the First Presidency.

We live in a world offering fast food, instant messaging, on-demand movies, and immediate answers to the most trivial or profound questions. We don’t like to wait. Some even feel their blood pressure rise when their line at the grocery store moves slower than those around them. (“Continue in Patience,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 56)

• How is this approach to receiving what we want similar to, or different from, receiving blessings from God?

• What are some examples of blessings we seek from God that may not come immediately?

• What are some ways we can benefit by not being immediately given the blessings we seek from God?

The Savior’s example of doing His Father’s will

Students can learn from the Savior’s example of faithfully following Heavenly Father’s will, regardless of the outcome. Students could read 3 Nephi 27:13 and identify why the Savior came into the world. Invite students to think of scriptural examples that show that the Savior did the will of the Father regardless of the short-term negative consequences. Some possible examples include Mark 3:1–6; 11:15–18; Luke 22:41–44; John 11:43–53; 1 Nephi 19:9–10.

You could have students share what stands out to them from the Savior’s example. You might also discuss how remembering the Savior’s example can help us when we find it difficult to follow God’s will.

Other examples of doing Heavenly Father’s will

If students would benefit from studying other examples of individuals who, like Moses, continued to be faithful in doing the Lord’s will even when it was difficult, you could write the following names (or other names you think of) on the board: Joseph of Egypt, Nephi, Abinadi, Joseph Smith.

Students could share what they learn from these individuals that could help them when they find it difficult to do the right thing.

Church magazine articles

To help students see modern-day examples of individuals faithfully doing what the Lord has asked them to do regardless of the immediate outcome, consider having them read one or both of the following articles:

1. “My Struggle with Anxiety at Church.” A 17-year-old young woman shared about her experience of continuing to attend church even with her anxiety.

2. “Living ‘as though’ God’s Promises Have Been Fulfilled.” A single adult shared three ideas that can help us faithfully move forward when certain promises have not yet been fulfilled in our lives.