Adult Lesson Plan: Exodus 7–13

OPENING (2–3 minutes)

Have you ever noticed that the Exodus story is not only about God overpowering Egypt, but also about God patiently teaching Egypt, Israel, and Pharaoh who He is? The Come, Follow Me introduction frames it this way: God continued to demonstrate His power and give Pharaoh opportunities to accept “that I am the Lord” and “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 7:5; 9:14). That is a striking pairing: power, yes, but also opportunity. Not just punishment, but revelation. Not just escape, but recognition.

So here’s the question to put on the table right away: If the Lord can send plagues, why does He also keep sending invitations? Why does He keep making space for Pharaoh to change? And closer to home, why does the Lord often work with us over time instead of “fixing” us instantly? Exodus 7–13 is a story about deliverance, but it’s also a story about hearts: hard hearts that resist light, and soft hearts that receive it.

SCRIPTURE EXPLORATION (15–20 minutes)

Begin by walking the class through the repeated purpose statements that the Come, Follow Me manual highlights. The Lord explains why these things are happening: “that I am the Lord” (Exodus 7:5) and “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). Invite the class to look for how often the narrative returns to that theme. Even before we talk about any single plague, the text is already telling us what God wants: not merely compliance, but knowledge of Him. Ask: What does it teach you about God that He wants to be known, not merely feared? What does it suggest about the kind of relationship He is trying to establish with His covenant people?

Then pivot to Pharaoh’s pattern of response, using the manual’s prompt: “What stands out to you about Pharaoh’s responses to the plagues in Exodus 7:14–25; 8:5–32; 9:1–26; 10:12–29; 12:29–33?” The details matter because repetition is a teacher. Pharaoh is not merely “bad”; he is consistently resistant, and the resistance has a texture. The manual asks, “Why is ‘hard’ a good description of Pharaoh’s heart?” That single word is vivid: hard things don’t absorb; they repel. Hard things don’t yield; they fracture other things. If you want to invite thoughtful discussion, ask: In your experience, what makes a heart “hard” in spiritual terms? Is it always rebellion, or can it also be exhaustion, pride, fear, or the desire to stay in control? (Let the class wrestle without rushing to tidy answers.)

Now move into Exodus 12, where the story shifts from confrontation to covenant ritual. The manual teaches that “The only way for the Israelites to be spared from the tenth plague, described in Exodus 11:4–5, was to follow precisely the instructions the Lord gave to Moses in Exodus 12, a ritual known as the Passover.” That word “precisely” is worth lingering on—not as a scolding about perfectionism, but as an insight into how God teaches through symbols. Passover is not random. It is patterned, intentional, and full of meaning.

Use the manual’s own list of symbols in Exodus 12:1–42 to guide the class through a few high-impact details. The Lord commanded that this deliverance would reorder time: “The beginning of months (verse 2; the Lord commanded the Israelites to use this event to mark the beginning of their calendar). Possible meanings: This was to be a new beginning for Israel. They were to be ‘born again.’” Pause and ask: Why would God make deliverance the start of their calendar? What does it mean to measure life “after” redemption rather than merely “after” success?

Then focus on the lamb and the blood. The manual points you directly to Christ-centered connections: “The lamb (verses 3–5). Possible meanings: See John 1:29; 6:54; 1 Peter 1:19.” And “Blood of the lamb on the doorposts (verses 7, 13, 23). Possible meanings: See Mosiah 4:2; Revelation 12:11.” You don’t need to over-explain; you can simply let the symbolism do what God designed it to do: teach the class to see Jesus Christ in the texture of the story. Ask: Why do you think the Lord teaches salvation through a household ritual, not just through a sermon? What does it reveal about how God expects faith to show up in ordinary life—meals, doors, family routines, remembered stories?

Finally, draw attention to remembrance. The manual emphasizes Exodus 12:14–17, 24–27; 13:1–16 and asks us to think about preserving remembrance “throughout your generations” (Exodus 12:14, 26–27). Invite the class to notice that God does not assume people will remember deliverance automatically. He commands remembrance. That is not because He is insecure; it is because we are forgetful. Ask: What do you think happens to a disciple when they forget what God has done? What happens to a community when the next generation only inherits rules, not remembered redemption?

DOCTRINAL DISCUSSION (10–15 minutes)

One doctrine that rises naturally out of these chapters is that God’s power is real, but His power is purposeful. The manual says, “Plague after plague afflicted Egypt, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. And yet God continued to demonstrate His power and give Pharaoh opportunities to accept ‘that I am the Lord’ and ‘there is none like me in all the earth’ (Exodus 7:5; 9:14).” There is a tenderness in that “and yet.” God does not stop being God when humans resist Him; He continues to teach, to warn, to invite. That can change how we read our own lives. Sometimes we interpret repeated divine invitations as God “nagging” us, when it may actually be God refusing to give up on our capacity to come to know Him.

A second doctrine is that captivity—spiritual captivity especially—has one true exit: the saving work of Jesus Christ. The manual states it with crystalline clarity: “This seems fitting because in every case of spiritual captivity, there truly is only one way to escape. It is only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn—the blood of the Lamb without blemish—that will save us.” That is Exodus 12 read through the lens of the gospel: deliverance is not merely a change of address; it is redemption. Ask the class: Why might God choose to make Israel’s national birth story also a prophecy of Christ? What does that do to our understanding of the Old Testament—not as a disconnected preface, but as a deliberate witness?

A third doctrine is that remembering is not passive; it is covenantal. The manual connects Passover remembrance to our sacramental remembrance: “The Savior commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover each year to help them remember He had delivered them, even after their captivity became a distant memory.” Then it asks, “What similarities do you see between the feast of the Passover and the sacrament? What can you do to ‘always remember’ Jesus Christ? (Moroni 4:3; 5:2).” Let that question breathe. Adults in Gospel Doctrine often carry quiet burdens: spiritual fatigue, grief, disappointment, long-term prayers. Remembrance is not merely nostalgia; it is spiritual survival. Ask: When life is heavy, what does it look like to actively remember Christ rather than merely endure? How might weekly sacramental worship be less about checking a box and more about re-entering a story of deliverance?

PRACTICAL APPLICATION (5–7 minutes)

Invite the class to take Pharaoh seriously, not as a cartoon villain but as a warning about what repeated resistance does to the soul. The manual’s invitation is personal: “As you read about the consequences of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, ponder the condition of your heart. What changes do you feel inspired to make?” A soft heart is not a personality type; it is a choice we renew. If someone feels their heart has become “hard” because of disappointment, offense, or long years of unanswered questions, Exodus offers hope: the Lord keeps sending light, and He keeps offering opportunities to recognize Him.

Then bring it to the sacrament as a weekly practice of freedom. The manual asks, “What are you doing to remember God’s blessings for you? How can you preserve that remembrance ‘throughout your generations’?” (Exodus 12:14, 26–27). Suggest a simple, realistic practice a teacher can invite without turning it into a checklist: come to sacrament meeting with one specific “deliverance” in mind—something the Lord has brought you out of, or is currently helping you endure. Even if it feels small, name it. Remembrance becomes more than a word; it becomes worship.

CLOSING TESTIMONY & INVITATION (2–3 minutes)

Exodus 7–13 teaches that the Lord is not only stronger than Pharaoh; He is stronger than bondage itself. He acts so His children can know Him: “that I am the Lord” and that “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 7:5; 9:14). And He delivers in a way that points unmistakably to His Son. I trust the promise taught in this week’s Come, Follow Me: “It is only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn—the blood of the Lamb without blemish—that will save us.”

Invite the class to carry one question into the week: Where do I most need deliverance right now, and what would it look like to let the Lord teach me to know Him there? Then invite them to come to the sacrament prepared to remember, not vaguely, but deliberately—because God’s pattern in Exodus is not just rescue, but remembered rescue, “throughout your generations” (Exodus 12:14, 26–27).