We're starting a season exploring the book of Exodus, and the story opens with a focus on amazing women.

By the time baby Moses gets his name in this story, the only other named characters are the midwives Shiphrah and Puah. In fact, almost all the people doing anything proactive are women! We notice a few fresh perspectives on this well-known narrative, and are interested to see how even chapter 1 and 2 set up some of the things that will feature in the Exodus.

What is Jonah's challenge for a prophetic-future focused Christian?

There is a widespread idea of some prophecies being conditional on our response, and others being unconditional. The more we look at it in the Old Testament the more it seems this distinction is not often all that clear in the prophecy and its wording. We are intrigued by some of the implications for reading and applying prophecy today, especially as Adventists.

Reading last-day prophecies with hope rather than fear is a profound perspective shift.

We can't help focus on the Sabbath commandment, which features so prominently in in the "Seventh-day Adventist" name and also in our reading of last-day prophecy. It is striking that Jesus stirred up considerable controversy over his Sabbath actions, and the lesson this week has an intriguing description that leads us into a broader discussion.

Moral growth and moral decline may be intertwined throughout history.

The story of Ruth is well-known and widely loved, and for good reason. It's a love story, with vivid characters and fabulous prophetic echos of Jesus the Redeemer. Interestingly, it also intersects with the idea of moral decline that came up in last week's episode. We are challenged to look deeper than the all-too-easy dismissive judgementalism that can be so tempting.

How to "preach our unique remnant message" while staying alert to the challenge that we too can fall into the "heinous sins described in Rev 13"?

The first situation sounds like confidence and an assurance of being right, while the second is all about recognising the insidious ways we can become the monster we claim to fight. Probably each individual christian feels more at home in one or the other of these extremes, and there are plenty of positions in between. It is humbling to recall the experience of David accusing himself after a story from the prophet Nathan.

The Psalms explore themes of suffering, judgement, good and evil.

However, it is possible this is due to such things being an almost universal part of human experience. The lesson this week asks us to consider how Psalm 67 might inform our understanding of the role of God's people in end times. At first glance it seems more interested in telling us about the role of God himself, and it is possible that the application to God's people might be more timeless.

How can we best use images and symbols in "God's songbook", the Psalms?

The lesson this week comments on judgement themes in Psalm 5. We find it somewhat difficult to identify all the connections, but find value in the challenging poetic images. We are particularly intrigued by what it might meant to recognise some of the "bloodthirsty and deceitful" aspects in our own lives. Can we cope with the idea that someone might be praying these ideas about us!

The foundation of prophecy is perhaps hope.

In the end, the Bible says in so many ways, God and goodness do triumph. Prophecy seems to use this long-term hope for the future as a lens through which to examine and evaluate present actions. We examine the beginning of the book of Ezekiel, where a prophet is called to speak God's words "whether the people listen to them or not".