SS 9/25 Exodus 1

Background

Exodus is part of the Pentateuch, do any of y'all know what that is? It is the first five books in the Greek Bible

What is the Torah? the first five books in the Hebrew Bible, bu they are are same thing just different language.

The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible or by some known as the Book of Moses, since he was the author of all five books. Moses wrote all five of these books except the verses that talk about his death and where he was buried, being dead he couldn't really write those. Joshua the next leader of Israel wrote them. These were also know as the Law that is referred to in the New Testament.

Exodus: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Exodus as a Part of the Pentateuch

God’s promise to the patriarchs; the exodus; God’s Self-revelation in covenant and law at Sinai; the wandering in the wilderness; the entrance into Canaan. Three of these five major themes are treated at length in the book of Exodus and, in addition, it looks back to the first theme and on to the last.

When do you all think Exodus was written?

So this took a lot of research by other people because dates were not recorded regularly until King Solomon. so after some research, theories, and archaeological dig sites in the Canaanite cities we can estimate the exodus started around 1445 BC to 1405 BC. This always confuses me because we move forward with dates like next year will 2023 but since they did not record history and dates accurately, so we decided to name the Common era AD, after death and BC Before Christ. So history is counting down in the Old Testament towards Jesus. but they did not see it that way. they kept track of history by their kings, so in the third year of David or tenth year of Solomon. but if you do not know a start or end point you cannot really understand when the third year was, it is estimating but this estimation is around 1405 BC to 1445 BC, because the 40 years in the wilderness. Moses did not have much to do in this time because they were just stuck wandering and dealing with the Israelites. during these forty years he wrote all 5 of these books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses wrote this to also remind people of what they had gone through and to stay loyal to God and not turn to Idolatry as their parents did. It was written to the Israelites of that time and to future Israelites as God instructs Moses to do so and is used for instruction as well.

The overall theme and message in Exodus is the depravity of man

Do y'all know what depravity means?

Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms Depravity, Total Depravity

Depravity refers both to the damaged relationship between God and humans and to the corruption of human nature such that there is within every human an ongoing tendency toward sin.

Do you know what total depravity means?

Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms Depravity, Total Depravity

Total depravity, therefore, does not mean that humans are thoroughly sinful but rather that they are totally incapable of saving themselves.

So the theme for Exodus is a need for a physical and spiritual deliverance.

Look

Exodus 1:1–7 ESV

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

okay first what stand out to you in this passage?

Genesis & Exodus Commentary

It is immediately apparent from the opening verses of Exodus that the book does not stand alone. We are introduced to a family about whom the book gives no prior information. We are told that they “moved to Egypt,” but not where they moved from. We also learn (1:5) that one member of the family, Joseph, was already in Egypt, but we are not told why. The narrator assumes that the reader has already read the “prequel,”

So can some one refresh me on Joseph and who is his family? and why is he in Egypt?

Exodus 1:8–14 ESV

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

So this passage explains that they were slaves in Egypt and built them cities. but when they were tired they went home to their wives and kept multiplying and having children, they were expecting the opposite and trying to perform a genocide. in this short time they built for them two cities Pithom and Ramses.

What is cool in this passage is that Gods promise to Abraham is finally fulfilled. they Israelites are as numerous as the stars and keep multiplying.

Show Picture of Pithom and Ramses

Exodus 1:15–22 ESV

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

What is happening in this passage?

So now the Pharoah is deliberately trying to kill the Israelites and start a genocide.

Genesis & Exodus (Commentary)

Furthermore, the single most powerful man on earth had made up his mind to wipe out the Israelite people group. If the Israelites had a problem, God also had a problem. If the Israelites needed to be delivered, God had a reason to deliver them. If he could not or would not deliver them, then everything in the book of Genesis was a dead letter.

On the other hand, if he could keep his promises against these impediments, then what would that say about his nature and character?

What kind of a God would that be, who could triumph against these odds?

Genesis & Exodus Commentary

few powerless women who would dare to take God seriously. The contrast between Pharaoh and the “midwives” (1:15) could hardly be more stark. He is the emperor, they are slaves; he is a male, they are females; he is rich, they are poor; he is all-powerful, they are powerless. If there was anyone in the universe they should fear, it would be he.

These women were tough and scared of nothing and they had morals and stuck to them when times were tough and they did not believe in the Jewish God as their saviour but they feared him greatly.