The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:1-7: A Picture of God’s Deliverance and God’s Faithfulness

What comes to mind for most people when they think of the Book of Exodus includes, Moses, Pharoah, the burning bush, the plagues, the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. The accounts and events which are recorded in the Book of Exodus have been used from children’s Sunday school classes to Sunday mornings and everywhere in between. Exodus is the fascinating and captivating account of the nation of Israel’s rescue from bondage and their subsequent sojourn through the wilderness; their time at Mt. Sinai where Moses is given the Ten Commandments and the law; and their journey from Sinai to the brink of the Promised Land.

Exodus is written by Moses, a man who God called, equipped, preserved, and protected

Exodus was written to record,God’s mighty and powerful hand to rescue and deliver His established people, Israel, from tyranny and bondage in Egypt;

Exodus is also the account of God leading the Israelites from bondage towards the Promised Land—providing for them, protecting them, teaching them, and sustaining them (ex: their sandals never wore out)

(Don’t miss the symmetry here)

The Book of Exodus is the great book of

Deliverance (theme)

Salvation, and

Redemption

The Book of Exodus reveals and proclaims that it is God who

Delivers

Saves

Redeems

The Book of Exodus’ focus is the nation of Israel

Israel was a new race, created/established by God beginning in Genesis 12, when God called Abram out his country

Israel was established as a nation by God, to be God’s witnesses to the only living and true God

Israel was established as a nation by God, to carry on the godly line of believers and eventually to bear the promised Seed—the Savior of the world

This is helpful to us—b/c the nation of Israel wasn’t a nation simply created as a new race of people—they were a new race of people that had a purpose—through the generations of Israel, the promised seed of Abraham was to come—from the establishment of the Israelite people, the promised of redemption was to come

This is helpful to us—b/c as believers we are a new creation—a new race so to speak of people, who have a purpose—that instead of being witnesses that Christ will come—believers are witnesses that Christ has come and He is our Lord and Savior—that He went to the cross, and redeemed us out of bondage—bondage to sin; we get to be witnesses that He paid the wage of sin for us; we get to be witnesses and His ambassadors that He not only died to save us from our sins, but He rose again to free us from the sting of death; we get to be witnesses and His bondservants, to take this message of grace/mercy/forgiveness to a lost a dying world, so that other people (the lost) may find hope in surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.

Here’s what happened:

From the start (Genesis 3) man’s sin has brought a sentence of death upon himself and the human race.

God knew and predestined a plan to counteract sin and its wage.

God knew He was to send His only begotten Son to the earth to be man’s atoning sacrifice for sin. It was a promised, not established in the garden, but revealed in the garden (Genesis 3:15—we’ll see this late

Time and time again, God had to intervene to keep the line of believer’s pure; this He did all the way to the Great Flood

Yet even after the flood—man did what man always does—seep and sink back into idolatry and depravity and God had to intervene again; this time in creating a whole new race of people—beginning with the call of Abraham:

(FIVE PURPOSES FOR CREATING A NEW RACE OF PEOPLE)

*Note these five (5) purposes are true of both Israel and believers today, as the new nation and people of God)

God desired a people who would love and serve Him supremely

Followers of God were (are) to be people who give Him their first loyalty

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.”

God desired a people who would be His missionary force to the world

Followers of God were (are) to be people who will be dynamic witnesses of Him—the only living and true God—of His grace, mercy, faithfulness, covenant love, justice, and salvation

Isaiah 43:10-11 ““You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.”

Acts 13:26 ““Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.”

Acts 13:47 “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ””

God desired a people through whom He could send His Son into the world

Followers of God were (are) to be people whom God could send His Son, the Messiah and the Savior of the world—Jesus Christ

O/T points to the coming of Christ and the cross

N/T points to the fact that Christ came and went to the cross

Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.”

God desired a people through whom He could give His written Word, the Holy Bible to the world

2 Timothy 3:15-17 “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Hebrews 1:1 “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,”

God desired a people through whom He could demonstrate the truth about life and salvation to the world (3 truths here)

To demonstrate life and salvation were not of this world—not in the physical/material things of the world

Most Israelites trusted the physical rituals of religion to save them and to provide them an identity

Most people today trust in the physical rituals of religion to save them and provide them an identity

We must remember—man was created in God’s image centuries before the law as ever given—so our image has nothing to do with religion, following rules, or the keeping of the law.

We must remember—man was created in God’s image from the very beginning, proving that life was and is only found through God; further what God established in the garden with Adam and Eve proves He alone provides what we need to be sustained in this life---Himself

We must KNOW, you were not

Created to bear the image of religion, rules, works;

Created to bear the image of the physical things of this world (money, fame, position)

Created to bear the image of the sinful decisions you make or are living in

We must KNOW, you were

Created in the likeness and image of God—

Created in the image of an eternal, perfect, holy righteous God

Created in the image of how He defines you: precious, the climactic punctuation of the creation account

We must remember—the physical things of this world are falling away and deteriorating, therefore they have no real life/value in them

So many people try and find their worth and value in the things of this world—and these things have no eternal value

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

To demonstrate life and salvation are spiritual and eternal—

Despite the previous point

Israel continued to search for physical and material blessings and neglected the spiritual and eternal blessings of God

Man today continues to search for physical and material blessing, neglecting the spiritual and eternal blessings of God

What is needed for life and salvation:

Was not (is not)

Physical and material blessings

A religion of form and ritual

These things are corrupted and corruptible

Was (and is)

A permanent and incorruptible seed

A new creature/new man was necessary in order to provide salvation for man

To demonstrate life and salvation are secured by faith and by faith alone, not by works and self-righteousness

All of Israel’s rules, rituals, and ceremonies could not save them

All of our (man’s) rules, rituals, and ceremonies cannot save us

Good works and religious service can never make man perfect/acceptable to God—and perfection was what makes a person acceptable to God in order to live in His presence

This proves that NO MAN is saved through works and self-righteousness

This proves that salvation and being born again comes ONLY in:

trusting in the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ (the promised seed)

trusting that the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ makes a person acceptable to God

trusting that God accepts a person in the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ (the promised Savior)—God actually counts his faith in Jesus Christ as righteousness (we are not made righteous, we are counted as righteous)

All these say the same thing: man is saved—you are saved—by the grace of God through faith—NO OTHER WAY

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Titus 3:5 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

This catches us up—so to speak—to where we can begin our look at Exodus—beginning with Israel in Egypt

(I encourage you to spend some time with your family and reading the history of the Israelite people—starting in Genesis 12) during the weeks we are studying these first chapters of the Book of Exodus) to help you gain a background and foundation for what we are going to walk through)

Last thing to remember:

(1) Egypt is a picture, a type, a symbol of worldliness. Egypt was a society/culture which had reached the summit of prosperity/technology/and pleasure—a people who had rejected God and created their own gods to follow

(2) Israel sat right in the middle of it all—being oppressed and enslaved; being persecuted by the world and needed God to intervene

(3) So many times, so many people can view the account of Exodus and fail to see or fully grasp the reality that the deliverance of the Israelites as a foretaste of God’s promise to deliver us. They read about the Israelite people, read about their bondage and affliction, yet are blinded or cannot see that inasmuch as Israel needed deliverance—so does man today, so do they—b/c the world we live in today—is not so unlike the days of Exodus—we need deliverance:

Exodus 1:1-7 (READ)

The very first passage of Exodus deals with the great theme of Exodus—deliverance:

God had delivered Israel in the past and the implication is clear—He would do it again. Regardless of the trouble, the bondage or affliction, no matter how terrifying and hopeless the circumstance God will deliver Israel again

God delivers, always, His people. Those who belong to Him are promised that God saves us and will always deliver us from the afflictions, troubles, evil circumstances in life, no matter what they are, how bad they are or get, or how prodigal we might become, no matter the

Suffering/Loneliness/Emptiness

Backsliding/Wonderings

Affliction/Loss/Pain

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

We know that not all things are good, but in all things God works them for our good if we love and are called by Him—REGARDLESS

I. (v.1-5) God’s deliverance

Exodus 1:1-5 “Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already).”

Some 400 earlier, God had saved and delivered Israel down to Egypt (see Genesis 46:1-27)

Every member of Jacob’s (Israel’s) household was led to Goshen, Egypt

70 total (Joseph was already in Egypt)

Why? Why after God began the establishment of Israel in Abraham and led the into Canaan, did God have to deliver them to Egypt?

There was moral decay within the family—they not behaving like the chosen people of God.

Jacob’s family was about to lose their godly identity.

They were living unclean live—not protecting the purity of their godly family

The family was being immersed in the worldliness of their environment

They were allowing the lifestyle of the world around them—the Canaanites to lead them into compromise

They became attracted to the life-style of the world and there was only 70 of them. The lights of immorality and ungodliness had attracted them as a moth to a flame

They were close to losing their identity as God’s people

Therefore God intervened to save, deliver, and redeem Jacob and his family—so He could preserve and continue the line which would lead to the promised Seed—our Savior

God took one of Jacob’s son—Joseph and set him in Egypt as ruler, second only to Pharoah

God caused the family to move away from worldly temptations and immoral living (the Canaanites) by causing a famine in the land, which drove the the land of Egypt.

God placed them beside the people of Egypt—a people who considered them such an abomination, so totally unacceptable, and who wanted nothing to do with them

They would be isolated in Goshen

This reduced the chance of intermingling and intermarriage

This would allow Israel to keep their godly identity and keep to itself

***The point to see here—God ALWAYS delivers His people. He will ALWAYS deliver them, no matter

How bad the circumstances

How terrible the sin and shame

How severe the pain/affliction/persecution

How fearful life/circumstances may be

***Note this however: This promise is reserved for those who:

Truly believe Him and place their lives into His hands

Sincerely follow Him as their Lord and Savior

***God cares for us (for you):

He created you (Genesis 1:26)

He created you intentionally (Genesis 2:7)

He created you and He knows you (Psalm 139:1-12)

He created you fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:13-14)

***The greatest promise we have ever, and will ever be given is this:

God can and will deliver you from your sins—no matter how terrible they may be—if you will surrender your life to Jesus Christ

God will not only deliver you from your sins—He will deliver you from all the crises and trials of life—no matter how painful they may be

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

God’s plan of deliverance for Jacob and his family was to deliver them to Egypt—and to some this may not make sense (b/c of the land, the people, etc.) , but God’s way of deliverance is foolish to most:

God’s plan of deliverance was the cross. And as we will see this more when we learn about the 10th plague—our deliverance is in God doing something only God could accomplish

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

II.(v.6-7) God’s faithfulness:

Exodus 1:6-7 “And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

God proved faithful and continued in fulfilling His promise down through the generations of Israel.

Israel had it’s beginning long ago through Abraham—if Abraham would believe God (truly believe and follow Him) God would cause a great nation to be born through his seed—Abraham did and God got to work

This passage (6-7) is a dramatic and telling account of God doing just that—He was clearly fulfilling His promise: a promise God reminded and gave often:

Genesis 12:1-2 “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.”

Genesis 26:2-5 “Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.””

Genesis 46:2-3 “Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.” So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.”

Exodus 1:7 “But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

This passage also reminds us of God’s faithfulness to man since creation

To Adam

Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

To Noah

Genesis 8:17 “Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.””

To Abraham

Genesis 12:1-2 (again)

To Isaac

Genesis 26:4 “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;”

To Jacob

Genesis 35:11 “Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.”

***The point to see is God’s faithfulness-He was faithful to fulfill His promises and here in Exodus 1 we see Him fulfilling His promise gloriously. Here, He was causing the nation of Israel to grow into a mighty nation***

***God is ALWAYS faithful. He keeps His Word and fulfills His promises…ALWAYS. He is trustworthy and we can trust that He is faithful to do exactly what He says He will do:

God promised to send the promised seed to the world—by this He means His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ

Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.”

God promised to forgive our sins if we confess and repent (turn from them)

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Isaiah 55:7 “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God promised to give eternal life to the TRUE believers and to make absolutely sure they receive it

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 5:24 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

John 10:28-29 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.”

God promised to be with believers through all the trials, problems, and terrible circumstances in life. He NEVER fails at this:

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?””

Exodus 33:14 “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””

Psalm 27:5 “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”

Psalm 31:20 “You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.”

Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah”

(WORSHIP TEAM)

Going back to the theme of Exodus, God’s great deliverance—we must see that this is pictured for us in the account of the exodus from Egypt:

What the Israelites knew was 400+ years of bondage, oppression, affliction, and persecution. From their perspective, there was no escape from being enslaved by such oppressive evil; there was little to no hope of ever being rescued. “But God” sent Moses as His mouthpiece to give and restore to them hope. He sent Moses to provide assurance that He had not forgotten and left them alone. He sent Moses to represent His mighty hand so she might deliver the Israelites from bondage. And in the chapters and verses ahead of us, we will read about God’s faithfulness to establish His great name is saving His people—and leading them to a land flowing with milk and honey.

It is worth noting this deliverance was was promised to Abraham, by God centuries before:

Genesis 15:12-17 “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.”

So many people today need to understand the deliverance the Israelites needed, is the deliverance they need. So many people have been living under the bondage, oppression, affliction, and condemnation of sin, religion, and the wisdom of this world. So many people have bene held under the thumb of these things, they can’t see or don’t know there’s a way out. The enemy (Pharoah) was good at reminding the Israelites of this. Our enemy (Satan) is even more crafty at this—ever so silver tongued in his effort to keep you living in bondage, fear, and without hope.

But now this; just as there was a “but God” moment for Israel, you too have a “but God,” assurance.

Just as God sent Moses as His messenger of hope and restoration to the Israelites—He has sent you (us) a messenger who is His

His express image

His Word incarnate

His promised Seed and our Savior

His grace gift of hope, assurance, and salvation.

He has sent your Redeemer. What was promised by God to Abraham in Genesis 15—God made good through the account of Exodus.

What God promised man in Genesis 3:15, He made good on in sending His Son to the cross

(“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”)

This is single greatest promised hope for mankind. In all of this and the remaining chapters of Exodus, we must enter into this study of Exodus and see the greater promise of God. Exodus—and the account of the Israelites is foretaste of God’s promise to deliver man from the bondage of sin through His only Begotten Son.

Maybe you’re here today and all you’ve known is bondage and affliction; maybe you’ve been living in the wilderness, in sin and from your lens/your perspective, you can’t see your way out. Maybe you’ve been in bondage so long, it’s hard to see that God has sent His mouthpiece as your deliverer. There is a way of deliverance, there is a hope for the bondage of sin that weighs you down. Jesus Christ to the cross to free us from our bondage to sin