The Devil’s Multiplication Problem
Notes
Transcript
As a continuation of Genesis, and ultimately the story in the Garden of Eden, Moses begins Exodus with two things in mind:
God’s command for His people to be fruitful and multiply in Genesis 1:27-28
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God’s promise that a descendant of Adam would crush the serpent in Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Read Exodus 1
Pray
In the beginning of Exodus, we see that Pharaoh has a problem, but we must remember that the true enemy of God’s people is never ultimately another human being.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
In our text today, notice first the problem of…
Dangerous Multiplication
Dangerous Multiplication
All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. “Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.
There will always be hostility towards God’s people when they begin to multiply.
There will always be hostility towards God’s people when they begin to multiply.
In the garden, the Serpent convinced Adam and Eve to commit spiritual suicide.
In Exodus, Pharaoh attempts to kill the Hebrew people by murdering baby boys.
In the New Testament, the Romans and Jews attempted to kill or imprison the Christians to stop the Church from multiplying.
In church history, Credobaptists were kicked out of cities and even killed by Catholics and Protestants for refusing to baptize their babies.
In modern history, every Communist and totalitarian regime attempts to suppress and persecute the Church because they proclaim Jesus as King.
Multiplication is a problem because it is hard to control.
Multiplication is a problem because it is hard to control.
The social gaming company, Zynga, grew to a worth of $9 Billon with popular games on Facebook like Farmville and Cityville in the early 2000s. Since those games were popular, the company began churning out similar games but without the same success. In short time, the company ended up in a steep decline which lead to layoffs and restructuring.
Rulers fear multiplication because if the people they oversee are too many then they lose their power.
Rulers fear multiplication because if the people they oversee are too many then they lose their power.
Multiplication happens more quickly than addition, so it is harder to prepare for and manage.
Multiplication happens more quickly than addition, so it is harder to prepare for and manage.
If the pastor becomes the “professional Christian” and is the only person who shares the Gospel in the village, you will see addition in the church. When the members are all sharing the Gospel in the village as they go about their week, you will see multiplication in the church.
God commands multiplication for His people instead of addition because the resulting growth can only be managed by Him. He gets the glory for the growth.
Secondly, notice the problem of…
Disobedient Multiplication
Disobedient Multiplication
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”
There are times where holy disobedience is necessary.
There are times where holy disobedience is necessary.
The midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are blessed and honored by God for disobeying Pharaoh’s orders and lying to him.
God gave the midwives children of their own to raise as a reward for their faithfulness.
The midwives resisted the demands of the culture and the government, and we must do likewise when we are told to speak or act against God’s Word.
The midwives resisted the demands of the culture and the government, and we must do likewise when we are told to speak or act against God’s Word.
Hot takes from a biblical worldview:
The biblical Gospel is the only true way of salvation, and every other religion is false and harms humanity.
Abortion is murder.
Jesus is the King of Kings, and His authority rules over every person and nation regardless of their beliefs.
Any welfare system that coerces people to work less than they are able to or to lie about their ability to work is wicked and hurts the people and the society it claims to benefit.
Burning ourselves out for the sake of productivity is offensive to God and testifies that we do not accept Him as our provider.
Nothing is free.
These ideas are dangerous and disobedient to the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
If you are going to follow Jesus, you will have to believe, say, and do things that are not popular.
CONCLUSION
We should expect hostility and opposition as a church when we begin to multiply.
We should expect hostility and opposition as a church when we begin to multiply.
If we begin to tell our neighborhood about Jesus, God will save some people.
If we keep doing it, He will save more.
If our gatherings become too large, we must start new churches or send people from our church to help other churches.
If people begin hearing about lives being changed, our worship gathering growing, and new churches starting, some will become hostile.
We will face rejection from some people in the community, the government, and even other churches.
May God create a multiplication problem for the Devil in our lives, our church, and our village for His glory.
