God's Faithful Deliverance in the Face of Oppression
Notes
Transcript
Title: God's Faithful Deliverance in the Face of Oppression
Theme: Despite human oppression and attempts to thwart God’s plan, God remains faithful to His covenant promises, preserving His people and preparing the way for their deliverance, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Text: Exodus 1:1–22
Introduction:
Introduction:
Context:
Today we are beginning the study of a new book Exodus.
Title of series
From Bondage to Glory:
God’s Redemption in Exodus
Exodus begins where Genesis leaves off, with the descendants of Jacob in Egypt. The historical setting is approximately the 15th–13th century BC, during Egypt’s New Kingdom period, when the Hyksos dynasty or a native Egyptian dynasty may have ruled. The text introduces the transition from favor to oppression for Israel, setting the stage for God’s redemptive work.
Relevance: Like Israel, we often face seasons of oppression, fear, or uncertainty. Exodus 1 assures us that God’s promises endure, and He works through adversity to accomplish His purposes, pointing us to the ultimate Deliverer, Jesus Christ.
Thesis: Exodus 1 reveals three ways God faithfully preserves His people amidst oppression, each pointing to the greater deliverance accomplished through Christ.
I. God Preserves His People Through Multiplication Despite Oppression (Exodus 1:1–7)
I. God Preserves His People Through Multiplication Despite Oppression (Exodus 1:1–7)
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).
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.
A. Explanation (Grammatical-Historical):
Context: The passage lists the sons of Jacob, recalling Genesis 46:8–27, emphasizing continuity with God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:2; 15:5).
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
God’s covenant:
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
renamed Israel
His sons… 12 tribes!
The verbs “fruitful,” “increased,” and “multiplied” echo Genesis 1:28 and 9:1, showing God’s blessing on Israel despite their sojourn in a foreign land.
God was fulfilling His promise to make a nation. During these few verses a family grew to be a nation!
Historically, this growth likely occurred over 400 years (Gen. 15:13), making Israel a potential threat in Egypt’s eyes.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
This summary of a lengthy period of time moves the record from the death of Joseph (ca. 1804 B.C.), the last recorded event in Genesis, to the radical change in Israel’s history, i.e., from favor before Egypt’s pharaoh to disfavor and enslavement (ca. 1525–1445 B.C.).
The growth of the nation (cf. 12:37) was phenomenal!
It grew from 70 men to 603,000 males, 20 years of age and older, thus allowing for a total population of about 2 million (Nu 1:46) departing from Egypt.
all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
The seed of Abraham was no longer an extended family, but a nation. The promise that his descendants would be fruitful and multiply (Ge 35:11, 12) had indeed been fulfilled in Egypt.
Theological Point: God’s covenant promise to make Abraham’s descendants numerous (Gen. 17:6) is unstoppable, even in a foreign land, demonstrating His sovereignty and faithfulness.
What GOD has planned to accomplish cannot be thwarted!
B. Illustration:
Imagine a small sapling planted in a harsh desert, surrounded by scorching heat and scarce water. Despite these conditions, the sapling not only survives but grows into a mighty tree, its roots spreading deep and wide, producing abundant fruit. This is like Israel in Egypt—oppressed and in a hostile environment, yet flourishing because God’s life-giving power sustains them. Similarly, God causes His people today to grow spiritually, even in adversity, through His Spirit.
C. Connection to Christ:
Israel’s multiplication foreshadows the spiritual multiplication of God’s people through Christ. Jesus, the true Seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:16), fulfills the promise of a great nation by building His church (Matt. 16:18).
Through His death and resurrection, the gospel spreads, and believers from every nation become part of God’s covenant family (Rev. 7:9).
Just as God multiplied Israel, Christ multiplies His kingdom, overcoming every obstacle.
ALL of this was a fulfillment of GOD’s covenant with Abraham:
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.
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
D. Application:
Trust God’s faithfulness to grow His kingdom through you, even in difficult circumstances.
God will do what He has said.
He will keep His promises
He will redeem us and ultimately take us home to be with HIM
NOTHING can separate us from His love and stand in His way!
Hold on to that promise even if circumstances may seem adverse.
Pray for boldness to share the gospel, knowing Christ’s church will prevail.
II. God Protects His People Against Human Schemes (Exodus 1:8–14)
II. God Protects His People Against Human Schemes (Exodus 1:8–14)
A. Explanation (Grammatical-Historical):
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
Context:
The “new king” likely reflects a dynastic shift, possibly the rise of the 18th Dynasty after the Hyksos expulsion, who viewed the growing Israelite population as a threat.
The term “did not know Joseph” suggests ignorance or deliberate rejection of Joseph’s legacy.
Remember the story of Joseph?
He was the favorite son and his mother was the favorite of wife of Israel. God had given him visions that his brothers would bow to him.
They sold him into slavery and ultimately he ended up in Egypt. There he faced false charges and ended up in prison where he rose to be the chief trustee and acted as steward.
Pharoah had a dream which God gave Joseph the interpretation of and he ended up as steward of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
v. 9-12 was also another lengthy time condensed to a few verses.
Egypt’s strategy—enslavement and harsh labor—was meant to crush Israel’s spirit and growth.
Yet, paradoxically, Israel’s multiplication increased under oppression, showing God’s power over human schemes.
Theological Point: Human attempts to thwart God’s plan are futile; God uses even oppression to fulfill His purposes, strengthening His people.
B. Illustration:
Picture a wildfire threatening a forest. The authorities try to contain it by cutting firebreaks, but the wind carries embers across, and the fire grows stronger. Similarly, Egypt’s efforts to suppress Israel only fueled their growth, as God’s sovereign hand turned their schemes upside down. In our lives, opposition may seem overwhelming, but God can use it to strengthen our faith and advance His kingdom.
C. Connection to Christ:
Egypt’s schemes prefigure Satan’s attempts to destroy Jesus, the true Deliverer.
The enemy has always stood against God’s plan.
In the garden, he subverted the God’s crowning creation, humanity. He thought he had won.… yet GOD foreknew and had a plan to redeem us in spite of sin.
Here, God had promised Abraham his heirs would grow to be a mighty nation and bless the world. The enemy stood against them and tried to wipe them out in slavery, but GOD blessed and multiplied them.
Herod’s slaughter of the innocents (Matt. 2:16–18) and the Pharisees’ plots against Jesus (John 11:53) mirror Pharaoh’s efforts, yet God protected Jesus to accomplish salvation.
Through the cross, Satan’s ultimate scheme was defeated (Col. 2:15), even while he thought he was wining and Christ’s victory ensures the preservation of His people.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
D. Application:
When facing opposition, trust that God is working for your good and His glory (Rom. 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.
“good”, “victory”, etc. are measured differently in God’s plan.
Being faithful is what He wants
He brings victory in His time.
Stand firm in faith, knowing Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33).
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
It may come here and now… then again, it may not be revealed until Christ’s return.
III. God Provides Faithful Servants to Defy Evil for His Glory (Exodus 1:15–22)
III. God Provides Faithful Servants to Defy Evil for His Glory (Exodus 1:15–22)
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah;
and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”
And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
A. Explanation (Grammatical-Historical):
Context:
v. 15-16 The bondage and rigorous service didn’t supress God’s blessings of the expansion of the nation of Israel’s population.
Thus:
Pharaoh escalates his oppression with a genocidal decree, targeting male infants to cripple Israel’s future.
It was to weaken and slow the growth.
The midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are likely Hebrew or Egyptian servants of Hebrews. Their “fear of God” (v. 17) reflects reverence for the true God, leading them to defy Pharaoh’s immoral command.
God rewards their obedience, blessing them and Israel’s growth.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
The failure of the extermination program demanded of the midwives finally caused Pharaoh to demand that all his subjects get involved in murdering newborn boys
This act of civil disobedience highlights God’s authority over human rulers.
Theological Point: God raises up faithful servants who fear Him, defying evil to preserve His people and advance His redemptive plan.
B. Illustration:
Consider a nurse in a war-torn country ordered to withhold medicine from certain patients. Instead, she risks her life to smuggle supplies, saving lives because her conscience is bound to a higher authority. Shiphrah and Puah were like this nurse, choosing God’s law over Pharaoh’s decree, and God honored their courage. Today, God calls us to stand for truth, even at personal cost, trusting His protection.
C. Connection to Christ:
The midwives’ preservation of Hebrew boys points to Jesus, the ultimate Child preserved from destruction. Just as God protected Moses, a type of deliverer, He protected Jesus from Herod’s decree (Matt. 2:13–15).
The midwives’ fear of God prefigures the obedience of Christ, who perfectly feared and obeyed the Father, securing our salvation through His sacrifice (Heb. 5:7–9). Their courage also reflects the church’s call to stand for Christ in a hostile world.
D. Application:
Fear God above human authorities, standing for righteousness in your decisions.
Like the apostles, we must boldly obey God not human governments.
No matter the cost, we must stand firmly for God.
Be encouraged that God rewards faithfulness, using it to advance His kingdom.
Conclusion
Conclusion
A. Summary:
Exodus 1 reveals God’s faithfulness in preserving His people through multiplication, protecting them against human schemes, and providing faithful servants who fear Him. Each point underscores God’s unstoppable plan to redeem His people, fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ.
B. Final Illustration:
Imagine a river flowing toward the sea, obstructed by rocks and barriers. No matter the obstacles, the river finds a way, carving new paths to reach its destination. God’s plan is like that river—oppression, schemes, and evil decrees cannot stop it. Through Christ, the river of God’s redemption has reached us, and we are invited to join its flow.
C. Call to Action:
Trust in God’s faithfulness when facing trials, knowing He is working for your deliverance.
Follow the midwives’ example by fearing God and standing for truth.
Look to Jesus, the ultimate Deliverer, who has secured your salvation and calls you to live for His glory.
D. Closing Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to preserve Your people, even in the darkest times. Help us trust You when we face oppression, stand boldly for Your truth, and rest in the salvation won by Jesus Christ. May our lives reflect Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
