Exodus 1:1-7 - God’s Faithfulness to Joseph’s Family
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from Exodus 1:1-7:
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.
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Dear Church,
The book of Exodus is an epic story that takes the breath away from those who read it. It is a story of God’s people under harsh oppression who are saved by the grace of God. The story takes us on a wild ride from Egypt to Mount Sinai. The book contains God’s mighty power and faithfulness to His covenant made to the patriarchs. There are twists and turns in the story. Today, we begin the book of Exodus. You might think, “How long will we be in this book?” The Exodus event lasted 40 years, but I’m hopeful it won’t take us that long!
I want to give you an outline of this sermon. First, we will examine some background information and then study Exodus 1:1-7. The sermon title is “God’s Faithfulness to Joseph’s Family.” The sermon will have two sections: 1) Exodus 1:1-5 - The Story of Joseph and His Family, and 2) God’s Continued Covenantal Faithfulness
The Exodus, as an event, is a historical reality. The historic event is the Israelites coming out of Egypt, traveling in the wilderness, and eventually arriving in Canaan. It really did happen. Debate swirls about whether the event occurred in the 15th or 13th century BC, but it did happen nonetheless. Think of the stories regarding the beginning of America—the Boston Tea Party - No taxation without representation. Riding his horse, Paul Revere yelled, “The British are coming!”. George Washington’s brilliant victory at Yorktown turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. The stories we remember show a glorious start to the nation.
This is not the nation of Israel’s story in the Scriptures. Israel was indeed saved by the mighty hand of God from Egypt. However, what happens in the pages of the Pentateuch as the story is told? Israel is portrayed as a rebellious, complaining, and idolatrous nation. The wilderness generation is so unruly that it is cited in Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3 as an example of what not to become. The start of Israel is not glorious but inglorious. You might be thinking, Come on, Brad, isn’t that a little far-fetched? Things weren’t THAT bad for them. In Numbers 14:1-10, all the people grumble against Moses and Aaron. They eventually say, “Let us choose a leader and return to Egypt.” You might think, “Well, that’s not great, but it’s not too bad.” Don’t worry; this story is just getting started. Moses and Aaron fell to their faces before the assembly. Joshua and Caleb then tell the people to trust the Lord and not rebel against Him, for He will bring them into the Promised Land. I’m going to read Numbers 14:10 so you can hear the response of the entire congregation.
10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
The Israelites sought to murder Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. Let that sink in - The Israelites sought to murder Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. The rebellion in their hearts drove them to attempt murder, only to be stopped by the glory of the Lord appearing to them all. How can we know the Exodus is an actual event? No self-respecting nation would ever put this in the pages of their history. They would want to make their history look unblemished. The events that unfolded in the pages of the book of Exodus were real, historic events.
Now, I want to present what I believe is the main point of the book of Exodus - God's promised presence is with His children as He fulfills His covenant to the patriarchs, saving Israel for His glory. I’ll say that again for you note-takers: God's promised presence is with His children as He fulfills His covenant to the patriarchs, saving Israel for His glory. I come to this conclusion based on three critical texts in Exodus:
1) Exodus 2:23-25:
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
2) Exodus 3:14:
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
3) Exodus 14:4:
4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
As we travel through the book, we will want to keep this in mind: God's promised presence is with His children as He fulfills His covenant to the patriarchs for His glory.
The book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible; to be fair, it is a larger book of Scripture. If you were to read the book of Exodus straight through, it would take approximately three hours. So, why should we go through the book of Exodus? Why is it important to study this tome? There is a plethora, but I will give you two. First, every central theme of the Bible is in Exodus. Every central theme of the Old and New Testaments can be found in Exodus. So, by the time we come to the end of Exodus, you will have grasped every significant biblical theme. For you note-takers, you will have a reservoir of information to return to as you continue your growth. So, the first reason, you will have a grasp on every central biblical theme.
Second, knowing and understanding Exodus will help you know, appreciate, and love the work of redemption much more. As Philip Ryken states in his commentary on Exodus, “A complete understanding of the gospel requires a knowledge of the exodus.” As you read the New Testament, it is easy to see how the authors used the exodus to explain their salvation in Christ Jesus. For the ladies going through the Ladies Bible Study, you will get a double dose of Exodus as you study the Gospel of Mark. In Luke 9:30-31, Jesus is transformed and speaks with Moses and Elijah. Jesus talks to them about His departure or His exodus. He will be the Passover Lamb, offering His life for those who belong to Him. He, and He alone, can deliver His people from the bondage of sin and death, ultimately leading them to the eternal Promised Land. When you know the book of Exodus, you know that it is not simply a story of salvation but THE story of THE salvation.
Exodus 1:1-5 - The Story of Joseph and His Family
Exodus 1:1-5 - The Story of Joseph and His Family
The book of Exodus begins with the Hebrew letter vav, which we would translate as “now” or usually “and”. So, a more literal reading of Exodus 1:1 would be, “And these are the names of the sons of Israel.” Another interesting note is that Leviticus begins with the letter vav, as does the book of Numbers. We have one great story, one epic saga of God’s working from Creation to forming a people for His glory. Boys and girls, this one is just for you - the next time your teacher or parents tell you that you can’t start a sentence with the word “and”, you feel free to remind them that God began three books of the Bible with “and.” So, the book of Exodus is not a new book or new story, per se, but a continuation of the story of Genesis revealing how God will be faithful to the covenant and the promises He made to the patriarchs.
Yet, simultaneously, the Covenant of Grace is being worked out. In short, and to borrow language from the Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 20, the Covenant of Grace delivers the elect out of the estate of sin and misery and brings them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. The Lord fulfills the promise in Genesis 3:15 to send a Savior/Redeemer as He fulfills the covenant He made with the patriarchs. God is fulfilling His promises, which He has already made as the book of Exodus unfolds.
As Moses, the author under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, begins Exodus, there is an assumption, again with the word “and,” that the readers know the story of Joseph. Joseph was Rachel's first son, and his brothers hated him. His father gives Joseph a coat of many colors, and he also delivers interpretations of dreams. We are told of two specific dreams in Genesis 37. In both dreams, Joseph’s family (his parents and siblings) bow down to him. His brothers really, really hated him. They take him, throw him into a pit, and then sell him as a slave, where he eventually comes to Egypt.
While in Egypt, Joseph becomes a successful man and is made the overseer of Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Joseph’s life is going great… until Potiphar’s wife notices him. She is attracted to him and tries to get him to sleep with her daily, but he refuses. Yet, one day, she moves past seduction, grabs his garment, and forces herself upon him. He runs out of the room while his garment remains in her hands. She accuses Joseph of attempted rape, and he is thrown into prison.
Two years later, Joseph is released from prison after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph, by the providence of the Lord, tells Pharaoh his dream, revealing that there will be seven plentiful years followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advises that food should be stored during the abundant years so there is food during famine. Pharaoh is pleased by this and makes Joseph second in command.
The years of famine came just as the Lord revealed in the dream to Pharaoh. Joseph’s family enters the story again at this point. They are in desperate need of food. To make a long story short, the brothers go to Egypt to get food. Joseph recognizes them and tests them. Eventually, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. The brothers return to Canaan and tell their father Jacob, or Israel, that Joseph is alive and in charge in Egypt.
Now, the Bible gives us the information we need for salvation. However, sometimes I wish there were just a little more provided for my curiosity. The conversation between Jacob and his sons tells him that Joseph is alive… That’s got to be a conversation for the ages! How many of us have had children lie to us? How many of us lied to our parents as children? It happens, right? However, how many of you have told your parents a wild animal murdered your sibling, but you sold them into slavery? Yet, regardless of the awkward conversation that occurred, Joseph’s family is brought to Egypt.
What’s so amazing about the beginning of Exodus is that these first words mirror, almost verbatim, Genesis 46:8: “Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons.” Now listen to Exodus 1:1 - “1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:” Exodus is not a stand-alone book introducing a new story. Exodus is a continuation of the story already seen in Genesis.
Exodus 1:2-5 shows us who comes to Egypt from Canaan. The first six mentioned are the sons of Leah - Jacob’s first wife (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun). Benjamin is the second son of Rachel, Jacob’s second wife. Dan and Naphtali are the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. Finally, Gad and Asher are the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid. Finally, we see Joseph, Rachel’s first son, who was already living in Egypt and not counted among the 70 who came to Egypt from Canaan. To have an exodus, or “going out,” there must be an eisodus, or a “going into.”
Exodus 1:6-7 - God’s Continued Covenantal Faithfulness
Exodus 1:6-7 - God’s Continued Covenantal Faithfulness
Exodus 1:6 provides incredible tension in this story. Joseph is dead. All his brothers are dead. Joseph’s entire generation is dead. Now what? What is going to happen now that this great generation has died? You can feel the tension if you sit in it for a minute. Joseph, whom God used to bring Israel into Egypt, is now gone. That whole generation that saw God work mightily in saving them from famine is gone.
Is this not the story of every generation? Every generation must wrestle with the Gospel. The older generation that has seen God work mightily is passing away, and a new, younger generation is rising up. What will happen to them? Will they continue in the faith of their grandparents and parents, or will they walk away? The tension of Exodus 1:6 gets replayed over and over again. Some of you may remember the days of Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services. Furthermore, most of the congregation would come to all three services. Those days seem like a long, long time ago.
Some of you sit here with children or grandchildren not in Christ. You not only feel the tension of Exodus 1:6 but also live it daily in pain. Sure, they might attend Sunday services, but you know they have never repented of sin. You live in tension every day.
For some, the tension isn't personal but communal. You look at the landscape of Christianity in the nation and become fearful. Will the next generations genuinely come to know Christ? Or will the following generations become more ungodly? Will the church I attend survive or be lost in the next generation? Will all my hard work amount to nothing in the future? Each generation has had to wrestle with these questions and feelings over the past few thousand years. Our feelings and plight are not unique in the scope of the Church’s history. The same question applies today - how can we reach that next generation? First, I’ll give something practical and then provide us with something theological.
Practical. Kevin DeYoung is a pastor of Christ Covenant, a PCA church in Matthews, NC. He has been asked by many people, “How is your church reaching the next generation?” because they have been reaching the next generation. He writes this in his book, The (not-so-secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation:
Reaching the next generation—whether they are outside the church or sitting there bored in your church—is easier and harder than you think. It’s easier because you don’t have to get a degree in postmodern literary theory or go to a bunch of stupid movies. You don’t have to say “sweet” or “bling” or know what LOL or IMHO means. You don’t have to listen to … well, whatever people listen to these days. You don’t have to be an influencer on social media, watch whatever HBO show everyone is talking about, or imbibe fancy coffees. You just have to be like Jesus. That’s it. So the easy part is you don’t have to be with it. The hard part is you have to be with him. If you walk with God and walk with people, you’ll reach the next generation.
DeYoung then gives five suggestions for reaching the next generation. If you feel the tension of Exodus 1:6, you’ll want to write these five suggestions down.
Grab them with Passion - We’ll be far less likely to lose our young people and far more likely to win some others if the spiritual temperature of our churches is something other than lukewarm. People need to see that God is the all-consuming reality in our lives.
Win them with Love - The evangelical church needs to stop preaching the false gospel of cultural identification. Don’t spend all your time trying to figure out how to be just like the next generation. Tell them about Jesus. And love them unashamedly.
Hold them with Holiness - Today’s young people do not want a cultural Christianity that fits in like a Baptist church in Texas. They want a conspicuous Christianity that changes lives and transforms communities. Maybe we would make more progress in reaching the next generation if we were making more progress in holiness.
Challenge them with Truth - Shallow Christianity will not last in the coming generation, and it will not grow. Cultural Christianity is fading. The church in the twenty-first century must go big on truth or go home.
Amaze them with God - Give them a God who is holy, independent, and unlike us—a God who is good, just, full of wrath, and full of mercy… Give them a God worthy of wonder and fear, a God big enough for all our faith, hope, and love.
Do you feel the tension of Exodus 1:6? Are you worried about the next generation being reached for Christ? Do yourself a favor and buy this book – The (Not-so-secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation. It is less than $5 and 48 pages long. It will cost you almost nothing, and it will take you 30 minutes to read.
That was the practical way in which we could reach the next generation. Now, as promised, the theological. When people ask me if I am worried about the next generation being Christian, my answer is always “no.” I’m not concerned about Generation Z, Generation Alpha, or the next generation that has yet to come. Why? Exodus 1:7:
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.
In this verse, you can hear the undertones of Genesis 1:28:
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
and Genesis 12:1-3:
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
As Exodus 1:6 provides the tension of what will become of Joseph’s family, Exodus 1:7 provides the resolution. They will be fine because God remains faithful to His covenant with the patriarchs. The Israelites fulfilled the Creation Mandate by reproducing it to the point that the land was full of them. In turn, they become exceedingly strong. The promises to Abraham sit behind the Exodus event.
Why don’t I worry about future generations and the Church? God always remains faithful to those with whom He has made a covenant. Sometimes, this means a plentiful harvest, and many are counted as faithful. Sometimes, it is a small harvest with a few counted as faithful. Either way, the Lord is sovereignly in control and keeps His covenant. The tension has been resolved because the Lord continues His covenantal faithfulness to Joseph’s family, the offspring of Abraham. Like Joseph, we are Abraham's genuine offspring because of Christ Jesus, and God will remain faithful to the covenant He has made with us.
We only enter the New Covenant through repentance and faith in Christ. Today is Reformation Sunday. Approximately 500 years ago, the theological battle was justified by faith alone in Christ. We are not saved by faith and our works, but by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Those who repent and come to Christ in faith are taken out of the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light. God adopts us as His children and makes an everlasting covenant with us. In a time, age, season, and culture filled with fear, there is no need to fear regarding God’s covenant made with those whom He loves, which is precisely what we see in Exodus 1:6-7.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The book of Exodus is an incredible epic that shows God’s mighty and miraculous power. As we shall see, the family of Joseph becomes a multitude that threatens the mighty nation of Egypt, well, according to the Pharaoh. However, we will also see our salvific story in these pages. We will see how we are taken into oppression and bondage just as they were. We will see how we are freed from bondage just as they were. We will see how we rebel, complain, and grumble after we are freed, just like they did. Our story is also the story of Exodus. We will see that God's promised presence is with His children as He fulfills His covenant to the patriarchs for His glory. God saves them for His glory, and so we are saved by God for His glory.
