Exodus 1

1:1-7 pew # 53

we are reminded where we left off in Genesis

God made covenantal promises to Abraham

covenant making & covenant keeping

Gen 12:2

Gen 17:2

Ex 1:7

from 70 Israelites to 2M

Israel is flourishing, but they are in Egypt

God is still their God

He has not forgotten them

He is keeping & will keep all His covenantal promises

how is the Israelites’ journey instructive for us?

many lessons along the way

spoiler alert

even though God saved Israel from slavery in Egypt

Israel turned away from God in wilderness

1 Cor 10:11

written for our benefit

that we would not turn away from the God who saved us

but primary lesson/truth…

SAVED FOR GOD’S GLORY

no need to be saved

if not in trouble; if can save yourself

neither true for Israel in Egypt

neither true for sinners before holy God

The Saga Begins

this summer, we will follow Israel’s journey out of Egypt

by the might of our God

Exodus = exit/departure — from slavery to salvation

the great miracle of the OT

Psalms & Prophets & NT look back

even Passover/Lord’s Supper looks back

deliverance from bondage

through the work of a Savior (Moses —> Jesus)

under Joseph, times in Egypt were glorious

famine in Israel (would have died if stayed)

God sent Joseph to Egypt (brothers meant evil)

feast in Egypt (Joseph put back 20% of bumper crop)

all family came to Egypt where God provided

but Egypt is not the Promised Land

how would God get 2M Israelites to leave?

how would God get Pharaoh to let them go?

this saga barely begins & takes a dreaded turn…

1:8

with these ominous words (something terrible is looming)

prosperity in Egypt is about to turn into persecution

how long between Genesis and Exodus? not remember/care

America about to celebrate 250 years — we still remember

Genesis 15:13 — 400 years

arose a Pharaoh who didn’t know or care about Joseph

conditions for the Israelites change from favor under Joseph…

1:9-14

king of Egypt (not named) = Pharaoh

was threatened by multiplication of Israelites

fixes overpopulation by enslaving them

“ruthlessly” (1:13, 14)

imagine MN w/o modern power tools, McCoy’s?

hauling water, pouring clay, cutting bricks, hauling stacks of bricks to a work site, and then laying them with mortar

what did they build?

not pyramids; 2 cities — Pithom and Raamses (1:11)

really a spiritual conflict

a showdown between Pharaoh of Egypt and God of Israel

Pharoah represented ALL Egypt, including their gods

claimed to be incarnate Son of Re (sun god)

primary deity in Egyptian pantheon

in the other corner, ONE & ONLY God of Israel

pause to consider what God is doing

usually a foreign population is absorbed into the native population

take 70 Americans to Rome, Italy

over time, likely to speak Italian and act Italian

“When in Rome, do as the Romans”

if Israel would have embraced Egyptian culture

then would have ceased being God’s chosen (separate) people

thus God preserved His people’s identity while under slavery

maybe even using slavery to keep them separate

if left to themselves, syncretism

melted/absorbed into Egyptian culture

adopting superstitions/idolatries/sins of Egypt

resulting in hearts turning away from God

Christians must be separate from the world

strange to say God preserved His people through slavery

when it looks like Satan is triumphing

God is working out His prevailing plans

Acts 8:4 (persecution after Stephen)

Acts 12:24 (death of James; Peter rescued)

universal truth

God uses suffering to show your need for salvation

no trouble = no need for a Savior

like the Israelites

we need house of bondage to drive us to Promised Land

look to the turmoil on earth & long for heaven

hard to desire heaven when live on earth in comfort

does this resonate? do you believe this?

don’t waste your suffering (only wanting escape)

may you long for an eternity of no suffering in heaven

because you surrendered your life to Jesus on earth

before things got better, they got worse…way worse

1:15-22

Pharaoh worried about Israel becoming a military threat

God made male/female = equal in value, but recognizably different

we recognize God made male bodies different than female

typically men on front line of battle

thus Pharaoh wanted baby boys exterminated

2 women stand out — Shiphrah & Puah

likely head nurses

not easy to stand up to Satan’s minion — Pharaoh

Pharaoh most powerful man in world

simple wave of hand = execution

YET feared God, not man

obeying God is safest thing

trusting God with results

we rob God of rescuing us when play it safe

Shiphrah and Puah = great women of Bible

were convinced only God is the Lord of life

God’s people are in the pro-life resistance

civil disobedience 

when man’s law violate God’s law, God wins

Acts 5:29

times Christians have right & responsibility to resist

prior slide

America is in a downward spiral in preserving/valuing life

we Christians must be in the pro-life resistance

from the womb

abortion rights paraded even though God said, “Let there be life”

“morning-after pill” easily accessed

support Heartbeat Pregnancy Center

life begins when God says, “Let there be life.”

while we may not celebrate the circumstances around conception,

we celebrate the life God created in His image

to the tomb

1/3 American population lives where euthanasia is legal

we value/preserve life from the womb to the tomb

ethical question: is lying ever okay?

some accuse Shiprah and Puah of lying (1:19)

yet if told truth, people die

2 of God’s commands in conflict

do not lie vs. save/preserve life

??? strive to do the least worst thing???

???strive to do the greatest good???

making right choices in war and evil situations is messy

live in post Genesis 3 world

live in post WWII world

Winston Churchill, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”

hide Jews from Nazis (good)

lie to Nazis about hiding them (bad)

what if they would not have lied?

what is right? not always easy to determine

but here 1:20-21, God lets us know they did right

they lied to Pharaoh (not God)

they pleased God because motive was to save lives

sooner or later we will be forced to take a stand

do you fear God or other people?

where do you stand on today’s controversial topics?

will be exposed as either fearing God or people

choose wisely

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

God will not leave His people in Egypt

He multiplied them from 70 to 2M (1:7, 12)

promised & fulfilled (Gen 12:2, 17:2)

He will also deliver them from Egypt MIRACULOUSLY

God will bring His people to THE Promised Land

but the way He will do this is

through a power struggle and conflict

Israel, as well as Christians, will see how God saves

Israel — from Egypt

Christians — from sin

Jack to introduce Diane Wright