Part 2: Living Under Affliction

series through the story of The Exodus in the Old Testament

There's three themes we introduced last week or calling this series Redemption because there's three themes to redemption or Jesus purchases our freedom and there's Deliverance switches mention where he frees us from our sin. And in in the story of The Exodus you see God's people being freed from an oppressor and pharaoh and the Egyptians in Jesus in Redemption. So we see the theme of deliverance. We also see the theme of ransomware. There's a penalty and a price paid for our freedom Jesus endure the Wrath on the cross that you and I deserve to endure. And in the same way there was a price paid to even with the firstborn and other flags as as God ransomed his people from the hand of pharaoh. And finally one of the themes that you don't always think about as much but is this theme of renewal in that in in God rescuing his people from Egypt? He's renewing his Covenant with Abraham. He's remembering it because he's going to take them into the land that he promised to give them as you bring some out of Egypt and in the same way that Jesus promises to renew us to make us new 2 to renew all of his creation and faxing Corinthians. 5:17 says if you've trusted Christ, you are a new creation and it makes us new Deliverance Ransom and renewal they're all parts or themes or lenses of redemption. And The Exodus the book of The Exodus is in many ways really it is an extended. The rest of the Bible is an extended interpretation of this book because all of it points forward to Jesus. So that let me pray and then we're going to dive in right away in Exodus chapter 1 and we're going to move forward here in our serious together sound good. Thank you for Jesus and we thank you for your word. We thank you for your work rescuing your people Jesus both on the cross. And also as we get to read about back in the Old Testament from Egypt. Is that really for shouted and pointed forward to everything that you would do for us? So I pray even as we begin now to unpack the text and to look at these things Holy Spirit. Would you working away in such a way that that our hearts sense your work since your Redemption of us and even for those maybe Jesus haven't trusted you your call upon their life to trust you. I pray against the enemy has servants their works and their facts. Jesus is the same. Enemy. We read about here who keeps people in bondage who holds them under affliction. Instead of you free us completely. Teachers from your word today make us new in Jesus name. Hey, man. This morning. We're going to see God's people living under Affliction, but prior to that. If you open up to the Book of Exodus, you see that there's kind of an introductory part of exit if you can see this in Hebrew the first word in Hebrew, do you know what it is? it's and because it's a continuation of everything that happened in Genesis. It's the conjunction conjunction for the word. And so in other words that that's why Simon read that and these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob in Egypt and there are there any jump the came with Jacob Israel did each with his own house called Ruben it list of Jacob's sons here Ruben Simeon Levi and Judah is cecar Zebulon Benjamin, Dan and naphtali get out and ask her all the descendants of Jacob. We're 70 persons. Joseph was already in Egypt. How in the world did they end up from Israel in Egypt last week, but I think it's worth repeating just so we have an understanding of what's going on here. And by the way at this time, it says that in the end of that passes Riverside that that all the descendants of Jacob for 70 persons. In other words, there were 70 people in the beginning of the time. We're Gods before it needs if there was seventy of them in total. But how did they get there? We got it back up to Genesis and then we talked about it last week with God calling Abraham in Genesis 12:1. He was 75 years old. He called him to leave everything he knew when to follow him. And what's that called? He gave him three promises. Remember those he said I'm going to make your name great and I'm going to bless you and make other people make your name. Great. I'm going to make you into a a great nation. I'm going to make you give you many many descendants Abraham, by the way, when you receive this promise was 75 and had no kids. But I'm going to give you a lot of descendants Abraham and then he's going to give him a great land named great Nations great land and what we're seeing here in Exodus is God for continuing to fulfill these promises to Abraham. His name is clearly great. He's got a great name, right? We're still talking about in 4,000 years later. So that's been fulfilled and is still being fulfilled. I mean how many other guys for thousand years old if you read about recently not many chances are in 4,000 years. Not many people read about you. Well chances are they won't read about me. I know that. And what about a great nation? What we're going to see here is that in Egypt? God keeps his promise of making them into a great nation. What's the weather plays out we start with Abraham going to give you a little synopsis of his family tree to help you understand what's going on how we get to Egypt is there was Abraham Abraham's in love with this woman named Sarah his wife or Sarah. Her name later becomes and Abraham and Sarah were promised to have many descendants 2 have a son and in their old age 25 years after that promise and Isaac and Isaac sacrifice Isaac sacrifice him, but you can read about the murder of a guy named Bessie. Well, and she had a brother named leben. Just file that away for a second cuz when I come back to that but Isaac and Rebekah have two sons Esau and Jacob and they have the second most dysfunctional family and the Old Testament a lot of ways on Jacobs in my opinion and Esau and Jacob if you think your kids, how many do you have a brother or sister?

Never argue with him just a little bit. You get it you go. I will check this out. And Jacob were twins. Did you know they're born at the same time and they started fighting before they even got out of their mother's womb. In fact when they were born the text tells us that Jacob was holding onto Esau's heel. They were in the middle of a battle royale when it was time to come out. I got brought them out and they were wrestling all the way out and it never stopped and they continue to fight and battle with one another well to the point that he's thought eventually comes home one day and he's just starving. So I know how old was it was a teenager and cooking some soup chicken give me some of that soup and Jacobs like will give me your Birthright. You're the first one. Give me your Birthright. And it always about to die who needs a Birthright. That's what he says in Genesis. And so he sells himself his younger brother Jacob his Birthright for some soup. well, then, of course, he saw after he gets his wits about him and he has some food in his stomach and he can think straight gets really angry with himself and with his brother and they continue to battle with one another and then I told you there was some dysfunction there just as you have fighting with your siblings that doesn't mean this function that's just normal, but that battle ensued and they drew their parents into it to the point that when Isaac was old and his eyes were failing the text tells us Esau went off. He told his son Eastside to go get some things to prepare for him a meal that he loved. So he saw goes off to hunt into to find what he needs to make this meal and Rebecca his wife over here. Is that so does Jacob and she calls Jacob it says Jacob. Listen, we're going to deceive your dad.

healthy relationship and so is she tells him what she's going to do. I'm going to cook the meal you're going to go into him and then he's going to bless you because he's about to die then you'll get his Blessing. She helps him deceive his dad. And so that's what happens and he goes in and it was a very hairy man. So he puts a goat skins on his arms in case his father reaches out, you know to feel him to make sure there's actually hair on his arms and skin. It said jacob. Dead will Jacob continues the seething in fact his name means Deceiver. Well, let's keep going Jacob falls in love with this girl named Rachel. He runs into her while they're both feeding their flocks. She's a shepherd and he sees her and the as close as I can say the Bible verse that says it was like love at first sight. I love that woman and then so he gets to know where he finds out her husband or her father. Excuse me is Laban and so it Jacob goes to Layman Lathan. And ask him for his daughters raped daughter Rachel's hand in marriage license has great. I'd love to give it to you that be fantastic. You're one of our Kinsmen. You just need to work for me for 7 years. So Jacob goes to work for Laban for 7 years was 7 years is up Jacob. How about that daughter that you promised you'd have a big celebration. So they prepared for the wedding and as a week on celebration and a Jacob goes in to his wife who thinks is Rachel but Laban had deceived him and actually gave him Leah her older sister.

And it says that in the morning Jacob realized it was Leah. And he was serious and it goes back to live and what is this? What have you done to me? This is why I can't marry off my younger daughter before I marry my older daughter. What do you expect Jacob? What I wanted Rachel won't work another seven years and you can have Rachel so he works another seven years to get Rachel. Eventually you receives Rachel's hand in marriage. Well, Rachel was his love. That's who he loved. And seriously the way God works. Sometimes is he allows things to happen to shape us and to bring glory to him that are often painful for us. Would you agree? And and Rachel experience that she was Barren. She couldn't conceive. Yet her older sister Leah. at 4 Sons very quickly. And then you read the texting you reading it says that Rachel said God has judged me. He's close my womb so she had a maidservant named Bill her and she gave her maidservant bill to her husband Jacob and he went into her and she conceived and gave birth to two sons. The Dan and he was named an because Dan and Hebrew sounds like judged Rachel said I've been judged and then she said and I've wrestled with God then she gave birth to naftali which sounds like the word for wrestling in Hebrew. Well during this time Lea becomes Barren as well. And so Leah follows her younger sister's lead and gives Jacob her maidservant sofa. And zilpah gives birth to two sons answer. And Rachel rejoices are their names both refer to rejoicing and God's blessing. But Rachel still has no children. In fact after that Leah ends up having two more sons and a boy before Rachel would have any children. I'm not be heartbreaking to be Rachel. Ccld sons and one daughter. Jacob's life. He grew up in a family where his mom was deceiving his dad gets betrayed basically by his father-in-law who gives him a deceased mom gives him the wrong daughter that he wanted to marry at as you go through his life is filled with all kinds of hardship. affliction

And I in fact Jacob's daughter Dinah. Was abused and taken advantage of by other men. She had to suffer that as a dad is love of his life. Rachel couldn't have any children, so he suffered that as a husband and as a dad. He had his father-in-law and chase him and his his other Sons to kill him. He suffered that his brother Esau. Was it at odds with him wanted to kill him wherever he turned the life was hard for Jacob will eventually God hears their cries for help and Rachel conceives and she gives birth to a son Joseph. Now Jacob because Rachel was the one that he really loves. Which son, do you suppose? He treasured above all the others Joseph and you might say boy. That's that's not really right. You know, it's a favor one of your kids over the other but again, all of Jacob's experiences in life, they don't excuse his behavior, but they do explain it. Don't they? Just like all the things that I may be happening the afflictions of your life. They don't excuse your behavior, but they can explain it and help you make sense, maybe of decisions you've made or where you're at in life. Well, Joseph is born in Joseph is favored by his father Jacob eventually. He and Rachel have another son Benjamin. And again Jacob suffers because after giving birth to Benjamin because of the the struggle of we giving birth to him. She dies in childbirth Rachel does I know Jacob is left with his sons and especially his two beloved Sons Joseph and Benjamin and he he really dotes and gushes over Joseph to the point that you write about Joseph having a multicolored a special coat. Those Brothers didn't have and he was favored by his father. Well, here's what happens with Joseph because Jacob had really gushed over him and favored him. His brothers were all out tending the flock when they and Joseph is sent out by Jacob to check on them and bring them some food and they see him. They see him coming and Joseph previously a drunk some dreams. Is that the right way to say it sure sounded good it dreamt some dreams and I don't know either. But anyway, he was going to rule over his brothers that his brothers rocking a bad down to him and foolishly, he told all of his older brother's this. But you can understand you can expect how great that went over right until they see him coming. They're all there's that dreamer and it happened a couple times that he had dropped this. There's that dreamer we're going to give him what for and so they plot to kill him. The oldest Reuben or Summa. Jude is actually one who plots to kill him. Ruben wants to try to save her hands. And then a little later without Ruben knowing cuz it Ruben thought I'm going to go back and rescue him out what they all sell Joseph to some slave Traders from Egypt or passing through and Joseph takes a goes off to Egypt as a slave. And of course, they go home. They tear up his coat that they all hated they give it to their father and they say he was this Joseph's coat what happened to him? And again now Jacob thinks he's lost the Sun. Joseph Really did nothing other than maybe being a little foolish and telling his brothers. His dreams ends up in Egypt as a slave. God shows favor to him he raises in Potiphar's house, but then Potiphar's wife tries to seduce him and Joseph godly man that he was from her. She accused him of rape and he gets thrown into prison. How do you say is in prison for a while until eventually God miraculously works for him to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Joseph is raised up all entirely by God's hand to be the second most powerful man in Egypt at that time second only to pharaoh. Because he interpreted Pharaoh's dream that there were going to be seven years of Great Harvest and then if plenty and then there's going to be 7 years of famine in the whole world's going to be coming to Egypt to get grain and you're if you prepare well Egypt is going to be in a good spot for this. Of course, he listens to Joseph exactly as a God had predicted. That's what happened and Joseph in his power then is stored up all this grain and people from all over the world are coming then during the time of famine to get food and guess who shows up at Joseph's door stuff to get food. Who man who?

His brother is Fright on Benjamin is the other son of his beloved wife Rachel his now passed. And he wasn't going to lose another son beside you guys all go Benjamin staying here. Will they show up? And Joseph doesn't reveal who he is. He just looks like an Egyptian ruler. He says go back to bring it back bring it back. I'm glossing over many more parts of the story, but eventually they all come Joseph reveals himself. They're afraid as you can imagine. This is our brother Joseph who decades ago, we sold into slavery and plotted to kill and now we're at his Mercy his dream came true that he would rule over us. And Joseph could have just he could have struck Vengeance on his brother's kidney. He says in Genesis chapter 50 verse 40. He says you meant it for evil. Do you want to goes into weave and he comes out as you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

All the Affliction Jacob be gone through all the Affliction Joseph had gone through. It may have been meant for evil and there may even be evil in it. But God miraculously works these things for good and in doing so Jacob and all his family as we just read about 70 of them total end up in Egypt because of fear of Joseph influence with Pharaoh. His family gets great blessing and great favor. It's a 70 of them moved to Egypt. It says Joseph is already there.

And we just read then about these. 12 sons of Jacob

Joseph's brothers will eventually these become the 12 tribes of Israel just skipping ahead of it. And are you like what where's the tribe of Joseph? Well Joseph was the first born of Jacob's love Rachel, right? So Joseph gets the first more than heritance, which is a double inheritance. He has two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and those two both get land in the promised land as separate tribes. So there's two tribes of Joseph in a sense. You could say But anyway, all that story I tell you to give you the backstory of all the suffering all the Affliction that it happened in this family. And now he gots keeping his promise to Abram. He's made his name great. Now he's making them into a great nation and between the next few verses that covers basically 400 years of History. Let's keep going.

I'm looking for 6 it says then this is before all this 400 years. Then Joseph died and all his brothers and all of that generation.

In Genesis 5110 suggesting he was probably the last of all his brothers and of that generation to die. He was the second youngest. 410 that's hold.

There's a good chance. He was the last one to die of his generation of his family know it struck me as I was studying this that this week that I burst six will be set of each person in this room Sunday.

And then Josh died. and all those of his generation

I'll be set of you have me. Joseph we're still talking about because of his character because of his serving the lord. I wonder he left a legacy. What Legacy will you leave when that set of you? Hope your legacy of faithfulness. What be a legacy of fruitfulness? Hope your legacy of running away from the Lord. I'm running away from his church.

What be a legacy that extends spiritually to Future Generations in your family and in our church, or will your legacy be? They were never really involved in anything and just kind of grumpy. Oh, you're like a CB.

How's it going the verse 7? As a bonus for today. Verse 7 we read this but the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly for seven covers 400 years that there in Egypt they multiply degree exceedingly strong so that the land was filled with them.

And so now when we pick up the story in Exodus chapter 1 verse 8, it's been four hundred years since Joseph the people have multiplied from 70 into a multitude. What is got done? He's kept his promise to Abraham to make his family into a great nation and we pick up the story then in verse 8 with Israel being a great nation of people. In enemy territory in a foreign land and we're going to see that they're Afflicted and we going to see this over and over but we're introducing a little bit this morning and it is what I would tell you that just like the Israelites we live territory.

Jesus Christ you live in enemy territory. This this ain't our home. right It's not our home friends. It's simply not in fact, there was a writer of Philippians tells us that our citizenship is in heaven not here. Let's go back to Exodus. I skip the head verse chapter 1 verse 8. It says now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph 400 years later. I don't remember anybody from 14 years ago either.

Who did not know Joseph any said these people this thing these are the people of Israel are too many there too, Mighty for us or breaks out. They join our enemies in fight against us and escaped from the land. That should probably be translated and overcome the land or overcome us. so many powerful

And you have a displaced people. an entire nation of immigrants living nearby who was just multiplied and now this this leader is becoming fearful of them and their influence on their culture and all this sort of thing and end so he stirs up fear even among all the people of Egypt

They were Exiles or compulsion for citizens of Heaven Peter. In fact calls us Exiles when he writes to us. But imagine you're one of the Israelites or one of this the multitude of people were originally there was blessing when you came because that Pharaoh knew Joseph has shifted and you're on the outs.

fearful of you They just reject you outright and they affect them then with bird and see if they're under a Taskmaster in enemy territory under a Taskmaster who afflicts them and you and I we live in enemy territory in a land that is not our home and there is a Taskmaster who afflicts us. Let's look at the Taskmaster first who afflicts the Israelites? Look at Exodus 1 verses 11 through 14 there for the Egyptians that taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens for Pharaoh Pharaoh. Just just a title. That means the king of Egypt they built for Pharaoh store cities and Ramses. But the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. The plan was to oppress them because if we impress them make them slaves, they're not going to so they're going to they're going to have no energy after working hard and then they're going to start dying out but instead of them decreasing a number what happens they increase the more they should read the more their number dwindled, but it's just the opposite. The more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad this plan a pharaoh was backfiring.

It wasn't working because God's keeping his promise to Abraham and God is ultimately in control even in the midst of their suffering when it seems like he's absent. In dread of the people of Israel this this foreign people who are in their country. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves. They made their lives better with hard service and mortar and brick and in all kinds of work in the field and in all their work. They ruthlessly made them work as slaves friends. They were under a Taskmaster Taskmaster to Afflicted them. Does parallels here with us? We're in a foreign people in a foreign land where citizens of Heaven in a place. That is not our home and there is a Taskmaster over us and his name is Satan. Did you know he's a past master? He has many taskmasters under him. If actor the Jesus says about him and he calls him the thief he says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But I come I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Sea of the taskmasters would load them up with heavy burdens.

So they were living under Affliction. Do you know Satan does the same right? Even if you're a follower of Jesus as he can't have your soil so now he's going to do his best to a flick you flicked you and discourage you. Maybe wrap you into some addiction or some repetitive sin or whatever or mindset or thought pattern whatever it is and he's going to continue to afflict youth. Why what's the same motivation that Pharaoh had to break you to cause you to be not effective cause distress and despair in your life is a Taskmaster. He comes to steal and kill and destroy. But Jesus as this in Matthew chapter 11, he says come to me all of you who labor and are heavy laden. We're burdened. I will give you rest take my yoke upon you learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart. You'll find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light is light. See Satan is a terrible Taskmaster. He promises the best by luring us into sin and he delivers the worst.

He promises on her and he pays with disgrace. He promises pleasure. He pays with pain. He promises profit he faced with loss. He promised his life. He pays with death.

Thomas Brooks on said top Temptations are certain to ring your doorbell, but it's your own fault if you ask them to stay for dinner.

2 / describing here as affliction. An Affliction can be great and affliction can be like there's there's a whole scale on which Affliction resides right? It's yours the definition of any is it any problem or condition that produces suffering or pain? Show me the functions can be things that I have no control over. the loss of a loved one like like Rachel in the Old Testament not being able to conceive.

I can just be Strife in my family. If you can be all kinds of things that are completely out of my control and losing my job assuming that you didn't do something to get fired right and all different manner, but then they can also be things that we've done.

But that was chosen. lexan

like a Dixon's that we fall into that we choose. But if an Affliction is any problem or condition that produces pain and suffering and you can see that that Satan's go all then once there's Affliction whether it's something that's out of your control or something even that you've chosen for yourself. His goal is to continue to ramp and onto your affliction. There's not a person in this room. That doesn't have something coming to mind when you think of something that maybe you're Afflicted with.

Maybe it's anxiety and you don't know. How did I don't know that I chose. This is just how do I get out of this? Maybe it's bitterness and bitterness is absolutely something you've chosen. But in any case, it's one of those things where it if you don't turn your eyes to Jesus and you're Afflicted his eyes are to keep your his goal is to keep your eyes from Jesus. You know what's really curious and everything we've read so far. Do you know whose name has yet to show up in the book of Exodus in the midst of all this affliction? God's name hasn't been mentioned yet in the book.

His name hasn't come up. It hasn't my message, but it hasn't in the text.

How many scholars point this out that really serves to convey the sense of hopelessness that the Israelites must have felt.

In the midst of their reflection, where was God? And things are clearly not going to get better until he shows up if you ever had that experience in your life.

Life keeps getting harder things seem to be getting worse and worse and maybe it's out of your control. Maybe it's choices you've made but in any case, where is God where is? If he doesn't show up, it's never going to get fixed.

His name doesn't show up until chapter 3 by the way, if you're curious.

But they were under taskmasters as are we and they were afflicted. But here's the deal is that we're going to see the psalmist writes this in Psalms 34 many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him or her out of all of them. He keeps all his bones. Not one of them is broken. That if our eyes are stayed on Jesus even in the midst of the worst of the worst.

Is what we see. Should we wear a task? Visit a semester? Hooflex us but Jesus sees us. And he knows our affliction. In the midst of whatever the Affliction is that you're living under have lived under a maybe you're entering into it. Keep your eyes on Jesus because guess what he does. See you even if it seems like he's nowhere to be found. Even if his name hasn't been mentioned in this story. He sees you and he knows your Affliction. Do you want proof?

The next part of this this passage, we're going to come back to next week. But I want to skip ahead to the end of this introductory narrative at the end of chapter two, here's what it says. It says during those many days the king of Egypt in verse 23 and the people of Israel ground because of their slavery and they cried out to for help the credit to God.

They're cry for rescue change their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God and God heard their groaning and remembered his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jake. He saw the people of Israel. And God knew.

Guys mentioned here, but his personal name isn't mentioned until chapter 3.

listen every reflection is God sees it.

And he knows it. Jesus sees you and he knows

Maybe one of the most comforting verses and all the scripture, isn't it? It sees and he knows.

And by the way, that's not all. and he rescues Eddie rescues us

Peter tells us we can cast all your anxieties on Jesus because he cares for us and here we see he rescues us see the story of what's going to happen. We're going to stop in verse 14 today and at the end of chapter chapter 2 where God sees and knows but we're going to see in the coming weeks is that Jesus saw Jesus knew and he rescued his people And you need to know he sees reflection. He knows it. However big or small it might be and he offers Redemption to you. two deliveries from it took to pay the penalty for you. If you would trust him to Ransom you in to renew you to free you from it and make you knew is not good news when it's all about Jesus. Jesus himself said he said the spirit of the Lord is upon me and because because he has anointed me to Proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to Proclaim Liberty to those her captive in recovering of sight to the blind to set at Liberty those who are oppressed or you could say Afflicted to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor he rescues In Colossians Paul says he Jesus has delivered us from the domain of Darkness from the Taskmaster transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have Redemption the Forgiveness of sins. Galatians Paul writes as he who gave himself for our sins to Deliver Us from the present evil age. He's talking about Jesus glory to him according to the will of God our Father.

Friends were going to see as we move through the story of Exodus. Is that like the Israelites? We live in enemy territory. And like the Israelites had a Taskmaster and taskmasters that Afflicted them that there's a Taskmaster out to afflict your soul. but Jesus sees and Jesus knows and she's as rescues. But you trust them.

Leave with that. Hope today. If you never trust a Jesus, it's very simple repenting of your sin recognizing. I'm a sinner. I need someone to save me to rescue me and the Bible tells us in Romans chapter 10, if you would simply believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is God that he died on the cross for your sins that God raised him from the grave you will be saved.

Got up. Come until he comes back to make everything perfect. But that means our present afflictions are so worth it in light of what's coming and then trust him. Let's pray father. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your grace Jesus. Thank you for your rescue. Is the DZ?

To just say the truth and recite it to say that you see and that you know. but often in our experience Lloyd it it feels like anything but At times you feel distant and we feel very much like the like the Israelites as as slaves. As ones who are afflicted and oppressed and your name is nowhere yet in the story.

But the good news is Jesus that you see and you know. so even when we can't

put our hands on it tangibly help us to trust the truth than to trust your voice and Trust what we know to be true. Just like pretty again for those who never trust to do that even today they might and for all of us that you might continue to make us more like Jesus freeing us from Reflections. Those were chosen and those that we have in and making us more like your son in Jesus name we pray. and I'll guess people said the man

As we sing and close together Maybe this is a song that you would sing by faith. As some of the afflictions in your own life, maybe if come to the surface know your identity is in Christ.