Exodus 1:1-7

Introduction

This evening we will begin a Journey through the Book of Exodus…

Scripture

Title: So today we will be in Chapter 1 and verses 1 through 7.

Scripture: So, if you have your Bibles this morning, I’m going to ask you to turn with me to the book of Exodus chapter 1, and verses 1-7. We’re going to read verses 1-7. Exodus 1.1-7. I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word. 

Contextualization

Scripture

Exodus 1:1–7 NASB95

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 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.

Major Points

Point #1:

Contextualization

<pray>

Explanation

Thank you and you may be seated.Now as always, it is important to put everything into perspective before we begin. The Book of Exodus is actually a continuation of what happened in Genesis. In some ways, you might call it Genesis Part II. The story of the people of Israel here is that they are enslaved in Egypt and then ultimately delivered....they will journey to the promised land, and hen ultimately enter into a covenant with God. Moses is also going to receive the Ten Commandments and build the tabernacle. So this Book is rich in history, and it tells about how God loves His people and will deliver them from their bondage....which is actually parallel to the same way God delivers sinners from their bondage to sin through Jesus Christ. The word Exodus actually means “the way out.” So it is in reference to God providing a way out for His people....the same way He does through Jesus. A word that appears very frequently is the word “redemption.” Being redeemed by our Creator is a major theme. The writer of Exodus is Moses....and he wrote these words to document the history of Israel somewhere around. He wrote them about 5,000 years ago. It is part of the Book of the Law, also known as the Torah by the Jews....this is known as the Pentateuch by Christians, because it is the first 5 books of the Bible....Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Major Points

Illustration

1. There is a New Generation of People

Application

2. Time worked Differently Then

3. God Fulfilled His Promise to Abraham

Point #2:

Point #1: There is a New Generation of People

Explanation

Explanation

So in the Book of Genesis, God made made a promise to Abraham that He would bless Him by multiplying His seed. He said He would make Him a great nation. We will talk about that more in Point Number 3, but part of that promise is that there would come new generations of people that are a part of that generation. This is why all of these names are mentioned.

The Generations of Israel are easily traced by the Patriarchs, or head fathers. Abraham was the first generation, then Isaac, then Jacob was the third generation. Now the kids of Jacob are considered to be the fourth generation, and that is the generation we are dealing with now, which would include Joseph.

So now we are dealing with a brand new generation of the Nation of Israel.

Illustration

Illustration

Behind our lives the Weaver stands, And works His wondrous will; We leave it in His all-wise hands, And trust His perfect skill.

Application

Application

Church: What I want you to see here is that God’s story keeps perpetuating on and on. No matter what, He has a master plan and these names may seem unremarkable or insignificant to you, but they are real people that dealt with real things just like you and I. They are the generation of God’s people that came before us.

So when you come up on these long boring lists of people, remember that they are important.

And really they are important for reasons:

They are important because they provide a genealogy for the people if Israel.

They provide us, through that genealogy with an approximate age of the earth. If you look at how old each person is and line up their ages, you will find that the earth is only about 6-8,000 years old....not millions upon millions like the evolutionary biologists try to tell us.

So other than just giving us the story folks, these names also give us a lot to work with in terms of importance.

They also provide

Point #2: Time worked Differently Then

Point #3:

Explanation

Explanation

Now if you look at the ages through the Book of Genesis of the people we are talking about, you might wonder how the dates are arrived at. This fourth generation of the Nation of Israel would be in the realm of 400 years since Isaac was born when Abraham was 400 years old. And these generations would pile on top of each other and live simultaneously or at the same time....this is not the case today.

Illustration

Illustration

I’ll give you an example, let me give you some figures here:

Adam lived 930 years died 216 yrs. before the birth of Noah

died 216 yrs. before the birth of NoahSeth = Adam's 3rd sonlived 912 yearsSeth knew Noah for 34 years before he diedMethuselah  (4th great grandson of Seth) lived 969 yearsMethuselah knew Adam 243 years*Methuselah knew Seth 355 yearsLemech (son of Methuselah)lived 777 years (died before his father)he is the father of Noahdied 5 years before the floodNoah lived 950 yearsMethuselah knew Noah 600 years and died the year of the floodTalked with his father, Lemech 595 years

Seth = Adam's 3rd son lived 912 years

Seth knew Noah for 34 years before he died

Methuselah (4th great grandson of Seth) lived 969 years

Methuselah knew Adam 243 years* Methuselah knew Seth 355 years

Lemech (son of Methuselah) lived 777 years (died before his father) he is the father of Noah - died 5 years before the flood

Noah lived 950 years

Methuselah knew Noah 600 years and died the year of the flood

Knew his father, Lemech for 595 years

Application

Application

Church: The point, of course is that time worked differently at this time. We are talking about early man who’s bodies were perfect, who’s DNA was perfect....and over time sin begins to corrupt and break everything down.

Do you ever remember reading one word about cancer in the Bible? Well now they didn’t know what it was, but I also don’t believe it existed yet. People lived much, much longer then.

So, church, when you read these early passages, that is what I mean by these generations living side-by-side....Great, great, great grand fathers knew their great, great, great grandsons....That is not the case today. So you have to keep these things in mind when you read this stuff. How cool would it be to know your great, great, great grandparents, amen?

But that shows you just how powerful and corrupting that sin is…it has destroyed and broken down even the human genetic code ever since that time. So generations worked differently then.

Conclusion

Point #3: God Fulfilled His Promise to Abraham

Explanation

If you will recall back to the Book of Genesis, God made a covenant with Abraham. He promised Him that He would make from Him a great nation.

If you look back - He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

So part of God’s promise was to make Abraham a great nation and it would really begin, despite the captivity of the Jewish people, down in Egypt.

This was a promise that God made to the Israelis.

Illustration

You know we often find ourselves in difficult situations and we wonder why we are in those situations....but very often God uses those tough situations to bring about His greater purposes.

I have found that in my own life. I had a rough time over at Georgia Southern....clashed with several very liberal professors....the school cancelled my program....and I wondered “why?” I just wanted to get done with my degree so badly and start teaching! But you know....if that hadn’t have happened, I never would have wound up at Brewton-Parker College....I don’t think I ever would have surrendered to a call to ministry.

You know, a lot of times we ask God to move us or help us to change our situation in life....and He can answer in one of three ways:

Sometimes He says yes....

Sometimes He says no....you stay where I’ve planted you...

I have found that most of the time He says “wait”....in other words: I’ve got something better for you.

Application

Church, God made a promise to Abraham....and He kept it. God promised Abraham He would multiply the people of Israel…and He did....He took Jacob’s original 70 and those became over a MILLION down in Egypt. In spite of the persecution they would be suffering at the hands of Pharaoh, they increased none-the-less.

Look what Luke wrote about this very thing in the Book of Acts Chapter 7 and verses 15-19:

Acts 7:15–19 NASB95

“And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. “From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. “It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive.

This is why the Pharaoh would begin to mistreat the Jews....they had become so plentiful that the Egyptians worried they would take over.

But see, even despite the persecution, God kept His promise....God always keeps His promises.

And He has promised us many things as His church....He has promised us that He will always be with us....that we can come to Him with our problems and He hears them....that any who come to Jesus for salvation will be saved....and that Jesus is coming back for us again some day.

God kept His promise to the Jews…and He will keep His promises to us as well.

Conclusion

Let me ask you this are you following, the God who keeps His promises?

He is trustworthy....you can trust in Him.

Let’s pray.