Exodus 1 -

God knows his people, rules over their circumstances and will keep his promises to them no matter what.

In this passage we have a summary of Jacob and his family moving to Egypt to escape a severe famine. God had prepared the way for their survival by sending Joseph to Egypt to warn and prepare for the famine. The Family of Jacob, now 70 people, settles in the land of Goshen (around the Nile Delta). Here the people of Israel settle and begin to prosper and multiply. God begins to fulfill his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (; ; ; ; ; ) to multiply their descendants and make them a great nation. As time passes and Israel grows more numerous and strong the hearts of the Egyptians change toward them. They forget all that Joseph did for them and they begin to grow jealous and suspicious of the Israelites. So they enslave them and make their life bitter, but God continues to bless them and carry out his purpose for them.

1. God has a chosen people, he knows them and loves them.

Now the first thing that we observe in this text is a list of names and a number of people. The Israelites were the chosen people of God in the OT. They are the church of the OT, those that God has chosen to redeem. God chose them, he knows them and he loves them. He shows his love and care for them by listing their name and number. God often does this in scripture to show us that his people are known by him, they are not forgotten nor forsaken.

Example: , in the time of Elisha when the faithful worshippers of God seemed to have reached the point of extinction God tells Elijah that he has 7,000 faithful worshippers. God knew these faithful Israelites, he knew their struggle, their faithfulness - he knew them and loved them. . God shows his knowledge and love for his people by marking them, or sealing them, putting a mark of ownership upon them.

We see this in the NT as well. ; ; ,,,,; ,,, here the Lord Jesus says to his church, “I know”. I know your works, your endurance, your persecutions, your poverty..etc.

, - All of God’s elect people are written by name in the Book of Life. God knows them by name, he loves and forgives them for Christ’s sake. He cares for them and will preserve them to the end, and for all eternity.

2. We can expect to face times of prosperity and adversity in this life.

3. God rules over our circumstances and is working for his glory and our good.