Delivered from Inescapable Slavery

Jr. Church

Personal Privilege

Gregg, Bernie, Claire, Lauren, Wayne & Kirk - searching

Everyone - praying, giving, welcoming

Allen, Mark, Jim & Wayne - preaching

Wife - supporting, educating, packing, unpacking, decorating, hosting

2nd & 3rd grade class - encouraging

If you asked a devout Israelite in the OT period “Are you redeemed?” they would have said YES! – and then taken you aside to tell you the long and exciting story of exodus.

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to the book of Exodus. Exodus is the second book in the Bible. If you are following along in the Bible in the pew in front of you, we’re on page 47.

Exodus sits in a larger portion of the Old Testament known as the Torah, which are the first five books of the Old Testament.

In that larger body of books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), one commentator has said there are six major themes that are developed

1. God’s blessing on all nature and humanity

2. God’s promise to the patriarchs

3. God’s deliverance in the exodus from Egypt

4. God’s self-revelation in covenant, law, and tabernacling presence at Sinai

5. The wandering in the wilderness

6. Preparation for entrance into Canaan

Starting this week and for the next seven Sundays, we’ll be focusing in on Theme #3 - “God’s deliverance in the exodus of Egypt” which is found primarily in the first fifteen chapters of Exodus.

So, here’s a high level view of what these eight weeks will look like

Today Ex. 1 Delivered from Inescapable Slavery

10/13 Ex. 2 Delivered by an Imperfect Mediator where we’ll sketch out who Moses is and contrast with Christ

10/20 Ex. 3-4 Delivered by an Infinite God - We’ll understand more about the Identity of the God who Delivers - I AM

10/27 Ex 5:1-7:6 Delivered by an Irrevocable Promise - We’ll focus on the Covenant Faithfulness of God in Chapter 6

11/3 Ex. 7:7-11 Delivered for Irreplaceable Worship - we’ll take a high level view of the plagues and see that 10x God says - then you will KNOW that I am the Lord

11/10 Ex. 12-13 Delivered with Illustrated Reminders Passover, Blood: We’ll look at how the Passover and the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts were were tangible reminders of God's Deliverance and how they find their fulfillment in Christ

11/17 Ex. 14 Delivered with Interwoven Judgement - We’ll see how God saves his people and simultaneously judges his enemies - God's glory through judgment (book) to aid in preparation

11/24 Ex. 15 Delivered for Inspired Singing - Where I’ll give an overview of the text, and then share a pastoral plea for robust congregational worship through song

But most of that is for another day, today we focus on Exodus 1, and I’d like us to stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Exodus 1 CSB

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The total number of Jacob’s descendants was seventy; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. 7 But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them. 8 A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. 10 Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” 11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14 and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. 15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives—the first whose name was Shiphrah and the second whose name was Puah— 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21 Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people: “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”

Prayer - May the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, oh Lord my Rock and my REDEEMER, my Deliverer, OUR deliverer.

The book of Exodus is almost entirely composed of narrative. Narrative texts don’t always very easily divide neatly and sometimes dividing them too strictly can have you miss the big picture of what is going on. So before I divide this text up and give you three nice little points to fill out let’s not miss the big picture from what we read.

In Exodus chapter 1, we see that the promises of God are being fulfilled in spite of extraordinary opposition.

It may not land on you in its full force at first glance, but a careful reading helps us understand that God is at work in spite of what seems like inescapable slavery of his people.

So let’s look at a closer level and see first of all in verses 1-7 that

The Deliverer acts in history to fulfill His promises.

The first hint of this fulfillment of previous promises is the continuity of God’s word that is seen with the first word in the Hebrew text.

Begins with the word “and” a literary practice that appears in almost all the historical books of the OT

This is the continuation of a larger story and that larger story included (if you remember) both 1. God’s blessing on all nature and humanity and 2. God’s promise to the patriarchs

This is an unfolding of God’s story but it sits in the context of real events with real people with real names and real places.

Walter Kaiser Jr. has said:

“History, at once the scandal and the uniqueness of biblical faith, is the sphere of God’s revelation. While heathenism and modern scientific naturalism affirm that only nature is ultimately real, Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism attempt to [disassociate] humanity from both nature and time. In Exodus, both nature and time are real and not nuisances; they are participants in the fabric of God’s revelation. Thus our book begins with a list of names and takes us to real places and persons in the Near East.”

So Exodus continues the story of the Deliverer fulfilling his promises like the one in

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

and

Genesis 15:13 ESV

13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

and

Genesis 12:2–3 ESV

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.”

And here in Egypt, hundreds of years later, the nation is becoming very great.

Look at verse 7

Exodus 1:7 ESV

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 Hebrew you can see at least five roots for the word “grow” and you really can even see it in your English Bible. The point is: The people of Israel GREW and GREW and GREW and GREW and GREW. God is at work - the DELIVERER is acting in History.

But this salvation will not be without obstacles.

Notice in verses 8-15 that:

The Deliverer must overcome the enslavement of His people.

I say he must overcome and not “he overcomes” because really chapter one is more about understanding the problem not seeing the full solution yet.

Some of you are here today within the sound of my voice and you are completely enslaved to sin and held captive. And frankly unless by God’s grace you understand your plight and the trouble you’re in you’ll think things are just fine and dandy and you’ll think you have no need for a deliverer.

Remember there was nothing special about the Israelites...

Their father Jacob had betrayed his brother Esau by tricking him out of his birthright. His sons: By getting rid of their brother Joseph, had tried to deny their father’s blessing. One of the sons of Jacob, even had sex with his daughter-in-law. The sons of Israel and their families were all sinners, but they may have been tempted not to look for the fulfillment of God’s promises if they had faced little or no oppression in Egypt.

One author has said, “It is hard enough for us to leave aside the treasures of this evil world even though we suffer in it. How much harder is it for us to desire the new heavens and new earth when our lives here are comfortable?” Our sufferings help us look for our salvation. Or to quote Charles Spurgeon, “The whip of persecution is helpful, because it makes us learn that this is the house of bondage, and moves us to long after and seek for the land of liberty—the land of joy.”

Yes, the people of God were enslaved, but THE DELIVERER - ultimately Jesus Christ will ransom his people - like the hymn says:

Ye Chosen Seed of Israel’s race

Ye ransomed from the fall

Hail Him who saves you by His grace

And crown Him Lord of All

So the Deliverer must overcome our enslavement and he certainly fulfills all of God’s promises. But finally we see in Exodus chapter one that

The Deliverer must defeat Satan and death.

Pharoah in this story typifies the strategies of Satan - always warring against life by creating a culture of death.

You’ll remember God’s promise in

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Throughout all history Satan has been working feverishly against God’s plan to deliver the world through a baby boy. We see it in Exodus 1 and it’s seen again in the first parts of the NT with Herod’s infanticidal rage. All of Satan’s efforts to destroy life continue even into our present day - Satan hates life because every human being is made in the image of God. So as Christians we are pro LIFE, we are pro FAMILY and we love BABIES & Children who are a gift of God.

But Pharaoh’s rage and Satan’s schemes were defeated through the work of two very reverent, God-fearing women who’s names are recorded for us:

Shiphrah (shif’-rah) which means something like “beautiful one,” and Puah (PYOO uh) which means “splendid one.” And both of them lived up to their names!

They’re kind of like the Mary recorded in the gospels as having anointed Jesus for burial...

You might say that wherever the good news of God’s Salvation in the OLD TESTAMENT is told, these ladies will be remembered.

Pharaoh - the KING OF EGYPT is unnamed.

Other Elders of Israel in the next few chapters will be left unnamed

But these two women - overseers of the Hebrew midwives - they’re names are recorded.

So God, in his providence uses these two faithful women to preserve the seed of the woman who will one day deliver his people - both Moses, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

There is one more point of irony to note in this story. Douglas Stuart points out in his commentary that the act of attempting to kill the baby boys by throwing them into the river is flipped on its head just a few chapters later in Exodus, God will drown an entire army of “grown up Egyptian boys” in the Red Sea. The deliverer often tends to use the very instrument intended for harm to bring about the ultimate good - which is the redemption of His own people for His own glory.

The Gospel of Luke records Jesus taking Peter & John and James with him to the mount of transfiguration...

Luke 9:29–31 ESV

29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

The word he used for “Departure” is the greek word “Exodus.”

What was it exactly that Jesus accomplished at Jerusalem?

He took the very weapon intended to destroy the seed of the woman - THE CROSS, and used it to bring about the redemption of His people for the Glory of God. He would pass through the proverbial “waters of death” and be raised again as the firstfruits of the resurrection for all who would believe in Him.

So if you are here today and you have never trusted Jesus to deliver you from your bondage to sin - I have good news for you - you can be set free today.

You may not have experienced political, social or economic slavery, but everyone has experienced spiritual slavery – We all need spiritual deliverance.

And if you are a Christian - just stop and marvel with me at our Deliverer - Jesus Christ. You may have read this last week in your ABF Hebrews 2:14-15 says...

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Would you thank him and praise him for your freedom in Christ - and do what Paul commands - no longer submit to the yoke of slavery - don’t go back! DON’T love for and long for Egypt any more.

But I would also quickly add - that as God’s people, joining in on God’s mission - there are people around us and around the world who are enslaved in more than spiritual bondage. Certainly not less, but definitely we can acknowledge there are political, economic and social bondages that are oppressing people and we should care about those things because GOD cares about them too. We’ve seen that in Exodus 1 and we see that in

Psalm 146:7–9 ESV

7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Let us be the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing!

Perhaps, we would find ourselves like Shiphrah or Puah, being used of God to push back the darkness and wage war against the already defeated enemy of our souls.