Exodus 1: Enslavement and Intransigence

Why Exodus and What Exodus:

The central event of the OT - God’s deliverance, God’s provision, God’s mercy and grace to a people, God’s law, God’s presence (Tabernacle).

It’s a shadow of the True Exodus that comes through Christ.

GENESIS EXODUS

word of promise work of fulfillment

human effort and failure divine power and triumph

a people chosen a people called

God’s electing mercy God’s electing manner

revelation of nationality realization of nationality

God’s Promise

God’s Placement

God’s Provision

Think of and EXIT sign over a door - it means “This Way Out.”

Why are they exiting? And How will they exit?

God’s Promise:

Exodus 1:1–7 (ESV) — 1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 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.

Why does the writer say the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Because he is to be remembered for his enduring faithfulness through generations. And we, are the sons of Abraham, if we live by faith

Genesis 46:2–4 (ESV) — 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

They were fruitful and multiplied - We see the beginnings of the fulfillment of Genesis (Gen. 1:28).

Think about who would have heard these stories and when.... The children in the wilderness

God’s Placement

Exodus 1:8–14 (ESV) — 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

This new King was likely Amosis, who had taken over from the Hyksos dynasty - a semitic relative.

Why does God make such grand promises and then let something like this happen?

1 Peter 1:7–9 (ESV) — 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

John 16:33 (ESV) — 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Pharaoh Picks a Fight With God

Exodus 5:1 (ESV) — 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ ”

Pharaoh made Israel’s life hard but God is about to make pharaoh’s heart hard.

Pharaoh might have tried to break the backs of the Hebrews with heavy burdens, but God’s yoke is easy and his burden is light

Pearl Harbor Illustration - awaking a sleeping giant.

The Potential Danger of Men

What was the threat of the Hebrews?

It was that they would join the Egyptian’s enemies, fight against them, and eventually escape.

You’ll see in v.16 that they aimed to kill the male sons of the Egyptians. It didn’t make much sense because they desired their labor, but feared their rebellion.

So the strategy was to keep them burdened, fatigued, disparaged - impotent and docile.

There is a lesson here for us, men. Our enemy keeps up a similar strategy: The aim is to keep us weak, distracted, lest they rise up and fight the good fight of faith.

We are often timid in courage, afraid of man more than we are afraid of God, riddled with guilt - afraid that someone might see our internet history.

The text says that Pharaoh made them his slaves - that is a picture of our curse, too. Later on we see that the Hebrews long for Egypt again.

But these Hebrew men kept on flourishing. Even as the screws got tighter and Pharaoh made them servants, then slaves, the verse says, “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied.” They were blessed. They remained a threat.

Love God. Serve your family. Repent of sin and abide in Christ. Fight. Be dangerous.

Intransigence:

“I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” - Winston Churchill

God’s Provision

Exodus 1:15–22 (ESV) — 15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

The characters in this story are all motivated by fear.

Pharaoh fears the Hebrews, but the Hebrew Midwives fear God.

This is the dividing line for all people.

Their names are remembered, but Pharaoh’s is not.

Girls, these should be your heroes.

Here we see what looks like a strike from the serpent in Genesis to the seed of the woman. Kill her children - exterminate her line. But this is the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Jesus. God will provide.

Sadly, this isn’t the last time someone issues an order to round up and exterminate the Jews.

The Midwives Lie: They fear God more than they fear man — Imagine lying to the Nazi’s.

God blessed them for their obedience. This is always the case.

The wickedness of Pharaoh killing the children and asking the midwives to do it.

We too live in a land bondage.

We too live in a land where certain sexes are chosen for disposal

We too live in a state where 29% of the pregnancies are terminated - That’s almost 1/3 of any student’s classmates gone from abortion.

Let it be that we too fear God over the fear of man.

Pharaoh issues a decree to kill all the males by tossing them in the Nile river. It’s no wonder then that the first plague that God issues to the Egyptians is to turn that river into blood.

But our story doesn’t end here. God will place one baby in a basket, and arc so to speak, and deliver him and his people. He will place him right in Pharaoh’s court, the belly of the beast.

God’s promises, God’s placement, and God’s provision will stand despite Pharaoh’s plans.

Let not your heart be troubled - WHAT WONDERFUL WORDS

Communion:

Moses delivered oppressed people, Jesus delivered oppressed and oppressors. Piper

Jesus came not for the righteous but for sinners - he can raise the dead and redeem the abortion