Exodus 1 – July 14th, 2009
In the first chapter of Exodus the story resumes where Genesis left off. Joseph led his family safely into Egypt under the favorable reign of a pharaoh. That doesn’t last forever. It is after the death of the pharaoh that was so kind to the family of Joseph – Israel and sons – that the tide changes.
Persecution breaks out against the children of Israel. What was once a group of 70 family members has now become an ever growing community of people. The people of Israel are growing in number so much that the Egyptian people become weary of them: specifically their number. This prompts the first persecution of the People of God by another nation. They are taken as slaves, made to do difficult forced labor, and oppressed by what Scripture calls “ruthless” slave masters. The king of Egypt even goes so far as to attempt to control the population by killing male born children. This, of course, doesn’t work.
We read that God was kind to the Hebrew people. The question I asked myself is “why did God allow His people to be mistreated?” In Ezra/Nehemiah, and in the prophets, we find that the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity had to do with the disobedience of the people. God, at least at this point, has not said that this is the reason for the Egyptian captivity. In fact, up until this point in Moses’ writings, the people of God are on a good track. Jacob/Israel was worshiping God until his final breathe, and Joseph was a man of God – incredibly so. We see redemption in the lives of several of Joseph’s brothers. Even the midwives in Exodus 1 are obedient to God. Why would God allow this? The final words of the chapter are Pharaoh giving an order to kill every male child to Israel.
What I see in the passage is simple. It is the plan of God to multiply the people of God. When looking through the history of the Church, the Body of Christ tends to explode with growth under persecution. Look at what Moses records: in verse 7 it says that the Hebrews were “fruitful and multiplied and became exceedingly numerous”; in verse 9 they are again called “numerous”; verse 12 says that “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied”; and finally, in verse 20 Moses pens that “God was kind and the people increased and became even more numerous”.
What we find out is that Israel entered Egypt as 70 people in the middle of a terrible famine, without having enough food to eat. The people will leave under Moses a great nation, having plenty of resources to do what God has called them to do.
How in our lives do we view trials and oppression? Do we see it as a potential opportunity for growth? Or, are we too consumed with the pain? May Scripture give us greater insight into what might truly be.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff Ludington.
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