Exodus 1:1

The book of Exodus is an account of one of the greatest miracles of the Bible: the dividing of the waters and the crossing of the Red Sea. Acts 13:17 gives an overview of the book of Exodus when it says, “The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.” Shortly after the crossing of the Red Sea, the law is given, and the children of Israel are expected to obey the law in appreciation for and in remembrance of what the Lord did for them in this miracle. Many times in the rest of the Bible the event of the parting of the waters is given as a great reminder that God will always take care of His people and provide for them. God has a plan for those who believe in Jesus. No one, not even the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, will stop God from fulfilling that plan. God will do whatever it takes to guide His people and to defeat His enemies. Eventually the law of Moses was set aside and replaced with an emphasis on the grace of God through faith in Jesus. But in the Old Testament are found important spiritual principles such as how the Lord will guide and protect His people. The crossing of the Red Sea is a wonderful example of that.

The book of Exodus starts out with a small reminder of why the Jewish people were in Egypt, and where they came from. The Bible says in Exodus 1:1-6, “Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.” Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. The sons of Jacob are listed because the promises made to Abraham are going to be fulfilled through them. The foundation for the nation of Israel was made by God’s promise to Abraham. God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-4, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” God keeps His promises. If you want to live by faith, then learn the promises of God and live by confidence in those promises. For example, Jesus promised in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

The Bible says in Exodus 1:7-11, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

The circumstances of the Israelites had dramatically changed in the land of Egypt. Because of Joseph and his reputation with Pharaoh, the Israelites had been highly regarded in Egypt. Of course, this situation had been arranged by God, who uses all events that are taking place in the world to lead and guide His people. When the situation changed dramatically, this also was used by God. Joseph died and eventually a new Pharaoh was in power who did not know Joseph or appreciate what he had done for Egypt. The new Pharaoh was very fearful of the Israelites. He said in Exodus 1: 9-10, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.”

The fear that motivated Pharaoh is a good example of what fear can do to people, even to a powerful leader of a great country. But God allowed all of this to happen, even the plans that formed in Pharaoh’s heart in order to accomplish God’s will for the Israelites. Acts 7:17 explains what was going on. It says, “But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt.” In order to fulfill the promise made to Abraham, the Israelites had to leave Egypt and journey to the land of Canaan. The next time that your circumstances change, including bad things happening to you at the hands of evil and unbelieving people, you should remember that God is at work. Jesus will use these circumstances that He permitted to guide your life, and He will deliver you just like He delivered the Israelites.

The Bible says in Exodus 1:12-21, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.”

Notice Exodus 1:21. It says, “because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.” One of the reasons that some people will not serve God is because they think that they will come out on the short end if they serve God. Many people think they will fail at the practical matters of life if they serve Christ. In fact the opposite is true. You will be more successful at everything that you do if you serve Him. Jesus is all-powerful, and He is in control of this world. Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Notice that God used the midwives to thwart the effort and the determination of Pharaoh. God took those of the lower ranks of society and used them to overrule Pharaoh who was at the highest end of the Egyptian society. God loves to do that. Jesus said in Mark 10:31, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” And it says in First Corinthians 1:26-29, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

The Bible says in Exodus 1:22, “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” Armies were built on manpower more than anything else. Pharaoh was determined to get rid of the male new-born babies so that they could never grow up and become part of an army. Having failed with the mid-wives, Pharaoh tried giving the order regarding casting the children into the river. Of course, God used this terrible order from Pharaoh to result in raising up Moses to be the leader of the Israelites. The next several verses relate an incident that is one of the best known of the Bible: the baby Moses being put into the Nile River and discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter.

The Bible says in Exodus 2:1-10, “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.” Pharaoh wanted all of the male Israelite children killed, but God turned the tables. God used a mother’s love from Moses’ mother, Moses’ sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter to bring Moses into the very household of Pharaoh to be brought up as royalty. Moses was educated and trained to be a leader of great numbers of people. God used this training so that Moses would be equipped to lead the nation of Israel. And God used this training so that Moses would be able to write the first five books of the Bible. God was preparing Moses for the work that God would eventually have Moses do. What work is God preparing you to do? If you are willing to do whatever Christ wants you to do, then He will prepare you. Jesus uses a prepared person for a prepared place.

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