{"id":18819,"date":"2021-12-02T22:00:20","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T05:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/titus-3_9-15-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-11-23T18:40:12","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T01:40:12","slug":"exodus-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/exodus-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Multiplies In Egypt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exodus 1 :1-22\u00a0 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Exodus 1:1-22.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

A. Israel\u2019s affliction in Egypt.<\/h3>\n

1. (1-6) The twelve sons of Jacob who came into Egypt.<\/h4>\n

Now these\u00a0are\u00a0<\/i>the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt\u00a0already).<\/i>\u00a0And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt<\/b>: The first verses of Exodus reach back some 430 years. The story of the Exodus begins where the story Genesis ends: a large family with a crucial place in God\u2019s plan of the ages and their migration to Egypt.<\/p>\n

i. The Hebrew title for the Book of Exodus is taken from its first words:\u00a0And These are the Names Of<\/i>. In the original language, the first word of Exodus is\u00a0and<\/i>, marking its continuity from the Genesis account.<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0And Joseph died<\/b>: Joseph was the remarkable great-grandson of Abraham who saved Egypt \u2013 and the world \u2013 from terrible famine because he listened to God\u2019s voice speaking through Pharaoh\u2019s dream. Because of his wisdom and administration, he was lifted to high and honored office in Egypt. Yet eventually,\u00a0Joseph died<\/b>\u00a0and the status his family enjoyed died with him.<\/p>\n

2. (7) The rapid multiplication of the children of Israel in Egypt.<\/h4>\n

But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0The land was filled with them<\/b>:\u00a0Genesis 47:27<\/a>\u00a0says,\u00a0So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly<\/i>. They did indeed multiply exceedingly over the generations \u2013 so that the\u00a0land was filled with them<\/b>.<\/p>\n

i. At\u00a0Exodus 1:7<\/a>: \u201cThe Hebrew deliberately repeats three verbs used in\u00a0Genesis 1:21<\/a>,22<\/a>\u00a0which may be translated \u2018were fruitful\u2026 swarmed\u2026 became numerous\u2019.\u201d (Cole)<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly<\/b>: This family started with five people back in Haran: Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Zilphah, and Bilhah. Blessed by God, the family of Israel grew rapidly in their years in Egypt.<\/p>\n

3. (8-11) Afraid of their growing presence, the Egyptians oppress the Israelites.<\/h4>\n

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, \u201cLook, the people of the children of Israel\u00a0are\u00a0<\/i>more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and\u00a0so\u00a0<\/i>go up out of the land.\u201d Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them<\/b>: The ancient Egyptians were famous \u2013 or infamous \u2013 for their proud sense of racial superiority towards all other people. It isn\u2019t surprising to see them afraid and discriminating against this strong minority group in their midst, which looked as if it would not be a minority very long.<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0In the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us<\/b>: At the time, the Egyptians feared invasion from the Hittites of the north. If the Hebrews among them joined with the Hittites, it posed a significant threat to their security.<\/p>\n

c.\u00a0They set taskmasters over them\u2026 they built for Pharaoh supply cities<\/b>: When the children of Israel were set to slave labor they built many of the great cities and monuments in Egypt \u2013 though not the pyramids, which were built much earlier. Since we don\u2019t know exactly when this forced labor began, we don\u2019t know how long it lasted. Some estimate the slavery lasted 284 years, others 134 years.<\/p>\n

i. There is a famous wall painting on an ancient tomb from Thebes, Egypt (modern Luxor) \u2013 the tomb of the overseer of brick-making slaves during the reign of Thutmose III. \u201cThe painting shows such overseers armed with heavy whips. Their rank is denoted by the long staff held in their hands and the Egyptian hieroglyphic determinative of the head and neck of a giraffe.\u201d (Kaiser)<\/p>\n

4. (12-14) Israel prospers and grows despite the hard bondage of the Egyptians.<\/h4>\n

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage\u2014in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve\u00a0was\u00a0<\/i>with rigor.<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew<\/b>: This was God\u2019s purpose for Israel\u2019s time in Egypt. Egypt served as a mother\u2019s womb for Israel, a place where they rapidly grew from a large clan to a mighty nation.<\/p>\n

i. The nation could not grow this way in Canaan, because it was practically impossible to avoid intermarriage with the pagan and wicked inhabitants of Canaan. Egypt was so racially biased and had such an entrenched system of racial separation that Israel could grow there over several centuries without being assimilated.<\/p>\n

ii. This growth in the face of affliction has consistently been the story of God\u2019s people, throughout all ages \u2013 the more they are afflicted, the more they grow. As the ancient Christian writer Tertullian said, \u201cThe blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

iii. Suffering and persecution are like a great wave that comes upon a ship and looks as if it will destroy it; but the ship catches the wave and just uses it to speed along.<\/p>\n

i. Pharaoh thought it best to not kill them; but he did want them to be slaves.<\/p>\n

ii. In the midst of their cruel and harsh service, life must have seemed hopeless to the children of Israel, and the idea that God was working out His plan must have seemed very far away \u2013 yet it was true nonetheless.<\/p>\n

B. The Hebrew midwives obey God.<\/h3>\n

1. (15-16) The king of Egypt tries to destroy Israel by ordering the death of all male babies.<\/h4>\n

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one\u00a0was\u00a0<\/i>Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, \u201cWhen you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see\u00a0them\u00a0<\/i>on the birthstools, if it\u00a0is\u00a0<\/i>a son, then you shall kill him; but if it\u00a0is\u00a0<\/i>a daughter, then she shall live.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0Of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah<\/b>: We shouldn\u2019t expect that these two women were the only midwives for all the children of Israel. They were probably the leaders of some association of midwives.<\/p>\n

i. \u201cShiphrah<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Puah<\/i>\u00a0are two good Semitic names, of an archaic type\u2026 meaning something like \u2018beauty\u2019 and \u2018splendour\u2019 respectively.\u201d (Cole)<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0If it is a son, then you shall kill him<\/b>: The king of Egypt commanded them to kill all the male babies, to utterly weaken and practically destroy the people of Israel within a generation.<\/p>\n

i. We may see the command of Pharaoh as consistent with Satan\u2019s plan of Jew-hatred through the centuries, as an attack against God\u2019s Messiah and ultimate plan for Israel in His plan of redemption. Satan knew that the Messiah \u2013 the Seed of the Woman, the One who would crush his head (Genesis 3:15<\/a>) \u2013 would come from the children of Israel. Therefore, he tried to destroy the whole nation in one generation by ordering all the male children killed.<\/p>\n

2. (17) The midwives bravely obey God rather than men.<\/h4>\n

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0But the midwives feared God<\/b>: They probably feared Pharaoh and his power; but they\u00a0feared God<\/b>\u00a0more. For them, the choice was clear. The civil government commanded something that was clearly against God\u2019s command. The midwives did the only right thing: they obeyed God rather than men.<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0Saved the male children alive<\/b>: They acted on the same principle as did the persecuted apostles in\u00a0Acts 4:19<\/a>, when Peter asked the civil authorities:\u00a0Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge<\/i>.<\/p>\n

i. Though generally we are called to obey the government and honor civic rulers (Romans 13:1-5<\/a>), we are never called to put government in the place of God. Therefore, if the government tells us to do something against God\u2019s will, we are to obey God first.<\/p>\n

3. (18-22) God blesses the efforts of the midwives.<\/h4>\n

So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, \u201cWhy have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?\u201d And the midwives said to Pharaoh, \u201cBecause the Hebrew women\u00a0are\u00a0<\/i>not like the Egyptian women; for they\u00a0are\u00a0<\/i>lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.\u201d Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, \u201cEvery son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

a.\u00a0Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women<\/b>: Many people assume that the Hebrew midwives lied to Pharaoh when they said this. However, this may not be the case. The midwives may have told the truth, \u2013 perhaps indeed the\u00a0Hebrew women<\/b>\u00a0were heartier than the Egyptian women, yet the midwives did not explain\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0the reasons why the babies were spared.<\/p>\n

i. \u201cThis might be no lie, as many suppose, but a truth concerning many of them, and they do not affirm it to be so with all\u2026 So here was nothing but truth, though they did not speak the whole truth, which they were not obliged to do.\u201d (Poole)<\/p>\n

ii. \u201cWe are not told whether the midwives were lying, or whether the quick delivery of \u2018Hebrew\u2019 babies was a biological fact\u2026 Even if they lied, it is not for their deceit that they are commended, but for their refusal to take infant lives.\u201d (Cole)<\/p>\n

b.\u00a0Therefore God dealt well with the midwives<\/b>: Even if the midwives deceived Pharaoh, that was not what God blessed; He blessed their godly bravery in obeying God before man.<\/p>\n

c.\u00a0The people multiplied and grew very mightily<\/b>: The worse the persecution against God\u2019s plan to multiply the children of Israel in Egypt, the more God made sure the plan succeeded. This is a wonderful example of the goodness and the power of God. Pharaoh said, \u201cless\u201d and God said, \u201cmore.\u201d Pharaoh said, \u201cstop\u201d and God said, \u201cgo.\u201d<\/p>\n

i. If the battle were just between Pharaoh and the people of Israel, Pharaoh would have clearly won. But the real battle included God in the equation, and that changed everything.<\/p>\n

ii. God obviously won this battle; but He won His victory through some courageous individuals who were willing to stand up to the power of Pharaoh and do what was right.<\/p>\n

d.\u00a0He provided households for them<\/b>: This was God\u2019s blessing on the midwives \u2013 He enabled them to have children of their own. Usually, midwives held their occupation because they had no children of their own.<\/p>\n

e.\u00a0Every son who is born you shall cast into the river<\/b>: Seeing that his plan did not work, Pharaoh made a far more radical command, that\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0male children should be killed \u2013 apparently even Egyptian boys (Pharaoh commanded all his people<\/b>).<\/p>\n

i. The method Pharaoh commanded for the death of the male children of Israel became the divine provision for training the deliverer of Israel.<\/p>\n

\u00a92018 David Guzik\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Exodus 1:1-22.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

A. Israel\u2019s affliction in Egypt.
\n1. (1-6) The twelve sons of Jacob who came into Egypt.<\/p>\n

Now these\u00a0are\u00a0the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt\u00a0already).\u00a0And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.<\/p>\n

a.\u00a0Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt: The first verses of Exodus reach back some 430 years. The story of the Exodus begins where the story Genesis ends: a large family with a crucial place in God\u2019s plan of the ages and their migration to Egypt.<\/p>\n

i. The Hebrew title for the Book of Exodus is taken from its first words:\u00a0And These are the Names Of. In the original language, the first word of Exodus is\u00a0and, marking its continuity from the Genesis account.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18819"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18829,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18819\/revisions\/18829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

b.\u00a0They made their lives bitter with hard bondage<\/b>: Because God\u2019s purpose was to bless Israel and fulfill His role for them in His eternal plan, no amount of affliction could defeat His purpose. The Egyptians tried their best through cruel slavery; but it did not work. The principle of\u00a0Isaiah 54:17<\/a>\u00a0proved true:\u00a0No weapon formed against you shall prosper<\/i>. The wickedness of the Egyptians could\u00a0hurt<\/i>\u00a0the children of Israel but could never\u00a0defeat<\/i>\u00a0God\u2019s plan for them.<\/p>\n