A Hope And A Future – Exodus 1-2

“Now these are 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 70 persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Exodus 1:1-7

The sons of Jacob and their wives were a fruitful branch. God loves people. As a farmer wants a great yield from his farm so God wants people to produce people. If we produce people, God will feed them. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.” Psalm 128:3-4 says, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.” Every time we see a parent with a child, we should think, “God rewarded that person (or me) with a child.” Having children around your dining table to eat, listen and talk with is a great blessing from the Lord.

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are 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 so go up out of the land.’ Therefore, they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Rameses. 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—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” Exodus 1:8-14

The new king over Egypt was a fool. He was led by fear not by faith. He feared that the Israelites would join with Egypt’s enemies against them so what did he do? He alienated them. He had his officials afflict and embitter them with hard bondage. He loaded them down with burdens. Not a good tactic for winning friends and positively influencing people! He should have treated them well so that the last thing they would want is for some enemy nation to invade their borders and remove their king.

In 1 Kings 12:4, after King Solomon died, the people complained to his son, saying, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” In 1 Kings 12:6-7, Solomon’s son asked his father’s advisors, “How would you advise me to answer these people?” They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” Great advice! Did Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, act on it? 1 Kings 12:8 says that he rejected their advice and in 1 Kings 12:14, he told his subjects, “My father made your yoke heavy. I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips. I will scourge you with scorpions.”

How did that work out for Rehoboam? Not well. His nation broke in two. Eventually, both nations were overcome by the false religious practices of the nations around them, and after that, conquered by other nations over and over again. That breaking in two happened between 930-975 BC. Israel was finally reunited after about 1,800 years as a result of winning the Six-Day War on June 27, 1967.

The method the new king of Egypt used to preserve his nation ended up destroying it.

“Then, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ’When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.’” Exodus 1:15-16

The king of Egypt chose a path of war against newborns as his method of choice to maintain his reign. How foolish to think that murdering innocent babies was a good foundation for his government! Oh, he got away with it for awhile because he could torture and execute anyone who disagreed with him, but eventually, giant walls of water fell on his nation’s army and killed them instantaneously. His nation was left in shambles.

“But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them but saved the male children alive. So, the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?’ And the midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.’” 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, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’” Exodus 1:17-22

The midwives feared God more than the Pharoah. When questioned about the baby boys that were being born to the Israelites, the midwives blamed their mothers. The mothers were giving birth to their babies before the midwives arrived. It is likely that the midwives were purposely not showing up on time because God blessed them. Finding the midwives unreliable, the Pharoah demanded that the Israelites drown their own newborn baby sons in the river.

Little did he know that in condemning the baby boys of others to be drowned, one day, his son and his son’s army would be drowned in the Red Sea.

Many years later, the children of Israel were guilty of sacrificing their sons and daughters in fire to idols. In Jeremiah 19:5-6, the Lord told them that in the place where they slaughtered their children, they too would be slaughtered.

A famous American once said, “I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion, has already been born.”

“And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So, the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So, she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So, the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then, Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So, the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So, she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’” Exodus 2:1-10

The devil wants to ensure that boys are not born to godly families who will raise them up to serve the Lord, and thus perpetuate godliness in the world. King Herod thought he could eliminate the Messiah by slaying all the baby boys that were born in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. God has His way of preserving those He has predestined to be His witnesses in the earth. God preserved His servant Moses right under the Pharoah’s nose via his daughter.

I have heard the testimonies of those who served the Lord in totalitarian atheistic nations. At times, God caused seeing eyes to be blind to them. I had a family in China tell me that their neighbors thought that I was the mother’s brother. I am not Chinese but her neighbors perceived me as a Chinese man. Once, many bags of Bibles were transferred from a sidewalk to the back of a truck. This happened near the front window of a restaurant while police sat behind that window talking and having a good time. Some of the people with me were afraid when they saw them, but the Lord gave me a word to tell them, “Don’t worry, God likes David and Goliath situations.” Every Bible reached its destination.

The preservation of baby Moses is a beautiful story. Much like our forefather Noah, his life was saved from water while in an ark. The ark was a type of Christ. It is in Christ that our souls are saved from eternal destruction. The advocate of Moses was his sister Miriam. She was a type of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes alongside of us and speaks up for us when we are unable to speak for ourselves. The Lord filled Pharoah’s daughter with compassion for Moses. She became a type of the Heavenly Father when she adopted this son of another as her own son. Then, Miriam advocated once again for baby Moses. He needed a nursemaid. Who got the job? The mother of Moses! And what’s more, the Egyptian princess paid his mother to nurse him. God does miracles when we stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves.

While in China, the Lord led me and others to advocate for the life of an unborn baby girl. The mother was told that she needed to abort the baby. She was a Christian and could not bring herself to do it. I told others with more connections than myself about her situation. Long story short, she had her baby. A missionary married the mother and got her and her daughter out of the country. Praise the Lord!

“Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So, he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, ‘Why are you striking your companion?’ Then, he said, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ So, Moses feared and said, ‘Surely this thing is known!’ When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.” Exodus 2:11-15

The tyranny of Pharoah was not going to be crushed by a caped crusader with brute strength. Moses was able to end the life of one of Pharaoh’s cruel taskmasters, but his passion for his brothers was insufficient to stop the crimes of Pharoah.

Moses was a prince of Egypt. He was accustomed to receiving great respect from people. However, his people, the Israelites, did not accept him to lead them just because he killed one Egyptian. Perhaps, it was just a ploy to gain their trust. Why would a wealthy and powerful politician risk his career for slaves? All they had to offer him was blood, sweat and tears.

After Moses murdered a man, Pharoah sought to kill him. Moses lost his title, his home, his family, his income and his nation all very suddenly! He went from being a man who could kill another to being a man on the run. Was he disappointed?

Hebrews 11:24-27 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”

His relationship with God was more precious to Moses than earthly wealth, power and fame.

I like what Jim Elliott said, “He is not a fool who gives up what he cannot keep. To gain what he cannot lose.”

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then, the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so soon today?’ And they said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.’ So, he said to his daughters, ‘And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.’” Exodus 2:16-20

What did Moses get after leaving Egypt? He met seven working women. They were honoring their father by gathering water for his flock. When bullies sought to drive these ladies away, Moses stood up for them. The bullies must have had a habit of mistreating them because their father wondered how they brought back water so quickly on this day. They told their father about the Egyptian who helped them. He told them to invite the Egyptian to eat with them.

“Then, Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’” Exodus 2:21-22

How could a former prince of Egypt be content to live with a priest of Midian? What could the man offer him? His daughter! Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” A wife is a great blessing from the Lord! Moses now had a covenant relationship with another person. They committed to existing as one. They were going to raise children together. The Lord blessed Moses and Zipporah with a son. Praise the Lord!

“Now, it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So, God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” Exodus 2:23-25

Praise God that He responds to groans and prayers! Praise God that He does not forget the promises that He made! He looked on His children and was ready to act on their behalf. Thus, they had a hope and a future.