Sink or Swim

Exodus

The plan for Exodus is going to be a little different then Genesis, I am going to hit highlights covering a lot of chapters. I hope not to spend 400 years in Egypt like the Israelite’s did. My prayer is that you are Berean’s through this process, not accepting my thoughts on a passage without some digging for yourself.

Meanwhile back in Egypt we are told that a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph or frankly care about him or his people. I am not going to even attempt to guess who this Pharaoh was, some scholars have argued for early dates to Exodus and others for late dates, both views hold some merit. The truth however is we do not know definitively which one he was. Regardless of who the Pharaoh was he forced the children of Israel into bondage, and they became slaves of Egypt. The better question to ask here would be why GOD allowed it to happen? We get a few glimpses of an answer when we hear GOD say things to the Israelites after they get their freedom things like - Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-34

GOD reminds them repeatedly to remember that they were once slaves in Egypt, why is that important? If they agree that they were treated unjustly by the Egyptians, hopefully it is a learning experience, and the outcome is to treat others better than they were treated. 

- Keep in mind through this that Jacob and his family were wealthy coming into Egypt as was Joseph being head under the old Pharaoh

- The new Pharaoh puts them under heavy bondage and afflicts them, interestingly it says the more they were afflicted the more they multiplied and grew. This is the topsy turvy of GOD’s paradigm, when GOD’s people are under affliction, they increase. This is true of Israel, this is true of the Church, this is true of GOD’s children. When we are comfortable and at ease we do not grow, growth requires hard work.

- Pharaoh attempts to kill all the male Hebrew babies by employing the midwives to do his dirty work for him. Abort and kill the ones that you know are male, but they tell him that Hebrew woman are not like the Egyptian woman, even before it is time to check for gender the women have already given birth to the baby. Thus, Pharaoh tells his people if you find a Hebrew baby boy throw them in the river.

- This if it is not obvious enough, the enemy of our souls is working behind the scenes attempting to kill any chance of a Messiah, which he now knows will come through Abraham’s descendant’s and GOD is spending a lot of time and working with and through these people.

- Moses is born a son of Levi and hidden and eventually put in a basket, in the river and is found by Pharaoh’s daughter. He is saved and adopted and raised in the palace as an Egyptian.

- This again is an example of GOD saving someone through water, it is not the basket (Ark), it is not the water. It is God who saves, just like Noah and later the Israelites, for them it is necessary part of the journey.

- Moses kills the Egyptian for hitting a Hebrew. Moses had some authority in Pharaoh’s house after all mom was Pharaoh’s daughter, but instead of choosing a different path the son of Levi falls back into murder, just like Simeon and Granddad Levi had done. Moses was a murderer do not forget that part moving forward.

- We will end with Moses escaping to Midian, getting married to the Priest of Midian’s daughter Zipporah and they had two boys.

Next – Things are heating up so take off your shoes.