Exodus 1-3
An Overview of Chapter 1
After the death of Joseph the descendants of Israel continue to multiply, so much that they fill the land. A new king rises up in Egypt who does not know about that Joseph saved the Egyptians from starvation. He fears the descendants of Israel so he enslaves them and put them to work building the great cities Pithom and Raamses. No matter how hard he worked the Israelites they continued to multiply.
Then the king gets a new idea. He will tell the midwives to kill all the male babies they deliver. The midwives refuse this order because they feared God more than the king of Egypt. They lie to the king so they can save their own lives. God blesses the midwives for assisting the Israelites.
The king then requires that all male children be thrown into the river.
An Overview of Chapter 2
A Levite man and woman marry and have a son. They disobey the pharaoh’s law and try to keep their son. After three months they realize that it is too difficult to hide him. They decide to follow the letter of the law, and they build a wicker life raft for the boy and “cast” him into the Nile.
The babies older sister is concerned, and she watches the basket to see what happens. When she sees that the pharaoh’s daughter had pity on the baby she speaks up and offers to find a nurse to raise the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agrees and even offers to pay for this service, so the girl goes and gets her mom. Talk about a child tax credit - she gets paid by the government to raise her own son! The boy is named Moses.
Fast forward a couple of decades, Moses has grown up and realizes the Hebrews are his family. Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. He intervenes and kills the Egyptian. Then he sees two Hebrews fighting and when he tries to step in they tell him that they know he killed the Egyptian.
Moses is scared, and for good reason, his grandfather wants him dead for his crime. Moses leaves Egypt and heads to Midian.
When he gets there, he meets some ladies at the local watering hole and defends their honor. They tell their father, the priest, and he invites Moses to stay with them. Moses marries one of the priest’s daughters named Zipporah and they have a son.
The pharaoh dies. The Israelites cry out to God and ask Him to remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God hears them, and of course he remembered the covenant.
An Overview of Chapter 3
Moses now works as a shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro. While out with the flock at Horeb, God appears to Moses in a burning bush.
God informs Moses that He has come to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In addition, Moses has been selected to lead the people out of the land of Egypt. Moses wants to know what name he should give God when he speaks with the Israelites. God responds “I AM (YHWH).”
God wants Moses to tell the Elders of Israel He is concerned about them. Then Moses is to take all the Elders of Israel with him and speak with Pharaoh (Moses’ brother by adoption), asking that the people of Israel may be able to take a vacation from slavery so they can sacrifice to the Lord God. Just to make things interesting God also tells Moses it will be a miracle (in fact several) if pharaoh allows the people to go. But, in case Moses was wondering what was in it for him he is told that when the Israelites leave Egypt they will be given gold, silver, and fancy clothes by the Egyptians.
Reflection
Do you fear God more than anyone else? Would you be willing to lie so that your life may be saved? When is it all right to disobey the laws of the land? Do you attempt to make peace when Christians are fighting? Are you hospitable to strangers? When you are in times of desperation do you call out to God? Do you “remind” God of the promises He has given us in scripture? Do you ever meet with God as you are busy with your daily work?
For Further Study
Fearing of God: Psalm 36:1, Psalm 76:11, Proverbs 2:1-5, Luke 23:40, Acts 10:34-35, 2Corinthians 7:1, 1Peter 2:17, Revelation 14:6-7
Hospitality: Romans 12:10-13, Hebrews 13:2, 1Peter 4:9
I AM: John 8:57-59
After the death of Joseph the descendants of Israel continue to multiply, so much that they fill the land. A new king rises up in Egypt who does not know about that Joseph saved the Egyptians from starvation. He fears the descendants of Israel so he enslaves them and put them to work building the great cities Pithom and Raamses. No matter how hard he worked the Israelites they continued to multiply.
Then the king gets a new idea. He will tell the midwives to kill all the male babies they deliver. The midwives refuse this order because they feared God more than the king of Egypt. They lie to the king so they can save their own lives. God blesses the midwives for assisting the Israelites.
The king then requires that all male children be thrown into the river.
An Overview of Chapter 2
A Levite man and woman marry and have a son. They disobey the pharaoh’s law and try to keep their son. After three months they realize that it is too difficult to hide him. They decide to follow the letter of the law, and they build a wicker life raft for the boy and “cast” him into the Nile.
The babies older sister is concerned, and she watches the basket to see what happens. When she sees that the pharaoh’s daughter had pity on the baby she speaks up and offers to find a nurse to raise the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agrees and even offers to pay for this service, so the girl goes and gets her mom. Talk about a child tax credit - she gets paid by the government to raise her own son! The boy is named Moses.
Fast forward a couple of decades, Moses has grown up and realizes the Hebrews are his family. Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. He intervenes and kills the Egyptian. Then he sees two Hebrews fighting and when he tries to step in they tell him that they know he killed the Egyptian.
Moses is scared, and for good reason, his grandfather wants him dead for his crime. Moses leaves Egypt and heads to Midian.
When he gets there, he meets some ladies at the local watering hole and defends their honor. They tell their father, the priest, and he invites Moses to stay with them. Moses marries one of the priest’s daughters named Zipporah and they have a son.
The pharaoh dies. The Israelites cry out to God and ask Him to remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God hears them, and of course he remembered the covenant.
An Overview of Chapter 3
Moses now works as a shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro. While out with the flock at Horeb, God appears to Moses in a burning bush.
God informs Moses that He has come to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In addition, Moses has been selected to lead the people out of the land of Egypt. Moses wants to know what name he should give God when he speaks with the Israelites. God responds “I AM (YHWH).”
God wants Moses to tell the Elders of Israel He is concerned about them. Then Moses is to take all the Elders of Israel with him and speak with Pharaoh (Moses’ brother by adoption), asking that the people of Israel may be able to take a vacation from slavery so they can sacrifice to the Lord God. Just to make things interesting God also tells Moses it will be a miracle (in fact several) if pharaoh allows the people to go. But, in case Moses was wondering what was in it for him he is told that when the Israelites leave Egypt they will be given gold, silver, and fancy clothes by the Egyptians.
Reflection
Do you fear God more than anyone else? Would you be willing to lie so that your life may be saved? When is it all right to disobey the laws of the land? Do you attempt to make peace when Christians are fighting? Are you hospitable to strangers? When you are in times of desperation do you call out to God? Do you “remind” God of the promises He has given us in scripture? Do you ever meet with God as you are busy with your daily work?
For Further Study
Fearing of God: Psalm 36:1, Psalm 76:11, Proverbs 2:1-5, Luke 23:40, Acts 10:34-35, 2Corinthians 7:1, 1Peter 2:17, Revelation 14:6-7
Hospitality: Romans 12:10-13, Hebrews 13:2, 1Peter 4:9
I AM: John 8:57-59
posted by Shaun Sells | 12:02 AM
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