June 15, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew and Exodus? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 1 (NIV)
The Israelites Oppressed
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.……Continue Reading
Exodus 1
Exodus 1
Fear makes people do crazy and sometimes, as we see here, horrible things! The king of Egypt recognized that the Hebrew people were strong and multiplying, so his response was bondage, slavery, and mistreatment. But God still protected them.
Then he decided to try to kill the boys at birth but the midwives feared God and knew better than to do such a thing and God protected them again. So while the king continued to stop them God continued to protect them. God protects His people even when our situations seem so grim!
In many cultures boys are prized over girls, probably from acients times like in Egypt, kill the boys but let the girls live, they wanted to take Isreals prized babies away from them but the midwives feared God and would not destroy what God had created and God blessed them.
The midwives feared God and saved the babies. A way to destroy a nation is to decrease its population by killing its babies. The world is trying to tell us we are overpopulated and that it’s destroying the earth. God tells us to be fruitful and multiply. God blesses the Israelites and the midwives with households.
The people of Israel kept multiplying after the death of Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation. v6,7. Pharoah died and another took his place who didn`t know Joseph. v8. They were so afraid of the numbers of Israelites that they made them slaves. Just as God had said earlier that the Israelites would be in bondage for 400 years. And they were for by the time that Moses was raised up; it was just over 400 years. Joseph predicted this that when the people of Israel would leave Egypt they would go forth in victory and carrying his bones with them. Anyways we had talked about this earlier while in Genesis. This Pharoah tried to kill all the male babies to stop their multiplying. Yes as Keven has said for that is how cultures back then and even now look at men and women. Women were treated as second class people. But in Christ; we are all equal before our loving God.
How wrong it is for people in power to abuse their power and take advantage of others. We are all benefitted by all of us pursuing the best and being productive for our own sakes that benefits others as well. That is as long as everyone agrees to that. But Pharaoh will learn that you cannot keep God’s people down and His ability to bless is always more powerful than anyone’s ability to curse and do harm. And all those who join God in what He is doing will be blessed as well. And these Hebrew women who served the Egyptians in birthing babies believed God over Pharaoh, which was very courageous. In Biblical narrative there is not commentary as to whether or not people are doing things right or wrong, but we can imagine because their lie here is not only protecting themselves but also the Hebrew boys, it is acceptable. And God blessed their work and their personal lives too. And it is important to remember that God told the Israelites about this enslavement before it happened, and so they could know God was in control of it and would use it in their lives and to His glory.
Exodus 1