1.Assignments for those students who really want to know:
a.Read Exodus thoughtfully, carefully, prayerfully; looking.
b.Familiarize self with the Ten Commandments (memorize them?)
c.Memorize: (1) The furniture articles in the Tabernacle;
(2) Heb 8:5;
(3) Rom 15:4.
2.EXODUS records the beginning of the national life of Israel, God's chosen people.
3.Transition from plurality of tribes into one Nation of God.
4.NAME: ("Exit," "Departure," "Going Out") refers to the key event in the Book, the greatest single event in Hebrew national history - See 19:1.
5.AUTHOR: Moses (there is much internal and external evidence to support his authorship).
6.DATE: Written during the Wilderness Journey, sometime between 1445 BC and 1405 BC. It covers 431 years (From the death of Joseph to the setting up of the Tabernacle).
7.The Book of EXODUS is a continuation of Genesis; the 70 descendants of Jacob who moved from Canaan to Egypt multiplied to a multitude of 2.5 million (those who quibble this is not possible have been answered, e.g., see PULPIT COMMENTARY).
8.The Message of this Book is REDEMPTION: When Israel finally turned to God for deliverance from bondage, He responded by redeeming them - See 6:6.
9.Three Divisions: Historical; Legislative; Ecclesiastical.
a.1-18, The Exodus -- Divine Power. ºCompare Divine
b.19-24, The Law -- Divine Holiness. ÍÍ´Sovereignty In The
c.25-40, The Tabernacle -- Divine Wisdom. ºBook Of Genesis.
1.HISTORICAL: THE EXODUS (DIVINE POWER) - CHAPTERS 1-18.
A.BONDAGE OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD: CHAPTERS 1-6.
1:1-8, This picks up the story about 350 years after Jacob came from Canaan to Egypt. The Pharaoh of this time did not seem to be acquainted with the events surrounding Joseph's history; he and the Egyptians did not feel kindly toward the Israelites, and had grown suspicious of them.
1:1 NOW THESE [ARE] THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHICH CAME INTO EGYPT; EVERY MAN AND HIS HOUSEHOLD CAME WITH JACOB.
1:5 AND ALL THE SOULS THAT CAME OUT OF THE LOINS OF JACOB WERE SEVENTY SOULS: FOR JOSEPH WAS IN EGYPT [ALREADY].
1:6 AND JOSEPH DIED, AND ALL HIS BRETHREN, AND ALL THAT GENERATION.
A.In this introduction to the Book, a great deal is summed up in so very few words.
B.When people are living history, every month, even every day, seems so important; But when God records history He can make a few sentences cover many years and events.
1:7 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE FRUITFUL, AND INCREASED ABUNDANTLY, AND MULTIPLIED, AND WAXED EXCEEDING MIGHTY; AND THE LAND WAS FILLED WITH THEM.
A.Here is the beginning of the story told in EXODUS.
B.There is no reference to the time each event covered; This is typical of Divine history, and is one of the indicators that the Author of the Bible is not a human writer - cf 1Pe 3:8.
C.God richly blessed the Israelites while they lived in Egypt: Prosperity brought them great wealth, and increased numbers (note five ways this is emphasized in this Verse); But things were about to change.
1:8 NOW THERE AROSE UP A NEW KING OVER EGYPT, WHICH KNEW NOT JOSEPH.
A.The NEW KING is not identified, and there is no historical record which specifically names him.
B.Had Joseph been a tyrant or a military hero, his memory would have remained fresh in their minds (there probably would have been great statues of him), but since he had only been a bene-factor of the nation, he was soon forgotten -- "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is often buried with them."
C.God is not unrighteous to forget (Heb 6:10), so let us make it our object to seek His praise, not that of other people.
D.This king would be used by Satan, who knew God's plan for the Messiah to be descended from Abraham, and who would try to interrupt the plan.
1:9-10, The new king did not KNOW Joseph at least in the sense of looking with favor on the Hebrews; He feared they would join any Eastern powers who might invade Egypt.
1:9 AND HE SAID UNTO HIS PEOPLE, BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [ARE] MORE AND MIGHTIER THAN WE:
**This may have been a slight exaggeration (typical of rulers who are calling their people to action).
1:10 COME ON, LET US DEAL WISELY WITH THEM; LEST THEY MULTIPLY, AND IT COME TO PASS, THAT, WHEN THERE FALLETH OUT ANY WAR, THEY JOIN ALSO UNTO OUR ENEMIES, AND FIGHT AGAINST US, AND [SO] GET THEM UP OUT OF THE LAND.
A.One fear expressed here is that of a military revolt in their becoming allies with invading armies.
B.The second fear regards economics: The Israelites had been peaceful and industrious, so as to become prosperous; All that added to the financial strength of Egypt and increased tax revenues to the monarch -- he did not want to lose the income.
1:11-22, To diminish the power which now seemed a threat, the Egyptians began oppressing the Israelites with slavery and forced labor.
1:11 THEREFORE THEY DID SET OVER THEM TASKMASTERS TO AFFLICT THEM WITH THEIR BURDENS. AND THEY BUILT FOR PHARAOH TREASURE CITIES, PITHOM AND RAAMSES.
A.TASKMASTERS: The word literally means "masters of service," and apparently is an Egyptian title for overseers of forced labor; So the Israelites became slaves.
B.TREASURE CITIES: Cities in which to store supplies, possibly weapons and provisions for war.
1:12 BUT THE MORE THEY AFFLICTED THEM, THE MORE THEY MULTIPLIED AND GREW. AND THEY WERE GRIEVED BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.
A.THE MORE...THE MORE: Instead of hardship causing them to de-crease in number, they MULTIPLIED AND GREW. Pharaoh's plan to grind them down by hard labor is one which often has succeeded in history, but this time God was overruling his viciousness.
B.GRIEVED: They became very alarmed by the rising threat.
1:13 AND THE EGYPTIANS MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO SERVE WITH RIGOUR:
A.RIGOUR: The Hebrew word means "to break in pieces, to crush."
B.This brings to mind the picture of a taskmaster with a rod or a whip, which he freely used.
C.No doubt they were made to work long hours; Note Verse 14.
1:14 AND THEY MADE THEIR LIVES BITTER WITH HARD BONDAGE, IN MORTAR, AND IN BRICK, AND IN ALL MANNER OF SERVICE IN THE FIELD: ALL THEIR SERVICE, WHEREIN THEY MADE THEM SERVE, [WAS] WITH RIGOUR.
A.BRICK: Perhaps in building monuments (pyramids included?)
B.SERVICE IN THE FIELD: The Nile flooded and the flood waters had to be controlled. Most of the following is from PULPIT COMMENTARY: There is no country where care and labor are so constantly needed during the whole year. The flooding calls for extreme watchfulness, to save cattle, to prevent the houses and the farmyards from being inundated, and the embank-ments from being washed away. The cultivation is continuous throughout the year; and success depends upon a system of irrigation that requires constant labor and attention. There is no such exhausting toil as that of working under the hot Egyptian sun, with the feet in water, where there can be no shade, and scarcely a breath of air, from sunrise to sunset, as forced laborers are required to do.
C.NOTE: WHY did God allow this treatment of His people?
1:15 AND THE KING OF EGYPT SPAKE TO THE HEBREW MIDWIVES, OF WHICH THE NAME OF THE ONE [WAS] SHIPHRAH, AND THE NAME OF THE OTHER PUAH:
A.Apparently some time had elapsed and the first plan to hold down the number of the Hebrews was not working, so a new plan was put into effect by the KING.
B.The two women named here have been supposed by many scholars to have been superintending the work of all the midwives, and therefore to be responsible for obeying the following order.
1:16 AND HE SAID, WHEN YE DO THE OFFICE OF A MIDWIFE TO THE HEBREW WOMEN, AND SEE [THEM] UPON THE STOOLS; IF IT [BE] A SON, THEN YE SHALL KILL HIM: BUT IF IT [BE] A DAUGHTER, THEN SHE SHALL LIVE.
**THE STOOLS: Some say this was a special chair the midwife nurses furnished to the expectant mothers.
1:17 BUT THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD, AND DID NOT AS THE KING OF EGYPT COMMANDED THEM, BUT SAVED THE MEN CHILDREN ALIVE.
**THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD: They were sufficiently spiritual to resist committing murder, but were willing to defend their lives by lying (Verse 19).
1:18 AND THE KING OF EGYPT CALLED FOR THE MIDWIVES, AND SAID UNTO THEM, WHY HAVE YE DONE THIS THING, AND HAVE SAVED THE MEN CHILDREN ALIVE?
1:19 AND THE MIDWIVES SAID UNTO PHARAOH, BECAUSE THE HEBREW WOMEN [ARE] NOT AS THE EGYPTIAN WOMEN; FOR THEY [ARE] LIVELY, AND ARE DELIVERED ERE THE MIDWIVES COME IN UNTO THEM.
**This may have been partly true, but highly unlikely that it was true in every case.
1:20 THEREFORE GOD DEALT WELL WITH THE MIDWIVES: AND THE PEOPLE MULTIPLIED, AND WAXED VERY MIGHTY.
A.GOD DEALT WELL WITH THE MIDWIVES: He overlooked some weakness on their part in Verse 19, and blessed them because they had enough reverence for Him to disobey the king, and take their chance at receiving severe punishment, perhaps death.
B.THE PEOPLE MULTIPLIED: So this evil plan failed, just like the first one had failed.
1:21 AND IT CAME TO PASS, BECAUSE THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD, THAT HE MADE THEM HOUSES.
**HE MADE THEM HOUSES: They had allowed happiness to come into the Hebrew families, so God gave them families of their own.
1:22 AND PHARAOH CHARGED ALL HIS PEOPLE, SAYING, EVERY SON THAT IS BORN YE SHALL CAST INTO THE RIVER, AND EVERY DAUGHTER YE SHALL SAVE ALIVE.
A.This seems to have been a general and public order given to all the people of Egypt, the context indicating that it was just the Hebrew sons who were to be CAST INTO THE RIVER.
B.This was a "national emergency" (Verse 10, "come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land"); And so all the populace supposedly would be justified in carrying out the king's order.
C.Although human life has always been sacred (cf Gen 9:6), that principle was almost lost in the ancient world, and is not now as important in many countries as it is in Britain and the U.S. (or was until abortion was legalized).
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