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GOD MADE ISRAELITES SLAVES
GOD MADE ISRAELITES SLAVES Exodus 1:1-22 Key Verse: 1:7 "...but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them." The book of Exodus is the continuation of the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis mainly teaches us that God is the Creator. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It also teaches us that God wants man to be great by stewarding God's world and ruling everything in it. Most importantly, it tells us of God s covenant with Abraham which laid the foundation for his world salvation plan. The book of Exodus tells us more about God. It tells us primarily that God has a plan for world salvation, but it also tells us a lot more about the character of God. In it we learn that God is absolutely sovereign over human affairs. We also learn that God is absolutely holy and that we must recognize both his sovereignty and his holiness if we want to experience his salvation. In chapter one we learn that in his sovereignty, God sometimes let’s his people endure times of trials and hardships in the hope that they will turn to him and cry out for salvation. May God help us to accept his absolute sovereignty over our life especially in are time of trouble and hardship so that in the end we can experience his mighty salvation work. I. The prosperous Israelites in Egypt (1-7) First, the Israelites are brought to Egypt according to God’s sovereign plan (1-5). In verses 1-5 the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob are all recorded. The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, and Joseph was already in Egypt. It is important to remember the names of Jacob's twelve sons because they would become, in the end, the twelve tribes of Israel. Look at verses 1-4. These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. Verse 5b says, "...Joseph was already in Egypt." Why was Joseph already in Egypt? Joseph was in Egypt already because of his brothers extreme jealousy. They actually wanted to kill Joseph because he was his father’s favorite son and he had had some dreams that indicated they would all one day bow down before him. However, his brothers decided not to kill him but to sell him into slavery instead. They thought they were getting rid of their hated little brother once and for all, but God’s idea and plan was much different. God intended on using Joseph to begin the story of his world salvation work. God was in control even in this seemingly evil situation, but that doesn’t mean that things would immediately go well for Joseph. No, he would have to suffer greatly before being elevated to second in command of the most powerful nation of that time. Joseph was sold to a powerful Egyptian who had a very interesting wife. Potiphar's wife became sick with lust for Joseph, but because he feared God and honored his master Joseph did not return her love. Because of this, Joseph was put in prison. When Joseph was in prison, God was with him and Joseph became a shepherd for the other prisoners. Even though Joseph must have felt terrible about his awful situation he never gave into fatalism. Joseph always believed that God is good. Wherever he might be, he did his best to be faithful to God. As a result, he gained the favor of his worldly bosses. One day King Pharaoh had a nightmare which distressed him so much that he summoned all the wise men and magicians of Egypt. He solemnly ordered them to interpret his dream, but no one could interpret his dream. Finally, Joseph was introduced to King Pharaoh by the chief cupbearer, who had been in jail with Joseph. Joseph interpreted the king's dream. It meant that there would be seven years of abundant harvest and seven years of dreadful famine. Joseph could interpret Pharaoh's dream because he believed that it was not he, but God, who could interpret dreams (Ge 41:16). In any situation, when Joseph loved God, God was with him. After Joseph interpreted the dream, King Pharaoh exalted him highly, next to himself. In his young life, Joseph started as a slave in a foreign land due to his brothers' hatred. Now he was second in command of the most powerful nation on earth and in charge of distributing surplus grain in a time of great famine. If anyone wanted grain, they had to come to Joseph and bow down before him. When Joseph loved God and accepted his absolute sovereignty over his life, God exalted him to be the Prime Minister of Egypt, and all people of all nations came to buy grain from him – this would include his brothers. Second, Jacob immigrated to Egypt (1). After the seven years of abundant harvest were over, the seven years of dreadful famine started. The famine extended to Jacob's family. Jacob was wealthy. He also had many sons and wives. However, after Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, Jacob lost the joy of life. All his blessings through his family and wealth could not comfort him. He said to his other sons, "In mourning will I go down to the grave to my son" (Ge 37:35). His sorrow of missing Joseph was one thing, but the hunger problem he and his family was facing was another more urgent problem. Jacob had everything, but he didn't have food, so he sent ten of his sons to Egypt to get some food. They did not recognize Joseph. But Joseph recognized them and arrested them, on suspicion of being spies. Finally Joseph told them who he was and asked them to bring his father to Egypt. So Jacob and his sons went to Egypt. This is the story of how Jacob, called Israel, immigrated to Egypt. Third, Israel was very prosperous (6-7). Jacob was the father of twelve sons, who became twelve patriarchs of the nation Israel. Why do we call the nation Israel? Jacob's name was changed to Israel when he was changed spiritually in God. Therefore, Israel is the name of Jacob, and also it is the name of the nation Israel. Verse 6 says, "Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died..." Here we learn that one generation passes away too soon. As Peter said, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field" (1 Pe 1:24). Joseph's people could no longer enjoy his influence. In other words, they remained as long-term guests in a foreign land. Their future was dark. Even though they were just guests in a foreign land with no real home of their own, God was with them. Read verse 7. “...but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.” When they first came to Egypt there were just seventy of them, but they were fruitful and multiplied greatly and had become exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Politically speaking, they were no more than long-term guests and foreigners, but from God's point of view, they were special people, and they were to reveal God’s plan for world salvation through their story. How could they become so numerous that the land was filled with them? It is all based on God's covenant. God made a covenant with Abraham. Genesis 13:15-17 says, "All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." Genesis 15:18-21 says, "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, 'To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates--the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.'" When we think about this covenant with Abraham, we can understand why God sent Jacob's family to Egypt. According to God's covenant with Abraham, God wanted to save the whole world through one person, Abraham, by making him a blessing (Ge 12:3). God wanted to bless all peoples on earth through one person, Abraham. God gave Abraham only one son, Isaac, and tested him, to see if he loved God more than his son. Of course, Abraham loved God more than his son Isaac. To Jacob, God gave twelve sons who would become twelve patriarchs and the foundation of twelve tribes of Israel. God knew that Jacob's seventy family members were not enough to cover the whole world with the word of God. So God planned to send them to Egypt and increase them until the twelve tribes of Israel would grow to be a nation. Genesis 15:13 says, "Then the Lord said to him, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.'" This prophecy was too ambiguous for Abraham to understand, but through the book of Exodus we learn that God's world salvation plan was more than clear. He was proceeding moment by moment and step by step, person to person. Eventually, God formed a nation through Jacob's family. Until this point we have no reason not to believe that Israel enjoyed many privileges and prosperity in a lush land. So far we have thought mainly about Joseph and his role in this great story. He was the most beloved son to his father Jacob, but because of his brothers jealousy, he was sold as a slave to a foreign land Egypt. His happiness turned into unbearable sorrows and hardships. However, he overcame his sorrows always believing that God was with him. He confronted one hardship after another. But he overcame all kinds of hardships believing that God was with him. Then God gave him success whatever he did. Finally God made him Prime Minister in the Egyptian Empire. II. Israel's suffering under a godless king (8-22) First, a new king's fear (8-14). Verse 8 says, "Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt." There was a problem. A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power and he saw the Israelites as a potential threat to his nation because of their great numbers. From Pharaoh's point of view, the Israelites were a political issue had to be confronted with drastic action, so Pharaoh determined to strengthen his military security by enslaving these aliens and making them suffer unbearable hardships. He intended to use them for his own countries economic gain by making them slaves and putting them into hard labor. The Israelites were no longer guests; they were now simply slaves in a foreign land. The Israelites lost their freedom and they were afflicted with burdensome tasks. They mainly served as slave labor in building cities, such as Rameses, as store cities for Pharaoh. Their lives became miserable and they were constantly burdened by hardships. In short, they were suffering unbearably. Pharaoh's hard-labor policy was planned to reduce the number of Israelites. Did it work as he planned? No. Verse 12 says, "But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites." The Israelites were God’s chosen people. They were covenant people. They were sent to Egypt in a very good condition, but now the situation had drastically changed; they were in a very bad situation. But God was still with them. Biologically speaking, Pharaoh’s hard-labor policy without proper meals should have reduced the number of the Israelites. But the Bible says, "...the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites." The Israelites were suffering from hard labor and mistreatment, but incredibly, there numbers just kept right on growing. Why? It was because God was with these people. King Pharaoh became helpless to stop God’s plan, but he kept on trying. He pressed the Israelites harder and harder. He made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor, the Egyptians used them ruthlessly (14). An ungodly king used a ruthless policy against the Israelites, but when God was with his people, his people multiplied and increased. Second, Pharaoh’s final resort (15-22). Pharaoh summoned the Hebrew midwives and ordered them, "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live" (16). This was not exactly his final resort but it was merciless. In order to carry out his policy, he didn't mind massacring newborn babies. If you think this policy was unique to that barbaric time in history you are wrong. Just think of relatively recent rulers like Stalin in Russia or Pol Pot in Cambodia. Let’s think a bit about Stalin. Anyone who was suspicious of Stalin's policy was sent to Siberia for a lifetime of hard labor. Innumerable people were killed because of hard labor and malnutrition. In order to establish his dictatorship, he made a policy of collective agriculture. It is estimated that he killed more than ten million Russian men – maybe 20 million all together. The world is still full of this type of suffering, but that does not change the fact that God is in control and he wants to save everyone. Even today sometimes we don’t seem to find much difference between godly people and godless people living in this world. There are still people like Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe who are ruthlessly attacking people in their own counties just trying to hold onto their power. However if we study world history, we learn that were godly rulers who were father-like shepherds for their people. One of the best examples may be King Sejong who loved his people and wanted to improve their lives. He created an alphabet that ordinary people could read so that they could overcome the unbearable hardships they faced every day and improve themselves. He loved his people and wanted to make them great. Today we see that his efforts have his efforts were not in vain. Korea is a world leader and ordinary Korean young people are now some of the best educated people in the world. Korea is now in a great position to become a kingdom of priest and a holy nation; a nation that can proclaim the salvation of God to the whole world. So we must pray for young Korean children to grown as disciples of Jesus and children of God who can embrace the world with God’s love. With his ungodly policy, Pharaoh had become a mental patient. Look at verse 16. He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the boy babies at birth. Look at verse 17. The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. So the Israelites continued to increase and became even more numerous. Pharaoh was greatly distressed. Then Pharaoh ordered all the people of Israel, "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live" (22). To the Israelites, the situation must have seemed out of control. It was not out of God’s control though. To God, it was a time when he was forging a nation in the fertile land of Egypt in the hope of establishing a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. However, it was not enough for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They needed to know godless people first in order to know God; his saving grace, and his purpose for world salvation. This is the reason God gave the Israelites unbearable hardships. Our God is the only God. We know he created the heavens and the earth. As we have studied, he had a plan to forge a nation to use as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, so that through them, the knowledge of God would be proclaimed to the whole world. We cannot know all about God's greatness and his wisdom, but we must know one thing: that God is always with his people and blesses them to increase so that they can proclaim his world salvation work to the world. God wants us to experience a happy and glorious life but at the same time, he may allow us to experience the cruelty of a godless ruler so that we might come to know how terrible it is to live under a godless ruler and how wonderful it is to live under the wings of God's grace. We thank God that he allows us to be prosperous and at the same time we must thank God that sometimes he allows us to suffer in the course of carrying out God's covenant objectives. In this short chapter, we learn that God gave his people Israel divine discipline so that they might know how terrible it is to live in a godless nation, and how wonderful it is to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. All of us have faced suffering in the past and most of us will face suffering in the future, but we must always remember that God is in control and his plans will always succeed. So we should always thank God that he gives divine discipline to each of us to raise us to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Heb 12:4b-13). |
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