Tonight we are ready to begin the book of
Exodus:
The going out! The Exit!
In our study last week, we concluded with these words:
(Gen 50:22) So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. {23} Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees. {24} And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." {25} Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." {26} So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."
A statement of prophecy—stated with certainty: "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." Joseph had no doubt that it would happen. He had total trust in God and that he could trust the future to God.
So closes the book of Genesis:
We said of Genesis that it was:
The book of beginnings:
· The beginning of the world
· The beginning of the human race
· The beginning of sin
· The beginning of sacrifice for sin
· The beginning of murder and capital punishment for murder
· A new beginning as the old world perishes in the flood and a new world begins.
· The beginning of the Children of Israel
(It is the story of the Children of Israel that will be the main story of the rest of the Old Testatment.)
Now we come to Exodus
Exodus: the going out.
Leaving Egypt
Leaving Slavery!
Leaving Bondage!
Leaving Idolatry—or at least should be!
Going to a new land—or at least should be!
(Exo 1 NKJV) Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: [by order of wives, then handmaids] {2} Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; {3} Issachar, Zebulun, [the sons of Leah] and Benjamin; [one of Rachel's sons] {4} Dan, Naphtali, [the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant], Gad, and Asher. [Sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant] {5} All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). {6} And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.
This links to (Gen 50:26)
“So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."
So far, Moses has done what I always try to do with my lessons. He has linked where he left off with Genesis with where he takes up the story in Exodus, but don’t assume too much.
Verse 7 covers many decades:
(Exodus 1:7) But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
What is this talking about?
Exodus 1:5: All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already).
(Exo 12:37 NKJV) Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.
So let’s do the math! If there is a woman for every man, it looks like this:
600,000
x 2
1,200,000
Is it reasonable to assume that for each couple, there are two children? If so, we’ll do mental arithmetic and we will get 2,400,000!
Remember, we are at least 80 years earlier than the time from which we get the numbers of the Exodus. (Eighty years being the age of Moses when he went back to deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt.) So the number would be smaller, but still very large.
(Exodus 1:8) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
It is hard to grasp all that is said in so few words. When we finished Genesis, we had a Pharaoh who loved and respected Joseph and his family: “Dwell in the best of the land!” As far as Pharaoh was concerned, nothing was too good for Joseph and his family, but things have changed.
How long did this take?
§ Joseph forgotten
§ The great multiplication of the children of Israel?
n Probably at least 300 years for the multiplication.
(Gen 15:13-16 NKJV) Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. {14} "And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. {15} "Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. {16} "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
God told Abraham 400 years. I take that to be the total time in Egypt.
Remember: We’ve already mentioned that this Pharaoh is living 80 years before the Exodus. That gives us 320 years from when Jacob arrived until this Pharaoh comes to power.
But how long has Joseph been dead?
(Gen 41:46 NKJV) “Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
If we add 7 good years and 3 years of famine before the family moves to Egypt, then you have Joseph approximately 40 when the family moves to Egypt.
(Gen 50:26 NKJV) So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old;
That means that Joseph lived about 70 more years in Egypt. If that is taken as part of the 400 years that God told Abraham about, then it looks like this:
400 years
-70 years of Joseph’s life
330 years
-80 years of Moses’ life
250 years from the time Joseph died until this new Pharaoh came to power.
(Exodus 1:8) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
Some have suggested that he is not even a descendant of the Pharaoh who did know Joseph. He may have come to power by conquest, or some other means, we are not sure. However he came to power, we know his concern.
(Exodus 1:9) And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; {10} "come, let us deal shrewdly [wisely kjv, nasv] with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." {11} Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. {12} But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
So the Egyptians are afraid of them, so what do you do? They try more of the same thing! More difficulty
(Exodus 1:13) So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
Definition of rigor: perek, peh'-rek; from an unused root meaning to break apart; fracture, i.e. severity:--cruelty, rigour
(Exodus 1:14) And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage; in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
In spite of the cruelty, they continue to multiply, so the king comes up with another plan.
(Exodus 1:15) Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; {16} and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." {17} But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
(Exodus 1:18) So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?" {19} And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively [vigorous niv & nasv], and give birth before the midwives come to them."
This was in large part a true statement. The exercise that was required of them for their hard work made their labor quick.
(Exodus 1:20) Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. {21} And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households [families] for them.
So the next attempt to subdue the people:
(Exodus 1:22) So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive." – So ends chapter 1.
Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Study with Harley My Sunday Evening Lessons