EXODUS 1 - UNSTOPPABLE REDEMPTION
Exodus 1
The book of Exodus picks up where Genesis ends. God had redeemed the family of Israel through the tumultuous but sovereignly guided life of Joseph. His brothers had come to Egypt seeking famine relief only to find out that their slave traded brother was still alive. In fact, Joseph had risen to second in command over Egypt while directing the world’s famine relief plan. In a wonderful series of events Jacob’s family reconciles, and the children of Israel grow in number and strength while living in Egypt. However, after Joseph died, a new King of Egypt came into power. He did not know Joseph and he became bothered by the fact that the Jews were rapidly increasing in his land (v. 1-9).
The new king called the Egyptian people together and with propaganda he devised a plan to slow down the growth of the Jews.
He set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. The Jews became slaves in Egypt, building many of the great monuments that are still standing today. Th oppression of the Jews increased daily, but it only caused them to multiply in strength and number. God has a way of growing his people and strengthening their work under oppression. When the king saw that his ruthless plan of slavery was not enough to stop God’s people, he devised and more wicked plan (v. 10-14).
The Egyptians started to dread the Jews, and racism increased as quickly as the Jews. The king capitalized on this racism, and he conspired a plan to kill all the Hebrew boys at birth, thus putting an end to the Jewish people in one generation. The king of Egypt commanded the Jewish midwives to kill the sons of Hebrew women on the birthstool. The midwives boldly defied the king’s orders because they held a higher duty to the King of Heaven and Earth. The midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. God blessed the midwives for their obedience by giving them families (v. 15-21)
When the king found out that his commands were being ignored, he gave an order that would become the fate of a child named Moses. The king commanded that every son born to the Hebrews should be cast into the Nile, but every daughter should live. Despite this wicked scheme, the redemptive plan of God will continue through the tumultuous but sovereignly guided life of Moses (v. 22).
Behind this story we can see that king’s plans were also demonic plans.
It was and will always be demonic to order the death of Jews. Satan knew that the Messiah would come from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), and at various points in history the devil has use wicked minded leaders to kill Hebrew children. By cutting off the male offspring of Jewish women, Satan thought that he could cut off God’s plan of redemption. Time and time again, especially shown in the life and death of Jesus, what was meant for evil, God turns for good. The story of Exodus is the story of the unstoppable redemption of God’s people, and it all points to the ultimate redemption that is found in Jesus Christ, the male offspring of a Jewish woman, and the Son of God.