May 15 Exodus 1-2

Exodus is the second book in the Exodus is the second book in the Old Testament, and continues the history of the Israelites. Brief overview of the end of Genesis. Joseph was sold as a slave to Ishmaelites who took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph became second in command during the fruitful then famine years. He reunites with his family, and they all settle in Egypt. The story continues In Exodus.

Verses 1-7 starts off with a little genealogy. The Jewish tradition is very big into genealogy - tracing your family tree. I know many have taken up this hobby tracing their family roots - but this is serious business for the Jewish faith. We learn that Jacob and his 12 sons have moved to Egypt, their generation has died, and the Israelites have been fruitful, strong, and the land was filled with them. The Israelites on being fruitful and multiplying - this was a commandment of God with Adam and Eve - be fruitful and multiply. So, they were obeying the will of God.

Verses 8-11 A new king is ruler and he doesn't know the story of Joseph. Historians aren't quite sure who this new king is. Joseph died around 1806 b.c., and this may be around 250 years later. The Israelites became friendly with the Hyksos, and the new king may have feared these two nations would be stronger than his nation (from NET Bible). The new king comes up with a plan on how to address this problem. Slavery. The intent was to crush the Israelite nation.

Verses 12-14 The more the Israelites were oppressed in slavery - the more they multiplied. We know that tough times strengthen us. This is what God was doing - strengthening the Israelites.

Verses 15-22 The king of Egypt comes up with a new plan. He meet with the midwives and tells them to kill all newborn boys - but allow the girls to live. The midwives feared God and ignored the King's request. Fearing God - I like to think of it as out of obedience and respect - following God's command. Since the midwives didn't follow the King's orders, God blessed them, the people continued to multiply. When asked why the midwives didn't kill newborn boys - they stated that the Hebrew women were strong and the babies were already born when they arrived. The question needs to be asked - did the midwives lie, and is it ok to lie? It IS possible the babies were born before the midwives arrived, so they could have been telling the truth. And God's law is higher than man's law. The midwives gave logical explanation without going into God's law.

The Pharoah commands that newborn boys be thrown into the river but girls can live.

Chapter 2 The birth of Moses

Verses 1-4 Moses' father is from the tribe of Levi. A little background here :-). Moses is born and his mother saw he was healthy, and hides him for 3 months. When he became too big to hide, she made a basket for him and put the baby in the basket along the edge of the Nile. How many of us would do the same? Do anything to protect our child. Moses' Mother tells Moses' sister to watch over the baby to see what happens to him.

Verses 5-10 Pharoah's daughter finds the baby in the Nile as she is bathing, and has compassion for Moses. His sister suggests that she find a woman to nurse the baby and Pharoah's daughter agrees to this. So, Moses stays with his family until he was weaned. He may have been 2-3 years old at this time. Oh how heartbreaking it would have been to give him up but they did. Oh yes - Pharoah's daughter paid Moses' mother for taking care of him.

Moses is named Moses which means because I drew him from the water, and he becomes the Pharoah's daughter's son.

I found this in my studies - from an early Christian theologian named Origen and he came up with this allegory of the story of Moses' birth. Anyway -is an interesting interpretation of this passage of scripture.

·        Pharaoh represents the devil

·        The male and female Hebrew children represent the animal and rational aspects of the soul

·        The devil wants to kill the rational character of man, but keep alive his animal character

·        The two midwives are the Old and New Testaments

·        Pharaoh wants to corrupt the midwives so that the rational character of man will be destroyed

·        Because the midwives were faithful, God builds houses of prayer all over the earth

·        Pharaoh's daughter represents the church, and gives refuge to Moses - who represents the law

·        The waters of the Nile represent the waters of baptism

·        When we come to the waters of baptism and take the law into our heart - the royal palaces - then the law grows up into spiritual maturity

Verses 12-13 Moses has grown up and become a man. One day he observes an Egyptian beating up one his his own - a Hebrew. So Moses looks to see if anyone is watching and kills the Egyptian.  I have always wondered although he lived with the Pharoah's daughter - what kind of relationship did he have with his family and his people? OK I side tracked here - but I'm still curious. Moses took matters into his own hands - thought no one was looking and killed a man.

Verse 14-15 BUT someone was watching Moses when he killed the man, because the next day when Moses asks 2 Egyptians why they are fighting - the ask him if he will kill them. Moses becomes afraid when he realizes he was seen killing a man.  When Pharoah hears about it he wants to kill Moses, so Moses flees to Mdian. Moses was 40 when this happened.