Exodus 1: Chapter Overview

March 3, 2022 in Today's Reading by TGV

2-BSG-1D: CHAPTER AT A GLANCE.

Bible Study Guide/ Chapter Overview/ Exodus 1, (2-BSG-1D)/ Theme: Israel Oppressed in Egypt.

 


In A Nutshell: The names of Jacob’s sons who came to Egypt (1-5); the death of that generation (6); the vast increase of their posterity (7); the fruitless attempts of the new king of Egypt to check Israel’s growth (8-14); the king’s cruel orders to the midwives (15-21); the king’s order to destroy all male Hebrew infants (22).

Characters: God (Invisible), Joseph, 12 sons of Israel, Pharaoh, Shiprah, Puah.

Key Text: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly 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.” (Exodus 1:8–10, NKJV)

Key Word: Hard bondage (verse 14).

Selected Phrases — And Joseph died; Are more and mightier than we; Come, let us deal shrewdly with them; In mortar and brick; the Hebrew midwives; But the midwives feared God; “Why have you done this thing? God dealt well with the midwives; Shall cast be into the river.

Striking Verses: Exodus 1:1-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-10, 11, 12, 15-16, 17, 18, 19, 20-21, 22.

Division of Main Points — Jacob’s 12 sons who came into Egypt (1–6); The Reasons for Persecution (7–10); The Resulting Persecution (Ex. 1:11–22)

Biblical Events: [Events Occurring]—

  1. The Israelites become enslaved people in Egypt • Ex 1:8–14
  2. Slavery in Egypt • Ex 1:8–12:32
  3. The Exodus from Egypt • Ex 1:8–Dt 34:8
  4. Pharaoh tells midwives to kill the male Hebrew children • Ex 1:15–19
  5. Young males in Egypt are killed • Ex 1:15–22
  6. Moses’ early life • Ex 1:15–2:24
  7. God gives the midwives families • Ex 1:20–21
  8. Pharaoh tells the Egyptians to throw male children into the Nile • Ex 1:22

[Events Mentioned] —

  1. Jacob goes to Egypt • Gen 46:5–7 (Ex 1:5)
  2. Joseph dies • Gen 50:22–26 (Ex 1:6)

Issues At a Glance

  1. Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3; 13:15; 15:18-21; 17:1-6)
  2. Fulfilled Prophecy of Gen 15:13-16 vs. the 400 years of afflictions.
  3. Deliverance: Moses, a foreshadower of Jesus Christ.
  4. Trials: How to respond to oppression, affliction, servitude.
  5. Obedience: Taking a stand when the land laws are contrary to God’s Law.
  6. God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His Promises: The Birth of Moses (Ex. 2:1-10)
  7. God’s Compassion: When His children call for help, He hears and is touched with their sufferings! (Ex. 2:23-25)

Background Studies —Kings of Egypt.

Issues for Further Study — OT anticipations of the church; How are the 400 years of Gen 15:13-16 related to the 430 years of Ex. 12:40-41 and Gal. 3:16-17?

Critical Thought: There is always a struggle (a conflict) between the woman’s seed and the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15). God was working out His redemptive plan through His people Israel, namely, the birth of Messiah. Meanwhile, Satan (through a heathen king) tried to thwart God’s purposes by eliminating the chosen nation. Three times in the chapter, Pharaoh is determined to destroy the Hebrews (Ex. 1:7-10, 15-16, 22), but God intervenes! God raised Moses to bring about a great deliverance to Israel at the appointed time. At the appointed time, Christ was born (Gal 4:4). At the appointed time, Christ shall appear again! “He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28, NLT). God’s people will be tried (Mt 5:10; 2 Tim 3:12; Rev. 2:10), but in their persecutions, He will sustain all who trust Him.

Consolation: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, NKJV)


 

2-BSG-1C: TODAY’S CHAPTER.

Bible Reading Plan/ The Book of Exodus 1/ Theme: Israel Oppressed in Egypt.

Exodus 1 (NKJV) — 1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 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. 7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 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 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. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 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. 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. 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 and give birth before the midwives come to them.” 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 for them. 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.”

 

 

 

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