New King, Faithful God (Exodus 1:1-22)

​Today, as in times past, we are prone to forget the accomplishments and people who came before us. C.S. Lewis dubbed this forgetfulness as "chronological snobbery." Whether we are debating LeBron and Michael Jordan or Tom Brady and Joe Montana, we can also be prone to view our time as greater than times past. Recently, a living pastor was called the greatest preacher since the apostolic age—beyond Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and even Charles Spurgeon!

We see chronological snobbery in the opening chapter of Exodus, too. The new Pharaoh "did not know Joseph" (v. 8). He didn't know the contributions of Joseph and his family back in the old days when Egypt was in a famine. He didn't know how a Hebrew boy ended up ruling the world after tragedy and triumph. All he knew was that there were some non-Egyptians in the land, and he was a big shot who didn't like it. The combination of pride, fear, and power proved deadly for this unnamed "new king," and it led to the slavery of God's people (v. 8).

Enslaved by Pharaoh, Empowered by God (v. 10-14)

The king made life horrific for the Israelites. Notice how their plight is described:

• Affliction
• Heavy burdens
• Oppression
• Ruthlessness
• Slavery
• Bitter
• Hard service

It’s not hard to imagine that they felt alone in their suffering! Like the chattel slavery in America’s past, we see cruelty and hatred bound together in forced labor with no present path of escape apart from divine intervention.

Yet even in times of oppression, God is not silent. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He's always at work in a million ways that we may never see on this side of glory. With Israel, "the more they were oppressed, the more they spread abroad" (v. 12). God's people are like the garden weeds that have thousands of seeds that spread most when they're agitated by wind, animals, or unsuspecting gardeners! The more persecution presses us, the further we spread.

God was with Israel in their suffering, but He was relatively quiet in His working. So He is with us sometimes. God's withness doesn't fade just because our circumstances are tough. Christ and the Holy Spirit are interceding for us (Rom. 8:26, Heb. 7:25). The Father is ready, willing, and able to help us, though His help may come at a time and in a way we least expect it.

God's Mission Would Not Be Aborted (v. 15-22)

Abortion is one of the most grievous evils of our day. Some in our culture have tried to rebrand it as "reproductive freedom," but we all know it is murder. Pharaoh's tactic to slow down the increase of the Israelites began with abortion—well, close to it. He commanded that all the male children be killed at birth. This sounds horrendous, and it should! Murdering the most helpless and innocent males in the society would indeed prevent the Israelites from joining Egypt's enemies and escaping the land (Exo. 1:10). However, God's plan for His people could not be thwarted by baby killers!

Two Hebrew midwives, probably the lead nurses of a group of midwives, are used by God to save these babies! The unnamed king wanted death, but Shiprah and Puah—whose names will be remembered forever for their faith—cherished the glory of God and made His name known. These two women "feared God" and disobeyed Pharaoh. They didn't fear man who kills the body but rather God who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Mat. 10:28)!

Did they lie to Pharaoh? Many scholars and commentators say they did. Were they shrewd with the king who dealt shrewdly with their people? Perhaps they were repaying the evil king for his shrewdness. Did God give the midwives more vigorous births to prevent the death of the infants? Some speculate this possibility, as well. Regardless of whether they deceived Pharaoh or whether God truly made the Hebrew women more vigorous (remember that God has power over the womb!), He "dealt well" with the midwives, gave them families, and continued to multiply Israel! When you break open a spider's egg sac, hundreds or thousands of tiny spiders will come running out. It was the same way with God's people when Pharaoh tried to break apart their families! God was with them. The serpent who deceived Eve was again at work against the Israelites, but God was making the way for the Serpent Crusher to bruise the serpent’s head. 

Pharaoh's last-ditch effort was to kill the babies by drowning them in the Nile. As we will soon see, not even this could stop God. The greatest kings on the planet have no power to thwart God's plans. This gives us hope today. There is not a president or world leader who can thwart God's plans for His Church. Psalm 2 calls every leader to "kiss the Son or perish" (v. 12). This applies to every president, governor, mayor, or law enforcement officer—whether Democrat or Republican—to submit to the rule and reign of Jesus. They may try to stomp us out, but the more they press, the more we will spread across the globe. Let us go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations because Jesus is with us until the end of the age.

Questions for Reflection:

• How does "chronological snobbery" impact our appreciation of historical accomplishments? Have you noticed this mindset in your own life?
• How does the faith of Shiprah and Puah inspire you to fear God and stand up for what is right?
• How does God's work through the Hebrew midwives offer hope for everyday people like us?
• How do power, fear, and pride in leadership affect the lives of ordinary people today? Have you witnessed the impacts of such leadership in your community or personal life?
• Compare this scene in Exodus to the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts and the early church. How does faith in God's power lead to growth among His people?

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Prayer points:

• Pray for softened hearts for our government leaders, that they may fear and honor God rather than succumbing to pride, fear, and abuse of power.
• Pray for those who are facing oppression, abuse, and suffering due to corrupt and unjust leaders today.
• Give thanks to God for His faithfulness and pray for increased faith, especially in times of fear and trouble.