EXODUS CHAPTER ONE ------------------ Intro: Like "Genesis" the title "Exodus" is not of Hebrew origin. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, calls the book Exodus, which means departure. The book is about God redeeming His chosen people out of the house of bondage, and their departure from Egypt (see Heb 11:22), a type of the world. The book could be broken into three parts, 1) Israel in Egypt: Oppression and conflict with Pharaoh, 2) The Exodus from Egypt and the journey to Mount Sinai, 3) The giving of the law and the construction of the tabernacle. Verses 1-5, These verses list the souls that came into the land of Egypt. Besides Jacob, his 11 sons their wives and children. Joseph was already in Egypt. There were 70 souls in all. Verse 6, Joseph, his father and all his brethren and all that came into Egypt died while still in Egypt, so the nation that exists now is of their offspring. Jacob and his brethren were not buried in Egypt but in Sychem according to Acts 7:15-16 Act 7:15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the father] of Sychem. And Joseph gave commandment concerning his bones. Heb 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. Ge 50:24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. Verse 7, The children of Israel became a great nation. Gill says that not the whole land, but the land of Goshen was filled with them. He says that a heap of words is used to describe their vast increase. Verse 8, The children of Israel had favour in Egypt because of Joseph and his closeness with Pharaoh. But now Joseph and all his brethren are now dead and now arises a new Pharaoh who knew not Joseph. Stephen calls him "another king" (Ac 7:18). This word another can mean of a different class or kind. Perhaps this king was not from the same family and therefore had little regard for Joseph and his people. This king knew not Joseph. Not that he did not know of him and what he had done, but knew him not in the sense of not having any regard for him. Again we have how the word "knew" and "know" is used in the scripture. There is a people whom God foreknew. Which shows that this knowledge is not of events, but of persons. According to the History channel, new Pharaohs would sometimes change many things. The way the temple looked, etc. Verses 9-10, The new king seems to be cautious of the children of Israel, since they are more in number and the men are strong, that they will join with the enemies of Egypt when ever they may come. And after joining with the enemies of Egypt they would be able to leave the land of Egypt and go to their land of Canaan that they said was theirs. Notice the words, "and [so] get them up out of the land." Gill says that they were not actually more in number than the Egyptians, but that the king said this to stir up the nobles that the children of Israel might be crushed before such a time did come. Verse 11, They appointed "taskmasters" over them. Gill says to collect tribute or taxes thus requiring great work in order to pay the taxes. AV - tribute 12, tributary 5, levy 4, discomfited 1, taskmasters 1; 23 1) gang or body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour band or gang, forced service, task-work, serfdom, tributary, tribute, levy, taskmasters, discomfited 1a) labour-band, labour-gang, slave gang 1b) gang-overseers 1c) forced service, serfdom, tribute, enforced payment The Israelites built treasure (storehouse) cities for Pharaoh, called Pithom and Raamses. According to the Lexicon Raamses was probably in Goshen. See also Gen 47:11, which was probably the land named after the Pharaoh at that time and according to Gill this city may not be in the same place. Gill says that these cities could have been built through the taxes collected from the Israelites and also forced labour. Verse 12, Pharaoh's plan to weaken the Israelites in their number failed and in fact they grew more in number as they afflicted them. This grieved the Egyptians because their plan failed and the Israelites increased despite their plan. Verses 13-14, So they increased their labour and made them serve with rigor (harshness, severity, cruelty). Verse 14 describes the rigorous bondage that were placed under. All of this was an attempt to break them, Gill says. Verses 15-16, Pharaoh came up with another plan, since the hard labour was not succeeding. He called for the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, who Josephus thinks were Egyptians which helped deliver the Hebrew babies. Pharaoh asked that they kill every male child born, but let the female children live. It would be the males that could rise up against him in war, not the females. Gill says to give the male child a private pinch as it comes forth such that it would appear that the child died in birth. Verse 17, The midwives feared God, however. They knew that it was sin to kill a person, and therefore saved the men children alive. Perhaps they feared God, because they interfaced with the Hebrews so much or perhaps they were Israelites themselves, but the former seems more reasonable. Verse 18, The king (Pharaoh) wants to know what is going on. He sees male Hebrews being born and wants to know why the midwives have not be carrying out his command. Verse 19, The lie to Pharaoh and tell him that the Hebrew women deliver before they come in to help. Which shows that the killing was to be done secretly. If it was not to be done secretly then the midwives would not have had an excuse before Pharaoh, because they could have gone in after the child was born and done the deed. Besides this the Hebrew women would never call for the midwives if the thing was done in the open. Verse 20, God protected the midwives and by his sovereign hand Pharaoh did no harm to them and believed their account of the matter. The Israelites continued to multiply and grow mighty. Verses 21-22, The "he" here in verse 21 seems to Be God. That because the midwives feared God and obeyed Him rather than Pharaoh, that God made them houses, perhaps through the Israelites, for them to live in. However when we look at verse 22 with this verse, it may be that Pharaoh made them houses so that the Hebrew women could be brought to them and it be seen whether a male was born or not and if a male was indeed born then he was to be cast into the river. Another thought is the God gave them families or a house, as in "the house of Jacob," etc. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON CHAPTER ONE ------------------------------- The timetable: Pink says that the land of Canaan was too large for a single family or tribe, and the lengthy sojourn in Egypt gave time for them to develop into a nation that must have numbered fully two million. We also see that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Ge 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full. Why the sufferings in Egypt? Joseph's brethren had sold him into bondage in Egypt, so his brethren would reap what they had sown. So into bondage in Egypt they went. And since God visits the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation (Ex 20:5), it would be the fourth generation that would come out of Egypt (Ge 15:16). Also we see later in history, Israel delivered up Christ into the hands of the Gentiles, so into the hands of the Gentiles they have also been delivered. Egypt: The name is Mizraim which is the same Hebrew word translated Egypt elsewhere. Ge 10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. Ge 10:13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, Mitsrayim {mits-rah'-yim} Egypt = "land of the Copts" 1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = "double straits" 2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt It was two strips of land on each side of the Nile river. The people were dependent upon the river in the midst of the desert. It never rained in Egypt, only the ground was watered by the Nile river. They had no idea where the water came from, and they worshiped the river. They did not realize that it came from heaven above and the hills upstream. Yet this nation was a prosperous nation with magnificent structures, etc. So too, the world does not recognize the hand that feeds it, and like Egypt before worships the Earth, calling it "mother earth," and "mother nature." The new ager says that the earth and all of it's creatures IS God. They worship and serve the creature more than the creator (Ro 1:25). Pink says that Egypt's main literary memorial is a "book of the dead." Egypt placed much importance on the dead, which can be seen from its tombs. It is a land of tombs. The land of science and art is the land of death. So too, it is with the world. Death is stamped upon it everywhere. The entire offspring of Adam comes into this world spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. The religion of Egypt: Pink and others (Larkin, etc.) think that the great "I Am" was revealed in the monuments, namely the pyramids, of Egypt. Yet, for all of that they deified the creature rather than the creator. Pink says that their worship was a deification, -- as all heathen worship is --, of their own lusts and passions. So too, the world has uncovered the workings of DNA, etc. and yet for all of that still refuses to recognize the God of creation. How did the children of Israel get into Egypt: Verse 1 says "every man and his household came with Jacob." They came into the land of bondage with their FATHER Jacob. Notice he is called Jacob and not Israel, which speaks of his natural state. So they came into bondage with their natural father. We too did enter into bondage with our natural father, ADAM. Another king: Ex 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. Ac 7:18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. another = heteros {het'-er-os}, which means another of a different kind. "Allos" means another of the same kind. Gill had pointed out that it was probably a king of a different family, but Pink says he was of a different nationality. He says that by birth he was an Assyrian and not an Egyptian. SEE Isa 52:4. Isa 52:4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Gill says that this verse could read, "but the Assyrian." Or that the Jews just called their enemy the Assyrian. But if just let the Bible say what it says, we may conclude that the Egyptian king was indeed an Assyrian. If he was an Assyrian, and perhaps his people had conquered the Egyptians and were now in rulership, perhaps this would explain why he said that the Hebrews were more in number than HIS people. Perhaps he was afraid that the Hebrews would unite forces with the Egyptians against the Assyrians. The king's attempt: Satan has always been trying to destroy the seed of the woman. Notice he uses the king of Egypt to try and destroy the males of Israel. No males, no David and no Son of David, thus no redeemer. He wished to destroy the channel through which the redeemer would come. He used Herod in Christ's day to try and destroy the Messiah, but a Sovereign God would overrule his efforts. Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The midwives houses: Pink says, "He, in turn, gave them husbands and blessed them with children." 2Sa 7:11 And as since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.