Mar 27, 2026
Even though we embark on a new book of the Bible today, the story of Jacob’s family as sojourners in Egypt continues. Specifically, our time in Exodus will focus on the theme of God delivering His people from captivity. (Keep in mind that Joseph had assured his brothers before he died that God would take them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.) For us, we, too, may be delivered from the bondage of sin by God if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Just like God will free the Israelites from slavery, Jesus sets us free from being slaves to sin so that we may walk in the freedom that His blood has won for us. So, as you read the account of God’s people in Exodus, take time to dwell on and praise God for delivering you as well.
Exodus 1 offers us some key details that serve as helpful foundational knowledge as we progress through this book. For one, just as God had promised, “the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them” (v. 7). Because of this, Pharaoh (not the same ruler who had promoted Joseph) was concerned that the Israelites might align themselves with Egypt’s enemies if there was ever an invasion, and that the sheer number of fighting men would be too much to subdue. Accordingly, the new king ordered the following commands, all in an effort to stymie the growth of the people of Israel:
· First, Pharaoh “set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens” (v. 11), but the more oppressed the Israelites were, the more they multiplied. (This is also true of the Church—the corporate body of believers. Frequently, periods of intense persecution have led to dramatic growth in the number of professing Christians.)
· When oppression didn’t work, Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill newborn Israelite boys immediately after they were born. However, “the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live” (v. 17). God favored the midwives for their “civil disobedience,”[i] and again Scripture noted that the people of Israel “multiplied and grew very strong” (v. 21).
· Finally, Pharaoh commanded all of his people to drown “Every son that is born to the Hebrews” by throwing them into the Nile River (v. 22). This may have been thought to be a shrewd (though evil) move from the Egyptian ruler, “But one boy would be born that Pharaoh couldn’t kill.”[ii]
As we read through chapter 1, a resounding theme is apparent: evil cannot thwart the plans of God. A man, who happened to be the king of what many would consider to be the most prosperous nation in the world at the time, thought he could circumvent God’s promise to multiply the Israelites and subsequently minimize their impact in the area. Perhaps the plans of the false gods the Egyptians worshipped could be overcome, but Pharaoh didn’t know how that nothing, nor no one, could stand in the way of the one, true, living God. I pray that truth will rest heavily on your heart as you move into a time of reflection.
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Journal responses to the following prompts:
· Have you submitted your life to Jesus and let Him truly deliver you from the bondage of sin?
· Of what comfort does it give you to know that nothing, nor no one, can stand in the way of God’s will being done?
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). The Bible exposition commentary: The Pentateuch. David C. Cook. p. 181.
[ii] ibid