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Thursday 3 July 2014

Exodus Chapter 1


 

 

EXODUS 

CHAPTER 

1


1. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben Simeon, Levi and Judah. 3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin. 4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5. The total number of people born to Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt. 6. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and that whole generation. 7. But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 1 to 7)


From the first seven verses of the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we are given a strong indication of the great increase in the growth of Israel or Jacob's descendants while in Egypt. The biblical author starts by drawing a comparison with the names and number of people who came to Egypt with Jacob in comparison to the fact that the increase in growth multiplied after the death of the first generation ancestors, meaning Joseph and his brothers. In fact they multiplied so greatly, that they became a threat to national security in Egypt, possibly the threat of a silent but rapid invasion of the land of Egypt.


On reflecting many nations are facing the same crisis today. Many people and I am proud to say people are being compelled to leave their homeland due to factors such as war and social strife in order to seek a better future. We call them immigrants or illegal immigrants if they enter the region by means of non legitimate ways. God's chosen people were also stranded and Egypt but God promised to have mercy on them and help them return back to the land that He had promised them.


I am aware that many may not agree with me, but the presence of God is also found in these people, they are our brothers and sisters, even though they come from a different fold being sheep our selves in the great farm of God. Therefore they are to b treated as humans and not as animals, even though they may manifest rebellion. Even animals experience rebellion when placed in captivity let alone humans, nobody likes to be restricted. This is human nature and the situation of all humans.


8. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9. He said to his people, "Look the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 8 to 10)



A new king arose who did not acknowledge Joseph as second in command of Pharaoh and may have considered him as a hebrew. This king was in the control of God who was paving the way for Israel's exodus out of Egypt which from a haven was to turn into a living hell. In the situations of our life, new people may come into our lives, such as a new work colleague or supervisor, whom God uses to chose as an instrument with which to test us. This person may persecute us to the point of insanity, however if we trust in God, He will deliver us from this period of trial and tribulation.


11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 11 to 12)


Although the oppression of evil was on the increase during such moments of tribulation, God's grace and mercy was even greater. Although His chosen people were being abused and oppressed they continued to increase as much as the stars in the heavens and the sand on the seashore as had been the prophecy of God to Abraham and his descendants. God's hand was at work even though the people could not see it during such  time of oppression and anguish.


 13. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14. and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 13 to 14)


When the evil one senses that God is at work in the person's life, the opposition increases and increases because the evil one is aware that he is in truth wrestling against God and not against the particular person. The evil one cannot stand the presence of God and becomes ruthless the more he senses the presence of God in that person.


15. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16. "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him, but if it is a girl, she shall live."17. But the midwives feared God they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 15 to 17)


In order to eradicate the increased numbers of the people of God the Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill all the boys that were born but spare the girls. On reflecting this is a replica of Adolf Hitler's death machine that was used to destroy the chosen people of God. These two verses call to mind a very important value. This is that of obeying God over the world, even if this brings us in conflict with our superiors and even risk loosing our jobs as in the case of the midwives.


18. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?" 19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them."20. So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

(Exodus chapter 1 verse 18 to 20)


On reflecting God dealt well with the midwives because they did not obey the ways of the world and commit the massacre of the male babies by killing them on being born. When considering the amount of children that are aborted every day my heart aches. Eve now I feel that we have to stop an pray God to have mercy on the souls of the aborted children and on those person who commit such a crime that is abortion and even more for those mothers or females who give the permission to have such an act carried out.


"Oh God I hear the cries of babies as they are torn apart by the surgical instruments used by the person doing the abortion. The hissing of the powerful tools that tear apart tender loins and muscles in order to destroy the innocent baby. The silent cry of the baby as its limbs are sucked away from its body. Those innocent limbs that could have done so much good, that brain that could have contemplated on You my God. I also pray for the persons carrying out this unmerciful act. Have mercy on their souls Oh God, do not count this as another sin. Satan is the culprit and not humanity. I also pray for the mothers have mercy please on such women, may they not fall into dispair on becoming aware of their sin and take their own lives,


Oh loving God have mercy on our souls for we know not what we do!

Click to view act of abortion


21. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live."

(Exodus chapter 1 verses 21 to 22)



When we obey God we bring upon ourselves the graces of God as in the case of the Hebrew midwives, however when we willfully side with evil and commit wrong doing, we bring upon our selves the wrath of God.

I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


I would really like to thank You God for those moments when Pharaohs in our lives start causing trouble. As soon as I started meditating on this chapter trouble started happening in my life. However as much as I believe that You always have a plan B ready for our salvation even so in the same way I believe that You are going to deliver me out of this moment of Egypt, where persecution is becoming the name of the day. I pray that You give me the much needed strength to cope with my situation, until you choose the right time for my deliverance. I thank You in advance because You have already found a way by which to deliver me from my problem.

Thank You God


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