Exodus 1
Exodus continues the story begun in Genesis 12 of God’s promise to Abraham. The promise was threefold: God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to give him land, and to be with him. When Genesis ends Abraham has become a father but hardly a great nation. More, his offspring have no land. His descendants number about 70 and they are down in Egypt living on Egyptian land. Has God really been with Abraham? Will the promises be kept? The questions are legitimate. Exodus is the continued story of the promise question. Is Abraham’s God a promise keeping God?
Exodus 1 begins by God “showing off” his faithfulness. The land is now “swarming” with Israelites! Verb after verb the writer testifies that the Israelites are exceedingly numerous and that they fill the land. In other words, the writer wants us to know that God has kept his promise to Abraham – his descendants are now a great people. God has been silently present down in Egypt, multiplying the Hebrews to the extent that the land is teeming with them.
Exodus 1 also reports a further development. A new Pharaoh has come to power that has no regard for the history of Joseph (see Genesis 37). The result is that the new Pharaoh turns his power and nation against the Israelites, who up till then had enjoyed the favor of Egypt due to the legacy of Joseph. Pharaoh forces the Israelites into ruthless slave labor, causing God’s people to no longer be a free people.
This first chapter sets the stage for God to be faithful to his people. As we read thorough Exodus we will see that God is faithful to his promises. Even when it seems as if God is nowhere to be found, He is there fulfilling his promises in our lives. Have you ever had a time when you felt like God is not there? Spend some time today thinking about God’s promises in your life.
Pastor Travis