Exodus 1-3

Exodus 1-3

Day 19

Chapter 1     we pretty much pick up where we left off in Genesis.  The Israelites had been traded into slavery for food due to the famine.  We are reminded that of all Israel's sons that when to Egypt with Jacob.  Joseph and all of that generation has died now but the Israelites as a whole have multiplied and are great in number.  There was a  new king that didn't know about Joseph and was threatened by the Israelites and thought they were becoming "too numerous." The Egyptian leaders are fearful of how strong God's people were growing.  The Egyptians saw this is a threat to take over and they thought that their national security was at risk. So, the Egyptians made the Israelite slaves work even harder....they demand greater productivity from them.  They also tell the midwives who help out with childbirth, to kill the boys that are born.  By God's providence, they are fearful of God and do not follow this order of  the Egyptians.   Just as a sidenote.....it says that the women used "delivery stools" during childbirth (v. 16). Silly me...I thought that sounded a little helpful.....picturing an actual stool that might hold you up while you squatted down.  Noooooooooo.  This doesn't sound too helpful after reading my footnotes.....nooooope my lady friends....it was simply two rocks!  Yep!  Two rocks or stones that they SAT ON as a support that was placed between them!!  OUCH!  No thanks!  Are you kiding me??!  Two rocks??!  But the midwives, alyways just seemed to "arrive a little late" to the birth of the Israelite boys.  The Egyptian king couldn't understand why there  were boys being born and living.  The midwives said, "oh Pharaoh...they Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women....they are vigorous and give birth before we can even arrive!"   (v. 19)  God blesses the midwives faith as they have the greatest honor a woman can have.....families of their own...stones and all! :)   

Chapter 2  Moses is born to Joched (mother) and his father, Amram).  They are determined to protect him, put him in the baby basket, and float him down the Nile River.  Further downstream is where Pharaoh's daughter went to bathe and "draws" the baby out of the water--thus his name...Moses...to be drawn out of the water (v.10).  Moses was saved, grew up to be an an older child, was adopted as a son by Pharaoh but knew that his heart was that of a Hebrew Israelite and still identified himself as such.

One day, after Moses grew up, he fleed to Midian and saw his people hard at work and how terrible they were being treated. He saw an Egpytian beating a Hebrew, and with no one around to be a witness, Moses killed the man.  Then he saw two fellow Hebrews fighting each other and made a snide  comment to Moses...."are you going to kill us like you did  the other guy??!"  Oooooo...Moses didn't think anyone saw him.  Be careful what you do...for you never know who is watching!  Live your life as if someone is always watching!   At least God always is.  Makes me think of that show on TV tonight..."True Beauty."  There are about 10 contestants.  They all think it is a "beauty pagent" show and that the most beautiful person will win.  And for the most part they are all sooooooo conceited that they can hardly be nice!!!  So there are judges behind the scenes with hidden cameras to see just how pretty and beautiful they act when they think no one is watching!  Then, at the end of each show, whoever was "the ugliest" acting and didn't have "true beauty" gets kicked off!   Sorry....back to Moses!   :)  Pharaoh tries to kill Moses for stepping up and trying to fight against the Egyptians and he takes off for Midian.  He gets some help along the way from a shepherds family.  Moses stayed there for awhile, married one of the daughters, Zipporah, and they had a son, Gershom.  The Israelites have been a along time in slavery, the king dies, and the Israelites cry out to God. T hey cry out and groaned in their slavery and God heard them!  God remembered His covenant with them and looked down on them and was concerned!

Chapter 3 Moses and the burning bush......the biblical movie equivalent to "Fireproof?"  noooo.  God calls to Moses from within the bush, Moses says, "here I am!"   He was standing on holy ground (sing with me...."you are standing.....on holy ground...and I know that there are angels all around...."  )   The Lord says he he has seen the suffering and heard the crying of the His people.  The Lord is concerned with  their suffering.  Things are starting to look up for the Israelites. Their suffering and pain is starting to turn into a miraculous deliverance!  If you think God has ever forgotten you...don't.  He will always do what He says he will do.  He is going to make them a great nation, give them land of their own and bless them!!!! 

Lessons learned:  God sees everything...He will not forget you, leave you behind or break His promises.   God loves you and wants a relationship with you.  He created YOU for that sole reason...to love and love and love.  So go get busy....love on God and get loved on by Him today!

Thy will be done...........