1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 The total number of Jacob’s descendants was seventy; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. 7 But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them. 8 A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. 10 Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” 11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14 and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them. 15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives—the first, whose name was Shiphrah, and the second, whose name was Puah—16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21 Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people, “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.” —Exodus 1:1–22 CSB
I. Pharaoh the Anti God
A. Exodus may is viewed by most as a uplifting account of how God delivers oppressed slaves from harsh exploitation.
Pharaoh is presented as an anti-God figure, whose actions are clearly intended to curb the fulfillment of God’s purposes on earth.
Pharaoh’s antagonism toward the Israelites is much more than xenophobia. It is an attack on God and his will for humanity.
This is God’s battle and He uses everyday people to fight it. He moves the mountains but His people are involved every step of the way.
In large measure Exodus 1 reminds us of what the world is like when God is excluded.
The description of Pharaoh’s treatment of the Israelites is a chilling reminder of how easily one people group may turn against another, harshly exploiting them under the guise of national interest.
Pharaoh convinced himself he was doing right for his country.
B. Pharaoh used regular people
Pharaoh relied on the support of ordinary Egyptians in order to implement his policies of exploitation, oppression, and genocide.
History reveals that, in situations where one people group has sought to dominate another, too often Christians have failed to identify clearly the evil at work and fight!
Christians should ever be alert and quick to respond when governments advocate policies that are deliberately designed to work against the well-being of marginal communities.
C. God’s kingdom on earth
Shiphrah and Puah honored God in the stance that they took.
If we are to do God’s will and see his kingdom come on earth, we must be prepared to stand up for him against hatred and injustice, even at the risk of our lives.
Not only did God reward Shiphrah and Puah immediately with families, but their names have gone down in history.
II. The Righteous believer
A. Throughout history, believers have taken courageous stands for life
Biography: During World War II, as Jews were being systematically hunted down and marked for death, offering them safe haven meant risking imprisonment and death. Yet Casper ten Boom, when asked why he willingly took such a risk, commented, “It would be an honor to give my life for God’s ancient people.” Soon after stating this conviction, Casper, his four children, and a nephew were taken into custody after being betrayed as members of the underground in Holland. All told, they had saved an estimated eight hundred Jews. Now they faced the horror of a Nazi prison camp. Only one of Casper’s daughters, Corrie, survived. This brave woman went on to inspire millions, sharing a message of God’s unfailing love and the power of forgiveness. We never know where a courageous stand will lead us in this life, but we can be sure it is worth any price!
I read her book “the hiding place”, saw the movie.
Her father was a watchmaker. She trained to be a watchmaker herself, and in 1922, she became the first woman to be licensed as a watchmaker in the Netherlands.
“There is no pit so deep, the love of God is not deeper still,” she said this of the prison camp she was in.
B. Righteous believers see evil at work.
When the signs are not identified and addressed, the consequences can be tragic. We must be alert to the dangerous, subtle creep of evil in our lives and world.
Righteousness matters. It keeps us frosty and alert.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. —James 5:16-18
So many battles we try to fight without prayer. We just don’t believe it is effective. Do we not believe because we are not living a righteous life?
C. Be prepared to stand up against hatred and injustice.
History: On June 5, 1989, the world outside communist China sat enthralled, watching as one man, holding two shopping bags, stopped a line of tanks headed to Tiananmen Square to break up a student-led freedom protest. This solitary figure has never been identified, yet his stand for freedom has been immortalized.
Shiphrah and Puah stood faithfully before an overwhelming and menacing foe.
We must be ready to stand up against hatred and injustice, even in the face of overwhelming odds and uncertain outcomes.
III. The fear of God.
A. The fear of God gave courage to the midwives.
Fear of the lord is not only the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 but is also a way we can find courage in persecution.
Man Dad used to say “The fear of God is the intimate knowledge that he is with you, watching and weighing everything you thinks and do.
It is exactly the loss of the fear of God that has so many acting out in these mass shootings. They are expecting to die.
This is not the end. Man was created for eternity.
4 “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear! —Luke 12:4-5
They world can kill our bodies but we cannot die. God is with us and in us. He expects you to fear Him over His enemies that want to hurt you.
B. Do not become friends with His enemy.
You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So, whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. —James 4:4
Remember who you are! My Dad used to say that to me every time I left the house.
It is easier to slowly compromise than it is to stand up. We have to remember This is God’s battle. It is not yours. We fight for Him. He is our mighty fortress that goes before us.
He will stand in the midst of the shadow and win every battle and He invites us to go with Him.
Remember whose you are! Your life is in Him.
21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord,[f] contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him… —Philippians 1:21, 27-29
It is a gift granted to us not just to believe but to suffer. This is the beginning of wisdom.
Summary
The greatest power in the region demanded the midwives do evil in the sight of the Lord. It wasn’t evil in the sight of pharaoh and the Egyptians. It was good foreign policy. It was national security. The midwives feared God and their names have been known for 3500 years. Corrie ten Boom and her family feared God and suffered for it. We as the church of Jesus, the church that the gates of hell will not prevail against. The church that when we resist the devil himself he will flee from us. We need to be ready to fight for all the image bearers of God. All of humanity! That is what Jesus did, he suffered for it and by His stripes we are healed.
For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. —Ephesians 6: 13-18