Day 18, Exodus 1-3

Today I started Exodus, the second book in the Bible, which is all about redemption and gives hope to all those who are downtrodden. “Traditionally, Jews and Christians recognize Moses as the author, writing sometime after the Exodus from Egypt.”

By now, the people of Israel have increased greatly in numbers in Egypt, since Jacob had brought seventy people with him and Joseph was already there. Joseph had died, and all of his brothers and that generation were gone.

“But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”

-Exodus 1:7

There was a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He said that the people of Israel were “too many and too mighty” for them. He was afraid that if war broke out and they allied with Egypt’s enemies, that they could fight against them and escape from the land. He directed taskmasters to rule over them to afflict them with heavy burdens, and made them slaves.

But, the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread abroad. The Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. They worked them ruthlessly as slaves with hard service.

The king of Egypt directed the Hebrew midwives to kill any sons that were born, but the daughters could live. The midwives feared God and did not do as the king commanded. When the king asked them why they did not listen, they said that the Hebrew women were not like the Egyptian women, and they gave birth before the midwife could see them. God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very strong.

The Pharaoh once again commanded all his people, “Every son that is born on the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

Moses was born to a man from the house of Levi and a Levite woman he took as his wife. He was born healthy and his mother hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she put him in a basket and placed him among the reeds on the river bank. His sister stood at a distance to know what would be done with him.

The daughter of the Pharaoh went to bathe in the river, and she found the basket. When she opened it and saw there was a child crying, she took pity on him. She sent her young woman away to find his mother.

“And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

-Exodus 2:8-10

So, what happened to Moses’ birth mother? Why would she give him away?

When Moses had grown up, he knew the burdens his people had. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Being one of his people, he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting and asked the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” The man responded with, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Moses was afraid because surely it was known what he had done. When the Pharaoh heard of the situation, he sought to kill Moses. Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian.

He sat down by a well and met the priest’s seven daughters when they came to fetch water for their father’s flock. The shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses stood up and saved them and watered their flock. When they got home, they told their father what had happened.

“He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

-Exodus 2:20-22

During this time, the king of Egypt died and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery, and cried out for help. Their cries went up to God, and God heard the groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

“God saw the people of Israel–and God knew.”

-Exodus 2:25

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He went to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. The bush was burning, but not consumed. God called to him out of the bush, but Moses was afraid to look at God.

The Lord spoke to him and said how he had heard the cries of his people who were in Egypt, and he knew their sufferings. He said he had come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and broad land.

“And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

-Exodus 3:9-12

Moses was concerned that if he went to the people of Israel and told them that God had sent him to them, they would question His name.

“God said to Moses. “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

-Exodus 3:14-15

Moses was to go to the elders of Israel and tell them that God had appeared to him, and that he promised to bring them out of the affliction of Egypt. Then, the elders would go to the king of Egypt and say how ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews’ had met with them, and they were to journey three days into the wilderness so they could make sacrifices to the ‘Lord our God.’

“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.”

-Exodus 3:19-20

Each woman should not go empty, but should ask all of their neighbors for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing. It should be put on their sons and daughters. “So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”