Exodus 1

In every passage, I'm going to be looking for the basics of theology: What it says about God, what it says about us (humanity), and what it says about our relationship to God. Some passages may be longer than others because the point may take more space on the page to get through. But yeah, that's my plan; we'll see what God does with it! 

It's kind of like a notebook, so don't expect to be able to read it by itself. You'll have to read it along with the Bible!

Exodus 1

Verses 8-14: The Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites because there were so many of them. They consequently decided that they would make them work harder to keep them in check. Two things are evidently at work in the Egyptians: 1. The subliminal satanic hatred and persecution of Israel, and 2. The worldly fear of men. 

1. The hatred and persecution of Israel: Perhaps not so obvious in the actual Egyptian people; they just seemed afraid of them because they were a huge group of slaves that seemed like they could revolt any time. Yet underneath this fear is a deeper and more subliminal motivation for persecution: Satan himself, working through Egypt. Revelation 12:13-17 tells the reason that Satan persecutes Israel. The Messiah, God in the flesh, would come through the nation of Israel. His motivation is to destroy the Messiah, and to destroy the nation that God loves in a special way. That is why the Jews have been persecuted throughout history and still are to this day. But as the passage in Revelation tells, Satan will never succeed in destroying Israel. Why? Because they are chosen by God, and "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29), and with Him "there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). 

2. The Egyptians did not trust God at all. They followed other gods, and consequently could not trust them to deliver them should the Israelites turn on them. Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." The Egyptians were not on the Lord's side, so they were right to be afraid! Yet they were afraid of Israel, not God. 

Verses 15-21: A contrast

Two women stood up against the command of Pharaoh. They feared the Lord rather than man, and what happened? They were blessed! Had they feared Pharaoh, they would have followed his command. Yet they feared the Lord! They understood that God is more powerful than the greatest king, and they acted accordingly, knowing the desire of the Lord. They held the conviction shown by Peter and the other apostles over a thousand years later, "We ought to obey God rather than men," (Acts 5:29). How much more should we obey God when challenged by such small things as the opinions of others? Lord help our unbelief!

What does it say about God?

God is to be feared, respected, and obeyed. "And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," (Matthew 10:28). Those who fear Him will be blessed! "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding," (Proverbs 9:10).