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Exodus 1:
Reading #159 The conditions in Egypt
The early books of the Bible are named for us in our English Bibles by
using their subjects as titles. Thus Genesis, “The beginning”, Exodus,
“The going out”, and Leviticus, “The laws”.
In this second book we now pass on to another period in the history of
God’s representative people, for the time had come when they could do
no more for the people of Egypt by direct contact. (See Mark 6:11).
First we are reminded that all this started with only seventy people who
were publicly dedicated to God’s work. (When Stephen mentions in his
history lesson that there were seventy-five he includes the five children of
Ephraim and Manasseh. Acts 7:14.)
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Exodus 1:
1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into
Egypt; every man and his household [who] came with Jacob.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
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And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls:
for Joseph was in Egypt already. 6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers
and sisters, and all that generation. 7 And the children of Israel were
fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding
mighty; and the land was filled with them.
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The next verses take us to a time about eighty years before the actual
departure from Egypt. The condition of the people of God over those
intervening 100 plus years can be gauged by the fact that the Spirit does
not record for us any significant event happening during that time, and
the fact that the free people of God were able to be enslaved. Yet we read
that they prospered in a family way.
Various kings came and went until at last we have the one ruling at the
time of the birth of Moses. (I favour a time period of about 1500BC for
that, in line with the principle of Hebrews 4, although many scholars are
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opposed to that timing. In fact, there is quite a bit of disagreement among
Egyptologists on dates!)
Just before this event the rulers of the city of Thebes, successively
Kamose, Ahmose, Amenhotep, Thutmose I, had become the masters of
Egypt by overthrowing the conquerors, and they had commenced an
expansion policy throughout the then known world. (See note at the end
of the reading.)
“Mose” means “drawn out from”, “son, or daughter, of”, or “one born
of”. Thus Ahmose “daughter of (the moon god) Ah”; Kamose “drawn
out of Ka (a consecrated soul); Thutmose “son of (the scribal god)
Thoth; and the very common name, Ramose, later Ramses, “the one born
of (the sun god) Ra. In every day life these were often shortened to
“Moses” like our “Junior”, and could be applied to both male and female.
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Exodus 1:
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. [In a
new dynasty or kingly line – the 18th. See note at the end of this reading] 9 And he
said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more
and mightier than we [more than the Egyptian ruling class. See Psalm 105:24]. 10
Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to
pass, that, when there falls out any war, they join also to our enemies, and
fight against us, and so get them up out of the land [conquer us and leave
Egypt].”
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their
burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure [temple] cities, Pithom and
Raamses [as it was afterwards called. This name change has led many to place the
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Hebrews much later in Egyptian history even though they cannot find any record of
them there, but it could have been renamed after it was built and the newer name used
by a later copier.]
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.
And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 And the
Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour [slavery]: 14 and
they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick
[building cities], and in all manner of service in the field [tending the crops]:
all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
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The great Christian man to whom Egypt owed so much, and the
generation blessed by his labours, had passed to the grave. And after that
there arose up a new king who, we are told, didn’t know Joseph. This
does not mean that he was ignorant of Joseph's services to the nation, but
he wished to make no recognition of them, and, so far as possible, to bury
them in oblivion. This was a favourite pastime of Pharaohs of new
dynasties who often tried to erase the records of previous rulers.
The Israelites had already become very numerous. Under Joseph's
fostering care, and the favour of the kings who followed, they had spread
rapidly over the land of Goshen. But they had kept themselves a distinct
race, having nothing in common with the Egyptians in customs or
religion; and their increasing numbers now aroused the fears of the new
leaders and their people, lest in case of war they should join themselves
with the enemies of Egypt.
Yet policy forbade their banishment from the country. Many of them
were able and understanding workmen, and they added greatly to the
wealth of the nation; the kings needed such labourers for the erection of
their magnificent palaces and temples. Accordingly they classed them
with the Egyptians who had sold themselves with their possessions to the
kingdom, and removed their privileges. Soon taskmasters were set over
them, and eventually their slavery became complete. However, enough
of them retained faith in the Son of God for Him to be able to carry out
His plan.
At first the kings and their counsellors hoped to subdue the Israelites with
hard labour, and thus decrease their numbers and crush out their
independent spirit, but it didn’t work. They even compelled their women
to work in the fields, as though they were field slaves, but this scheme
didn’t prosper either, they still kept on having lots of children. So a
course was taken in which they attempted to kill the males, but save the
females. This was based on the thought that the Hebrew women would
then intermarry with the Egyptians and strengthen the nation, while the
distinctive Hebrews would disappear (assimilation). This was already
happening in a minor way, of course.
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Exodus 1:
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And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the
name of the one was Shiphrah [“Beauty”], and the name of the other Puah
[“Lass” or “Girl”]: 16 and he said, “When you do the office of a midwife to
the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools [giving birth]; if it be a
son, then you shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.” 17
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt
commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
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And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why
have you done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?” 19 And
the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as
the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the
midwives come in to them.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the
midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21 And it
came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them
houses [gave them loving homes and many descendants].
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Failing to accomplish their purpose by the hard work, the Egyptians
proceeded to more cruel measures. Orders were issued to the women
whose employment gave them opportunity for executing the command to
destroy the Hebrew male children at their birth – a death decree.
Satan was the real mover in this matter. He knew that a deliverer (an
Elijah type person) was to be raised up among the Israelites; and by
leading the kings to destroy their male children he hoped to defeat the
divine purpose. But the midwives loved God, and refused to murder the
Hebrew children. Because they would not obey the unlawful command
of the king, the LORD was able to prosper them. Earthly rulers do not
have unlimited power – they are called as servants to the LORD (See
Daniel 4:17) - but they are free to obey or disobey. However, if they
choose to overstep their jurisdiction, His commandments override theirs,
for He is King of kings. 1 Timothy 6:15.
It is written:
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Romans 13:
1 Let every [Christian] soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no
power [in charge] but of God [see John 19:11. HOW they are chosen is something
we could look at another time, if anyone is interested].
The powers that be are ordained [given a job, Daniel 4:17] of God [This was
written when Nero was emperor of the world!]. 2 Whoever therefore resists the
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power, resists the ordinance [the ruler] of God: and they that resist shall
receive to [bring upon] themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror
to [those who do] good works [are obedient to law], but to the evil [the rejecters
of God’s protection, rebels].
Will you then not be afraid of the power? [Do you want to free of the
authorities?] Do that which is good [be obedient], and you shall have praise
of the same: 4 for he is the minister of God to you for good [for your
protection]. But if you do that which is evil [break the civil law], be afraid
[don’t presume that God will help you]; for he bears not the sword in vain: for
he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does
evil [any criminal in civil matters].
Wherefore you must needs be subject [to him], not only for wrath [not just
because of fear of punishment], but also for conscience sake [because you
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believe he, the king, the president, the dictator, policeman etc. is God’s agent to
protect you from evil men. God will protect you from him!].
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Let us keep in mind that these earthly authorities have power from God
only in earthly matters. When they overstep the boundary, then we
should politely disobey and leave the result with He who does have that
authority. (Consider the first six chapters in the book of Daniel which
teach us that principle.) If we do this, we are assured of His continued
and complete protection.
The LORD approved the course taken by the midwives even though they
told what could look like an evasion, but which was the truth, in their
answer to Pharaoh. Jesus obviously cared for them, giving them a
mention by name in His eternal book. He deals with us as He finds us,
not necessarily condoning all we do, but certainly using those actions and
speech to accomplish His purpose. (It’s an interesting thought that the
two midwives are named, but the Pharaoh is not. Who is really great in
God’s sight?) There appears to be only two of them for the whole
extended family because the births of most of the Hebrew women could
be handled by their female relatives and were obviously easier than those
of the Egyptian women.
A little aside here:
It is not in harmony with the instruction given in the Word of God that
male physicians should do the work of midwives. The Bible speaks of
women at childbirth being attended by women, and thus it ought always
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to be. Women should be educated and trained to act skilfully as midwives
and doctors to their own sex. This is the LORD's plan. Back to our story:
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Exodus 1:
22 And Pharaoh [then] charged all his [own] people, saying, “Every son that
is born you shall cast into the river [Nile], and every daughter you shall
save alive.”
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The king, angry at the failure of his plan, made the command more urgent
and extensive. The whole nation was called upon to hunt out and
slaughter his helpless victims by giving them to the river god. This
brought on the battle of God against the gods. Satan has often used this
idea of mass slaughter in history and yet has never been successful with
it, for the Son of God has always been able to protect those who allow
Him that privilege.
It is even possible that many native Egyptians also ignored Pharaoh’s
command because they liked the Hebrews (his daughter did!) In fact, to
obey the king’s command many Egyptians had to live with, and in close
proximity to, the people of God. Thus they learned something of His
ways of love and rejected Satan’s way. Exodus 3:22. Coming in to kill,
many of them found their own salvation and became what is known as
“the mixed multitude”. This “multitude” was a great crowd, comprised
of reborn Egyptians and those who had married into Israel.
Unfortunately, many were not as close to the Son of God as they could
have been and dwelt on the outskirts of the camp.
So Israel prospered and grew in numbers regardless of the opposition.
But the time came when they could do no more for the Egyptians. The
leaders and the people of Egypt turned their backs on the Son of God and
He had to leave them to their chosen fate.
Back next week,
Bye,
Ron
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http://www.touregypt.net/18dyn03.htm
Egypt's Official Internet Site of:
The Ministry of Tourism, Egypt
The Egyptian Tourist Authority
Thutmose I
(Akheperkare)
1493-1481 B.C.
18th Dynasty
The third king of the 18th Dynasty was a commoner by birth. He had
married Ahmose, a sister of Amenhotep I, and was named king when the
king died childless. Ahmose bore him two sons who were passed over for
Thutmose II, who was born to Mutnofret.
Thutmose built an extension to the temple of Amon at Karnak. He added
pylons, courts and statues. He led a campaign into Nubia [Africa] where he
penetrated beyond the Third Cataract. He defeated the Nubian chief in a
hand to hand combat and returned to Thebes with the body of the fallen
chief hanging on the prow of his ship.
His greatest campaigns were in the Delta. Warring against the Hyksos he
subdued tribes and finally reached the Euphrates River.
To commemorate his victory he built a hypostyle hall at Karnak, made
entirely of cedar wood columns. His remains were found in the cache,
with others, at Deir el Bahri. Thutmose brought Egypt a sense of stability
and his military campaigns healed the wounds of Thebians.
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