Down through the centuries Israel has been persecuted but the last verse of chapter one must rank one of the first. This is a systematic plan of execution that was designed to break the will of the people of Israel and exterminate them from the face of the earth.

1 – The descent into Egypt (vs. 1-5)

There are 70 males plus their wives and their children. They are escaping the famine in Palestine to stay under the protection of Egypt and Joseph. Goshen had been assigned to the people. God is at hand in bringing this descent into Egypt.

• Chastening of God – They had been unfaithful to God.
• To preserve them physically – Egypt was the bread basket of the world at that time. To isolate them geographically.
• Israel had to be isolated from the Canaanites. Egypt would have nothing to do with shepherds or foreigners.
• To educate them administratively – To prepare them to organise their own nation.
• To develop them spiritually – To cultivate their faith.

2 – Joseph dies (vs. 6-7)

After Joseph dies the Egyptians show much the same respect for his relations. Their crops grow abundantly and the population multiplies for 75 years after the death of Joseph.

3 – The rise of a new king (vs. 8-14)

Egypt is invaded by a horde of Asians (Hyksos) who not only break the back of Egyptian rule but who take over the throne and the entire administration of the kingdom of Egypt. There are three reasons why they oppressed Israel.

• They did not know Joseph.
• They were more and mightier than the new rulers. The Israelites could not have outnumbered the Egyptians.
• The Hyksos feared that the Egyptians might rise against them and that the Israelites might help them.

The oppression comes in the form of slavery. They are put in small bands under taskmasters with their long whips. They are given the task of building the large treasure cities for the invaders. The Hyksos ruled for 146 years. They wiped out the potential threat but the people of Israel continue to multiply.

4 – The return of Egyptian rule to the land of Egypt (vs. 15-22)

The land was ridded of the foreign invaders but now there is anti-foreign resentment against the Hebrews. They feared the possibility of these many Israelites might take over the land like the Hyksos. They are two waves to this second persecution.

• The Hebrew midwives are to observe when a child is being born. If a son they were to do all in their power to make sure it died. If a girl it would be permitted to live. The midwives do not carry out the directive and lie to Pharaoh. They feared God rather than Pharaoh.
• Every Egyptian is to kill any young Hebrew male they find and drown him in the Nile. Extinction seems certain.

Categories: Exodus