Exodus Lesson: Oppression and Birth of Moses

Exodus Lesson 1 Oppression: The Background and the Birth of Moses

Memory Text Exodus 2:23-25 NKJV The children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. How does Moses describe God in human terms in these verses? What had God promised Abraham, 400 years earlier? (Gen 15:13-14)

Overview Chapters 1 and 2 of Exodus cover the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt, the birth of Moses, and the first 40 years of Moses life. In response to the suffering of His people and in keeping with His covenant with Abraham, God intervenes to raise up a leader to deliver His people. From the palace of Egypt to a shepherd in Midian, God prepares Moses to lead His people. From Ruler to Slaves Birth of a Leader School of Hard Knocks Summary

From Ruler to Slaves How did the children of Israel get established in the land of Egypt? (Ex 1:1-7) What happened to take Jacob s descendants from royalty to slaves? (Ex 1:8-11) How did Pharaoh try to control the population of the Israelites? (Ex 1:15-16)

Birth of a Leader Who were the parents of Moses? (Ex 2:1-2) What additional information does Moses give us about his parents? (EX 6:20) How did Jochebed throw her baby boy into the Nile as the death decree demanded? (Ex 2:3-4) How did God intervene to spare the life of Moses? (Ex 2:5-8)

School of Hard Knocks What event changed the course of Moses life? (Ex 2:11-12,15) Where is Midian in relation to the royal palace n Egypt? [Map] How did Moses hook up with Jethro in Midian? (Ex 2:16-19) How does the book of Hebrews portray Moses decision to stand with God s people rather than the Egyptians? (Heb 11:24-26)

Summary The book of Exodus opens with Jacob s entire family, 70 in all, in Egypt because of the seven years of famine. In the covenant with Abraham, God promised that his descendants would sojourn in a foreign land for 400 years and become slaves there. Throughout the sojourn in Egypt, God was at work blessing His people and building a great nation that could defeat the Canaanite nations and possess the promised land as He promised Abraham. In 400 years, God took Abraham s descendants from 70 people to over 600,000 fighting-age men, and a total population that could have been well over 2 million people.

Summary Over the course of 400 years, the Israelites went from respected guests because of Joseph s high position to slaves because new Pharaohs came to power who did not know Joseph and feared the size of the Israelite nation and questioned their loyalty to Egypt. The new Pharaohs set task-masters over them and forced them into slave labor. A death decree was passed that all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the Nile river. Amram and Jochebed were blessed with a son that they hid for three months before setting him adrift in the Nile at a place where he could be discovered by the royal princess.

Summary God s providence and answer to prayer are seen in the outcome of this risky plan, as the princess finds Moses, has compassion on him, pays Jochebed to nurse him, and adopts him as her son. Moses decision to stand on God s side with God s people brings a dramatic change to his life. After killing an Egyptian he is forced to flee to Midian where he meets Jethro, marries one of his daughters, starts a family, and begins a 40-year employment as a shepherd for Jethro s flocks as God prepares Him to deliver His people. Knowing the ultimate reward of each, will you, like Moses, choose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin?

Genesis 15:13-14 NIV Then the LORD said to him [Abraham], "Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. [R]

Exodus 1:1, 5, 7 ESV These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: ... 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. ... 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. [R]

Exodus 1:8-11 ESV Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." 11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. [R]

Exodus 1:15-16 ESV Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live." [R]

Exodus 2:1-2 ESV Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. [R]

Exodus 6:20 NIV Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. [R]

Exodus 2:3-4 NIV But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. [R]

Exodus 2:5-8 NIV Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. 7Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" 8 "Yes, go," she answered. So the girl went and got the baby's mother. [R]

Exodus 2:11-12, 15 NIV One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ... 15When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. [R]

Map [R]

Exodus 2:16-19 ESV Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come home so soon today?" 19 They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock." [R]

Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. [R]