Exodus 1

         Verses 1-7: Chapter 1 opens with wording that is nearly identical to that of Genesis 46:8. We are then given a very brief genealogy that concludes in verse 5 with the number seventy as the total of Jacob’s household when he arrived in Egypt. That includes Joseph and his family which Moses did not include in Genesis 46:26, hence the number sixty-six in that verse. Acts 7:14 gives the total of Jacob’s household as seventy-five, but that number most likely includes the five grandsons of Joseph. (Genesis 50:23) Keep in mind that Hebrew custom was to list and count in genealogies only the sons, so these numbers do not include all the wives and daughters. (Although, there seems to be an exception in 46:26, since those four would include Joseph, his wife, and his two sons.) As I noted previously, it was very likely that the actual number of Jacob’s house was closer to one hundred and thirty or forty. God had indeed blessed Israel and all his sons before they even arrived in Egypt, and now God would continue to bless Jacob’s descendants in the same manner, as verse 7 confirms.
 
     Verses 8-14: A new Pharaoh ascends the throne, one of the Hyksos lineage. The Hyksos were not native to Egypt. According to my study Bible, “…the Hyksos came forcefully into Egypt between 1720 and 1700 B.C. and were expelled about 1570 B.C. This would better fit the time in which Jacob came down to Egypt, 430 years before the Exodus (Exodus 12:40), thus entering Egypt about 1877 B.C.”  That commentary goes on to say that Joseph died around 1805 B.C. which means that there was more than enough years in Egypt by the time of the Hyksos invasion for the conquering Pharaoh to say, “…Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:” (v.9) The new Pharaoh is afraid of the Hebrew nation, scorning Joseph’s privileged status and honor among the previous dynastic line of Egyptian rulers. He institutes a system of control and forced labor for the Israelites, lest they side with Egypt’s enemies in the event of another invasion. (v.10-11) As with all foreign conquerors, the new ruler is fearful of being overthrown as well as eager to build new monuments to himself, and thus he sees in the children of Israel – who are also a foreign nation – a way of killing two birds with one stone.
         But even under an oppressive regime the Israelites continue to be fruitful and multiply, causing even more anxiety and grief for the new Pharaoh. (v.12) He and his taskmasters make the lives of the Israelites “…bitter with hard bondage…” by forcing them to manufacture bricks for the cities as well as being laborers in the fields, harvesting grain and other crops. (v.13-14) Yet, in this time of great sorrow, God continues to bless the children of Israel, as the remainder of this chapter shows.
 
       Verses 15-22: Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill any child that is revealed to be a male at the time of birth. These two women were probably singled out because they were in charge of all the midwives within the nation of Israel. (v.15) (Matthew 2:16, Acts 7:19) But, of course, the midwives fear God more than the Pharaoh, and they disobey his vile order. (v.17) When Pharaoh summons them to account for their disobedience they tell him that by the time they get to the homes of the women who are in labor, the child is already born and it’s too late to intervene. (v.19) (Joshua 2:4, 2 Samuel 17:19-20) Yes, these women lied to Pharaoh, but God does not punish them for lying. (v.20) Quite the opposite, in fact. God honors their obedience to Him, and the children of Israel continue to multiply and grow, becoming an even more powerful and mighty nation. (Genesis 15:1, Ruth 2:12, Proverbs 11:18, Ecclesiastes 8:12, Isaiah 3:10, Hebrews 6:10)
      God also specifically blesses the midwives. (v.21) (1 Samuel 2:35, 2 Samuel 7:11, 13, 27, 29, 1 Kings 2:24, 11:38, Psalm 127:1)
       Pharaoh, furious with their insubordination, orders his people to intervene by casting into the river any male Hebrew baby that they discover at the time of birth. (v.22)
 
        From the very beginning, Satan has been working in the hearts of wicked men to thwart God’s plan for His chosen people. This is not the first time a powerful ruler of a heathen nation would actively seek genocide against the children of Israel. But the midwives feared God and trusted Him more than their own lives. They risked severe punishment – and even death – to defy Pharaoh in obedience to God, and God rewarded them accordingly. So it should be for us today. The law and ordinances of God always come first, and if man’s laws conflict with God’s law, then God’s law is what should be obeyed, no matter the cost – even of our own lives.