Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Exodus. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses you through this material.
Stacey
Take a few minutes to savor Exodus Chapter 1. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations…
1:1-4 – Why are the names of Jacob’s sons listed this way? They are by mother (in the order Jacob “wed” them), then birth order. I know women were insignificant, but what happened to Dinah?
1:1 – Jacob was believed to have entered Egypt in 1875 BC.
1:8-2:2 – represents approximately 400 years of mistreatment and slavery. See Genesis 15:13.
1:8 – How could any Egyptian king not know about Joseph? Is it possible that he didn’t know how God saved them all through Joseph in the time of famine? According to a lecture I heard recently, the Egyptians didn’t record their failures to maintain historical integrity. Perhaps they saw God’s success through Joseph as their own failure.
1:11-14 – This fulfills much of God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 15.
1:15-16 – Moses and Jesus both survived infanticide perpetrated by a ruler who ordered all Hebrew baby boys killed. See Matthew 2:16. (Jews for Jesus newsletter, April 2008)
1:15 – Were these midwives Hebrew? Or were they Egyptians who were midwives to the Hebrews? Their names are Semitic (descendants of Shem - from SW Asia).
1:16 – What is the Hebrew delivery stool like? The online research I’ve done doesn’t turn up much. The sources say that the delivery stool is like a potter’s stool.
1:18-19 – Although this excuse may have been partially true, the midwives lied to Pharaoh. Shouldn’t they have told the truth? God blessed them because He promised to bless those who bless Abram in Genesis 12:3.
1:20 – God rewarded the midwives for their faithfulness to Him. So, does this mean that it is okay to deceive evil? When that choice is made because it blesses the Jews, it absolutely does. See Genesis 12:3 and the stories of these midwives and Rahab.
1:22 – Pharaoh didn’t specify Hebrew boys in this verse. Why not?
Some boys would drown. Others would be eaten by crocodiles. What other fates may have befallen them? The Nile was full of fish and water fowl came there, too. Were these creatures carnivorous?
What attributes of God have you observed in your study today? How will this change your relationship with Him?
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