• Exodus 1:1-4

Exodus 1:1-4

Sermon preached on July 21, 2002 by Laurence W. Veinott. © Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. Other sermons can be found at http://www.cantonnewlife.org/.

Unless otherwise noted, quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.


A couple of years ago I was in Canada in a bookstore and I saw a book titled, "Why I Hate Canadians". (This is a true story. I'm not making this up.) I was rather surprised to see a book with that title, especially because I was in Canada. But I thought it was an interesting title so I picked it up and looked at it. I found that it was written by a Canadian. It was published by a Canadian company. Later I even found out that it was a best seller in Canada. I guess it's a very funny book. Canadians like making fun of themselves and that is what the book is about.

As soon as I started reading the book, I felt a connection with the stories. I'm Canadian and because of that I knew the book related to me. In a certain sense it was about me, about what I'm like.

Connections are important. It's important that we see some connections. Did you ever see the TV show called "Connections". It shows the connections between different discoveries, inventions and events and how they came together at a certain time and changed the course of history.

In the same way,

Exodus is about connections.

We see this in the very opening words of Exodus. There are two things to note here.

First of all, Exodus begins with the word 'And'. We don't see this in most English translations, but it's there in the Hebrew. Peter Enns writes,

"Although the presence of 'and' at the beginning of the book may seem odd, it functions here to join Exodus to what has come before."

"And these are the names
of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt..."

Why would this be? Again, it's to show us that the events in Exodus are connected with what happened previously in Genesis. As Peter Enns writes,

"Exodus is to be read as a continuation of the past, it is one part of a larger story."

"Now these things occurred as examples
to keep us from setting our hearts
on evil things as they did.
Do not be idolaters,
as some of them were;
as it is written:
'The people sat down to eat and drink
and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.'
We should not commit sexual immorality,
as some of them did —
and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
We should not test the Lord,
as some of them did — and were killed by snakes.
And do not grumble,
as some of them did —
and were killed by the destroying angel."

We are to learn from them because there's a connection between us and them.

But how exactly are we connected?

1 Corinthians 10 speaks about how many of the old events are patterns for us to learn from. That is certainly the case. But how are they to be a pattern for us.

First of all, we see that the opening of Exodus draws attention to God's promise of blessing.

Consider the first words of Exodus. After the first six words the there is a little bit of a divergence between Exodus and Genesis 48. Both list the names of the sons of Israel who went down into Egypt but after the first six words Exodus 1 follows more closely the list of Jacob's sons that is in Genesis 35:23-26. In other words, the first words of Exodus don't just draw our attention to Genesis 48, but to Genesis 35 as well. Why is that? What's interesting about Genesis 35 is that the context there has to do with the divine blessing given to Jacob. (verses 11-12) God said to Jacob,

"I am God Almighty;
be fruitful and increase in number.
A nation and a community of nations
will come from you,
and kings will come from your body.
The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac
I also give to you,
and I will give this land
to your descendants after you."

It's like the author in Exodus is drawing our attention to the promise given to the patriarchs in Genesis. Indeed, in the opening of Exodus, we see that promise being fulfilled.

But there's more than just the connection with the promises in Genesis.

Secondly, in Exodus we see a very strong relationship to some of the creation themes in Genesis.

For example, in Exodus 1:7 we read,

"but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly
and became exceedingly numerous,
so that the land was filled with them."

What does that remind you of? It recalls God's blessing on Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28. We read,

"God blessed them and said to them,
'Be fruitful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
and over every living creature
that moves on the ground."

It also recalls Noah's blessing of His sons in Genesis 9:1. He said to them,

"Be fruitful and increase in number
and fill the earth."

So we see that there's a relationship not only between the promises in Genesis, but to the creation ordinances as well. The increase of the Israelites in Egypt was a fulfillment of the creation command. The opening of Exodus 1 draws our attention to that as well.

So what does the beginning of Exodus teach us? The beginning of Exodus points back both to creation and to the promises of God that were given to the patriarchs. It brings us back—to God's power in creation and to His promises of redemption. Thus,

Exodus urges us to have the same faith that the patriarchs had. It urges us to trust God like they did.

We need to have faith. Indeed, we need to have great faith. We need to have faith like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

One of the questions that some theologians have asked about the opening of Exodus is,

"Where is God?"

"The 'absence' of God in chapter 1 is sorely felt by the Hebrew slavesÖ The appearance of God in 2:23-25 must be seen in light of the Israelites perception of his absence in chapter 1. 'How could God allow this terrible turn of events to take place? Why has the God of our fathers, the God who promised his abiding faithfulness to us and our ancestors, allowed us to become slaves?Ö Why has God forgotten us?"

"Against all hope,
Abraham in hope believed
and so became the father of many nations,
just as it had been said to him,
'So shall your offspring be.'"

Abraham was given a promise. He believed God against all hope. God proved to be true.

The same is to be true for us. When we look at our situation, the challenges that face us, the difficulties that are all around us, we are not to look at them in isolation. We are to understand that we need to have faith like Abraham. Indeed, the story of Abraham is to inspire us and give us hope. In other words,

we are to consider God's past deliverances of His people and such consideration is to help our faith.

We are God's people. God's dealings with His people in the past show us much about God, about how He dealt with His people then, how faithful He is.

God has not changed. Remember God's words to Moses at the burning bush. He said, (Exodus 3:5)

"I am the God of your father,
the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."

From the very beginning with Moses, God put things in perspective. He is a God who has been faithful in the past. He is a God that their fathers found absolutely reliable. He is a God who can be trusted.

The opening words of Exodus showed the people of God that they are connected to the past. The Holy Spirit wants us to use this viewpoint to gain a 'true historical perspective' on our situation. (Enns) We are connected to the past. Peter Enns writes,

"Israel, though a variety of circumstances, finds itself in a foreign and hostile place. However the people might choose to view that present circumstance, the author reminds them that the full story is one that stretches back to their ancient ancestors and even to the very beginning of the world itself. It is only in seeing their situation from the broad, divine point of view that the readers can hope to gain a full understanding of their lot in life."

The same is true for us. Even though we are in the beginning of the 21st century, we are to remember that our story is part of one that began at creation, that continued through the patriarchs, through the deliverance from Egypt, through the conquest of Canaan, through the kingdom of Israel, through the prophets, through Jesus and the apostles, through the 20 centuries since. It is one that will continue until Jesus comes again. Peter Enns writes,

"God's people are never alone. They belong to him who rules creation and history. The story of the Israelites captivity and eventual escape from Egypt does not hurry to chapter 14 and the crossing of the Red Sea. Rather it lingers, not only in the present captivity but in the past—the past of ancient ancestors and even creation itself. The writer is somewhat emphatic to show the Israelites that 'who you are now' must be understood in connection with 'who came before you and who they were.' What the Israelites could come to expect from God in their present situation is directly related to how he dealt with the Israelites in the past."

"No servant is greater than his master.
If they persecuted me,
they will persecute you also."

Indeed, much of 1 Peter is about Christians suffering and how they should react to it. Suffering comes before glory. Romans 8:18 says,

"I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Hebrews 12:2-3 urges us to,

"fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him
endured the cross,
scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinful men,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

The life of faith is not always an easy one. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Remember what Paul and Barnabas told the disciples in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch? In Acts 14 we read that they strengthened and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. They said, (verse 22)

"We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God."

The situation of God's people today is often similar to the people of God in Exodus. We must be strong and have great faith.

Many people, today, if they were treated like God sometimes treated the Israelites in Exodus, would abandon Christianity. The Israelites were enslaved and oppressed. When God finally told them that He was concerned about them and would deliver them, things got worse. After crossing the Red Sea they traveled three days before they found water, and when they tasted it, it was bitter. They couldn't drink it. When Moses went up to the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, he was too long, and the people tired of waiting for him.

How strong is your faith? Could it withstand such trials?

God's people of old went through very great trials. Life was not easy for them. Life can be like that for us as well.

One of the lessons that Exodus teaches us is that our faith is not to be grounded in good circumstances.

That was Satan's charge against Job. He said to God, (Job 1:9f)

"Does Job fear God for nothing?
Have you not put a hedge around him
and his household and everything he has?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
so that his flocks and herds
are spread throughout the land.
But stretch out your hand
and strike everything he has,
and he will surely curse you to your face."

But Job's faith was not based on good circumstances. Remember what he said in Job 13:15,

"Though he slay me,
yet will I hope in him;"

He was going to trust God even if God raised His hand against him to slay him. Job's faith was not in good circumstances. It was in God. We must always remember that as well. The object of our faith is Jesus Christ. The ground of our faith is not good circumstances.

The ground of our faith is in God's Word, what He has said.

Exodus is a great book. It's a book about the Israelites being in trouble, facing great obstacles and troubles. By their actions some of them proved that they were not God's people. Yet all the while God held His people in His hand.

In his commentary on Exodus Peter Enns talks about questions that people sometimes ask.

"Who am I? Where did I come from? Where do I fit in? Where is my niche in life?"

What is God like? What is my relationship to Him? How am I to respond to His dealings with me? How am I to respond when things go well for me? How am I to respond when God sends bad things my way?

"The primary lesson… is to teach us what God is like and what it means for his people to live with that knowledge… The Bible is an argument to God's people that God is worthy of our worship."

"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea."

Or think of Psalms 78 and 105. They praised God for His great deliverance from Egypt. John Calvin writes,

"the deliverance of his ancient people reflects, as in a bright mirror, the incomparable power, as well as the boundless mercy, of God in raising up, and as it were engendering his Church."

"But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions —
it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us
with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages
he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

In the coming ages we are going to be to the praise of God's glory. Indeed, if we are faithful now, that is what is happening now. Ephesians 3:10f reads,

"His intent was that now,
through the church,
the manifold wisdom of God
should be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
according to his eternal purpose
which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Our lives now can display the manifold wisdom of God and result in glory, honor and praise to God from the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

Christians, always believe, always hope, always trust. Jesus is true. Never let your faith in Him falter. Never let it waiver.

Lastly, for those of you who aren't Christians.

What have you heard today? You've hard that God takes care of His people. Even though at times everything seems to be against them, they will assuredly emerge triumphant. God is always with them and His promises regarding them will come true. They will triumph.

Know assuredly that unless you go to Christ, the opposite will be true for you. Everything may look good for you right now but unless you're in Christ, it will not end that way. In order for you to be safe you need to be among the people of God. You need to trust in Jesus. That's not merely good advice. It's the command of Jesus Himself. Go to Him and find life.

You've also heard that Christians will be for the praise of God's glory. That's the greatest thing in the world. Their lives have meaning, meaning that will last forever.

Unless you go to Jesus, your life will have no meaning. It will have been totally wasted. You were created for God's glory. You need to go to Christ and start living for God's glory. Otherwise, as Jesus said, you are good for nothing. He said, (Matthew 5:13)

"if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

Go to Jesus. Go to Him now.