January 18

January 18

Exodus 1–3

Scripture Text: Exodus 1:1–3:22

Series: Read the Bible in a Year

Go to January 19

In this book, we will see how God greatly multiplies Abraham's descendents, keeping is covenant promise. God delivers those same people from mass enslavement, leads them to the Promised Land, gives them the Ten Commandments, and reveals how they are to worship. 

Today's reading begins with a sudden shift in a new Pharaoh's view of the Hebrews. After Joseph died, the people of Israel multiplied so greatly that Egypt was filled with them. The new Pharaoh feared them, for they were many and mighty. So, the Egyptians imposed hard labor on the Israelites. They only multiplied all the more. 

Pharaoh instituted mass puericide, the killing of all boys born to the Israelites. The Egyptians miswives feared God and would not kill the boys, so the Israelites continue to multiply. Nonetheless, Pharaoh is determined; he orders the all sons of the Hebrews to be thrown into the Nile River. Does this remind you of anyone in the Gospels? 

During this oppressive time, a Levite, those who would become priests in the Promised Land, took a wife and she bore a fine baby boy. Because of Pharaoh's mandate, she hid her son for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him among the rushes in the Nile in a watertight basket. The Hebrew word used for this basket is more fully translated as "basket ark." It is the same word used for Noah's ark. A reader of Hebrew might already know this child would be brought safely through the Nile.

The daughter of Pharaoh saw the baby and had pity on him. Eventually the boy, whom Pharaoh's daughter names Moses (meaning "to draw"), became her son despite Pharaoh's order. 

At Exodus 2:11, Moses is suddenly an adult. The "Egyptian" Moses sees a taskmaster beating a Hebrew. Moses strikes the taskmaster so hard that he kills him. As Pharaoh would now execute Moses in retribution for his unauthorized action, Moses flees Egypt for Midian, a land across the Red Sea and South of the Promised Land. Does it seem to you like God is getting Moses ready for another journey.

Moses becomes shepherd in Midian and marries and starts a family. During his absence, Pharaoh dies. The Hebrew slaves might have thought their hardships would abate but as they did not, they cried out to God even more. And God heard them.

As Moses was watching over his flock, a messenger of God appears to Moses in a burning bush. This is one of many fire images in the story to come. The messenger, not just an angel but God himself (re: Exodus 3:14), tells Moses that he will use him to deliver the Israelites, to draw them out of Egypt. The task is of such importance that God tells Moses he would be doing this in his his name, a name that derives from the word "to be" or "to exist." The eternal God is sending Moses to draw his people out of bondage to Egypt, just as Jesus would send the apostles to draw all the nations out of bondage to sin (Matthew 28:18–20).

Our reading today closes with God giving Moses a detailed plan on how to deliver the people. 

Today's Word Search Puzzle — Print and solve

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