The Deliverer Pharaoh Raised

 The Deliverer Pharaoh Raised

Exodus 2:1-10

 

 

Today we begin with the story of a young Levite couple living in one of the darkest periods of Israel’s history.

 

Pharaoh feared the growing population of the Israelites and sought to destroy them. First, he oppressed them with forced labor. When that failed, he ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the baby boys at birth. When that also failed, he commanded that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile.

 

It was during this time of persecution that a Levite man and woman married and started a family. We later learn their names were Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20). They already had two children when another son was born.

Exodus 6:20 (NKJV) Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram [were] one hundred and thirty-seven.

 

Exodus tells us that when Jochebed saw her baby, she recognized that he was a fine child. Stephen later says that he was “well pleasing in God’s sight” (Acts 7:20). Every mother sees something special in her child, but God had a unique purpose for this baby.

Acts 7:20 (NKJV) At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months.

 

Jochebed could not bring herself to obey Pharaoh’s wicked command. She hid her son for three months. Eventually, however, she could hide him no longer.

 

At this point we discover that Amram and Jochebed were ordinary people. They were not royalty, military leaders, or wealthy citizens. God often delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

 

Jochebed made a small basket from papyrus reeds and coated it with bitumen and pitch to make it waterproof. Then came the heartbreaking moment. She placed her baby inside and set the basket among the reeds along the Nile.

 

She could not control what would happen next, but she entrusted her son to God.

 

Moses’ older sister watched from a distance. Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river. She noticed the basket and had it brought to her. When she opened it, she found a crying baby boy.

 

Immediately she recognized that he was one of the Hebrew children. Yet instead of obeying her father’s decree, her heart was moved with compassion.

 

At just the right moment, Moses’ sister approached and offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed.

 

The irony is remarkable.

 

The woman chosen to nurse the baby was his own mother.

 

Even more remarkable, Pharaoh’s daughter paid Jochebed to care for her own son. The very household that had ordered his death now provided for his protection and upbringing.

 

When the child was older, Jochebed brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. She named him Moses because she drew him out of the water. Stephen later tells us that Moses was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt and became mighty in words and deeds (Acts 7:21-22).

Acts 7:21-22 (NKJV) 21 “But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

 

Think about what God has done.

 

Pharaoh is trying to destroy Israel, yet God places Israel’s future deliverer inside Pharaoh’s own household. Pharaoh unknowingly finances, protects, and educates the man who will one day confront him and lead God’s people to freedom.

 

This is more than irony. This is the sovereign hand of God.

 

A theme runs throughout Scripture: what the enemies of God intend for destruction, God often transforms into the means of deliverance.

 

We see this pattern repeatedly.

 

In the beginning, the serpent deceived Eve and led humanity into sin (Genesis 3). Cain murdered Abel, and it may have seemed that the promised seed had been cut off. Yet God raised up Seth (Genesis 4:25).

 

Human wickedness increased until only Noah remained faithful. The world was judged through the flood, but God preserved Noah and his family (Genesis 6-9).

 

After Babel, humanity united in rebellion against God, but God raised up Abraham and established His covenant purposes through him (Genesis 11-12).

 

Centuries later, a virgin descended from Abraham gave birth to Jesus. When King Herod sought to kill the infant boys of Bethlehem, the Child escaped (Matthew 2).

 

Eventually, the enemies of Christ succeeded in crucifying Him. Satan must have thought he had finally won.

 

But three days later, Jesus rose from the dead.

 

The cross that appeared to be Satan’s greatest victory became the instrument of his defeat. The resurrection publicly declared Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and the powers of darkness.

 

The cross upon which the serpent meant to have his final victory has become the symbol of his final defeat.

 

We see the same principle in the book of Esther.

 

Haman hated Mordecai and planned his execution. He even built the gallows on which Mordecai would hang (Esther 5). Yet God reversed the situation. Haman was forced to honor Mordecai publicly, and in the end Haman himself was executed on the very gallows he had prepared (Esther 6-7).

 

Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is not mocked. Those who oppose Him may appear powerful for a season, but their plans never overthrow His purposes.

 

This truth should encourage believers today.

 

We live in a world filled with confusion, corruption, and rebellion against God. It is often tempting to think that evil is winning.

 

But Exodus reminds us that God is still on His throne.

 

When Moses floated helplessly in a basket, God’s plan was moving forward.

 

When Haman built his gallows, God’s plan was moving forward.

 

When Jesus hung upon the cross, God’s plan was moving forward.

 

And today, God’s plan is still moving forward.

 

That does not mean life will be easy. Israel still endured slavery. Mordecai still faced danger. Jesus still suffered the cross. But in every case, God was working through circumstances that appeared hopeless.

 

As Psalm 37 reminds us, we are not to fret because of evildoers. Instead, we are to trust in the Lord, delight in Him, commit our way to Him, and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:1-13).

Psalm 37:1-10 (NKJV) 1 [A Psalm] of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 

 

4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring [it] to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 

 

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--[it] only [causes] harm. 

 

9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked [shall be] no [more;] Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it [shall be] no [more.]

 

The Lord sees what His enemies are doing. He sees their plans, their schemes, and their rebellion. More importantly, He sees their end.

 

The God who preserved Moses, delivered Israel, protected His covenant people, and raised Jesus from the dead is still ruling today.

 

So take courage.

 

Trust Him.

 

Wait upon Him.

 

And remember that the God who turned Pharaoh’s palace into a training ground for Moses and turned the cross into the means of salvation is still able to turn the schemes of His enemies into instruments of His glory.

 

That is the God who cares for His people.

God Sent a Man Before Them

Exodus 1:6-12

 

 

Exodus 1:8 (NKJV) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

 

As we begin Exodus, we immediately encounter the shadow of Joseph. If we do not understand Joseph, we will not fully understand Exodus. Previously, we looked at the opening verses of Exodus and considered the family that became the nation of Israel, God’s own special people. As we see how God worked in the life of this family, we will gain a greater understanding of God and His works. Here again is the family tree.

 

 

 

Joseph was a chosen vessel of God, used to prepare the way for the family of Israel to be protected and multiplied in Egypt. Joseph’s story is not merely about a man betrayed by his brothers. It is about the hidden providence of God, the God who protects and multiplies us.

 

Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob (Israel), the first son of Jacob’s wife Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel uniquely, and Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn son, became the object of Jacob’s favoritism. Jacob made this painfully obvious to everyone when he gave Joseph a “coat of many colors.

 

To understand how deeply Jacob favored Joseph, consider an incident that occurred many years later. By that time, Joseph was serving as prime minister of Egypt. During a time of severe famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food. Joseph tested his brothers by insisting they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to Egypt if they ever returned. Later,Joseph framed Benjamin for theft. 

 

The brothers all tore their robes in grief. They were not willing to abandon their little brother to slavery and imprisonment. Judah, the fourth son of Leah, pleaded with Joseph to punish him in Benjamin’s place. Listen to what Judah said concerning his father:

Genesis 44:27-29 (NKJV) 27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 ‘and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 ‘But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

 

Let’s look a little closer at this statement. Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, born by Leah, Jacob’s first wife, was quoting his father. Jacob says, “My wife bore me two sons.” With this statement, Jacob shows his heart. In Jacob’s heart, Rachel remained the love of his life, and Joseph and Benjamin held a uniquely treasured place in his affections. The “coat of many colors” was a visible symbol of Joseph’s exalted position in the family. Whenever Joseph wore it, the entire household was reminded of Jacob’s favoritism.

 

This favoritism produced deep bitterness among Joseph’s brothers. Therefore, Joseph was set apart from his earliest days. Joseph appears to have carried himself with youthful confidence, only intensifying his brothers’ resentment. When Joseph went out to check on his brothers while wearing the special coat, he was not dressed for field labor. The coat symbolized privilege, authority, and distinction.

 

Joseph was only seventeen years old when his brothers decided to kill him. Reuben intervened to spare his life, and eventually Judah suggested they sell him as a slave instead.

 

This is why Exodus tells us Joseph was already in Egypt before the rest of Jacob’s family arrived there.

 

A high-ranking Egyptian official purchased Joseph. Even as a slave, Joseph prospered. He eventually rose to become steward over his master’s household. God was preparing Joseph by teaching him responsibility, administration, leadership, and faithfulness.

 

But Joseph’s trials were far from over.

 

His master’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce him. Day after day, she urged him, saying, “Lie with me.” Joseph refused her advances and ultimately was falsely accused and thrown into prison.

 

Psalm 105 gives us insight into what Joseph experienced there:

Psalm 105:17-19 (NKJV) 17 He sent a man before them-- Joseph--[who] was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.

 

Joseph suffered deeply. He was in chains, and the iron fetters hurt his feet. A literal translation of verse 18 says, “Iron hath entered his soul,” (YLT)

 

Iron passing through Joseph’s soul is not a reference to Joseph being as strong as iron. No, rather it tells of great, deep suffering. Joseph’s suffering was not merely physical. Pain entered the depths of his soul.

 

Yet Psalm 105 also reveals what God was doing through Joseph’s suffering. “Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.” 

 

God was not merely preserving Joseph. God was preparing Joseph. 

 

Joseph suffered in obscurity for nearly a decade. Think about that. Years passed in darkness, chains, disappointment, and apparent abandonment. Yet all the while, God was shaping Joseph into the man He intended him to be.

 

Let us pause and consider suffering for a moment. Joseph’s suffering was not meaningless. God used suffering as a tool of preparation. 

 

Please consider the words of Scripture:

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NKJV) 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, [being] much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

 

Notice Peter’s words carefully: “if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.”

 

That phrase “grieved by various trials” can sound mild to our ears, but the Greek word translated “grieved” speaks of deep emotional pain, severe sorrow, and anguish. It is used to describe the pain of childbirth.

 

Do not pass over this too quickly. Peter compares suffering to the refining of gold in fire. When you suffer, remember this: God’s people suffer greatly, but never meaninglessly.

 

Notice how 1 Peter 1:6 begins: “In this you greatly rejoice!” 

 

Compare this to James 1:2-4.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

 

Although there are times when we feel abandoned or even think God is against us, Scripture teaches the opposite. God disciplines and trains His people because He loves them.

 

Jacob spoiled Joseph, but God shaped Joseph.

 

God took a favored and immature young man and forged him into a wise, faithful servant who would preserve nations and save his own family from destruction.

 

Please remember this: your suffering does not mean God has stopped loving you. Very often, suffering is one of the chief tools God uses to prepare His people for His purposes.

 

Even when sinful men intend evil against us, God is still at work.

 

We need to return to Psalm 105 because it reveals the great truth running beneath Joseph’s entire story.

Psalm 105:17 (NKJV) He sent a man before them-- Joseph--[who] was sold as a slave.

 

“He sent a man before them.” 

 

Long before Jacob’s family knew they would need deliverance, God had already prepared the means to preserve them.

 

Before the famine came, God had already sent Joseph.

 

Before Israel needed protection, God had already positioned Joseph.

 

Joseph later understood this and said to his brothers.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) “But as for you, you meant evil against me; [but] God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as [it is] this day, to save many people alive.

 

This is one of the great comforts of the Christian life. We are God’s people, but that does not exempt us from suffering. Rather, we trust that God works even through suffering for our good and for His glory.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.

 

Joseph was called according to God’s purpose. Therefore, his suffering served a divine purpose.

 

And because this is true, we can obey the words of Christ even in the midst of fear, confusion, and pain.

John 14:1 (NKJV) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

 

The same God who guided Joseph through betrayal, slavery, false accusation, chains, and prison is still ruling over the lives of His people today.

 

God had not forgotten Joseph.

 

God had not abandoned Israel.

 

God will never abandon you.

 

And God will never abandon His people.

 

We have this promise.

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) [Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness; [be] content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God Wants You—Not a Better Version of You

Exodus 1:1-5

 

 

Exodus 1:1 says:

Exodus 1:1 (NKJV) Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:

 

Who are these “children of Israel,” and why did they go to Egypt? 

 

First, let’s orient ourselves to the Biblical timeline. Google Gemini helped me construct the timeline below.

• Adam to Noah: 10 Generations (approx. 1656 years).

• Flood to Abraham: 10 Generations (approx. 427 years).

• Abraham to Jacob: 3 Generations (Abraham→Isaac→
→Jacob).

• Jacob's Birth: Often placed around 2025 BC in traditional timelines

 

Later in Jacob’s life, God changed His name to “Israel.” This is the name of the nation that arose from Jacob’s descendants, and verses 2-5 of Exodus 1 list Jacob’s (Israel’s) children. They are as follows:

Exodus 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin; 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher

 

The story of this family is unique, just as every family's story is. Therefore, in some ways, this family is not too different from any other family. As we work our way through just a little of their history, I am sure you will be able to find parallels in your own family (include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and such).

 

We are going to see that every family on earth needs the healing found only in Jesus Christ, our Lord. The devil will whisper to you that you are no good, godliness is for others, but it is too late for you, and other such things. These are the lies we all face.

 

Let’s begin, then, to visit this family. Looking up again to verses 2 through 4 of Exodus 1, do you see how, in the NKJV, verse 3 ends with a semicolon, setting the 4 following names off by themselves? Let me show you a picture that will help explain this.

 

In this family tree, we see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Under Jacob, we see four names. Leah and Rachel are sisters, and they are married to Jacob. Bilhah and Zilpah are slaves. You will notice that the slaves’ children are the ones that Exodus 1:4 sets apart from the others. 

 

Rachel and Leah used the slaves in a competition to produce babies. I find it appalling that while Leah and Rachel were trying to be valuable in their husband's eyes, they disregarded the human rights of their slaves. Rachel, Leah, and Jacob did not ask Bilhah and Zilpah if they wanted to sleep with Jacob or have his children. Nope, they didn’t have any say in the matter, and then their children weren’t considered as valuable as the others.

 

But this wasn't new for this family. Abraham had a child with Sarah’s slave. When Sarah's own child was born, Abraham had to send Ishmael and Hagar away. And what God said about Ishmael was God's explanation of the natural consequences of Abraham and Sarah’s actions. Genesis 16.

Genesis 16:12 (NKJV) “He shall be a wild man; His hand [shall be] against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

 

Consider the sentence, “His hand shall be against every man.” The wild man was Ishmael. Islam came from his descendants. Islam teaches that Ishmael was the faithful son who continued Abraham’s line and the true worship of God. The covenant and land are not part of their relationship with God. Abraham and Ishmael submitted to God; therefore, the name of the religion, “Islam,” means submission. Please do not think that I am saying that all followers of Islam are bad or violent, but Islam is a violent religion. Even more regrettable, billions of people have been led astray, and every person led astray is a soul lost for eternity.

 

Abraham set an example. But Jacob’s family contributed even more to the dysfunction of this family. (Dysfunction is a description of sin in action.) Let’s list just a few of the things that happened in this family.

• Reuben slept with his father’s slave woman, Bilhah. Most likely, this act was not just sexual but a power move to assert authority over his father's house.

• Judah had sex with his daughter-in-law and fathered children with her. He thought she was a prostitute and didn’t realize she was his daughter-in-law, but she knew him well enough to understand that she could trap him by pretending to be a prostitute.

• Ten of the brothers plotted to kill Joseph, but the opportunity for profit led them to sell him into slavery. Later, they told Jacob they didn’t know what happened to Joseph, but “Look, we found his torn and bloody clothes!”

The list is long, and we've only just begun to scratch the surface. God reveals all of this stuff in His Word, the Bible! Why?

 

No one knows all of God’s reasons, but for one thing, this was a real family dealing with the struggles that all families face. Since Adam, the only person who lived a sinless life is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

When God chose Abraham, he was an idol worshipper who lived among a people who worshipped idols. God brought Abraham out from the group and chose him to be God’s vessel. Abraham was not perfect, and God mentions some of his sins. Jacob and his family also had faults. Yet, amid their sinful, dysfunctional mess, God chose them and set them apart as His own special people.

 

Has Israel ever been anything but a sinful, selfish, prideful people? No, of course not! Have any of us ever been anything but a sinful, selfish, prideful people? No, of course not! Look at what Romans 3 says to anyone who thinks they might be better than someone else.

Romans 3:9-12 (NKJV) 9 What then? Are we better [than they?] Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

 

What then? Can anyone be right with God? Can anyone be saved from this wretched condition? Yes, thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

As we journey through Exodus, we will see how God works to bring His people out from the idol-worshipping, rebellious world and shape them into His own special people, a people for His own possession to proclaim His glory. As we see and understand how God dealt with Israel and Egypt, we will grow in our understanding of how He is working in our lives.

 

In closing, I want to return to something I said earlier. I said,

The devil will whisper to you that you are no good, godliness is for others, but it is too late for you, and other such things. These are lies that we are all faced with.

 

I hope that today you have seen that it is never too late. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Abraham and Sarah’s treatment of Hagar was a sin, and yet God did not say, “That is enough! I am through with you!” On the contrary, God brought good out of it. God loves the great nations that have come out of Ishmael, and many of Ishmael’s descendants are mighty servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s mercy and grace are much greater than any sin. The people that have descended from Ishmael are precious and of as much value before God as any other people on the face of the earth, be they Jew or Gentile, slave or free, rich or poor. In His word, God says, 

Galatians 3:28 (NKJV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

Let me return to the point I am trying to make. No matter what sin you have committed, God wants you as His own. If you can understand these words, understand that God is speaking to you right now. He wants you! He doesn’t want you to clean up your life first. He will take care of that. He wants you! Just YOU. He loves you and is asking you right now to say to Him, “Okay, Lord, I am Yours. I trust You to make of my life what You will.”