Bible in one year 4/11/2022 Exodus Chapter 1 – 4 and introduction
By
Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music, Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
Introduction to the book of
Exodus
Author : Moses
Date :1450-1410 B.C.
Title The Hebrew title of the book is taken from the
verse, “these are the names of .” The English title comes from the title in the
Septuagint (a Greek translation). The Exodus ( way out) is the principal theme
of the book (19:1).
Authorship Since the time of Joshua,
the book has been attributed to Moses (Josh. 8:31-35.Ex20:25), a conclusion
affirmed by Jesus Christ (Mark 12:26). Evidences from the book itself lead to
the conclusion that the author was a highly educated man who had been a
long-time resident of Egypt and was an eyewitness of the Exodus. He was
acquainted with the crop sequence in Lower Egypt(Ex.9:31-32); his descriptions
accurately conform to known conditions (2:3,12); and he includes details
suitable only to an eyewitness account (15:27).
Date of the Exodus Two principal views exist concerning the date
of the Exodus: c.1445-1440 B.C. during the reign of Amenhotep II (1450-1425) or
c.1290 B.C., during the reign of Raamses II (1299-1232). Scriptural evidence
for the earlier date includes the statement of 1 Kings 6:1 that the Exodus
occurred 480 years before the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, thus placing it
c.1445. Further, in Judg11:26, Jephthah (c.1100 B.C.) declared that Israel had
possessed the land of Palestine for 300 years, which would date the Exodus
c.1400 B.C.
Objections
to the earlier date include the following:
(1) The Exodus could not have
taken place until after 1300 because the city of Raamses was named after the
pharaoh who was ruling at that time, and Raamses did not rule until 1299.
However, if the Exodus was about 1290 and Moses was eighty at that time, and
since the city was built before Moses’ birth, the Exodus could not have been as
late as 1290 since there is no room for the eighty years of Moses’ life between
1299 and 1290.
(2) It is said that the
presence of strong opposition to the Israelites from the Edomites
(Num.20:20-21) was impossible before 1300 since the area of southern
Transjordan was unoccupied from 1900-1300. Yet excavations in that area have
uncovered objects and pottery dating as early as 1600.
(3) It is claimed that Hazor
did not fall to the Israelites until 1300 B.C. However, Scripture states that
it fell twice: first in the days of Joshua (Josh.11:10-11) and later in the
time of Deborah and Barak (Judg.4:2,23-24). Further, there is evidence in one
area of the excavated city of a destruction around 1400.
(4) The destruction of Lachish
(Josh.10:32)and Debir (Josh.10:38-39) is said to have occurred 1230-1200 B.C.,
indicating a late date for the Exodus. But the book of Joshua does not claim
that these cities were completely destroyed by Joshua (as Jericho was).
Further, the Stele of Pharaoh Merneptah represents the Hebrews as settled in
Canaan when Merneptah’s armies attacked them about 1230, and so the Exodus had
to be somewhat earlier than 1290. Thus there is no compelling reason not to
accept the earlier date, particularly in view of scriptural evidence.
Contents The
theme of the book is deliverance from Egypt, in fulfillment of the promise of
Gen. 15:13-14. The book records the birth of the nation Israel, the giving the
Law, and the origin of ritual worship. The revelation of God is paramount
throughout the book. He is the one who controls history (Ex.1) He revealed
Himself in a new name (3:14); He is the sovereign of the covenant
relationship(19:5);He is the faithful redeemer (6:6;15:13); He is judge of His
own people(4:14;20:5;32:27-28) and of His foes (chaps.7-12); He is the
transcendent one (33:20) who nevertheless lived among His people (29:45).
Favorite passages in clued the birth and protection of Moses (chap.2), the call
of Moses (3:14;5:1), the crossing of the Red Sea (chap.14), the manna story
(chap.16), the Ten Commandments (chap.20), the tabernacle (chaps.25-27), and
the golden calf (chap.32).
Chapter 1 Israel in Egypt subjection and the
oppression of Israel
Verses 1-7 repeat information given in Genesis
35:22-26;46:27 and serve to link the two book. The descendants of Jacob
numbered seventy in all. (v.5). The census at Sinai (Num.1) showed 603,000
males 20 years and older. If they represented about one-fourth of the total
population, then the Israelites numbered some 2,000,000 people. An annual
growth rate of 5% would increase population from 100 to 2,000,000 in only 215
years (Gen.46:27;Ex.12:41). A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to
power in Egypt. the new king was either Amenhotep I (1546-1525) or Thutmoses I
(c.1525-1508) .
1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 And all the souls that came out of
the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6 And Joseph died, and all his
brethren, and all that generation.
7 And the children of Israel were
fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty;
and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose up a new king over
Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people,
Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with
them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any
war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up
out of the land.
11 Therefore they did set over them
taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh
treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them,
the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the
children of Israel.
13 And the Egyptians made the
children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter
with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the
field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
15 And the king of Egypt spake to
the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of
the other Puah:
16 And he said, When ye do the
office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be
a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and
did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18 And the king of Egypt called for
the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved
the men children alive?
19 And the midwives said unto
Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are
lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the
midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21 And it came to pass, because the
midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22 And Pharaoh charged all his
people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every
daughter ye shall save alive.
Chapter 2 God chooses Moses, the preparation
of Moses - first forty years
A man of the house of Levi married a Levite
woman, the man was Amram (6:20), a grandson of Levi. His wife was Jochebed. She
gave birth to a son. She got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar
and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the
bank of the Nile. He become Pharaoh’s daughter’s son and named him “Moses”
means “ one who draws out” of the water.
Moses
was forty years old at this time. He killed the Egyptian when he saw an
Egyptian beating a Hebrew. And hid him in the sand. Next day, he saw two
Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your
fellow Hebrew?” the man said, “ who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you
thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid,
Pharaoh heard of this he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and
went to live in Midian. Midian. An area E. of the Gulf of Aqaba or on the Sinai
Peninsula, inhabited by the nomadic sons of Abraham by Keturah (Gen.25:2). He
met Reuel also called Jethro (3:1;18:1) He may have been a priest of the true
God at this time, later it becomes clear that he knew the true God (18:10-11).
Moses married to his daughter Zipporah, means “warbler”. And had a son Gershom
means “ a stranger here”. A second son, Eliezer (18:4).
During
that long period, the king of Egypt died. The king would be Thutmose III
(1482-1450), the predecessor to the pharaoh of the Exodus, Amenhotep II.
1 And there went a man of the house
of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare
a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three
months.
3 And when she could not longer hide
him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with
pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's
brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to
wit what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came
down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's
side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she
saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and
said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's
daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may
nurse the child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to
her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto
her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she
brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his
name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11 And it came to pass in those
days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on
their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that
way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him
in the sand.
13 And when he went out the second
day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that
did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this
thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and
dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
17 And the shepherds came and drove
them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 And when they came to Reuel their
father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
19 And they said, An Egyptian
delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for
us, and watered the flock.
20 And he said unto his daughters,
And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat
bread.
21 And Moses was content to dwell
with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
22 And she bare him a son, and he
called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
23 And it came to pass in process of
time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason
of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the
bondage.
24 And God heard their groaning, and
God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 And God looked upon the children
of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Chapter 3
The call of Moses; God’s revelation of Himself
Horeb was another name for Mt. Sinai
(Deut.5:2), traditionally located in the
SW. part of the Sinai Peninsula. Moses saw a bush actually burning, but not
consumed. Other explanations (like a bush with brilliant berries or leaves) do
not do justice to the text. Five times Moses tried to excuse himself form God’s
call (v.13;4:1,10,13). God assured Moses that he would be present during the deliverance
and that the nation would one day worship God at that very mountain (v.12) .
Moses
asked God’s name, God said, “ I AM WHO I AM”. I Am who I Am. The
inner meaning of Yahweh- “ I am the One
who is” emphasizes God’s dynamic and active self-existence. (Gen.2:4). The Lord ( Heb., Yahweh), was not
pronounced in later years by pious Jews for fear of violating the command in
Ex.20:7. Instead, they substituted the word Adonai (Lord) whenever Yahweh occurred. The use of large and small
capital letters (Lord) in the Bible text indicates the Hebrew word is Yahweh (or Jehovah).
1 Now Moses kept the
flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock
to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the
LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he
looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I
will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD
saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the
bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not
nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I
am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the LORD said, I
have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard
their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down
to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of
that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites,
and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold,
the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the
oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore,
and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the
children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto
God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the
children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said,
Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have
sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve
God upon this mountain.
13 And Moses said unto
God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them,
The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What
is his name? what shall I say unto them?
14 And God said unto
Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said
moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial
unto all generations.
16 Go, and gather the
elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely
visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
17 And I have said, I
will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
18 And they shall
hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto
the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath
met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the
wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
19 And I am sure that
the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20 And I will stretch
out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst
thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21 And I will give
this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass,
that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
22 But every woman
shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels
of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons,
and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
Chapter 4
Moses’ objections, and response to God’s call
Moses pleaded his lack of eloquence (slow
means heavy; not of quick retort), a trait necessary in approaching Pharaoh,
but hardly a legitimate excuse, because Moses had been trained in Pharaoh’s
court of forty year (Acts.7:22-23). Moses asked, “ please send someone else to
do it”, God became angry, because Moses now demonstrated a lack of obedience.
So Lord told him his brother Aaron the Levite will help him to speak. The Lord
will help and teach both of them what to do and speak.
Verse
21 the Lord said that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart. Ten times it is said that Pharaoh hardened his
own heart (7:13,14,22;8:15,19,32,9:7,34,35;13:15), and ten times that God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart (4:21;7:3;9:12;10:1,20,27;11:10;14:4,8,17).Paul uses
this as an example of the inscrutable will of God and of His mercy toward men
(Rom.9:14-18). Seven times Pharaoh hardened his own heart before God first
hardened it, though the prediction that God would do it preceded all.
Verses 24-26 Moses had apparently put off circumcising his
son, in violation of God’s press command (Gen.17:10) and perhaps at the
insistence of Zipporah. He had to learn that disobeying God and incurring His
wrath were more serious than anything that
could befall him from the wrath of Pharaoh. The Lord was about to kill
him, and Zipporah performed the circumcision to save Moses’ life. Then the Lord
let him alone., God healed him, It was probably at this time that Moses sent
his family back to Jethro (18:2-3).
1 And Moses answered and said, But,
behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say,
The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
2 And the LORD said unto him, What
is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And he said, Cast it on the
ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled
from before it.
4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put
forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and
caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
5 That they may believe that the
LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 And the LORD said furthermore unto
him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and
when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
7 And he said, Put thine hand into
thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out
of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they
will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that
they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 And it shall come to pass, if they
will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that
thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and
the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry
land.
10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O
my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto
thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the LORD said unto him, Who
hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the
blind? have not I the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be
with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
13 And he said, O my LORD, send, I
pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14 And the anger of the LORD was
kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know
that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and
when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15 And thou shalt speak unto him,
and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth,
and will teach you what ye shall do.
16 And he shall be thy spokesman
unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth,
and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
17 And thou shalt take this rod in
thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
18 And Moses went and returned to
Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return
unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And
Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19 And the LORD said unto Moses in
Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
20 And Moses took his wife and his
sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses
took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the LORD said unto Moses,
When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before
Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he
shall not let the people go.
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh,
Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
23 And I say unto thee, Let my son
go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay
thy son, even thy firstborn.
24 And it came to pass by the way in
the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone,
and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely
a bloody husband art thou to me.
26 So he let him go: then she said,
A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go
into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of
God, and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the
words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded
him.
29 And Moses and Aaron went and
gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
30 And Aaron spake all the words
which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the
people.
31 And the people believed: and when
they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had
looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Bibliography,
King James, The Holy Bible,
Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The
New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
Roberts, Oral. “Holy Bible” (KJV) Tulsa, OK:
Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, Inc, 1981
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