Impact of Exodus, continued:

• Joshua 24:6; Judges 2:1; I Samuel 12:8; I Chronicles 17:21

God’s purpose for the Exodus:

• Exodus 5:1
• More given in Exodus 6:1-13
• Ultimate reason in Exodus 19
  • Exodus 19:3-6 – Central theme of the entire Bible
  • John 12:32 – God wants all of us to be with Him.
  • John 14:3
  • Matthew 23:37

The increase of Israel

• Exodus 1:1-7
• Sons of Israel who came to Egypt during the famine:
  • Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher
  • Note: These are not the twelve tribes. You see only eleven names. Joseph was already there and was one of the tribes. Also not the same as the twelve territories of Israel – Joseph’s two sons (Manasseh and Ephraim) got territory and Levi did not.
• Total of 70 descendants of Israel
  • 75 people total
  • Plus Joseph’s family
  • Exodus 1:5; Acts 7:14
• Joseph died
• So many Israelites that “the land was filled with them”
  • Numbers 1:46 – 603,550 men capable of fighting, plus many more women and children
  • Another promise fulfilled – Genesis 46:3. God made them a great nation.

Pharaoh’s solution – deal “wisely”

• Exodus 1:8-14
• Did previous Pharaohs know Joseph?
  • Joseph was 110 years old his death
  • Probably overlapped the lives of most of the Pharaohs
  • New Pharaoh beyond the conversation
  • OR king by conquest of usurpation
    • Not a descendant of the court
    • Not privy to the conversation
• Wise solution?
  • Early signs of conspiracy
  • An opposition leader is born
  • That leader goes into exile
  • Exiled leader gains significant ally
    • Acts 7:25
  • Pharaoh loses
    • Cattle
    • First born, heir to his throne
    • Army
    • Face, prestige
  • So how wise was Pharaoh?
    • His hardness of heart was up front and with him to the end. Remember the wisdom of Gamaliel – Acts 5:38-39.
• Result of Pharaoh’s harsh treatment of Israel
  • God continued to keep His promise to Jacob
  • Israel continued to increase
  • Pharaoh’s will is thwarted by God
    • Pharaoh was already losing the fight – he just wasn’t wise enough to know it.

Pharaoh and the midwives

• Exodus 1:15-22
• The command from Pharaoh
• The actions of the midwives
  • Motivation
  • Principal
    • Genesis 9:6
• Their reply to Pharaoh
• God blesses the midwives
• Pharaoh’s new edict

God brings a deliverer

• Exodus 2:1-10
• God brings Moses to Israel
  • But he goes into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughter
  • Still, God provides

Flight to Midian

• Exodus 2:11-15
• Moses tries to reconnect with his people
  • Seeks to deliver – looks this way and that
  • His people don’t appreciate his action
  • Pharaoh seeks to avenge
  • Moses flees to Midian

Introduction

• Luke 24:13-35

They cared about Jesus.

• Luke 24:14-20 – They were interested in this story!
• Luke 24:13, 9 – These two were numbered with the disciples.
• Luke 24:21, 32 – They were starting to lose hope in Jesus the Messiah, but they cared about Him!
• Do we care about Jesus? Do we care about other things more? Are we involved and sincere?

They didn’t understand Scripture, so they were losing hope.

• Luke 24:25-26
• I Corinthians 15:3-4; Isaiah 53:12; Psalms 16:10; Luke 18:31-34; Matthew 27:63
• Luke 24:6-12
• Luke 24:20-24 – Cleopas detailed all the evidence that should have given him hope, but he didn’t understand.
• I Timothy 3:12 – Are we going to lose hope?
• I Peter 4:4, 12
• II Peter 3:3-4
• Luke 24:47

When they did understand, they were zealous to tell others about Jesus.

• Luke 24:31
• Mark 16:11-14
• John 20:29
• I Corinthians 15:5-8
• Acts 2:29, 32
• Can you make an opportunity to tell others about Jesus?

I Corinthians 9

I Corinthians 9:1-14 – “to get their living from the gospel”

• A preacher has the right to be paid for his work by a local church. Since preachers may be married, that support can be enough to support her as well.
• See II Chronicles 31:4; Nehemiah 13:10-11. The Levites were also supported so that they could devote themselves to serving God.
• Paul notes that he was not writing this for his own benefit (I Corinthians 9:12), but to improve their attitudes when dealing with other preachers.
• See Numbers 18:8-21, 31. The Levites were well supported in their work.
• See also Matthew 10:9-10.

I Corinthians 9:15-18 – “I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case”

• Paul felt that he had to preach, but he was happy to be able to do it for free in their case.

I Corinthians 9:19-27 – “I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more”

• Paul changed his approach depending on the circumstances so that he would be effective in preaching. He wanted to win by helping people be saved.

Introduction

• II Timothy 4:2
• Luke 10:16

We ought to honor Deity as the source of authority.

• Genesis 1:1, 26
• God’s authority is inherent as the Creator.
• Isaiah 45:8-11
• Romans 1:21
• I John 2:3-4; 5:3
• John 14:15
• To respect God’s authority, we must obey His commandments.
• Leviticus 10:1-3
• Matthew 28:18-20 – What gave Jesus the right to command this? The authority He had.
• Acts 2:36

We’ll be judged by what God has authorized.

• Ephesians 4:1-3
• When we disagree, it’s because we don’t have a standard to agree on.
• Matthew 26:19
• What if we just went to the standard of the Bible?
• Acts 23:8 – Why were there Pharisees and Sadducees? Just be Jews!

Background on Exodus

• The promise
  • First given to Abraham
• The covenant
  • Given to Abraham = Genesis 17
  • Permanent for his descendants
  • Birthright passed to successors of subsequent generations: Isaac, Jacob (Israel)
• The generations
• Humble arrival in Egypt
  • As a slave – sold by brothers
• Joseph’s ordeal
  • Refuses Potiphar’s wife
  • Jail time
• Joseph’s triumph
  • Dreams
  • Promotion
  • Purpose
• Family joins
  • Out of hunger
  • Joseph “master” of food
  • Revealed to his brothers and father
• Nation’s treatment
  • Israel given Goshen, treated well
• Dating of Exodus
  • Several dates speculated
  • Exodus even denied by some
  • Most accepted date – 1446 BC
• Support for the 1446 BC date
  • Primary source is I Kings 6:1
    • Solomon’s reign began about 970 BC
    • 480 BC + 970 BC – 4 = 1446 BC
  • Also, Acts 13:17-20

Pharaohs of Exodus

• Consider the following:
  • Psalms 83:3-4
  • Proverbs 10:7
  • God does not name Pharaoh
  • Egypt would not name Israel
• Contrast of Pharaohs
  • Genesis 47:5-6
  • Genesis 47:11
  • Exodus 1:6-11
• First Pharaoh (time of Moses’ birth)
  • Thutmose I or Amenhotep I
  • Both capable of issuing infanticide decree
• Pharaoh of the plagues
  • Amenhotep II
    • 7th Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty
    • His successor (Thutmose IV) not the “true heir” (not firstborn son)
    • Firstborn would have died in tenth plague
• Answer could be “D – None of the above”
  • Consider Psalms 9:5-8
  • Also Psalms 109:15
  • It was normal for names and events to be blotted out
    • Not flattering to Pharaoh
    • Not convenient to his self-perceived glory

Who wrote Exodus?

• Exodus 17:14
• Numbers 33:2
• Exodus 24:4 (Exodus 20:21 – 23:33)
• Exodus 34:27 (Exodus 33:11 – 34:26)
• Familiarity with the ways and facts of Egypt – Acts 7:22
• Mark 12:26-27 (Exodus 3:6)
• Sounds like Moses is the author of Exodus

Was the Exodus real?

• Our faith says yes
• Many say no
  • No direct archaeological evidence
  • No direct writings
• Indirect evidence is there
  • Circumstances
    • Influx of Hyksos (Semites) some 400 years previous
  • Buildings requiring intense labor
    • Innumerable slaves working to build a treasure city
    • Bricks with too little straw
  • Records – not all the bad news was destroyed
    • Hapi (god of Nile) making waters undrinkable
    • Kermit (god of fertility) released frogs
    • Osiris (corn) would not hold back locusts
    • Ra (sun) refused to shine
    • Pharaoh had no eldest son to succeed

Why?

• Purpose of Exodus event
  • What was the point?
    • Goshen was nice
    • God defeated Pharaoh
    • Why not just stay
  • What was the promise?
    • Did it include a “where”?
    • Could He have given them Egypt?
• Remember the promise – Genesis 12:1-9
• Repeated Acts 7:2-5

Impact of Exodus

• God made Israel into a nation
  • Laws
  • Leadership
  • Led them to a country
• Nations would fear the God of Israel
• Exodus 15:14 – “The peoples have heard, they tremble”
• Remember Rahab? Joshua 2:8-11
• Constant reminder of God’s lovingkindness toward Israel
• Much of Chapter 13 reminds Israel during the Passover
• Feast of Unleavened Bread – Exodus 23:15
• Joshua 24:6; Judges 2:1; I Samuel 12:8; I Chronicles 17:21