HOFC Sermon Archive: The Exodus – Part 2 Israelites Oppression

Sunday, January 30, 2022

The Exodus – Part 2 Israelites Oppression

The Exodus – Part 2

Israelites Oppression

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

Online Audio Files | HOF Church Facebook | Truth Digest Facebook

This Document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church.

SERMON TIMELINE

· The Book of Genesis

· The Book of Exodus (Between year 2368-2448 or 1400 – 1320 B.C.)

o Introduction

o Israelite’s Oppression

INTRODUCTION

We opened last week looking at the introduction to The Exodus and the different portions the book is divided into. Remember, the Book of Genesis was the Fall of Man, and the Book of Exodus is the Redemption of Man.

The Two major divisions are the first 19 chapters referred to as the narrative portion, and the rest is the legislative.

We are beginning with the narrative portion, which is divided into three parts. Bondage, redemption, and education.

The Exodus takes place approximately between 2368-2448 years after creation. According to the Jewish calendar, which was given to them, it is currently the year 5782, which places Moses and the Exodus somewhere between 1400 – 1320 B.C.

We are currently using the Catholic, Gregorian, Calendar, which states it is 2022.

There are many discrepancies and confusion over dates and calendars, and because of the time which has passed from when God first told us to track days, seasons, and Holy Days, we are as close as we can be with date ranges, which are mostly guesswork.

Our scripture reading is Exodus Chapter 1, which will set the stage for what has transpired since Genesis, and how over the years the Israelite’s become oppressed in the land which was given them by Joseph and the Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:1-7 tells us the names of those who first came to the land of Goshen, which were the family members of Jacob. In fact, his entire household moved during the famine.

We read in verse 6 that Joseph, along with all that generation, had passed away. However, the children of Israel continued to be fruitful, and increase abundantly, just as we had read in Genesis.

While the famine was devastating the world around them, Egypt, under the leadership of Joseph, as well as Goshen, where Jacob and his household moved to, was doing very well and was blessed by God.

In fact, Genesis 47:27 states, “Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.”

Today we will be looking at the remainder of Exodus 1:8-22

SCRIPTURE READING

Exodus 1:6-22

“Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

TODAY’S MESSAGE

I. A NEW KING

a. Egypt now has a new king to whom Joseph meant nothing

i. Enough time has passed where the new Pharaoh had no “regard” or respect for Joseph and what God did for Egypt through him, or for the fact he was an Israelite.

ii. In other words, Joseph meant nothing to him.

iii. His concern was with how many of them there were, and what they could be capable of doing to him and his kingdom.

b. “We must deal shrewdly with them”

i. By this time, it is estimated that the Israelites number well over 2 million.

ii. Some claim there is no mention of the Hebrews in Egyptian records as the bible claims, however, it is known.

1. At about the same time as the Hebrews Exodus, there WAS in Egypt a subject race

2. They were often employed in forced labor

3. “Aperu” or “Apreiu,” and it is impossible not to assume this word is the Egyptian equivalent of Hebrew.

4. So, we either accept they are one and the same, or we must believe that there were two subject races in Egypt at the same time with nearly identical names.

iii. I would say the Aperu (Hebrew) are the descendants of Jacob.

iv. By the way, scholars believe the Aperu migrated and became the Peruvians in Peru.

1. The Chicago Tribune (April 27, 2001) in an article by William Mullen, reports pyramids built in Peru are as old as the ones in Egypt. Of course, they are, that’s what the Aperu (Hebrew) Slaves knew how to build.

2. Another article in Cureus (April 30, 2019) by Karim ReFaey explains the connection between Egypt and Peru with medicine and architecture, calling them the two earliest cultures in human history.

c. Who is this Pharaoh?

i. Speaking of the period, who was this Pharaoh?

ii. The Bible does not name who this Pharaoh was, but knowing this event took place between 1380 – 1327 B.C. gives us a clue.

iii. The two main Pharaohs during this period were Amenhotep III, three or four minor Pharaohs who ruled a few years each after him, and then Tutankhamun.

iv. Some believe it was either Ramesses I or his son Seti I, either of them falls within 30 to 50 years after our closest guesstimate, so they are still within the range of probability.

v. Whoever the Pharaoh was, his fear was the numerous Hebrews (over 2 million at this point) could join Egypt’s enemies if war broke out.

II. SLAVE MASTERS

a. Oppression and “forced labor”

i. So, Pharaoh put slave masters over the Hebrews to oppress them with forced labor and made them build Pithom and Ramesses.

1. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the ancient city of Pithom’s location is unknown. It may or may not be the city of Per-Atum or Per Tum, but they are not sure.

2. As far as Ramesses, it is Pi-Ramesses, or “House of Ramesses” the recorded construction date falls within the same time as biblical mentions.

ii. Although Egyptian records do not record slave labor as the source of construction, or the events during the Exodus, such as the plagues Moses, these events would have purposely been omitted because of the bad light upon the Pharaoh.

b. Their lives were bitter with harsh labor

i. Verse 12 states, the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, and the Egyptians came to fear the Israelites.

ii. The Egyptians made the Israelites lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields.

iii. In all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

c. Charoset and the Seder

i. On the eve of the first day of Passover, each spring Jews around the world partake in a feast known as the Seder. The celebration is an opportunity for families to gather around the table and enjoy a meal while honoring Jewish prayers, history, and traditions.

ii. One of the dishes served is Charoset

iii. Charoset (pronounced har-o-set) comes from the Hebrew word cheres which means "clay," though it goes by many different names around the world. It is a sweet relish made with fruits, nuts, spices, as well as wine, and a binder such as honey.

iv. During the Passover meal charoset and the five other ritual foods take on symbolic properties. According to The Biblical and Historical Background of Jewish Customs and Ceremonies, the sticky, granular mixture of fruit and nuts is meant to recall the mortar that the Jews used to build the Egyptian pharaohs' buildings, Pithom and Ramesses. Cinnamon and other spices represent straw used in brick making.

III. THE MIDWIVES SHIPHRAH AND PUAH

a. The Pharaoh legalized abortion

i. We see here the Pharaoh during the time of Moses was the first governmental leader to “legalize” abortion, here as a means of population control.

1. By the way, the National Library of Medicine which is the U.S. government institution of medicine, states in the publication PMID: 3709011 “No nation desirous of reducing its growth rate to 1% or less can expect to do so without the widespread use of abortion.”

2. Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Bill Gates to name a few

3. There are many organizations in the U.S. and around the world utilizing abortion as a means of population control.

4. Incidentally, Biden has 3 children, and 7 grandchildren and Bill Gates has 3 children.

5. Apparently, they are only concerned with controlling our population, not their own.

b. Only let the girls live

i. Pharaoh’s instruction to the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah was to kill all the boy children at childbirth.

ii. Verse 17, “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.”

1. We, who fear God, do not have to do what the King says if it contradicts God’s law.

2. Here, aborting babies is clearly viewed as murder by the Midwives, as it should be.

3. So, they made the decision to let the boys live.

iii. Verse 18, “Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

1. The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

iv. We know from scripture that the Midwives made the “choice” to let the Hebrew boys live because the verse says they did so “because” they feared God.

v. This “choice”, this “decision” would have consequences just as every decision in life does.

c. God repays kindness with blessings

i. Verse 20, “So God was kind to the midwives and the people (Hebrews) increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.”