Bondage in Egypt

By William J. McRae [1]

An Exposition of Exodus 1

Introduction

The history of the nation of Israel is viciously punctuated by a host of violent and oppressive persecutions. In the closing verse of Exodus chapter one we stand in the midst of one of Israel’s darkest days.

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive” (Ex. 1:22).

It was a systematic and vicious plan of executions designed to break the will of the nation and ultimately to eliminate them. What course of events could ever have brought them to such a perilous moment, to the very brink of destruction? Those events can be traced through the preceding verses of chapter one—a chapter which gives the setting for the rest of the book.

The Setting of the Book: Chapter. 1

Israel’s Descent into Egypt (1:1-5)

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob. They came each one with his household. .. . And all the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt (1:1, 5).

In the year 1877 B.C., about 335 years earlier, a small caravan of seventy males with their wives and children descended from Canaan into Egypt to escape a deadly famine. There was Jacob, his sons, and their households. They were coming to live near Joseph, a son of Jacob, who had recently been elevated to Prime Minister of Egypt as a result of the favors he had done for Pharaoh. They were moving to the Egyptian district of Goshen, a land granted to them by Pharaoh himself. Behind the scene, however, was the providential hand of God. What could be His purposes in bringing them to Egypt?

God’s Purposes in Bringing Israel to Egypt

First: To chasten them.

The exile in Egypt was God chastening His chosen people. The fourth generation of Abraham’s seed had abandoned the altar which characterized Abraham’s life. They had abused the sign of circumcision and used it as a weapon (Gen. 34). They had committed incest. They had lost their sense of their calling to worship the Lord, and they had begun to intermarry with the Canaanites. Devotion to the Lord, unity as God’s people, and separation from the evil of Canaan were absent in the fourth generation; and it brought God’s chastening in the form of an exile from the good land of Canaan, the place of blessing.

Second: To preserve them physically.

Egypt was the breadbasket of the world and offered food and sustenance to the travelers from the famine-infested Canaan.

Third: To isolate them geographically.

Such isolation was impossible in Canaan. The Canaanites were ecumenists. Syncretism was their way of life. The fourth generation of Abraham’s seed intermarried with them and adopted the gods of their religions. Jacob’s family in Canaan was losing its identity. It was being absorbed into the Canaanites religiously and nationally. Providentially, the Lord moved them to Egypt to isolate them. This was possible because the Egyptians were segregationists. They were separatists. They disdained all foreigners. Shepherds were an abomination to them. There was little chance of intermarriage or assimilating their heathen religion. Through isolation unity was promoted, their spiritual identity was preserved, and their nation was born.

Fourth: To educate them administratively.

Here they observed the technique for the organization and administration of a nation. Here these plain pastoral people came in contact with civilization, established government, and the administration of law. This would never have been seen in Canaan.

Fifth: To develop them spiritually.

Surely their faith and hope were nurtured as they lived in Egypt with the promise and prospect of possessing the land of Canaan once again.

For these reasons, under the mighty hand of God, the seventy came to Egypt, settled in Goshen, and lived in plenty for seventy-one years. Then came the second in this strange series of events.

The Death of Joseph 1:6-7

And Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them (1:6–7).

This, however, did not change the lot of Jacob’s family. Because of his great respect for Joseph and because there was no urgent need to change, Pharaoh apparently allowed his family to continue to live as before. Living in the fertile land of Goshen and being unusually blessed by God, Jacob’s descendants continued to prosper. Crops grew and the population increased until the land of Goshen was filled with the children of Israel. During these years life was very good. But it was not to continue forever. The third event in this strange sequence began to turn the tide.

The Rise of a New Pharaoh 1:8-14 (First Form of Oppression)

Some seventy-five years after the death of Joseph, in the year 1730 B.C., Egypt was invaded by a horde of Asiatics [2] who captured the throne and rule of the entire kingdom. In secular history they are known as the Hyksos rulers. In biblical history they appear in Exodus 1:8. “Now a new king arose over Egypt.” The verb used here often has the meaning “to rise against.” It never means to assume the throne in a peaceful manner. [3] It was certainly true that the Hyksos rose against Egypt. The first of these invading rulers is surely the new Pharaoh of verse 8.

Here is the king who launched the first form of oppression upon the children of Israel. There were three obvious reasons which prompted this oppression.

The Reasons for This Oppression

First: He did not know Joseph.

“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (1:8). That is, he had no historical knowledge of Joseph. More than that, he had no reason to respect him and favor his family even if he had known him.

Second: Their phenomenal growth.

This Hyksos intruder said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we” (1:9).

Third: The possibility of a military alliance.

“‘Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and in the event of war, they also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us, and depart from the land’” (1:10). His greatest fear was a military alliance with the former regime to overthrow the Asian invaders and expel them from Egypt. The deposed rulers of Egypt who had so generously befriended the sons of Israel might well call on them for support in regaining the throne.

Leon Wood observes:

Accordingly, a decision was made to enslave Israel. Their potential for trouble would be removed both by restricting freedom of movement and employment and by placing “slave masters” over them to make sure that all energy was expended in hard labor. Further, not only would this keep them in control, but also provide valuable labor for building projects such as the cities of Pithom and Raamses (Avaris), the new capital. 

The Hyksos did gain in labor contributed and also prevented any alliance between deposed Egyptians and Israel—if indeed such a possibility really existed—but they did not succeed in curtailing Israelite population growth. Exodus 1:12 states that the more they oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. Population growth was necessary if Israel was to become nation-size by the time of the Exodus, and God blessed them to that end. The rapid rate of increase continued as before. [4]

This first form of oppression—slavery—apparently continued for the duration of the Hyksos era, for 146 years, for the period of the 13th to the 17th dynasties. Then came the fourth event in our series—an event which was destined not to lighten but to worsen the lot of Israel’s sons.

The Return of Egyptian Rule 1:15-22 (Second Form of Oppression)

In the year 1584 B.C. Amhose, an Egyptian, rid the land of the Hyksos and a century and a half of foreign rulers, and rule was restored to the Egyptians. He is undoubtedly the king of Egypt mentioned in verse 15—Amhose (1584-60 B.C.), the first ruler of Egypt’s eighteenth dynasty.

With the return to Egyptian rule, there came the second form of oppression—death! It is not difficult to imagine their motivation. The growing anti-foreign sentiment of the Egyptian people finally turned against the Hebrews too. Fearful of another political and military coup by foreigners, they initiate a plan to check the growing might of the Hebrews. It seems to have come in two waves, perhaps several years apart.

The First Stage: The Order to the Hebrew Midwives (1:15-21).

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives. .. and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live” (1:15a, 16).

What a vicious thing it was! Under orders of the king of Egypt, the midwives were to put to death any and every newborn Hebrew son. If obeyed, it would certainly have been effective. Thanks to some courageous midwives, it was not. They chose to obey God rather than men. When called to give an account, they claimed that the Hebrew women were quick to give birth so the midwives could not arrive on time to do their evil work. It became apparent to Pharaoh that this plan for extermination was not working. His frustration and anger are vividly expressed in a second step.

The Second Stage: The Order to All Egyptians (1:22).

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive” (1:22).

It was almost certainly issued by Thutmose I (1539-14 B.C.) the third ruler of the eighteenth dynasty, the empire builder of Egypt. It was a public order to all Egyptians. It was “one of the most inhumane directives ever issued by a public official.” All male children of the Hebrews were to be thrown into the Nile river to be drowned!

Leon Wood again observes:

This was surely an inhuman directive; but it is, in a measure, understandable in view of the circumstances. The Israelites were becoming very numerous, now that three and one-half centuries of rapid growth had elapsed. Thutmose I was involved in enlarging Egypt’s borders, which meant that most of his army was out of the country for extensive periods of time. He did not want this foreign people to increase and become still a greater threat while his home force was so small. [5]

As we conclude this first chapter then, we are in the midst of one of Israel’s darkest days. This is the setting for the story of The Exodus.

The Title of the Book

The title of the Book is based on the Latinized form of the Septuagint title, Exodus. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) derived its title from the principle event of the book as described in 19:1. “In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt. .. . “ It means simply a going out, a departure—the main subject of the Book.

The Author of the Book

The Author of the Book is Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, the first five books of our Old Testament. That Exodus is closely connected with Genesis is apparent in that Exodus 1:1 is a repetition of Gen. 46:8 and in that this first verse of the book begins with a waw disjunctive—translated “Now.”

The Outline of the Book: A Geographic Progression

Israel In Egypt	1:1–12:36	OPPRESSION
Israel From Egypt to Sinai	12:36–18:27	EMANCIPATION
Israel at Sinai	19–40	REVELATION

“The stories of the Book of Exodus are exciting, imaginative and challenging. To the young, they inspire. They provide inspiration to the young and comfort to the old.” [6]

The Theme of the Book

Historically: The Birth of a Nation

To Abraham the unconditional promise of a covenant nation had been given many years ago (Gen. 12:13). Now the promise is to be fulfilled. The nation is to be born.

The seventy souls descending into Egypt are like a fetus in a womb of a mother. Four hundred and thirty years later, the pregnancy is completed. There are great swarms of people. The world’s greatest empire has a fetus growing within her very bowels. The future leader of the emerging nation is being trained in her own courts. As a reluctant mother she seeks an abortion. She doesn’t want to give birth to the child God is forming in her.

Providentially, God brings travail upon her whereby Egypt gives birth to the nation, thrusting the sons of Israel forth, out of her midst, from her land.

Greed drives the “mother” (Egypt) to seek to destroy the child to whom she has given birth. God leads Israel to the Red Sea to use it as His army to destroy Pharaoh and finally release Israel to grow into mature nationhood. At Sinai, the newly emerging nation receives its Constitution from God.

Theologically: Redemption

1. A Sequel to Genesis

Genesis	Exodus
The Divine purpose is revealed	Divine performance is exhibited
Human effort and failure	Divine power and triumph
A word of promise	A work of fulfillment
People chosen	People called
ELECTION	REDEMPTION

2. A Stage in God’s Plan of Salvation.

Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage is the outstanding biblical type or picture of a sinner’s redemption from his bondage to sin, Satan and death. God’s plan of salvation is beautifully illustrated in Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan.

Egypt	Where we are by Nature Slaves in bondage needing redemption
Wilderness	Where we are in Experience Pilgrims journeying toward the full possession of our inheritance in Christ, Being chastened and educated to cultivate the faith to possess our inheritance.
Canaan	Where we are in Position Free men in Christ to possess our inheritance fully by faith.

Conclusion

Redemption is a significant stage in God’s plan of salvation. It is the work of God delivering a sinner from his bondage through the payment of a price paid by our Lord Jesus Christ in His death.

The Need of it is illustrated in Exodus Chapter 1—Bondage

Mankind universally is in bondage to Sin (Rom. 6:17), Satan (1 John 5:19), and Death (Heb. 2:15)

The Way of it is illustrated in Chapters 12–14—By Blood and Power

Our Lord Jesus has made provision for our deliverance in His substitutionary, sacrificial death (1 Peter 1:18). By virtue of His atoning work men of faith are delivered by the power of God from the dominion of Sin, Satan, and Death.

The Result of it is illustrated in Chapters 19–40—A Covenant Relationship

Those who are redeemed by His precious blood and through faith in Jesus Christ enter into the blessings of the new covenant and are the possessors of eternal life (Jo. 3:16, 1 John 5:11–13).

Notes

1. Emmaus alumnus Bill McRae, well-known Bible expositor, author, and educator, presently serves as Chancellor of Ontario Bible College and Seminary. This is the first in a series of expositions on the Book of Exodus.
2. Albright concluded that the Hyksos rulers were Semitic invaders (i.e. Amorites) from Syria. Cf. William Foxwell Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity (2nd ed., Garden City: Doubleday, 1957), 202, n. 4.
3. John J. Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studies in Exodus, (2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986), 53.
4. Leon Wood, A Survey of Israel’s History, rev. by David O’Brien (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 91–92.
5. Ibid., 92.
6. Davis, 48.