ESOCS Devotional 30 April 2024 – The Forward Movement of God’s Plan
MEMORY VERSE: “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” Exodus 1:8
TEXT: EXODUS 1:1-END
Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). 6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”
19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
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As a child of God, you are not where you are by accident. God has either directed you to where you are or He has allowed you, because of your own choices, to be where you are. And regardless of where you may find yourself this morning, whether it is in a time of prosperity, a time of persecution, a season of pleasure or a period of pain, God not only knows where you are but wants to use your circumstances to move His plan forward and to bring glory to Himself. This is true in the life of individual believers; it is true of churches and it was true of the nation of Israel. This is one of the most basic messages in the book of Exodus.
First of all, we must recognize that Exodus is a book of profound theology. Secondly, as we begin to study Exodus, we must understand that much of this book is classified as a historical narrative. Finally, as we begin to study Exodus, we need to recognize that it is a continuation of the book of Genesis. There are two pitfalls we must avoid as we consider our past. First, we must not disregard the past; The past demonstrates how God will work in the future. Secondly, we must not get stuck in the past. The past is a guidepost to tomorrow, not a hitching post to yesterday.
In the midst of difficulties, it is easy to be tempted to compromise. It is easy to be tempted to try and appease those who are causing us pain, even when we know that doing so would be the wrong thing. But what is called for during difficult times is steadfast obedience, something God will always bless. There are two questions we must ask, as we seek to apply this teaching. First, how does it apply to us as individuals? This morning God is calling each of us to look at our past, to see all He has done for us, and to use that understanding to point us toward the future.
You are not where you are by accident. God wants to show you how where you’ve been has prepared you for where He wants to take you. Secondly, how does this apply to us as a church?
- Since the fall of Adam, God has been on the march to His new Jerusalem that will come from heaven. Let us join Him in that journey, as we look forward to tomorrow in His glorious Kingdom.
- Father, lead me to my journey’s end with you in your eternal Kingdom.
Further Reading: Isaiah 30:15-21; Mark 1:1-13; John 1:43-end
ESOCS Devotional 30 April 2024
