EXODUS: Staying Outside of the Will of God Too Long Can Lead to Slavery and Bondage; "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens."

Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. (Exodus 1:1-7)

We studied in previous lessons that God promised Abraham, then Isaac that their descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. Isaac's son Jacob and his twelves sons and one daughter did eventually return to that land and acquire most of it. (Genesis 35) While there, his oldest sons hated one of his youngest sons, Joseph, because Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. (Genesis 37:3)

The brothers hated Joseph so much that they conspired, Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekelsof silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. (Genesis 37:27:28) The brothers convinced their father that Joseph had been killed, but actually the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaohand captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36)

Joseph went from being Potiphar's slave, to become in charge of his household, to being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife of rape, to being thrown into prison, to becoming in charge of the prison, to being sent to Pharaoh to interpret a dream, to becoming second in command of Egypt. (Genesis 38-41) God blessed Joseph throughout his life and blessed him with wisdom beyond his years. Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” (Genesis 41:53-55)

When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 42:1-5)

Because of this trip, Joseph would discover that these men were his brothers and that his father and youngest brother were still alive.  After putting the brothers through many tests and they realizing that they had remorse and were repentant for what they had done to him, he would eventually reveal who he was to them. (Genesis 42-45) After reconciling with them, he commanded them to go back and get their father and all their family and possessions, and move to Egypt during the famine so that he could provide for them. (Genesis 46-47)

After Jacob died and the famine eventually ended, instead of returning to the promised land of Canaan, Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. (Genesis 47:27-28) Even though the twelve brothers returned to Canaan to bury Jacob in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. (Genesis 49:30) 

However, instead of moving back there, they returned to Egypt with Joseph. Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21)

The day came when Joseph became old, And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Genesis 50:24-26)

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 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.” (Exodus 1:8-10)

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. 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. (Exodus 1:11-14)

God blessed the children of Israel and multiplied them greatly, but the new king did not know or care about who Joseph was and what he had meant to Egypt. The children of Israel were foreigners in the land, and unlike their forefathers who had purchased land throughout the promised land of Canaan, they were on borrowed land, so if they wanted to stay there, they had to do what the new Pharaoh said. However, they still had the option of leaving and going back to Canaan, but instead they chose to stay there and go from being laborers to slaves.

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; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. (Exodus 1:15-17)

Pharaoh couldn't work the children of Israel to death, so he thought he would annihilate them by killing their male children.  Thank God the midwives were God-fearing women who interceded on the children's behalf and saved them. Yes, there is a time when we should disobey the authorities. When the apostles were thrown into prison, the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:27-29)

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?” 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.” Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. (Exodus 1:18-20)

The main idea we need to get from this lesson is that we are not to settle for less than what God has for us.  Don't be so comfortable where we are, outside of the will of God, because it just keeps us in bondage and slavery. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1) However, if we find that we've allowed ourselves to stay in a situation too long that it's difficult for us to come out, then remember what Christ Jesus said, " Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

While we wait on God to deliver us because of our faith in Christ Jesus, But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21) The children of Israel knew the promise of God, that God would surely visit them, and bring them out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. They, just like us, had to suffer patiently until His mercy was revealed...