There is an ancient Chinese proverb often attributed to Laozi, the founder of Taoism, that reads, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The story of the Exodus is no different. Long before Israel walked out of Egypt, God was already at work — in the lives of immigrants, midwives, and even Pharaoh himself.
Few stories in all of Scripture prove the works of Yahweh better than the Exodus. In this story, we see God’s patience and providence come to the forefront. For those who might not know, providence is God acting deliberately (yet unseen) behind the scenes. It is usually defined by events that seem mundane and ordinary in the moment but prove truly life-changing in hindsight. Obviously, the journey of God’s people to Egypt is full of those moments. From Abraham to Joseph, God’s involvement in the lives of His children is clear.
For those of us reading the story today, it is impossible to imagine a world where Moses and the events surrounding the Exodus are merely a coincidence. However, far too many people let ideas like luck and chance into their vocabulary when discussing the extraordinary. God is in control and He dictates the necessary steps to illustrate His will in this world. He didn’t need Moses, but He wanted him. He didn’t need Egypt, but their leaders and biases proved to be the perfect foil in this epic battle of good versus evil. He didn’t have to wait hundreds of years to deliver His people out of unimaginable hardship, but He did so their journey would commence at just the right time.
It’s not unusual for us to question the ways of God. Sometimes they just don’t make sense from our point of view. We would act differently, we would change things, but in the end, would we ever be able to make more sense than He does? Would we have all the answers? Would we know the outcome and be patient enough to wait for it? Would we intervene, when sitting it out made more sense? We would no doubt do things differently, after all, He is God, and we are not.
When we consider what has been done, it would be wise to remember the words of Isaiah 55:8–9, which says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”1
If we read the first chapter of Exodus, we can see a historical introduction to the events surrounding the eventual journey of God’s people out of Egypt. This chapter introduces many of the characters that shape this story from its humble beginnings. Do not overlook the fact that these characters, who seem quite ordinary, are first-hand witnesses to some of the most extraordinary events in all of Scripture. Just because they took the first step does not mean their step is inconsequential.
The Lord has a remarkable way of preparing His people for the moments that define them. That is doubly true of events that define them one day, not today.
We tend to think of learning, growing, and preparation as static events that must typically follow a pre-determined path. However, God doesn’t think that way. He has rarely asked anyone if they’re ready for the moment. He merely allowed them to respond to them.
Consider the fishermen by the seashore (see Matthew 4:19), the tax collector at his desk (see Matthew 9:9), or the man who climbed a tree (see Luke 19:5). God gave those characters all the time they needed to prepare themselves and then dropped them into His story. Have confidence when God places someone into extraordinary circumstances, for He has confidence in them. These circumstances are part of a journey He began long before they were born. These circumstances can bring together purpose, promise, and even pain. These circumstances are the providence of God at work.
The Immigrants
In Exodus 1:1–7, we’re reminded of all those who migrated with Jacob to live in the land of Egypt. Because of this list, Jewish Rabbis call Exodus “The Book of Shemot”” which means, “The Book of Names.”2 Notice the number who originally settled in Egypt is 70. Small as that number is, it represents the first generation of Israelite inhabitants in the land of Egypt.
That small number is a seed whose impact on the future would prove immeasurable. It should remind us of the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Mark 4:30–32 contains that parable and says, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Exodus 1:6–7 goes on to say, “Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”
1:7 actually repeats the same verbs about “being fruitful” and “multiplying” as Genesis 1:22–23. The idea is clear: this vast growth was a blessing directly from God.3 It also appears to be a direct fulfillment of God’s promise to Jacob in Genesis 35:11, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.”
The Pharaoh
Following their exponential growth, a new leader “arose over Egypt” according to 1:8. Some scholars identify this new king with the Hyksos rulers (1780–1570 BC), foreigners most famous for introducing chariots to Egypt.4 They controlled the northern delta region of Egypt, which may explain why their leader was so worried about the allegiance of these refugees. He even used that fear in 1:10 to assume the Israelites would “join our enemies and fight against us” and create some paranoia among his people.
In reaction to this perceived threat, the Egyptians made life for the Israelites as difficult as possible. 1:12 says they “afflicted” them and 1:14 says, “the Egyptians made the lives of the Israelites bitter with hard service.” Despite their efforts, God’s blessings continued to be upon the Israelites and “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied” in 1:12.
There is a sense of irony in those verses that connects to the New Testament. Remember when Jesus said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” in Mark 9:35? This story clearly shows the faithful can live in the margins of worldly importance while still being the focus of God’s blessings.
Later, in the Law of Moses, God commands the people of Israel to treat foreigners better than they were treated in Egypt. That command was given as a reminder to those who had escaped and their previous treatment. Deuteronomy 10:19 says, “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
The Midwives
In a desperate move, the Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill any boy born, according to 1:16. If this plan had succeeded, Pharaoh would have wiped out the Hebrew people. The future generation of men would be dead, and the girls would eventually be married to Egyptian slaves and absorbed into the Egyptian race.5 However, two women named Shiphrah and Puah outsmarted the Pharaoh by deceiving him in 1:19. Why did they lie? 1:17 says, “they feared God,” and 1:20–21 says, “So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.”
It is worth noting that this passage has long been a point of discussion among interpreters. Notice it isn’t their lie which is commended — it’s their fear of God.6
This same quality of courageous faith in the face of overwhelming power echoes in the story of Rahab of Jericho, who is praised for a similar disposition in Hebrews 11:31. Notice her words from Joshua 2:9–11: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”
Having been outsmarted by the Hebrews, the Pharaoh issued a decree in 1:22 to all his people: any Hebrew boy born was to be “cast into the river.” This vain attempt to thwart God’s will sounds similar to Herod’s killing of the boys in Matthew 2. Both times, parents who feared God more than man disobeyed and brought forth a redeemer. They seem to understand the true message of Matthew 10:28, which says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
This first chapter gives us an immediate introduction to the world of Moses. Beginning in Exodus 2, he becomes the center of a national conflict — and the story we have been tracing through providence and faith moves toward its defining moment.
In the end, isn’t it easy to see God in the details? From immigrants to midwives to the most powerful man in the world, God is working through them and by them. He’s never in a hurry because His timing is perfectly planned. In that work, He is moving history towards the ultimate end of His Will, the redemption of Israel.
Notes and Further Reading
- Scripture quotations are from The ESV (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright (c) 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ↩︎
- To learn more about it from a modern Jewish female perspective, follow this link. ↩︎
- R. Alan Cole. Exodus, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 60. ↩︎
- Cole, Exodus, 60. ↩︎
- Warren W. Wiersbe. Be Delivered, (Colorado Springs, CO: David B. Cook, 1998), 19. ↩︎
- Cole, Exodus, 62. ↩︎
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