BibleProject | One Story: Foundations of the BibleNäide

The book of Exodus opens on a high note. Jacob’s family survives famine and lives to enjoy an Edenic blessing in Egypt. They live out God’s commission to be fruitful and multiply, filling the land. But just eight verses later, the narrative takes an ominous turn. A new pharaoh, with no respect for Joseph or his family, ascends to power. What seemed like a new Eden turns out to be a new Babylon: a brutal, oppressive empire that redefines evil as good.

Israel’s multiplication in Egypt is a good thing, but Pharaoh calls it a bad thing. The Egyptian ruler drowns babies to control the Israelite population growth and brutally enslaves the people. They cry out for help from God, who intervenes to rescue them.

While Pharaoh anxiously focuses on dominating Israel’s men, a series of brave women foil his schemes. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, Moses’ mother and sister, Pharaoh’s daughter and her maidservant, and Zipporah: Count them up, and you’ll see seven women who defy Pharaoh’s oppression, protect life, and rescue Moses, God’s chosen deliverer of Israel.

When God first calls Moses to lead a courageous rescue mission, Moses is reluctant. And his people aren’t particularly thrilled about him either. But God promises to give Moses everything he will need. Watch today’s video to see God’s deliverance of his people and learn about the literary design of the first half of Exodus.

Reflection questions:

• After reading the first two chapters of the Exodus story, what hyperlinks (repeated words, concepts, ideas, images, etc.) connect with the Eden story?
• The Hebrew word for Moses’ “basket” is tevah, which is the same word translated as “ark” in the Noah story. So Moses escapes down the Nile in a little tevah, or ark. Tevah is an unusual noun that appears only in these two stories. What parallels can you see between Moses in Exodus and Noah in the flood?