This book is part of our story our heritage as Christians! Book is in two halves – 1st half shows Israelites freedom from slavery and Egypt and 2nd part shows their freedom to God’s glory and provision. Through all these situations God is with them, defeating the enemies. With a mighty hand and outstretched arm.

Exodus 1&2

Exodus 1: 8-14 gives a picture of Israelites being oppressed in Egypt as slaves.

In 2019 there are 45 million people in modern day slavery – very real issue for us even today!

What elements lead to this slavery?

verse 8 – forget – There was a new king to whom Joseph means nothing. Oppression often happens when a regime or leadership changes and the past is forgotten.

Verse 10 – fear – Fear is often involved in slavery and oppression and leads to ill treatment.

Verse 11 – greed – Those in power were telling the Israelites to do the hard work so they could be made rich. Slavery and oppression are the few who have power using the multitudes to make them rich.

God hates slavery and oppression. Exodus is book of freedom and redemption! In this dark situation at the start of the book, God begins to speak…

1. God uses people! [Exodus 1:15-2:9]

– Notice the role of women in this passage. – Hebrew midwives and Moses mother and sister. – Women are often used by God to start to bring about rescue and redemption to Israelites – In the Bible God’s rescue plan often begins with women. – Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) – https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman – God chooses to use people to bring about freedom. – God wants to use YOU to bring about freedom and liberation! He has called us to this.

2. God is at work preparing us! [Exodus 2:10-22]

– Moses’ name means ‘drawn out’ – he was drawn out of the water but this is also a reflection of what happens to the Israelites when they are drawn out of Egypt. – The time in Moses life he spent in the wilderness was 40 years. This was a time of preparation to be the leader of God’s people. He had messed up but God provided. Moses is waiting and God is preparing him through the difficulties and trials. – Preparation is vital to be able to do what God has called us to do! – Take heart because God is with you no matter what you are going through.

3. Our hope is in God alone [Exodus 2:23-25]

– When the Israelites cry out to God he hears them, he remembers the promises he made to them. – God hears YOUR pain and is your only hope! – How do we know that this is true for us? God sent his son Jesus who lived through this and he came to set us free. – There are many parallels between Moses and Jesus – both born at a time of oppression, both mothers hid them away for a time so they didn’t get killed, both grew up under oppression regime of Romans, both went out into the wilderness before ministry. – But Jesus is so much more than Moses – Jesus is our glory and presence. In Jesus we have a hope. – We don’t always understand life, but Jesus understand and hears and sees and knows what we are going through. – OUR HOPE IS IN JESUS ALONE!