SERIES C --- EXODUS FROM BONDAGE --- LESSON 01

DELIVERANCE

AMONG THE BULRUSHES

From Exodus 1:1 – 2:10

Many years had passed since Jacob had come to live with his son Joseph in Egypt, leaving his home in the Promised Land. His other eleven sons had come with him; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher; along with their families. There were seventy in the entire clan who had migrated to Egypt. As time passed, Joseph and his brothers died, bringing that generation to an end. But because their children and grandchildren and following generations all had large families, with the passing of years the land of Goshen was filled with the descendants of Israel, another name for Jacob. The passing of years also brought new kings to Egypt. At last, there came a king who did not care that Joseph had saved Egypt from starvation. He felt that he owed nothing to Joseph’s descendants. [There are too many people of Israel,] the king complained. [They are building too much power as they multiply. If war comes, they may side with our enemies and escape from the land. We must find a way to decrease their number.] The king’s plan was to make slaves of the people of Israel and he did so, setting taskmasters over them and forcing them to build the store-cities Pithom and Ramses for him. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the people of Israel multiplied. And the more they multiplied, the more the Egyptians became alarmed. The Egyptians, therefore, oppressed them even more, making life bitter for the people of Israel, forcing them to work hard for long hours cultivating fields and making bricks with mortar. Moreover, the king, who was also called Pharaoh in Egypt, gave orders to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: [When a Hebrew baby boy is born, you must kill him,] he said. [But you may let the baby girls live.] The midwives feared YHVH, so they refused to obey the king’s order to kill the baby boys. Before long, the king discovered their disobedience and called the midwives before him. [Why have you disobeyed my orders?] he demanded. [Why are you letting the baby boys live?] [The Hebrew women have their babies much faster than the Egyptian women,” the midwives told Pharaoh. “By the time we arrive, the baby is already born.] Adonai blessed the midwives and gave them families of their own. He also continued to bless the Hebrews with children and they continued to multiply and grow strong. Then Pharaoh gave orders to his own people, the Egyptians, to destroy the Hebrew boys. [Throw every new Hebrew baby boy into the Nile River!] he ordered. [But let the baby girls live. About this time a man and woman of the tribe of Levi were married. Pharaoh's orders to destroy the Hebrew baby boys came when this couple had their third child; a son. Jochebed, the mother, tried to hide the child at home for three months, but she realized at last that she could hide him there no longer. One day Jochebed made a basket of papyrus reeds or bulrushes, covered it with tar to keep out the water and placed her baby in it. Then she hid it among the bulrushes along the Nile River. The baby’s older sister Miriam stayed nearby to watch the basket. While she was there, a daughter of Pharaoh came to the Nile River to bathe. As the princess walked with her maids along the river, she saw the basket and sent a maid to get it. When she opened the basket, she found a baby crying and felt compassion for him. [He must be a Hebrew baby,] she said. Immediately Miriam ran to the princess. [Shall I find a Hebrew woman to be the baby’s nurse?] she asked. [Yes, go find one,] the princess ordered. Miriam ran home quickly to tell her mother what had happened. When Jochebed returned, the princess made arrangements with her for the child. [Take the child to your home and be his nurse,] said the princess. [I will pay you.] So Jochebed took the child home and nursed him and he grew to be a strong boy. In time, Jochebed took him to live with the princess, who raised him as her son. The princess named the child Moses, which meant [To Draw Out,] for as she said, [I have drawn him out of the water.

COMMENTARY

MAKING BRICKS IN PHARAOH'S EGYPT

Hundreds of years passed since the days of Joseph. The Israelites multiplied in Egypt: they filled the land. Fear moved the Egyptians to enslave these now unwelcome guests. Finally, YHVH acted in a quiet, unusual way. A boy was born to a slave family. He was hidden in a floating basket in the rushes that grew along the Nile. There the baby was discovered by a princess, and named Moses. With Moses, the story of YHVH’s deliverance of His people begins. Most of what is known today about brick making in Moses’ time comes from two sources. One is the Bible. In Exodus 5:7-8, it is mentioned as the primary task of the Hebrew slaves. The second source is a wall painting in an ancient tomb. It was built about the time of the Exodus. About 1450 B.C., a high-ranking official of Upper Egypt died; the Vizier Rehkmire, or Rehk-mi-re. Since he had been a wealthy and important person, he was buried in a richly decorated tomb. The walls were painted with scenes of daily life as it was lived during his time. One of the wall scenes showed brick makers at work. Although the drawing looks strange by today’s standards, the steps involved in making bricks are clearly seen. The drawing follows the sequence from collecting raw materials to laying the finished brick. The workmen all wear very simple clothes. Their Egyptian taskmasters are almost as simply dressed, but they wear a headdress of some kind that looks like a turban. They also carry a stick, which was probably used to discipline the workers. The slaves in the painting have not been identified, but they may well be the Hebrew slaves mentioned in the Book of Exodus.