Today you should read: Exodus 1
Context:
Let’s take just a minute to draw our attention back to Genesis 3:15:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
In the curse of the serpant we see a forshadowing of the future of man. There will be emnity or hatred between the followers of Yahweh and those who are of Satan. However, from the same curse comes a promise from the Lord. A savior will come from the seed of the woman (man) who will crush the head of the serpent (Satan). The seed of the serpent is identified by those who oppose God and/or the people who follow God. We see a good example of this in Matthew 3:7, when John the Baptist identified the pharisees as a brood of vipers because of their opposition to the coming of Jesus.
In Genesis 15, we see the promised seed of the woman being passed to Abraham when God gives him a son that will become a great nation. This results in his grandson, Jacob, being named Israel and his offspring multiplying into tribes and nations. Ultimately this promise of a savior will be fulfilled in Christ who comes out of the nation of Israel but as Paul Harvey would say that is the “rest of the story”.
Our passage today begins where Genesis ended with Israel living and prospering in Egypt. Israel is growing exceedingly strong in Egypt and we see God’s pledge to Abraham coming to pass (v.7). They are becoming so numerous that they’re all throughout the land of Egypt, but their welcome had begun to run out. There is a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph nor care about him; all he knew is that the Israelites were becoming strong. To a king who is worried about his kingdom, he becomes threatened by the possiblity of Israel rising up against him (v.10).
So what is his answer? To seek the Lord’s will and bless the people of Israel according to promise of God? Absolutely not. He did what anyone does who is seeking to protect his kingdom and his power: he opposed them. By oppressing them he figured that he would be able to control them (v.11-14), but slavery wasn’t enough. Pharaoh wanted to stop their multipication all together by having the midwives kill the male children thus taking away their strength.
No matter how much Pharaoh (seed of the serpent) opposed the people of God (seed of the woman), God always fought on behalf of the people. In this case God used the midwives who feared him to preserve his people.
Now what does this matter to us? We are talking about nations and kings and a conflict between seeds that started all the way back in Genesis – that surely doesn’t matter to us, right? Wrong! The war between the people of God and Satan that raged in Exodus is raging just as ferociously today. Ask yourself what side you are fighting on.
In the case of Pharaoh, it was his desire to serve himself that caused him to oppose the people of God, and that same sinful spirit is in each of us. To be a seed of the serpent does not mean that we are actively worshiping Satan, but our sin naturally makes us opposed God. To be of God means that we been redeemed by Christ; we must have a new heart that is given through a relationship in Christ. It was Abrahams faith in God that made him righteous, his faith in a coming redeemer through his seed (Romans 4:1-16).
Even Peter needed to be rebuked by Jesus for this in Matthew 16:23:
“But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Question:
Is your heart for God or for yourself? The answer will tell you which side of the conflict you are on.
Posted by: Chad Wiles
JumpstartCPC.com 
He y CPC! Don’t forget that today’s Missions Prayer Request is for Area College Ministries – Cru (Adam & Jen Dixon, Rich & Becky Duffield), Baptist Collegiate Ministries, CollegeLife, Campus Outreach (Joe & Laura Oliver)
Websites: Cru.org, BCMLife.net, YoungLife.org, COLexington.org
This chapter reminds me that it is God who gives us favor with those who may not know him personally. Sometimes I think we tend to trust the favor as if it will last forever. However, just as God gave the Isaraelites favor for a while, I think he may give us favor with others (e.g., friends, dating partners, etc.) only for a while. Let’s be wise to realize this so we will
be careful in putting too much hope in others who do not fear God.
nicole yosmali
Great job Chad! I love how when we’re following God no one can be against us. How no matter what our God is Sovereign over all.
Church we must live lives obedient to our Lord. He has done so much for us, created us (Gen.), redeemed us (Jesus), brought us back to Himself (Jesus), and Saved us (The Cross). If you are living a sin-filled life my question to you is why? You’re living for the serpent (satan). What has he done for you other than hate you, destroy everything good around you, kill, murder, steal, cause pain, destroy marriages, destroy families…need I go on? Why do we continue to be tempted by our sin nature? Is it really worth it?
Center Point Church lets be a church that rises against a sin-filled life and be obedient to a God that loved us so much He sent His son to take our place. Blessings church!