Today you should read: Exodus 1
Thank you for reading Jumpstart faithfully! Take a minute and share the blessings you’ve received from reading through Genesis with us. Share them in the comments for everyone to enjoy.
Today we start the book of Exodus. Exodus records the incredible story of God’s deliverance of the Children of Israel from Egypt, meeting them on Mt. Sinai, and protecting them as they travel to the Promised Land. The book takes us through about 80 years from the birth of Moses in about 1526 B.C. to the death of Joseph in 1446 B.C.
The Book consists of three major sections:
- The Story of the Exodus from Egypt (Chapters 1-19)
- God giving Israel the Law and Instructions (Chapters 20-31)
- The People’s Response to God’s Commands (Chapters 32-40)
Exodus documents the ten plagues (water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, disease in livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn) and the ten commandments (no other gods, no idols, do not take the name of the LORD in vain, remember the Sabbath, honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, and do not covet). Only the books of Deuteronomy, Pslams, and Isaiah are quoted more often in the New Testament than Exodus. It is quoted by every author of the N.T. except Jude (44 times in all).
In Exodus 1 we read about the horrific story of how God’s people were mistreated in Egypt. As you remember, they moved there, following Joseph, because of the famine. They settled in Egypt and began to multiply and grow. Eventually the Pharaoh died and a new king took over who didn’t know Joseph and his family. He began to abuse them by making them build cities. It got worse and worse, and they continued to multiply and grow. His plan? Kill all the baby boys by throwing them into the Nile river.
God however had a plan; a leader, Moses would be born in these difficult times. A leader that would be used by God to guide them out of Egypt to the land God had promised them. God always has a plan and He’s always working His plan. No matter how bad things seems to be, you can trust in Him.
- How have you seen God’s hand at work in your life in the last few months?
- Has He used a difficult season to refine you?
- In what ways are you growing in your trust in Him?
By: Tim Parsons
JumpstartCPC.com 
Dear Staff & Interns,
Jumpstart is such a blessing. I have read Genesis many times in my life and thought I knew the stories really well. Through the daily commentaries, and comments of church members, I gained so many new insights into this incredible book. I can’t wait to re-explore the story of God’s people through Exodus.
Exodus 1:8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.
How could the history of Joseph be forgotten so quickly? Seven long years of drought and many thousands were saved because of the wisdom God gave to Joseph. Could it be that Pharaoh actually knew history well but his own pride allowed him to persecute the Israelites? We don’t know for sure. Regardless, God allowed a long period of persecution of the Israelites and then brought forth a deliverer at just the right time. Praise God for His faithfulness!
Thank you for Jumpstart! While I’ve been through the Bible several times, the commentary you guys provided has unpacked many chapters in ways I’d never considered before. It’s been a tremendous encouragement for me and my wife and has sparked many “God conversations” around the dinner table. Thanks again!
I find it interesting how God uses unlikely people in the orchestration of global events. Egypt was the global center of power and culture in its day, and God used the incredibly difficult circumstances of Joseph’s life to inject him into the middle of the world superpower of his day. His life set up the circumstances where the Israelites were in Egypt and were able to prosper, and then to experience intense hardship. God used that hardship to set up His next stage of growth in relationship with His people. I’m always amazed how God is at work in our individual lives and also in the “big picture” of His plan at the same time. Its sometimes hard to see the bigger picture when we are in the middle of difficulty, but He is always at work.
There’s a fairly new documentary on Netflix that shows archaeological research with lots of interesting study on the exodus called “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus”. This is thought provoking for those with a curious mind on history and archaeology.
Thanks Mike! I don’t subscribe to Netflix but this might be a good reason to sign
up.
Mike, you can also rent or buy it on Amazon or rent it on Youtube. Here’s the links:
http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Evidence-Kevin-Sorbo-narrator/dp/B00Z9HS7TU
Very blessed to be reminded how God was sovereign in all our mistakes since the fall in Genesis 3. It went down hill quick and God would use His people to glorify Himself & point others back to His salvation & faithfulness in the promises He made to us. Almost every jumpstart account of Genesis would remind me of this & I appreciate everyone who read our thoughts & comments.
A couple days behind on this post but I never skip days to catch up because I’m afraid I’ll miss something in on of the commentaries. Like John, my wife and I will ask each other “did you read JS today?” because we want to talk about something we read that day. I’ve realized that discussing scripture with your spouse is a great way to develop a common purpose to grow together instead of doing it on your own.