Exodus 1:1-7 – As the Book of Exodus commences, God reminds us of how He kept His promises to an unlikely family to fulfill an uncommon calling. God sets the stage to use His people to accomplish His purposes, and nothing can stop Him.
Structure
- Title: Exodus means “Exit”
- Author: Moses (Mark 7:10; 12:26)
- Date: ~ 1550-1200 BC (The Late Bronze Age)
- Protagonist: God
- Theme: God redeems His helpless people from a ruthless enemy to follow Him closely on the challenging path to the Promised Land.
Divisions
- Rescued (1-11; January-March)
- Redeemed (12-19; April-June)
- Redirected (13-23; July-September)
- Restored (24-40; October-December)
- *Full series overview here.
Setting
- The awkward beginning of Exodus underscores its dependent connection with Genesis (1:1).
- The Israelites were in Egypt due to the people’s sinful choices and God’s sovereign plans (1:1-4).
- Joseph embraced his role to suffer innocently for the salvation of God’s people (1:5).
- The story doesn’t end with the death of the patriarchs because they weren’t the heroes (1:6).
- God’s plans were unexpected, but His people’s abundance proved that God’s promises were unstoppable (1:7).
Significance
- God has been writing a story that originated before us and will continue beyond us.
- Even our rebellion and others’ opposition cannot thwart God’s plan to rescue and send His people.
- The fact that your life is overrun with unsatisfying circumstances proves that God’s not done with your story.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
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