Our God is Faithful | Exodus 1:1-7

 I invite you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Exodus. It’s easy to find. It’s the second book in the Bible. I invite you to turn there because today we are launching out into a new sermon series that will take us through the book of Exodus, a series we have subtitled: “You shall know that I am the Lord.” And before we give our attention to the book of Exodus, I’ll explain why we have chosen to focus on this book at this time.

The first reason is that it is a matter of a balanced Biblical diet. For the greater part of the past 2 years, we have been meditating on, and digesting the contents of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. And what a majestic meal that has been.

But as elders who would be faithful to our God-given task, our aim is to declare to you the whole counsel of God. It is our conviction that the whole Bible is God’s Word. The whole Bible – from cover to cover, OT and NT, with all its literary styles – history, narrative, poetry, prophecy, letters – all of it was written for our instruction and edification. Everything in this book was inspired and recorded so that we might hope in God. So we’ve been feeding, mainly, in the pasture of the NT. It’s time to go back to the pasture of the OT.

But it’s not merely a decision to jump back and forth between OT and NT (or NT and OT). Our aim is nothing less than hearts set on fire for the gospel of the person and work of Jesus. Our priority is Gospel-centered doctrine and preaching. Nine years ago, Emmaus Road Church was not merely a cool name we came up with for our new church. The name Emmaus Road was intended to inspire and to inform our entire approach to ministry. For it was on that 7 mile stretch from Jerusalem down to a village called Emmaus that Jesus came alongside two broken people. They were broken because they had been traumatized by the unanticipated and bloody execution of the One whom they had hoped would fix their messed-up world. Instead, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, they were left, lost in a fog of disequilibrium, and soul-crushing discouragement.

And into their crisis of faith Jesus meets them. And beginning with Moses – that is, beginning with Genesis and Exodus and the rest of the five books Moses wrote, along with the rest of the OT – Jesus explains how it all points to him. Jesus shows how these books, including the book of Exodus, reveal the necessity of a pure and holy, sacrifice – a sacrifice of infinite value, who alone could redeem broken people and make them right with God.

Loved ones, the things Jesus explained from the OT on the road to Emmaus changed those people’s lives. They may have begun their walk to Emmaus downcast and depressed. But by the time Jesus left them, their hearts were burning with hopefulness. They began listening to Jesus’ exposition of Moses’ writings weakened and weary and worn. But by the time the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to recognize the risen Lord, the fog was gone, and they were inspired to run back up the mountain the middle of the night, because they could not wait to tell what they had just seen and heard. I’m praying, and I invite you to join me in praying, for that kind of transformation – for Spirit-inspired joy, and for Spirit-empowered witness. Yes, witness.

Mission was Jesus’ aim in lighting a fire in the hearts of the disciples on the Emmaus Road. And listen. Mission is God’s aim in and through the book of Exodus. 17 times in this book, Moses writes some form or variation of God’s Words – “You shall know that I am the Lord.” YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD. “I am the Lord,” says the Lord. “And there is no other.” You see, God’s passion and purpose is to be known. And what could possibly be greater than knowing the all-wise, all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, immortal, un-changing, merciful, infinitely glorious maker of, and Lord over, everything in galaxies above and on this earth below? Being known and enjoyed is God’s passion and purpose. And so He repeats again and again and again - you shall know that I am the Lord.

Do we not live in a world where that phrase is contested like no other? The world we live in is one where the “modern self” delivers triumphant authority over to its inner feelings, and declares, “I am the Lord.” “I will be what I please. I will identify myself as I see fit. I will realize my humanity my way. My passion is to be known for who I am. I am who I am. For I am Lord.” 

 And into that cultural context, God speaks to Moses, and through Moses, and says, “This is who I am. And you shall have no other gods before me.” To people oppressed and enslaved to sin, God speaks to Moses and through Moses, and says, “I will bring you out by my mighty hand.” And to a people who have forsaken their maker, and who have strayed from their deliverer, God speaks to Moses and through Moses, and says, “I am the LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. This you shall know.”

Loved ones, this we shall know, for God’s passion and purpose is to be known – as He is. God’s aim is to be trusted and praised for all that He has revealed Himself to be – until all the earth is filled with the knowledge of His glory and uncontestable greatness. I believe, we can be certain, that according to God’s purpose and promise, we shall know that He alone is the LORD. That’s why this book of Exodus at this time.

So, let’s get started. The journey begins in Exodus 1:1-7. I invite you to stand and hear God address us through His servant Moses. Moses writes,

“These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Napthtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons. Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly. They multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them”.

—Exodus 1:1-7

This is God’s Word. May He bless the preaching of His Word, and the hearing of His Word, and by His empowering grace, produce joyful obedience to His Word. Let’s pray.

In the opening words of his commentary on the book of Exodus, Philip Ryken writes,

 “Exodus is an epic tale of fire, sand, wind, and water. The adventure takes place under the hot desert sun, just beyond the shadow of the Great Pyramids. There are two mighty nations – Israel and Egypt – led by two great men – Moses the liberating hero and Pharoah the enslaving villain. Almost every scene is a masterpiece: the baby in the basket; the burning bush; the river of blood and the other plagues; the angel of death; the crossing of the Red Sea; the manna in the wilderness; the water from the rock; the thunder and lightning on the mountain; the Ten Commandments; the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night; the golden calf; the glory in the tabernacle.

 Once heard, the story is never forgotten. For the Jews it is the story that defines their very existence, the rescue that made them God’s people. For Christians it is the gospel of the Old Testament, God’s first great act of redemption.”

—Phillip Ryken

Boom!! If that doesn’t whet your appetite for what awaits the reader of this book, I don’t know what else could.

However, the opening sentence of Exodus 1 could hardly fail more dramatically in capturing our imaginations. If the grand objective of this book is to communicate who God is, and put on display His most awesome act of rescue and redemption, then the first paragraph is not a little disappointing. In fact, God doesn’t say a word until Ex. 3:2.

But for the first readers of this ancient text, the original audience for whom Moses wrote this book, these opening sentences would have been immediately attention-getting. One expositor writes, they are “bursting with assurance and hope.” Bursting with assurance and hope! What is it about a list of dead people that is bursting with assurance and hope? To answer that, we need to know something about the people to whom Moses was writing.

Scholars agree that Moses addressed this book to the second generation of Israelites after the exodus out of Egypt. The first generation was delivered from their Egyptian slavery, in dramatic fashion, accompanied by plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. The first generation received the Ten Commandments from God at Mount Sinai. But on account of their sinful unbelief in God’s ability to deliver them all the way into the Promised Land, that entire generation died in the wilderness. Num. 14:22, God says,

 “None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test . . . and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of these who have despised me shall see it.”

—Numbers 14:22-23

 In other words, the original audience to read the book of Exodus was a generation that had not experienced the plagues or the Passover. They had not experienced the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. An entire generation had not seen the glory of God. It was an entire generation that did not know the Lord. It was an entire generation that knew nothing except a life of wandering in the wilderness – a life of unsettledness, in between what had been, and what was still to come.

Some of you have recently moved from other states, other cities, and relocated here in Sioux Falls. You left things that were familiar – your homes, your old hangouts, and coffee shops. You left relationships that defined you, and communities where there were people who knew your name, and you knew theirs.

 And then you arrive in a new community, in a new neighborhood. And it takes time, doesn’t it, to get situated. It takes time for relationships to be established, and to find a mechanic you can trust, or a dentist or a doctor, or most importantly, a barista who remembers you and your favorite drink. There is a “land” in between. And for a time, you’re unsettled. And there can be a measure of sadness because what used to be is no more. And what will eventually be, is not yet.

But now imagine there is no “used to be,” and there still isn’t a “not yet.” All you know is the “in between.” And with no past and no future, who are you? What is your story? Where do you locate yourself? How did you get to where you are? Is there actually a place and a future for you?

Loved ones, Moses wrote the book of Exodus for the purpose of explaining to an entire generation, the fate of the prior generation. He wrote the book of Exodus to explain what went right, and what went wrong. Moses wrote the book of Exodus to communicate why their generation is where they are, and why they aren’t where they will eventually be.

And therefore, by tracing their line and lineage through this brief genealogy, in the first few verses of Exodus 1, Moses is reminding an entire generation of who they are, and where they’ve come from. And more importantly, Moses is calling their attention to who God is. Moses’ aim is to let this generation know the Lord. And in these first seven verses Moses shows that God is faithful. God is faithful. God is faithful to His people. God is faithful to His purpose. And God is faithful to His promise. And this is a word for us as well. Loved ones, Our God is Faithful to His People, to His Purpose, and to His Promise.

And Moses conveys this truth by reminding us that the book of Exodus is a continuation of a story that began in the book of Genesis. That is, Exodus is a sequel.

I had to dust off a little Hebrew for this – but it is helpful to know that the very last word in the book of Genesis, is the word “Egypt.” And the very first word in the book of Exodus is the word “and.” In other words, the readers of this book are meant to assume the unfolding of a continuing story. One commentator rightly observes that the book of Exodus “is not a new story. It is a new chapter in an older story.” And therefore, the names of the people in Ex. 1:1-5, aren’t forgotten people. These are not people who have no further relevance.

The opening vv. of Exodus refer back to chap. one in the story. And the original audience of the book of Ex. would have been uninformed regarding their lineage and history. Like many today, they’ve been living in a cultural context, where familiarity with the history of God and His redeeming works were unknown.

Perhaps you have friends, or family, or neighbors who know nothing about God. They know nothing about who God is, or what God has done. One of my sons was telling me about a sports talk show he was listening to. A well-known football coach had been expressing his indecision regarding which of his two quarterback options he was going to go with. And since he couldn’t decide, he commented that he was going to need the wisdom of Solomon. The sports-talk hosts were completely thrown off by the coach’s comment. What is a Soloman? And on the air, they did a google search of Solomon quarterbacks. You can imagine their confusion when the search engine took them to a reference of a king who threatened to cut an infant in two with a sword. They had no idea what a Solomon was.

And like many of your neighbors and co-workers or classmates today, the original readers of Exodus needed to be reintroduced to God’s historic, and redemptive purpose and power. They needed to be reintroduced to their own family history. They needed to be reintroduced to God himself.

But not only are the names mentioned in the opening vv. of significance. There is a significant little phrase we might miss. “These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt . . . “ and “Joseph was already in Egypt” (Exodus 1:1, 5).

Here Moses is informing his original readers as to how their parent’s generation had come to Egypt. In other words, before the story of the Exodus out of Egypt would make any sense, they needed to understand how and why these ancestors had gotten to Egypt in the first place. And so Moses reminds them – Joseph was the first one to enter Egypt – and how it all had happened according to the providence of God. As the favorite son of his father Jacob, Joseph was hated by his brothers. And on account of their sinful envy and jealousy, they threw him into a pit. And then they took it further, and made money off him by trafficking him as a slave by which he was taken into Egypt. But again, all according to God’s providence, Josephs rises to a position of power.  He becomes a man of unbelievable influence. And in a season of intense famine, Joseph was able to provide for his father, and brothers as they all made the transition to Egypt. And Moses skillfully ties the whole thing together – recounting how the 12 sons of Jacob arrived in Egypt – while also connecting them to the previous Patriarchs – Abraham and Isaac and, most importantly, which we’ll see in a moment, the promises God had made to them.

But for now, it’s the names that matter. All the names matter. And that’s because those names communicate to the readers then, and to us today, the faithfulness of God. They shall know, we shall know, all the earth shall know the Lord who is faithful.

Our God is Faithful to His People

Know it!! Believe it!! Entrust yourself to it! Loved ones, these names all matter, because God’s people matter to Him. These people listed here matter to God. Moses’ first readers matter to God. And they matter to God because they are His people.

Now, what do we know about these people who matter so much to God? Well, we know there were 70 of them. Ex. 1:5, “All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons.”

We also know they had a fairly checkered family history. Phil Ryken writes,

 “The twelve sons of Israel were never likely to become epic heroes . . . They were not especially bright . . . Their family history was a sordid tale of treachery, philandering, and violence . . . Joseph and his brothers really had just one thing going for them, and that was their God.”

—Phillip Ryken

The best thing about them was their God – the God whose passion and purpose is to be known – known as faithful. The God of the everlasting covenant who turned what they, in their brokenness and disfunction and sin, intended for evil, into good.

Loved ones, this is the same God who reveals himself throughout the book of Exodus. He turns sinful intentions into good. And it’s because He is the Lord, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. That is their God. This is our God – faithful to His people. But more,

Our God is Faithful to His Purpose

Listen, this is so important. The people who matter to God, the people to whom Moses introduces us in Ex. 1:1-5, are not shining examples of respectable character. We’re not going to find any candidates for the National Honor Society. But they do bear a rather remarkable resemblance to us. And like us, those first readers of this book would be hearing these first few vv. and they would realize right off the bat, that they were included in the miraculous, undeserved, redemptive plan and purpose of God – a plan purposed all the way back in Gen. 1:27. Moses writes, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.”

God’s purpose, from the beginning, was to fill the earth with His image – through people, male and female created in His image. Gen. 1:28 sounds an awful lot like Ex. 1:7 doesn’t it?

 “But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly. They multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them”.

—Exodus 1:7

Our God want us to know that He is faithful, not only to His people. He is faithful to His purpose. It will be fulfilled. It will be fulfilled because –

God is Faithful to His Promise

Back in book one, Moses records God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants. In Gen. 15. God says to Abraham, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars . . . so shall your offspring be . . . (13) Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions . . .” (18) On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 15:5, 13, 14, 18).

And then in Ex. 1, Moses reminds his readers that the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – it is being fulfilled. And it is being fulfilled in a very specific way. Though only 70 entered Egypt (v. 5), v. 7 says, look at it again.

 “But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly. They multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”

—Exodus 1:7

 Do you see how Moses just piles one phrase on to another in describing the blessing on the Israelites. “Fruitful.” “Increased greatly.” “Multiplied.” “Grew exceedingly strong.” Oh, and did I happen to mention that “the land was filled with them.” Clearly, we are meant to see this is much more than a spike in the typical birth rate. This is a miracle!! It is a reverberation of Gen. 1:28, and Gen. 15:5. Moses means for all to see that it is a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So do not lose heart, O people, whose lot it seems to be to be wandering about in the land in between. Our God is faithful. When you’re tempted to think hard thoughts about your disfunctions and failings, remember God is faithful to His people. When you’re tempted to think, “I have messed up my life (and my family’s lives) so royally, I’m stuck in this cycle forever,” remember - God is faithful to accomplish His purpose. And don’t lose heart because God seems to be silent. Don’t lose heart because His presence and power seem like a thing of the past. Our God is faithful to fulfill His promises.  We are going to see, all that was left for Moses’ original readers was the “land” – a land to call their own. And in order to enter that land, their parents would have to leave Egypt. And thought the fulfillment of that promise begins on an ominous note in Ex. 1:8, this is God’s way. The most dark and ominous moment in all history happened on a hill called Calvary. And it was there that the God of promises fulfilled, the God who had taken on human flesh, bore our cross of sin and shame, endured the agony we deserved, so that today, we might bear His name, His people, and exult in Him as our God. Let’s pray.