Joseph and his brothers grew old and died but their children’s children stayed on in Egypt where they became a very large family.

We now leave the book of Genesis “beginnings” and move on into the book of Exodus which means “going out.” Join me as we discover what “going out” requires!

A new Pharoah is now on the scene, and unfortunately, he has no memory of Joseph and was not a friend to God’s people: “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8.) This new Pharoah was troubled by how numerous the sons of Israel had become so he enslaved them. The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously. The Pharoah also gave an order to the Hebrew midwives to murder every male born to the Hebrew women (1:15-19). But when that proved unproductive, Pharoah commanded all his people to drown any male born to the Hebrew people. However, a man and woman from the house of Levi had faith in God and hid their baby boy for 3 months. When they saw they could hide him no longer, he was placed in a basket and put afloat in the Nile River where the daughter of Pharoah rescued him and raised him as her own (Exodus 2).

As in Joseph’s story, [God works] through an adverse situation to accomplish His purposes and to bring about the best results for His people. Just as the Israelites were held captive by Pharoah, so we, our forefathers, and all our children are born captives of Satan. We cannot deliver ourselves from him. No teacher or preacher can deliver us; no other human being can deliver us. Only God can deliver us from the bondage of Satan.

–FIRM FOUNDATIONS Creation to Christ

When Moses grew to be a man, God called him through a burning bush to be His mouthpiece and deliver His people from slavery (Exodus 3).

The Great “I AM” – the self-existent one – would rescue His chosen people! And that’s exactly what He did. Through great Plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7-10), with the last judgment the severest (Exodus 11): every firstborn Egyptian child and the firstborn of all the Egyptians’ livestock, died. The Lord passed through Egypt; The great “Passover” took place. Every home that had been sprinkled with the blood of a lamb on its doorpost would be passed over – SAVED (Hebrews 12).

The Chosen Hebrew People, God’s own possession, the Israelites now exit Egypt by the hand of God! They are “going out!”