I Will Turn To GOD for Help - Exodus 1 and 2 - July 2, 2006

Sunday School Lesson – I Will Turn To GOD for Help – July 2, 2006

This begins a new series of study entitled “My Declaration of Dependence.”

This is an interesting title for our series. In a few days we will celebrate the 230th anniversary of independence for our nation. We celebrate freedom and support other nations who desire to have a democracy. Of course, with freedom comes responsibility. The question is, “Will freedom lead us to seek GOD’S help in our daily lives or does freedom lead us to be free from GOD until we get into trouble?” Our scripture for this series of study is taken from the Book of Exodus.

July 2 – Where should we turn when faced with a burdensome situation beyond our control? (Exodus 1:1-2:25)

July 9 – How can we know GOD is willing and able to help us in an overwhelming situation? (Exodus 3;1-4:31)

July 16 – How can we be sure GOD will guide and protect us when we follow HIM? (Exodus 13:17-15:21)

July 23 – Why does GOD test us? (Exodus 13:17-16:36)

July 30 – What does GOD expect of us? (Exodus 19:-20:21)

Our background scripture for this lesson is Exodus 1:1-2:25.

Our focus scripture is Exodus 1:5-14 and 2:23-25.

Let’s review some of the background for our study.


Let’s read Genesis 12:1-5:
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.[1] Or great. Be a blessing! [2] Zch 8:13 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt,[3] Gn 27:29; Nm 24:9 and all the peoples[4] Lit clans on earth will be blessed[5] Or will find blessing through you.[6] Or will bless themselves by you [7] Gn 26:4; 28:14; Gl 3:8 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

Notice in verse 2, GOD promised Abram to make him a great nation. Of course tied to this promise GOD wants Abram to respond to HIM in obedient faith.

This is ground zero. Abraham’s descendants are Isaac and Jacob. Jacob had twelve (12) sons. Jacob had two (2) wives Leah and Rachel, plus each wife gave her slave to Joseph to bare a child. Each slave bore Jacob two (2) sons. Joseph is the first son born of Rachel and Jacob. Jacob favored Joseph. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and he was taken to Egypt.

GOD worked mightily in Joseph’s life and GOD used Joseph to preserve his family during a famine in Israel. GOD used the famine to get Jacob’s family to Egypt. GOD separates Abraham’s descendants, seventy (70) in all, from the other families in Israel and leads them to Egypt. This is a blended family since there are children from Leah, Rachel and two (2) slave women. They are given land and settle in their own area in the Land of Goshen, which is the delta region of Egypt. They dwell in Egypt for 400 years where they multiply and become a nation. This is confirmed in Genesis 15:13-14.


Genesis 15:13-14:
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be strangers[7] Ex 22:21; 23:9 in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed[8] Lit will serve them and they will oppress them 400 years.[9] Ex 12:40 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve,[10] Ex 6:6; 7:4; 12:12 and afterwards they will go out with many possessions.[11] Ex 3:22

It is interesting that Abraham’s descendants leave the Promised Land to go to Egypt. Then the Israelites had to be delivered from Egypt and slavery to return to the Promised Land. Why? GOD told Abraham that HE would make a nation of his descendants. GOD separated them, made a nation and then revealed HIMSELF to these descendants through signs, wonders, miracles, the Ten Commandments, Priests, artifacts of worship, personally and much more. GOD reveals HIMSELF to the people of earth through HIS chosen people and ultimately to the world through HIS ONLY SON JESUS.

Just as GOD delivered the Israelites from the bondage of slavery, JESUS delivers us from the bondage of sin and as a result we dwell eternally in the house of our LORD through the marvelous gift of grace.

GOD establishes HIS rule in our lives through HIS ONLY SON JESUS, when we accept HIM as SAVIOR and LORD. Through the miracle of rebirth we are born into GOD’S family and become heirs and joint heirs with CHRIST. We are, also, heirs of all the promises GOD made to Abram. What a heritage we have!

There are three (3) Pharaohs in our study. Pharaoh is a title, like king. We know that Pharaoh one (1) likes Joseph and welcomed his family to Egypt and gave them land. Pharaoh two (2) did not know Joseph and is the Pharaoh who began to enslave the Israelites. Pharaoh three (3) is the Pharaoh in power during the exodus. Now to our study.
Let’s read Exodus 1:5-7:

5 The total number of Jacob’s descendants[1] Lit of people issuing from Jacob’s loins was 70;[2] LXX, DSS read 75; Gn 46:27; Ac 7:14 Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died. 7 But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly,[3] Gn 9:7 multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.

Joseph and all his brothers die. Life was good in Egypt for the Israelites. They are hard workers and multiply. The Egyptians liked the fact they were hard workers.

GOD has a plan for the Israelites to return to the Promised Land but the Israelites are happy in Egypt, so why relocate?

There are times in our lives that GOD has to change our circumstances to get us to be willing to make a change and go to the place HE wants us to be.

There seems to be little emphasis on worshiping GOD while the Israelites are in Egypt. Did GOD try to get their attention but they were not listening? There are times life catches us unaware and we find ourselves trapped in a situation we do not want to leave. Our hope is that things will get better. Life changes for the Israelites but they endure the changes until things really get bad.

Let’s read Exodus 1:8-14:

8 A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. 10 Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply [further]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. , and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” 11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom (PIGH-thahm) and Rameses (ray-AM-seez) [4] Ex 12:37; Gn 47:11; Nm 33:3,5 as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread[5] Or Egyptians loathed the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14 and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar, and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

A new Pharaoh who does not know Joseph comes into power. The word used for “who had not known Joseph” did not mean he had never heard of him but that he just did not know the important role he played in the life of Egypt.

This Pharaoh became concerned with the number of Israelites. If an enemy came against Egypt the Israelites could join forces with the enemy and help the enemy defeat the Egyptians.

Pharaoh comes up with three (3) reasons why the Israelites needed to be brought under control:
v They may join their enemies
v Fight against them
v Leave their country

The last bullet is very interesting. They did not want them to leave their country. They wanted the Israelites to stay in their country to work and serve them. The Pharaoh convinces the people and life becomes hard for the Israelites.

The more the Israelites are oppressed the more they multiply. It is interesting the Israelites are getting stronger. GOD is getting the Israelites into physical shape to prepare them to leave Egypt and at the same time preparing them mentally to leave, when the time comes.

All of this takes time because GOD is also preparing a man called Moses to be their leader to lead them out of the bondage of slavery.
Exodus 1:15-22: (Population control)

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver.[6] Lit birth, look at the stones If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.” 17 The Hebrew midwives, however, • feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21 Since the midwives feared God, He gave them families. 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people: “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews[7] Sam, LXX, Tg; MT omits to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”

The fact that the midwives feared GOD more than Pharaoh tells us that the Israelites were worshiping GOD.

We often wonder, “Why is GOD taking so long?” We can look at this situation and see that timing is critical. If the will of the people has to be changed to leave a situation and if there is no leader to accept the responsibility to lead the people, this takes time. GOD can work any way HE chooses and in this situation HE chooses to work through Moses. So what has to take place?

v Moses has to be born to prepare a leader from birth, who is rescued from the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter, who lived and is trained in Pharaoh’s house, flees to the desert because he killed an Egyptian when he is 40 years old, lives in the desert for 40 years waiting for Pharaoh two (2) to die, during these 80 years the Israelites become more oppressed, GOD gets Moses attention by speaking to him through a burning bush, etc. Get the picture? GOD has an eternal plan that is being put into action and HE is working through humans to accomplish HIS plan.

Circumstances in life often follow the same pattern. If we become enslaved by something such as drugs, alcohol, food, an abusive situation, etc. we keep thinking we can kick this or we hope things will get better. Often we need to come to the point of desperation where we reach out for help and look to GOD to deliverer us. Then we must take action as GOD provides for our deliverance.

Let’s read Exodus 2:23-25:

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor. 24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God saw the Israelites, and He took notice.

Pharaoh two (2) dies and Pharaoh three (3) takes over. Pharaoh three (3) is in charge during the exodus. GOD has to get Pharaoh three’s (3) attention and bring him to the point that he will provide the necessary provisions for the Israelites to be delivered from the bondage of slavery.

Remember in Genesis 15:14 GOD said they would leave with many possessions. So Pharaoh had to be brought to a point that he would pay them to leave his country.

During this time of preparation, GOD performed many signs and wonders to get the attention of both the Egyptians and the Israelites to demonstrate HIS power.

When we read the Bible it is GOD’S revelation and confirmation to us that HE is all powerful and can take care of us in every situation. Our relationship with GOD will confirm or deny HIS power in our lives.

The Israelites are now mentally ready to be delivered and they cry out to GOD.

GOD knew all along what they needed but HE needed to wait until they determined they needed to be delivered. GOD had not forgotten HIS covenant with them but HE confirmed that HE had made a covenant hundreds of years earlier with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The only thing GOD forgets is our sins when we confess them.

The people groaned. He you ever groaned? A groan is made when we just do not know what to say or do. GOD knows our heart and when we cannot articulate, GOD understands. What we cannot do for ourselves or others GOD can accomplish when we groan. In Romans 8:26-28 we see that the HOLY SPIRIT joins us at times we do not know what to say with groanings that are perfectly understandable to GOD.

Romans 8:26-28:

26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us[15] Some mss omit for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together[16] Other mss read that God works together in all things for the good[17] The ultimate good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

When we are in an addictive situation, we have to get to the point we seek deliverance. When we realize we cannot help ourselves and acknowledge that we need help from others that is a critical step for our deliverance.

When we are in a situation in life that is beyond our ability to do any thing about it, do we believe GOD can come to our aid or sustain us through it? It is during the dark times in our lives that we must remember what we have learned in the light.

I remember years ago, I had read a book “Tortured for Christ.” I was listening to the radio and heard about a Christian young lady being kidnapped and killed. I had a serious talk with our LORD. I said that I thought I was better to my children than HE was. If I were HIM no one would ever touch a hair on my child’s head without a serious zap from me. When I finally shut up, the still small voice of the LORD said, “Suppose I zapped anyone who mistreated one of MY children. Why do you think people would become a Christian, because they love ME or because of the protection?” I said because of the protection. HE said now think on that. GOD does protect HIS children and deliver HIS children. It is sometimes different from the way we think it should happen.

It is very difficult for us to understand why GOD acts or chooses not to act in situations. It boils down to trust in our SAVIOR and LORD. Trust is difficult when things do not go as we think they should. This is why having an intimate relationship with GOD is vital for us to cope with life.

The number one thing in our life needs to be to yield our will to GOD and partner with HIM to build an intimate loving relationship. The relationship CHRIST had with the FATHER during HIS ministry on earth is the relationship HE wants all of HIS children to have with HIM. It is a relationship of total and complete trust and obedience to HIM.