Danger! Fear at Work!

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Opening Prayer

Father God, Your perfect love casts out all fear. Shed more of Your love in my life.

Read Exodus 1:1-22

^[1] These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: ^[2] Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; ^[3] Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; ^[4] Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. ^[5] The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. ^[6] Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, ^[7] but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. ^[8] Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. ^[9] “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. ^[10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” ^[11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. ^[12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites ^[13] and worked them ruthlessly. ^[14] They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. ^[15] The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ^[16] “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” ^[17] The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. ^[18] Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” ^[19] The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” ^[20] So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. ^[21] And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. ^[22] Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

Meditate

The heartening challenge “Fear not” occurs 366 times in Scripture. Amazing: one for each day of the year and an extra day for a Leap Year. Each “Fear not” is almost always followed with an assurance that the God of love will protect us and redeem us from all our anxieties.

Think Further

After reading this chapter, I sit quietly and feel the terror in it, the escalation from enslavement to oppression to attempted genocide. I note the verbs used in verses 11-14, and how precisely the oppression is described with reference to bricks and mortar and “work in the fields” (ditches, dykes, canals). The pharaohs of Egypt had vast building projects–the pyramids of Sesostris III at Dahshur alone needed 24 million bricks. I picture the toiling Israelite men, loincloths stiff with clay, skin burnt by the sun, damaged hands and fingers, bodies smelly and unwashed. Many people in my world still work like this–what am I doing to relieve this oppression, especially if times are hard for me?

God had promised Abraham that he would become a great nation. Although Jacob’s descendants were just 70, the Egyptian king is anxious about the Israelites proliferating everywhere–like frogs (8:3)! They are a security risk if they stay; and there will be a labor crisis if they leave. I reflect on how fear leads to immigrant-bashing, hate-talk about “foreigners” (worse words are used) and riots; and how fear can bring ordinary, good people to do very bad things. I picture the downward spiral of Pharaoh’s fear, leading eventually (22) to public murder. I thank God for the resourceful women (two are named; there must have been more) whose unpunctuality and evasion frustrated Pharaoh’s plans. So much depended on these women, who are mentioned seven times! We are told twice (17,21) what their motivation was–the first time God is mentioned in the chapter. Facing up to Pharaoh was fearful, but they drove out their lower fears with a higher fear (Matt. 10:8); their civic duty was embedded in a deeper obedience (Acts 5:29).

Apply

What fears does the Lord deliver me from? See Matt.10:1-31 and Luke 5:10. What fears (respect, awe, adoration) does he amplify? See Revelation 1:17 and Jude 23.

Closing prayer

Lord, I know the spirit of fear is not from You. Help me to center on You and know Your amazing peace.

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