Exodus 1 A Heavy Burden

Joseph and his brothers are long dead. A new Pharaoh arises in Egypt who is afraid of the Israelites. He places a heavy burden on them to try and control them.

The family of Israel has grown exponentially since their arrival in Egypt. Now, they outnumber the Egyptians. God keeps blessing them in this area. Up until now, they led their own lives; most likely as shepherds. They were strong in body, in spirit, and in number. Because of this, the newest Pharaoh is terrified that they will join with their enemies in war. And, heaven forbid, they “escape from the land”! Let’s rejoin their story as Pharaoh tried to subjugate them.

♥ ♦ ♥

It has been more than 250 years since Joseph’s death. The memory of the great famine has long since faded from the minds and hearts of the people. And the man who carried Egypt through that time is as forgotten as dew on a summer’s morning. Joseph is no more than a footnote in history.

Pharaoh has no love for the Israelites living in the land of Goshen. They are in the richest part of Egypt. They have not enhanced Egypt’s culture or enriched her people. The place they hold in society is below contempt. Even if they wanted to mix with the people of Egypt, it would not be allowed. Both groups choose to remain separate. There are the occasional intermarriages, but they are the exception rather than the rule. And their numbers have surpassed those of Egypt. IF they wanted to, they could join with any one of Egypt’s enemies and conquer Egypt with ease.

All these things together present a problem that Pharaoh must solve. Pharaoh has summoned his closest advisors to consider this problem.

“Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land” (Exodus 1:10) Pharaoh complained.

“One good thing is that they have never been allowed to have weapons for war or train their men for battle. They don’t appear to have the skills or the will to fight. They are content to be shepherds of all things! And when we give them more tasks, they submit to our authority without complaint” continued Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s advisor on agriculture asks; “What if we made them farmers instead? They could grow our wheat.”

“You idiot! They already farm. They grow enough wheat for themselves. And I wouldn’t want their hands touching MY food!” exclaims Pharaoh’s head scribe.

“No. We need to find some way to use their strength in a way that will benefit Egypt and keep them too busy to breed”, said Pharaoh.

“What about finding some manual labor tasks? They could be useful in making bricks for building projects. Hauling and building the bricks would also take some of the ‘spring’ out of their steps” offered Pharaoh’s advisor on the interior.

“That sounds like a good idea” agreed Pharaoh. “Have their taskmasters demand as much work as possible from them. Get them building right away. I could use more store cities.”

Within a week, the taskmasters changed the direction of the lives of the people of Israel. They were already under taskmasters regarding caring for Pharaoh’s flocks and herds. Israel was responsible for sheering, breeding, and caring for the daily needs of all Pharaoh’s animals. And the Israelites knew how to bake bricks and build. They had built houses for themselves in the land of Goshen. They gave up tent living within the lifetime of the first generation to enter Egypt. Now, those skills were going to be used for Pharaoh.

“You will bake bricks for Pharaoh. Straw will be provided each morning and, by day’s end, it must all be used up and in brick formation” one of the taskmasters commands a group of men.

“What are we to do with the bricks once they are done baking?” askes Amran.

“Store them up until they are called for” snaps the taskmaster.

“Can we use some of them for our own construction?” asks another.

“NO. They are to be Pharaoh’s bricks. You will bake as many as Pharaoh calls for.”

The next morning three huge carts arrive bearing straw. The carts are unloaded beside the river pit where the people of Israel baked bricks for themselves. The clay of the Nile, when carefully mixed with straw and molded made excellent bricks. Many bricks would be required to use this much straw. Many men had to be brought in from tending the flocks in order to accomplish the task set before them.

Israel’s men worked sun up to sun set every day except the Sabbath in creating bricks for Pharaoh. Straw came in every morning. So many bricks were under construction that they had to be staged. One area was reserved for freshly formed bricks. Another for those in mid drying. Another for those almost dry. And still another for those that were completed.

It took weeks for each brick to make it from formation to bricks suitable for building. By the time the completed bricks were beginning to form a considerable pile, the taskmasters came with more instructions.

“You will load these completed bricks on carts every evening. They will then be driven to the new store-city Pharaoh wants built. Once there are sufficient stores for construction, you will then be tasked with carrying bricks for the masons to use in their construction projects.”

“How many bricks are we to make?” asked one of the Israelite workers.

“As many as Pharaoh wants! You keep baking. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

In the beginning of the transporting bricks process, Egyptian drivers brought the bricks between the two locations. This included loading and unloading each cart. MULTIPLE carts and trips were required to keep up with the growing pile of bricks. Making new bricks wasn’t allowed to slow down at all.

It wasn’t long before Israelites were tasked with this too. After three months of baking bricks, construction of the first building began. This added another task to the Israelites load. NONE of the other tasks were allowed to lag. The quota of bricks made and transported each day remained the same.

Pharaoh was receiving updates on the progress of the cities as well as count of Israelite births.

“They are STILL growing in number! They seem to be increasing in the number of births even. Something more has to be done” demands Pharaoh. “I can’t take from their current numbers, but if I ‘remove’ the next generation, they will finally begin to decline in numbers.”

“How will you accomplish this, my lord?”

“By having the midwives of Israel kill all the male children when they are born” exclaimed Pharaoh.

This was a drastic and desperate move on the part of Pharaoh. All of Egypt was already oppressing the people of Israel. Whether in the brick pit or in the field, the Israelites were made slaves. Their lives were made bitter by those who held the power. And now, the ultimate oppression was about to be brought down on them.

Pharaoh called for the midwives who served Israel. Shiphrah and Puah appeared before him. They were trembling inside as they faced the most powerful man in Egypt.

“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live” (Exodus 1:16) Pharaoh commanded.

The two women stood dumbstruck. Was Pharaoh telling them to KILL children? Surely this is a mistake. They were the bringers of life, NOT the enders of it!

As soon as they were outside of the city, they began to talk about what just happened.

“Do you think Pharaoh is serious” asked Puah.

“No doubt in my mind that he is very serious” answered Shiphrah.

“Please tell me we are not going to do this detestable thing” pleaded Puah.

“We cannot do this! Our God would likely strike us dead for even entertaining the notion!”

“Then what should we do” asked Puah.

“Nothing. We will continue doing exactly what our God has charged us with doing; bringing life into this world.”

“But what about Pharaoh?”

“If he wants a baby, he can get his own. I’m not handing him any of ours!”

The two midwives warned the women when they had a male child about Pharaoh’s edict. “Be careful. Don’t let any of the guards know that we delivered the baby. It could mean the death of us all.”

After six months, Pharaoh called again for a count of the Israelites. The number of male babies reported made his blood boil.

“Bring those Hebrew midwives to me immediately! I’ll have an answer for this or I will have their lives.”

Puah and Shiphrah started planning their response to Pharaoh’s repeat summons before they delivered the first child following his edict. “We can’t tell him we refuse. We have to come up with some plausible excuse” Puah cautioned.

“’We didn’t notice’ won’t work either” chided Shiphrah.

“There is one major difference between Egyptian women and Israelite women when it comes to birthing” commented Shiphrah after thinking for a few minutes.

“What is that” asked Puah.

“Israelite women are stronger. They can give birth anywhere and go right back to what they are doing” offered Shiphrah. “What if we ‘enhanced’ that a little. We wouldn’t be lying; just implying a bit.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“We will tell Pharaoh that the Israelite women have their children too soon for us to be in attendance. They don’t use us.”

“That could work. We will pray that the day never comes that we don’t have to answer him. Maybe the Lord will carry us out of Egypt before that happens” hoped Puah.

But that day did come. It has come now as the two women are ushered in to stand before Pharaoh. Pharaoh blasts the women with his interrogation as soon as the women’s feet touch the stone floor of his throne room.

“Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” (Exodus 1:18b).

“Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them” (Exodus 1:20) says Shiphrah.

“If you won’t do it, then I WILL!” Pharaoh shouted.

The two midwives bowed and quickly left.

“What do you think he meant by that” asked Puah.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good. Whatever it is, we know our God is mightier than all the gods of Egypt.”

“When will He save us from these cruel Egyptians” wonders both women.

Pharaoh is as good as his word. Instead of relying on the midwives to do away with the male children of Israel, he turns to the Egyptians instead. ALL the Egyptians were charged to watch the women of Israel. “Be alert. When they come to work and you notice that they are not with child, find out if it is a boy or a girl. If it is a boy, find it and throw it into the Nile.”

God saw the hearts of the midwives. Their love for the women and infants they tended, along with their fear of God, moved His heart on their behalf. God granted both Puah and Shiphrah children of their own. He opened their closed wombs. No longer would they live for other women’s children alone. They would love and care for their own children.

The women of Israel would learn to fear their Egyptian masters even more. Their children’s lives depended on careful concealment; before and after birth.

(to be continued)

I have a question. Why did Pharaoh care about them “escaping from the land”? It looks like they were already being used by Egypt before being “afflicted with heavy burdens”. What service were they providing that Pharaoh wanted to keep them doing more than wanting them gone from the land? Were they already slaves?

How did the Israelite women avoid their Egyptian masters learning about their child’s sex? How many other mothers hid their children? Did some of the Egyptians refuse to follow Pharaoh’s command? Was there a decrease in the number of male children during the first 80 years of Moses’ life? If Egypt did succeed, their workforce would be depleted in a generation or two. I’m getting ahead of myself. I better stop here.

Father God, I can’t imagine the position the midwives were put into. Either kill or be killed. I’m glad they refused. If that were the edict in my time, I would only have one of my four children. I cannot imagine such a loss! But You protected both the women and Your people. You not only protected them but You blessed and grew them in spite of Egypt’s efforts.

You do the same for me too! I haven’t faced anything as dire as they did during their stay in Egypt, but You have given me favor in places where I couldn’t even d need to turn those who have wronged me loose. Help me stop holding onto the wrong done. Help me truly forgive; no matter what.