In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Welcome to Purify the Heart. I’m Pastor Zachary Courie. A blessed Ash Wednesday to you. Today marks not only the beginning of this new blog and podcast, but also of our daily journey through the book of Exodus. Over the next 40 days, we’ll walk through this foundational book of Scripture, one chapter at a time. We’ll read together what the text says, what it means, and how it points us to Christ. Today, we begin with Exodus 1.
I’ll be reading all of Exodus from the English Standard Version, but feel free to follow along with a different translation.
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 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.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “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.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” (Exodus 1:1–22, ESV)
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Exodus begins with a dramatic shift. At the end of Genesis, the family of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob (AKA Israel), grandson of Abraham, was flourishing in Egypt under his son Joseph’s leadership. But now, there’s a new king in Egypt, and he doesn’t know Joseph. This Pharaoh sees Israel’s growth as a threat, and his response is to oppress them.
Let’s break down what’s happening:
* Egypt had once been saved through Joseph (Genesis 41).
* The new Pharaoh’s forgetfulness leads to fear—he sees Israel as a foreign threat rather than a blessing.
* The more Pharaoh oppressed Israel, the more they multiplied, which echoes God’s promise to Israel’s grandfather Abraham, when God said, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful.” (Genesis 17:6)
* Suffering does not cancel God’s promises—it often fulfills them.
* Pharaoh’s decree to kill the Hebrew baby boys reminds us of another tyrant: King Herod in Matthew 2.
* Behind Pharaoh’s actions is a spiritual battle—the ancient war against the promised Seed (Genesis 3:15).
* But God is already working behind the scenes through two unlikely heroes—Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives.
Now, how does Exodus 1 point us to Christ?
* Like Israel under Pharaoh, Christ was born under oppression (Matthew 2:13-15).
* Like the Hebrew babies, Jesus was hunted by a wicked ruler—but He survived to bring salvation to all.
* Exodus is a story of deliverance for a particular group of people, but deliverance for all will ultimately come through the true Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7).
As we close today, I want you to consider three things:
* God is faithful in our afflictions. Even when the world oppresses His people, He keeps His promises.
* Fear forgets, but faith remembers. The new Pharaoh feared Israel because he didn’t know what Joseph had done; therefore, we will become like Pharoah if Christ’s work for us is not ever on our minds.
* God works through the weak – Shiphrah and Puah, lowly midwives, defied Pharaoh, showing us that God often works through the unexpected.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Thanks for joining me to Purify the Heart! If this was beneficial to you, you can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Substack. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with Exodus 2—the birth of Moses and God’s plan for deliverance. Until then, grace be with you. Amen.
