Exodus 1 (Pharaoh Enslaves The Hebrews / The Midwives Resist His Wicked Decree)

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All right before we listen to Exodus chapter 1, let's open in a word of prayer Lord we thank you for the opportunity to gather around your word tonight.
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We ask that you would Illuminate it and speak to us through it.
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We ask your blessing upon each one here also on those Watching later on online and again, we just thank you for this time together.
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We pray it all in Jesus name. Amen Exodus chapter 1
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Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt Each man and his household came with Jacob Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar Zebulun and Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad and Asher All those who were descendants of Jacob were 70 persons for Joseph was in Egypt already and Joseph died all his brothers and all that generation
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But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly Multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty and the land was filled with them
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Now there arose a new king of Egypt who did not know
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Joseph and he said to his people look The people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than me
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Let us do truly with them lest they multiply and it happened in the event of war that they also join our enemies and fight against us and So go out of the land
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Before they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens And they built for Pharaoh supply cities
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Python and Ramesses But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew
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And they were in dread of the children of Israel So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage
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In mortar and brick and in all manner of service in the field All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor
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Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives of whom the name of one was shit and the name of the other
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When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women and See them on the birthstools
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If it is a son, then you shall kill him But if it is a daughter
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And she shall live But the midwives feared God And did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive
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King of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them why have done this thing and Save the male children alive
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Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women for they are lively and give birth
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Before the midwives come to them Therefore God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and grew very mighty
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And so it was because the midwives feared God that he provided households for them
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So Pharaoh commanded all his people Every son who is born you shall cast into the river and every daughter
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You shall save alive All right now before we begin this new book let's start out with a little background information, okay last time last week we ended the book of Genesis with Joseph's death in Egypt and before he died you'll remember how
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Joseph spoke to the children of Israel saying that God would visit them and and bring them
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Up from Egypt back to the land of Canaan And if you look at Exodus chapter 1 verse 1 it begins by saying now
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These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt each man and his household came with Jacob Reuben Simeon Levi Judah and it and it lists the brothers
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We all know this that Exodus is the the sequel to Genesis So all five books the first five books of the
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Bible are known as what? Okay, but the Pentateuch right and that simply means five books so these are the the five books of Moses or the five books of the law and Exodus is called
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Exodus because That's the main event, right? You think of an exit sign?
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X means out of so an exit is where you go out of the building So the Exodus is where they're going out of the land of Egypt back to back to Canaan so with that in mind
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Let's begin by reading verses 1 through 7
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Says now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt each man in his household came with Jacob Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar and Zebulun and Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad and Asher all those who are descendants of Jacob were 70 persons
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For Joseph was in Egypt already and Joseph died all his brothers and all that Generation, but the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty and the land was filled with them, okay, so How much have they grown in just this time period of?
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350 400 years So the promise of God to Abraham Has been at least to this point
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Partially fulfilled you remember in Genesis chapter 12 verse 2 The Lord promised that he would make
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Abraham a great nation. Well, 70 people is not a nation Okay, the the estimated population of the
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Israelites now is around 2 million plus Maybe even two and a half million
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So 70 people is not a nation 2 million. Okay now now we're talking
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So To have a nation you need not only the people they they have the numbers now you need what else?
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Okay, you need land. They're gonna have to wait for that Right, you need a you need a government
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And you're gonna have the leader of the or the leaders of the government So we're gonna see that in the book of Exodus.
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So God has prospered them Multiplied them they grew exceedingly
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Mighty verse 7 says that the land was filled with them and because the land is now
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Becoming filled with with the Hebrews the Egyptians because the
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Hebrews technically are foreigners They've been there a long time, but they're still different the Egyptians.
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No, they're not They they're not one of us really so now Pharaoh's getting a little concerned
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Okay, it was one thing having them there all these years and they probably contributed to society.
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But now they're just Potentially outgrowing the Egyptians so Pharaoh's a little worried
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Verses 8 and 9 says now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know
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Joseph and he said to his people look the people the children of Israel are more and mightier than we so basically if you keep reading the
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Israelites are now going to be painted as a national security threat
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Pharaoh says what happens if They turn against us, right?
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That's that's His concern notice. It doesn't say that they did turn
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Against him. It doesn't say they were planning and plotting to turn against him He said instead he demonizes the the
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Hebrews because of what they might do according to him and in the scripture
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Egypt is a Well known picture of of the world, right so now for the first time we're seeing how
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This really marks the beginning of the mistreatment of the people of God from the world
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Jim So Okay, that's how
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Pharaoh's looking at it you think Right, well he wouldn't have been
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Nation that is you know, like you said large Yeah Okay.
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All right player. Well Joseph. I mean he had an incredible Relationship and just an incredible Presence in Egypt.
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I mean he treated the people fairly He treated them all well
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You know, yeah, you can see what happens when you don't treat people so well, yeah
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Had this guy just been nice and treated Them fairly and kindly don't you think they would have been more of an ally than an enemy?
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Yeah and even when he starts to treat them poorly, it's not like they
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Become his enemy or that they don't really do anything wrong even when the the wrath falls, it's not at the hands of the
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The Israelites it's from the hands of God But up until this point, of course because of Joseph the the children of Israel had a special Status.
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I mean they were a protected group. They had lived there. There was this agreement and they were safe When we ended the book of Genesis we read about how
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Joseph was still the leader in Egypt number two man under Pharaoh When Israel died we saw the great honor the
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Pharaoh bestowed upon the family and This must have continued long after Joseph's death
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So now it's about 350 years later. I mean that that's a long time and everything's been going
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Fine, everything's been going great So Joseph had to have been long -term a revered figure in Egypt for this agreement to last that long, but now it's all coming to an end.
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There's no real reason except that Pharaoh Says so and he decides that they're a threat to the people and it says what that a new
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Pharaoh came along That did not know Joseph Obviously, it's not saying he didn't know him personally.
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None of the Pharaohs had known him personally, but his attitude was Joseph who like Who is this guy
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Joseph was a legendary figure. He saved Egypt But you know after enough time passes and new generation after new generation attitudes change so now his attitude is
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Who cares who Joseph was, you know, this is a this is a new era Dennis There was supposed to have been like a coup around this time and the government of Egypt was literally taken over by another people's and Some have said maybe that's why there arose a king in Egypt.
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Okay that Had no regard for I don't know it's something I just remember right about read a long time ago
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There's a lot of theories when it comes to the Hebrews in Egypt and the
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Exodus and that very well may be the case. I'm not familiar with it But sit yeah
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Pharaoh is like this is a new this is a new era. Everything's gonna change Marcus 350 years we're talking about.
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Yeah Understand that the United States itself. It's only been a nation for like 240 years, right?
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So this Pharaoh has a new attitude towards everything and it is kind of like our country you know, we were all brought up being taught about George, Washington and Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers.
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We were taught to respect them but now just like with Pharaoh a new generation has
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Risen up who has no respect for these things. So, you know, they don't care
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So let's get rid of the name. Let's get rid of the monuments Let's undo the past because again, it's a it's a new era
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So old arrangements are no longer being honored doesn't matter what happened in the past Everything is new.
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So this is a new time period for us we can kind of relate that this is a new time period for the
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Israelites and Who's the one being demonized the people of God?
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Russ Yeah, yeah, absolutely yeah, he has no reason to feel this way
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So that's what's happening in Egypt, this is a new day and the Hebrews Seemingly overnight go from being good citizens to public enemy number one but why?
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there's too many of them and They're different than the
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Egyptians. So because they're different we don't trust them dad Leader Right Because God Yahweh was their leader
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Okay, good You heard it
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Why did the Israelites stay Well, one thing is is that God That was part of God's promise that they were going to be there for 400 plus years
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The other things that I thought about I did a little research on it They were satisfied and Egypt became a shelter and settlement for them
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They did not remember the promises of Abraham Genesis 15 13 and 14
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So that that I think the reasons why they never left
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Yeah, I mean obviously some of this is speculation we don't really know it's just all this time passes and nothing is said
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But one thing that's consistent is that nothing really happens among them unless there is a leader
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Right the people are just kind of they're doing whatever living their life And if there is no man to rise up to lead them, then they're not doing much of anything
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Russ Right, yeah
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Yeah, yeah Yeah, they were comfortable I mean things were going good in the land of Goshen So not going good anymore
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Pharaoh sets now taskmasters over them He puts them to work building cities and listen if you have a job, that's good
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You have a job to do everyone needs to work You need to be productive. But when you have somebody you have a taskmaster master looking over your shoulder that kind of Changes everything now that they're they're watching their every move.
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They're making life hard You know, if the if the Egyptians see that they're not doing what they want
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They're probably you know all over them. And what does that do it really demoralizes people?
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if it gets too extreme, which it did it can almost dehumanize them and It really crushes a person's spirit to have somebody
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Just critical looking over your shoulder Working you to the bone and I think that's all part of the plan to subdue in control
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The children of Israel, you know, the idea is let's work them so hard that they don't have time to think about rebelling
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The right so It didn't work though. Look at verse 12, but the more they afflicted them the more multiplied and grew and they were in dread that is the
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Egyptians were in dread of the children of Israel So now what is
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Pharaoh's response? It's like well, this isn't working So we need to work them harder let's increase it and if that wasn't enough he takes the drastic step of Killing all of the male children
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So Pharaoh speaks to the midwives look at verse 16 and he said
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When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstools if it is a son
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Then you shall kill him. But if it is a daughter then she shall live so we see the the wickedness of Pharaoh and the wickedness of a nation
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How wicked is a nation that would enslave people and then kill children?
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So the decree is sent out all the midwives Were told you know, you need to now submit to this decree
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Pharaoh is saying you must kill them. Then what do they do? They said well The king says so so we we need to obey right?
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Is that what they did? No verse 17, but the midwives feared
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God and Did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children
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Alive, I think if there's anything the church needs to understand in our
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Time period is this understanding that we obey God over men
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If a king or a person in authority tells us to do something that God forbids or They ask us to they forbid us from doing something that God commands
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It shouldn't even be something that we have to think about Would you say no we obey
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God rather than man There's no record of the midwives gathering together.
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And well, let's talk about this He is the king and what could happen to us and you know, well Maybe we are a threat.
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He says we're a threat. Maybe there's people in the Hebrew nation that really are a threat We didn't even know there's none of that He's asking them to do something.
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They know is wrong and they just don't listen That's good, that's that's the spirit you need people that fear
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God and are not worried about what man is going to do Marcus Yes, it's terrible when a leader would be so evil
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But what what does it say about our nation? When we all or the great majority of the
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Supreme Court everywhere else said that abortion is just fine You don't wait till they're gonna be born or yeah, you have to you know, it's their term or partial birth right
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What does it say God doesn't change.
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Right? I mean, I'm surprised that we that we have lasted as long as we blasted
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Yeah, you know you could make the argument that Because The nation of Egypt and Pharaoh Because he enslaved them which was without cause not that there's ever a justifiable reason
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But because he's enslaving people and because he is killing Babies, you could make the argument that Pharaoh is no longer a legitimate authority
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Because the main passage in the Bible that speaks about submitting the government we all know it by now
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I hope Romans chapter 13. What does it say? Submit to the governing authorities and we agree with that You know, we we believe the
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Bible submit to the governing authorities But Romans 13 also says that rulers are not a terror to good works
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But to evil well now Pharaoh is just turned that on its head to her now the
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Governing Authority is a just a terror But we're not even going to make that argument that his rule is illegitimate, okay
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Because he's still the king. He's still the king of Egypt But God's gonna end his rule and Egypt.
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Well, you you know what happens In the end whether or not it's the same Pharaoh. It doesn't doesn't matter
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So the midwives Because they fear God they refuse to obey
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Pharaoh look at verse 18, so He finds out about this, of course, so the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them why have you done this thing and saved the male children alive and Look at their response and the midwives said to Pharaoh Well, it's because the
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Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women for they are lively and in give birth before the midwives
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Come to them. So This is another one of those I believe another one of those half truths
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Remember we talked about Abraham this is definitely a different Pharaoh way back when where Abraham tells
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Pharaoh that Sarah she's my sister. Remember we talked about that and this is one of those examples
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Where I have as you know, when I preach or teach or say anything publicly I have to ask myself am
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I just repeating what I've heard other people say a thousand times or did I really come to this?
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Conclusion myself from reading scripture does the scripture say this or have I just heard other people say it and I'm just gonna regurgitate it
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Well, we talked about this how anytime I've ever heard that story Abraham Pharaoh Sarah's my sister
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Abraham lied Well, I might be the minority. I don't agree that Abraham lied because Sarah was his sister.
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Okay Should he have said that we can debate it all day long, but it was at the very least a half truth
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In his mind meant to protect them So once again, I think we're seeing something similar fair Pharaoh wants to know why the midwives
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Haven't killed the male children and we just read back in verse 17 the reason
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That they yeah, they feared God and they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them
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So they knowingly in willfully disobeyed the king That's what it says because they feared
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God then when Pharaoh tries to question them about it Did they say well, the reason we didn't do it is because we fear
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God over you That's the real reason folks. Did they tell
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Pharaoh that? No instead they say well, it's the Hebrew women
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You know, they just give birth too quick, you know The Egyptians when they went into labor is sometimes it's a long drawn -out process but when the
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Hebrew women went into labor It's like it's done in a few minutes and there's no time for the midwives to even show up now the reason
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I say that that's a half truth is because when you consider how God was blessing them and how they
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Multiplied from 70 to whatever two and a half million. I mean that was true to an extent
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I mean they were giving birth at such a rate that That's true, but it wasn't the full truth, right?
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So they disobeyed Pharaoh and when he asked them they tell him a half truth
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They didn't lie, but they're not going to tell him A truth or the half truth a lie.
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Okay. Well, well you tell me Which which is the one that Consideration I took one of the courses
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I had to take when I was going to school down in Georgia was a math course And I couldn't believe this but half that math course was doing the equation of truth and false
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Well, was it a lie was it a lie that the
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Hebrew women were lively No Wasn't a lie and they give birth before the midwives come to them
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Did that happen? Is it likely that that happened in many cases? Okay, so what's the lie?
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That they're not telling Pharaoh. Hey Pharaoh just kill us because we're rebelling against is that is that really what they should have done?
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Okay, yes, well, let me just Okay, let me let me just finish this point so why didn't they tell
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Pharaoh the whole truth They didn't owe it to them
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They they didn't owe it to Pharaoh Pharaoh was evil
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He was committing evil acts. He is promoting evil They did not owe it to him to tell the full truth because he just would have used it to commit
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More acts of evil you want to disagree with that? That's that's up to you But okay dad
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Did midwives if I understand midwife read Directly the job sort of ends after the baby exits
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The birth canal, I mean they cut the umbilical cord They clean up the baby, but the midwife actually helps in the actual birth
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Now what the king may be expecting in the midwives because these
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Jewish women are so lively On the stool that maybe they expect these midwives to go after these pregnant women say hey
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Where'd you hide your baby? Yeah, I know you had it before I got here and it's around somewhere
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These midwives don't want to be policemen. They don't want to be in the job of going around looking for babies to kill
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Mm -hmm. They not here with my job when I'm being a midwife. That's it.
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My job's in it Okay Ross I'm gonna say Not in that conversation, but there's a phrase in here the midwives feared
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God Was there something passed down through the generations?
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To make them aware of what was going on In other words, how did they know about God?
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It had to have come from Okay Isn't it interesting that God made sure that that was
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Put in here by Moses Interesting something kind of miraculous appearing about a newborn baby.
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I think it does put the fear of God in you Just see that happen
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Dennis we had multiple teams come over and help us build the church building that's over there now and If they arrived at the airport and told them everything
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They would have had a minute Izzy and wait a minute you need more papers you need no None of that was necessary and nothing we did was illegal, right?
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We told them when you arrived to the airport Tell them you're coming to see friends in Galway and have a visit because that was true.
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It wasn't the full truth It wasn't the full truth. Hey, no, because they didn't need to know and Yes, so That was that was how it worked for if you want
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Right, and if you want to travel to Israel to evangelize on the streets, you don't tell them what you're up to There would be no
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Evangelizing to the Muslim world if you told the authorities the whole truth and nothing but the truth
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Now I get as a as a minister, I'm not gonna say you should lie Right, I don't go home or it's tomorrow say well pastor says it's okay to lie in some cases
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Yeah So I'm not saying it's okay to lie, but when faced with someone evil
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Someone who is opposing God who's seeking to do evil and you know it
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You don't owe that person anything Just imagine in the early church they had to meet in homes and The Jewish authorities were
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Looking for them and who knows what the Romans would have done if they found a Christian tell us where The disciples are do you really think that they would do that?
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But I can see how you know moving forward that someone could rationalize it in their own mind
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Well, I'm just telling the truth. I'm telling the authorities the truth and that's a good thing
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And yeah, it's gonna bring holy heck down on the the
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Christians, but You can see how people can can rationalize that Consider what
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Jesus did Many times they were trying to trap him in his words
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He knew it and they had asked him questions and he would speak in a cryptic
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Manner Pontius Pilate asked him. Are you the king of the Jews? What did
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Jesus say? Well, you said it My kingdom is not of this world
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The high priest asked Jesus about his doctrine They said well, I've been preaching openly in the synagogues and in the temple.
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They heard me go ask one of them And then they struck him you're gonna talk to the high priest that way
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When Jesus was before Herod He wouldn't give Herod the time of day literally he gave him the silent treatment
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So the point is there comes a time and a place where you do not have to incriminate yourself or put others in danger, so the midwives certainly didn't do that and They they disobeyed
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Pharaoh and you know, God blessed them for it. Look at verse 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and grew very mighty
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And so it was because the midwives feared God that he provided households for them