Exodus 1:1-22

Study Questions for Exodus 1:1-22


1:1-5a – Introduction …70 souls in all.

Who are all these people?
Why do you suppose all these names are here?

1:5b-6 Joseph was already in Egypt…
Why does the author mention Joseph and his death?
Why do you suppose the author begin his book this way?

1:7-22

7—How much time has passed since Joseph lived in the land? How do you know?
What was the status with the Jewish population when the story of the Exodus begins?

8—What did the new king know about Joseph and his family?

9—What is the Pharaoh’s view to so many Israelite people?
Why do you suppose this was Pharaoh’s take on so many people?

10—How did he want to deal with the people who were stronger and more numerous than the Egyptians?
What does deal wisely or shrewdly mean? Isa. 29:13, 14; Jer. 8:9; 9:23; 1Co. 1:19-25
Why does he want to deal wisely with them?
What does “get them up from the land” mean?
Is he afraid?
What kinds of things does fear make people do?

11—How did the Egyptians respond to Pharaoh’s observation and request? What did the Israelites build for the Egyptians?
How do you suppose treating the Israelites badly would make them less likely to join with enemies against Egypt?
How often do you think fear causes people to make unwise choices?
How often do you think unwise choices produce results that are the exact opposite of what was desired?

12-14—How did the Israelites respond to these afflictions?
Why do you suppose the multiplied in response to their affliction? Gen 46:3
How did the Egyptians view the reaction to their actions towards the Jews?

After this, how did the Egyptians treat the Jews?
Why do you suppose they reacted this way?
How often do you continue and increase an action that isn’t and hasn’t worked in your own life?

15-16—What were the Hebrew midwives names?
What did the Pharaoh do with them?
Why did he want all the baby boys killed?
Why did he let the baby s live?
If the numbers of Israelites was such a problem, why didn’t he just let them “escape”?

17—What did the mid-wives do?
Who is God? He isn’t mentioned before this.
What does their fear of God have to do with their disobedience of Pharaoh?

18-19—What did Pharaoh do when he found out that the baby boys weren’t dying?
What was the reason the mid-wives gave for the fact that they weren’t dying? Acts 4:19
What actually happened?
Did they lie?

20-21—What happened to the midwives for not killing the baby boy?
And what happened to the Israelites as a result of their oppression and the mid-wives actions on their behalf?
What happened because the midwives feared God?
But wait, isn’t wrong to lie?
How can the lies of the mid-wives be something God rewarded them for?

22—How did Pharaoh react to the blessing of God?

Put yourself in the Israelites situation. You’re in , things are getting worse and worse, your sons are being slaughtered, things look bleak. Where is God?

But what is actually happening here? What is the big picture? Genesis 3:15
Does Matt. 27:46 fit into this scenario? How?

If we are ever in a similar situation, how might we expect, or hope to respond? And what will give us encouragement? Rom. 8:37

What did the Egyptians do wrong? How do you know?
What did the Israelites do right? What makes you say that?