Introduction to Exodus

We're beginning preaching through the book of Exodus this week at dBay Baptist.  I've been reading up, and here's an interesting introduction to the book from Alec Motyer.

Abraham and his ever-expanding family were uniquely favoured people. He had known the call of God (Gen 12:1), the divine promise of innumerable descendants and land to live in (Gen 17:5, 8).  His family, too, had enjoyed this favoured spiritual status with its good earthly prospects (Gen 17:7-8).

At the opening of the book of Exodus, Abraham himself was, of course, long dead (Gen 25:8), and his family, now organized under the names of the twelve sons of Abraham's grandson Jacob, was resident in Egypt.  Over the years it had expanded considerable and enjoyed the good life under the patronage of Joseph, Pharaoh's deputy (Gen 41:39-46).  With the death of Joseph and a change of government, however,  the good times we over (Exod 1:6, 8).  The Egyptian authorities had become pathologically nervous about this increase in the immigrant population and determined, first, on a policy of persecution and then ethnic cleansing and genocide (Exod 1:9-11, 22).

What had become, then, we might ask ourselves, of Israel's uniqueness, their favoured position before God, the promises made to Abraham and the prospect of their own land?

These are good questions to ask, and exciting ones to explore.  For we learn God is always good for the promises he makes. Yet we have responsibilities which we don't always keep. But, as in the case of the Hebrews in the start of Exodus, sometimes we find ourselves in tough situations through no fault of our own. Where is God in those times?  What can we do?

I'm looking forward to expanding all this through our sermon series.