EXODUS 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. – EXODUS 1:1-14
EXODUS 1 PHARAOH’S CRUELTY OVER THE ISRAELITES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
After Joseph and his brothers’ generation, a new ruler got in power
This new Pharaoh didn’t know Joseph and what he had done to Egypt
He felt threatened by the multiplication of the Israelites so he oppressed them
He was so cruel that he made Israelites lives bitter with forced labor & slavery.
“Exodus” is a Greek word which means “going out”. It points to the narrative of how
God led the Israelites to exit out of Egypt. The book of Exodus begins where the book of Genesis ends. It starts with the enumeration of Jacob’s household. It is a transition period of probably 430 years according to one of the commentaries. Joseph and his brothers died then and so their children. This new Pharaoh didn’t know history. He didn’t know Joseph was the reason why Egypt still existed at his time. He was anxious of the increase in the number of the Israelites, so he decided to inflict cruelty on them.
REFLECTION
· Why is verse 8 very important in this first chapter of the book of Exodus?
