Thursday January 17

Exodus 1-2; Psalm 8; Matthew 15

Exodus 1: How did the Hebrews living in Egypt go from being so fruitful to slavery? What did the Pharaoh finally decide to do to reduce the population of the Hebrews?

Exodus 2: Why did Moses flee to the land of the Midianites and how did he protect Reuel’s (Jethro’s) daughters?’

Matthew 15: How did Jesus condemn and commend the Canaanite woman from Tyre and Sidon?

Journal Prompt: Compare your prayers to the approach of the Canaanite woman.

Answers?

Exodus 1:  The Hebrews flourished to such an extent that the Egyptians were afraid of them, for no doubt they were becoming a majority.  Most likely many generations had passed since the days of Joseph, and the present Pharaoh issued an order that literally forced them into slavery – it seems he was concerned that if a foreign army were to attack that the Hebrews would join the army to overthrow the Pharaoh.  Pharaoh asked the Hebrew midwives to kill the male babies, but they refused so then Pharaoh issued a decree that all male babies born to Hebrew women be drowned in the Nile.

Exodus 2:  Moses killed a man who was mistreating a Hebrew.  He thought this crime had gone unnoticed but Pharaoh found out and tried to kill Moses.  Moses fled for his life to Midian – most likely because he was a Hebrew and the Midianites were nomadic shepherds as the Hebrews had been. When Moses was sitting at a well, seven daughters of a Midianite priest came to get water and apparently there were some shepherds who intended to prohibit them from getting water and to harm them, so Moses saved them.

Matthew 15:  The Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed by a demon.  Jesus rebuked her for asking for healing because she was a Gentile and He was came for the Jews, but when she worshipped Him and was persistent, He commended her for her faith (and her persistence.)