Yahweh's Story

Text:  Exodus 1:8-2:10 (NRSV

Whose Story Is This?

            This morning’s text ends with the story of the miraculous survival of the infant Moses.  It is a story of hope, as one of Israel’s own has triumphed over the ruler of Egypt and found himself in the graces of the might Egyptian Empire.  As you know, Moses will go on to become a prince in Egypt, a mighty ruler who leads his own people out of Pharaoh’s enslavement, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness.  Ultimately Moses will hand down the Law to the Israelites, and be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in the entire Bible.  From the beginning, here in Exodus 2, we know that Moses is special.

            But I don’t think that Moses should be the focus of this morning’s sermon.  After all, this is really a story about Pharaoh.  Of course, Pharaoh’s story is quite different.  It is one that begins with the fear of the uncontrollable rise of the Hebrew people.  This fear will turn into action, as Pharaoh’s insecurities are manifested in the attempted slaughter of the Hebrew males, and time and time again Pharaoh will attempt to wipe out an entire generation of people.  Pharaoh’s story, much unlike that of Moses, is one of fear, and violence, and attempted genocide.  This isn’t a very happy story at all.  Fortunately, I don’t think Pharaoh’s story is the focal point either.

            Perhaps the women then?  We have the Egyptian midwives who heroically refuse to obey Pharaoh’s command to kill the newborn Hebrew men.  They take a great risk in opposing the powerful Pharaoh, and their cunning response illustrates their acute sensibilities.  And of course, how could we forget Mariam?  Mariam, the mother of Moses, loves her son so much that she hides him for three months, and then sends him sailing down the river in a papyrus basket, all in an effort to save his life from Pharaoh’s decree.  We see Moses’ sister keeping watch, closely monitoring the voyage of her infant brother.  And then there is Pharaoh’s own daughter, who rescues Moses and, moved with compassion, takes the infant as her own.  Time after time this text draws out the heroic, astute, and compassionate action of women caught in the middle of Pharaoh’s war on the Hebrew children.

             But I don’t think these stories should be our focus this morning either.  So if this text isn’t primarily about Moses, and it isn’t primarily about Pharaoh, and if it isn’t primarily about the women, then who is it about exactly?  Well, despite only being mentioned three times in some twenty-five verses, this whole story is about Yahweh, the God of Israel and the God of our Lord Jesus.  This is His story, or rather the beginning of His story with His children, the Israelites. 

Tell the Story

            Like any good story, Yahweh’s story has all the necessary ingredients.  There is a rival, Pharaoh, the god-king of Egypt.  These is a movement from oppression to freedom and the ultimate triumph of good over evil, and there is a very strong supporting cast.  So let’s look deeper into the story. 

            We find ourselves in Egypt, some forty-five hundred years ago, and things are starting to change.  Joseph, the great viceroy of Egypt who saved the people from famine, is dead and gone.  But his descendants are still hanging around, and this is a problem for Pharaoh.  A strange, foreign people, are multiplying like crazy and soon things will be out of control!  So, as people often do, Pharaoh reacts, and his reaction is violent and oppressive. 

First the Israelites are enslaved, forced to undergo manual labor, but this doesn’t work.  They keep increasing!  So, Pharaoh takes things to the next level.  If the Hebrews won’t stop reproducing, Pharaoh will just have the midwives kill them.  But that doesn’t work either.  Finally, Pharaoh makes a decree that all the newborn Hebrew males should be thrown into the Nile and drowned.  Sadly, the text doesn’t deny the effectiveness of this plan.  We have no way of knowing exactly, but the implication is that Moses’ story is remarkable, and that his fate is far different from that of his contemporaries.  So far, this isn’t a very uplifting story.

As we continue through the passage, we do hear that Moses was saved, that his mother and sister acted against Pharaoh’s decree, and that Pharaoh’s own daughter ultimately saves the child.  That’s kind of uplifting, I guess.  I mean, sure we have an entire generation of Hebrew children apparently terminated, but at least Moses made it! 

Now we all know that the survival of one in the midst of mass genocide does not make a good story.  And if the story ended there, I think it would be safe to say that Yahweh’s story was just that, not very good.  But we all know what comes next.  There are the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the journey in the wilderness, and finally the Hebrew people arrive in the Promised Land.  Yahweh hears the cries of the oppressed, appoints a leader, conquers His rival Pharaoh, and even has a theme song to go with it.  Now I will spare you the theme song, but I place the “Song of the Sea” right up there with “Highway To the Danger Zone” and “Eye of the Tiger”.  When the smoke has settled, Yahweh’s story has a happy ending, filled with heroes, miracles, and the awesome power of the Supreme Deity of the Universe. 

Our Story

But we aren’t there yet.  We aren’t there in the story of Yahweh and the Exodus, nor are we there in our own personal journeys to the Promised Land.  Before we get there, we have to deal with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh will employ every possible offensive against Yahweh’s people.  In this morning’s text, we see Pharaoh’s offensive manifest itself in the enslavement of and the attempted eradication of the Hebrew people.  In our own lives, we may encounter sickness, death, violence, oppression, and any obstacle that can be thrown our way.  But remember whose story this is.  In Yahweh’s story, good will prevail over evil, and we get to be a part of it.

When the Egyptian midwives refused to obey the Pharaoh’s command, in an act of civil disobedience, they chose to fear God over Pharaoh and were blessed.  When Mariam refused to give up, and put herself at great risk for that which is noble and best, she was blessed.  When Pharaoh’s daughter, moved with compassion, decided to adopt one of the same Hebrew boys her father was trying to kill, she was blessed.  When we, likewise, stand with those who are oppressed, refuse to give in to the evils of the world, and show mercy and compassion to a world in need, we shall be blessed. 

And the greatest blessing of all, I think, is the opportunity to be a part of God’s story.  We have talked this morning about how this story ends.  We know God is going to have the final word, both in this story from Exodus, and in the story of our own lives.  So this morning, in the midst of whatever trials or circumstances you might be against, whatever foes you may be battling in your own life, know that God is with you.  Know that you are a part of God’s story, and know that in God’s story, the good guy always wins.