Exodus is considered by the Jewish people to be their most important story as a nation, the most important story in their relationship with God.
It begins with a list of names that don't mean much to us: Jacob, his eleven sons, 70 people in all who migrated to Eygpt some four Centuries earlier.
It's not clear how much these names mean to these Hebrews either, beyond tribal identification. They may have been told that one of their ancestors Joseph was once a "somebody" once upon a time. But that hardly seems relevant to their life now. What pre-occupies them from day to day is the misery if their existence.
The Exodus historian tells us that the Pharaoh is concerned about the large population of Hebrews, who by their shear numbers threaten Eygpt's national security. So Pharaoh orders the Hebrews to be rounded up and put to work making bricks for their state building projects. Each time the Hebrews make a quota, he would raise the requirements and take away resources. The idea is to eradicate their sense of self and identity.
When hard work fails to demoralize the Hebrews, the Pharaoh orders genocide - the murder of every male baby. But even that fails because midwives refuse to participate in the scheme.
You can imagine what goes through the Hebrews' heads. Despite having been a part of Egyptian society for centuries, despite having adopted most aspects of Egyptian life - from diet to religion, why are they treated as fourth class citizens? Sure, they don't look Egyptian and they live apart from the Egyptians, but why are they singled out and picked on for no reason other than their ethnicity? While other Egyptians get to pursue life, liberty and happiness, they live under the constant threat of a slave driver's whip. Every sunrise means the the dawn of more bad news targetting the extermination of their people.
And the latest bright idea from Pharaoh: drown every new born baby boy in the Nile.
Meanwhile, God watches, we are told. One one hand, he applauds the righteous rebellions of the midwives and rewards them. On the other hand, he seems to stand by while the Hebrews suffer.
Write
Think about your faith story: how have you experienced hard times in your life? What kind of questions did you ask?
What in your life presently helps you identify with the Hebrews' hard life? What questions are you asking God?
Who do you know is living like a powerless slave? What has enslaved them?
Pray
What
is God saying to you today? What's Good News to you?
Talk to God about your experience with hard times. Thank God for the way he is present, even though you may not feel his presence at times.
Pray about your present difficulties. Ask God for the help you need, the reassureance of his presence, and the courage to trust his reasons for allowing the hard times.
Pray for your friend who does not feel free to live. Ask God how you can help.
Pray for an experience of God's love, grace and mercy as he shows himself to you through the hard times, and as he uses hard times to grow you and demonstrate his faithfulness to you.