Midwives assisted women in childbearing, cut the infant’s umbilical cord, washed the baby, and presented the child to the mother and father. In addition to its presence in the Bible, the work of midwifery is well-attested in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. That entailed bearing children, which in turn depended on the work of midwives. In the midst of harsh treatment, the Israelites remained faithful to God’s command to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. The Work of Midwifery and Mothering (Exodus 1:15-2:10) Back to Table of Contents Back to Table of Contents 1:27-31 2:15), was turned into a misery by the harshness of oppression. Work, one of the chief purposes and joys of human existence (Gen. As a result, Israel languished in “misery” and “suffering” (Exod. 1:14) with “hard” ( qasheh, in the sense of “cruel,” Exod. 1:13, 14) and made their lives “bitter” ( marar, Exod. The Egyptian masters worked the Israelites “ruthlessly” ( befarekh, Exod. What made the situation in Egypt unbearable was not only the slavery but also its extreme harshness. Work may be physically and mentally taxing, but that does not make it wrong. The emphasis falls on Pharaoh’s destructive fear that led him first to degrade their working environment and then to use infanticide to curb the growth of their population. We are not told whether or not the Israelites were a genuine threat. But here the new king of Egypt sensed in their numbers a threat to his national security and thus decided to deal “shrewdly” with them (Exod. Under a previous administration, the Israelites had royal permission to live in the land and to work it. As a nation, they were destined to bless the world. 1:28 9:1) as well as his promise to Abraham and his chosen descendants (Gen. This echoes God’s creational intent (Gen. The opening scene presents the land as filled with Israelites who had been fruitful and multiplied. The work that the Egyptians forced on the Israelites was evil in motive and cruel in nature. The Harshness of the Israelites’ Slave Labor in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14) Back to Table of Contents Back to Table of Contents Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work.Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership.Evangelism - Sharing the Gospel at Work.10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |