1-7 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
8-14 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 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.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 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. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 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.
Comment: vv1-7 When our devotions were in the book of Genesis we ended up with a huge amount of historical detail but in a time line we have; Creation – sin – a broken relationship between mankind and God – God’s promise of an answer through Abraham – the Patriarchs – Joseph led by God into Egypt positioned to bring all the Patriarchal families there to save them from death in a huge seven year famine! Their descendants were very reproductive!
vv8-14 In about the 400 years between Jacob and the Patriarchs entering Egypt there had been a number of Pharaohs. At last, because of their number, they lost favour in the sight of the last Pharaoh and were enslaved! Nasty for those to become ‘Israelis’, good for the Pharaoh – who had cities built and an abundance of cheap labour! The scene is set for God to do something to fulfill his promise to Abraham, but it pays for us to remember that God doesn’t follow our time scale!
Prayer: Teach me to be faithful while I wait patiently for You to act, my Father.
As I read it! 