Israel in Bondage in Egypt

Exodus 1:1-14

As the book of Genesis ended, Joseph died at the age of 110. He was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. The children of Israel promised to take his bones back to the promised land when they went back.

Exodus 1 reminds us that seventy Hebrews, descendants of Jacob, came to Egypt. These included Jacob himself, and Joseph and his two sons who were already there.

The children of Israel were fruitful and multiplied, and increased abundantly, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which did not know Joseph.

The new King of Egypt (to his people): The people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we are. Let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it be that when there fall out any war, and they join also with our enemies and fight against us and go up out of the land.

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens.

They built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

But the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.

And the Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Israel.

And they made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field. All their service, in which they made them serve, was with rigor.