Pharaoh And Gender Politics Series

Exodus 1, 2 (NASB)

8 A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, named Shiphrah and Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

2:1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

MURDER THEY WROTE

Pharaoh and Gender Politics

The Egyptians had welcomed the Hebrews because they were a people of Semitic descent. Joseph had risen to second-in-command next to Pharaoh. But a new dynasty arose to rule over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Israel's status quickly deteriorated from welcomed guests to feared aliens and oppressed slaves. The text reveals the interaction of: ______________, ______________, ______________, ______________, and ______________.

Three examples of this occurring within the Bible:

1. Pharaoh and the _________________________

Pharaoh's concern: ______________ and ECONOMICS

2. Pharaoh and _________________________

Pharaoh's concern: POLITICS and RELIGION

3. Herod and _________________________

Herod's concern: POLITICS and ETHNICITY

EUGENICS

The science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics as a method of improving the human race.

ABORTION

Termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.

A tempting combination of political strategies for leaders, whether a Pharaoh, a Nazi, or Politician, involves solidifying power by singling out a relatively weak minority or outsider and calling them an enemy.

Midwives Were The Guardians Of Life

Midwives were typically barren women. In a culture in which children and family was the norm, these barren, women found their place helping other women bring forth new life. They had:

1. CONVICTION

2. COMPASSION

3. COMPANIONSHIP

4. COURAGE

Exodus 1, 2 (NASB)

8 A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.