Exodus 1: The Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly

 Exodus 1:1-7

These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

The book of Exodus is the story of the birth of Israel as a nation. It is an epic dominated by the central figure of Moses. It was he who led the people out from Egypt, the 'exodus' which gives the book its name. Through him, God gave his people their rule of life - the law - giving himself in them and making them his in a lasting contract. Exodus shows God in control of history. It reveals a God who can be known; one who rescues the oppressed' a 'holy' God whose goodness and justice are awesome.

Nearly 300 years have elapsed since the death of Joseph, and the end of Genesis. Jacob's people have been in Egypt for some 370 years. Their old privileged status is gone. Now they are a slave nation under a new pharaoh, of a dynasty that has long forgotten Egypt's debt to Joseph.

Why?

Under the blessing of the Lord, the people of Israel, Jacob's family becomes numerous, but at that moment, they were a slave nation in Egypt.

Only 70 descendants of Jacob after 300 years, the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful, they multiplied created. This is the story of the Lord's control over them.

 The first condition to be a nation is it has numerous people.

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Exodus: 英文出路的意思。

神記念每個人名字，所以出埃及記，第一章第一節把以色列眾子的名字寫下來。他們本來不是在埃及出生的，而第二代起都是在埃及出生的，告訴以色列人，他們不屬於這塊土地，不是他們永遠的家鄉，正如這個世界不是我們的家鄉。

他們雖然寄居在外地，神的祝福卻仍然沒有缺少。神的應許也逐步的在應驗。雅各的家族已經成為一個民族。他們在哥珊地，可以維持他們的傳統，不受其他文化的影響。如今在教會，持守神真道的，神必賜福，使人愈來愈多。我們可以得到的權柄，是我們在地上祝福的，在天上也受祝福，我們在地上綑綁的，在天上也要綑綁。

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How?

The Lord is the master of human history. It is the Lord who created history.