05/25/2026
I pray that everyone has a blessed Memorial Day and stays safe.
Yesterday, JMC finished their study of the book of Genesis. Today, we began our journey into Exodus. Each day, except Sundays, I send out verses and thoughts for all who attend or follow JMC. I wanted to share today's thoughts for this Memorial Day.
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Exodus 1:1–7 (NASB95)
1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
Commentary – Born to Be a Nation
Welcome to the book of Exodus! I hope everyone is excited to dive into it. This coming Sunday, our first discussion of the book of Exodus will focus on an important point we made in the book of Genesis: when reading the Old Testament, you are reading the Gospel. I would describe Exodus as encapsulating the entire Gospel story. I will show you why on Sunday.
To start our journey together through Exodus, is a quick YouTube video from the Bible Project. It offers a six-minute narrative of the first half of Exodus to help you get your bearings as we begin. The Bible Project - Exodus Survey
Exodus opens with a list of names and no introductions. The book begins with the words “And these are the names,” echoing the exact phrase from Genesis 46:8 where Jacob’s family is listed as they go down to Egypt. The Hebrew text even starts with the word “and,” a simple conjunction that ties Exodus directly to Genesis. There is no explanation of who the sons of Israel are, no background on Joseph, no reason given for why the family is in Egypt. The writer assumes we already know the story. Genesis and Exodus are not two separate books but two chapters of one unfolding narrative. Genesis needs Exodus to fulfill its promises. Exodus needs Genesis to explain its people. Together, they tell the story of God’s faithfulness from one generation to the next.
I find it fitting that we are starting our study of Exodus on Memorial Day. Why would I say this? The story of Exodus did not just shape ancient Israel. It shaped the imagination of America’s founding generation. Benjamin Franklin wanted the Great Seal of the United States to show Moses dividing the Red Sea. Thomas Jefferson pictured the Israelites being led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire and a cloud. John Adams wrote about Exodus in his letters, and colonial preachers compared the British king to Pharaoh. The founders saw themselves as a new Israel seeking freedom from a new Egypt. They believed God was leading America to a new promised land, a second Exodus. This was not just poetic language. It shaped how they understood their mission, their freedom, and their responsibility as a nation. America was conceived in the shadow of Exodus (and Deuteronomy, but we will have to discuss that later), with the hope that God would guide and deliver as He had done before. So, as we look at the example of the Israelite nation and their interactions with God, what can we learn as a nation today?
The first seven verses of Exodus are packed with creation language. The text piles up verbs to describe the Israelites’ growth: they were fruitful, they increased greatly, they multiplied, they became exceedingly mighty, and they filled the land. This is not accidental. It echoes Genesis 1:28, where God commands His creation to be fruitful and multiply. It echoes God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Here, those promises are coming true. Pharaoh will try everything to stop it. He will use power, fear, and violence. None of it will work. God’s promises are not canceled by evil men. They are not slowed by oppressive governments. They do not bend to Pharaoh’s decrees. What God sets in motion, no one stops.
Genesis tells the story of God creating a world. Exodus tells the story of God creating a people. That is the shift happening in these opening verses. A family of seventy has become a nation too numerous to count. God is not just preserving a bloodline. He is forming a people for Himself. This theme of second creation runs through the whole book. It reaches its high point at Sinai, where God gives Israel not just a law but an identity. He makes them His people. He becomes their God. The tabernacle at the end of Exodus is not just a tent. It is creation imagery reassembled. When the glory of God fills the tabernacle, it is a new Genesis. We will see God dwell with His people in a new creation. Seeing these first verses as the beginning of a second creation story is the key to reading everything that follows. The law, the covenant, the tabernacle: all are part of God’s work of creating a people for Himself.
The same God who multiplied a family in Egypt despite Pharaoh’s opposition is at work in the church today. His promises do not expire. His purposes do not bow to political power, cultural pressure, or any kind of opposition. His people do not bend to politics or the will of those who oppose them. His people do not tolerate objective evil and those who work to harm the innocent.
The church, like Israel, is a people being formed by God. We are part of a story that is still being written. God’s faithfulness then is His faithfulness now. We can trust Him to keep His promises and to shape us into the people He calls us to be.
Lastly, understanding how the Exodus events are the backdrop to the Founding Fathers’ motivation for coming to and forming the United States of America should significantly impact how we see and interpret the principles (such as the Constitution, Rights, etc.) upon which this country was founded.
Enjoy your Memorial Day, and I am excited about studying Exodus with you!
Blessings,
Ryan Goodnight
