Exodus 1 – The Book Of Redemption – Tracing The Covenant People
THERE WERE SEVENTY SOULS WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WITH JACOB-ISRAEL. And as you recall, Joseph was already in Egypt. These children of Israel in those years under the guidance of Joseph had been fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceedingly mighty. And the land seemed to be filled with them. Remember it was a famine that brought them into Egypt, into the land where Joseph would be Prime Minister. You will remember that there were seven good years and seven lean years that produced this famine.
People have always been disturbed that Joseph took all the land for Pharaoh. And then after that asked the people to plant seed and he gave them the seed and then told them to give one-fifth to Pharaoh. But he had taken their land. But you must remember that this was a different type of operation at that time. On studying the situation, you find that Pharaoh was the sovereign over all Egypt. And if you go into that type of government, then you find that not only was it maintained as a sovereignty with nobody but Pharaoh or the Royal Household owning the property, but all Egyptians were considered their family. This was the king of Aristocracy that they had.
And Pharaoh alone could grant a Goshen unto the brethren of Joseph when they came into the land. So the entire Aristocracy was controlled by Pharaoh and his family. And around him were Priests who helped shape his decisions. But Joseph had no control over the existing structure of this government. He only worked under it and suggested the plan wherein the people would be taken care of in the years of famine. And in this situation, his own family would benefit. Therefore what happened to this Covenant people after the death of Joseph??
We are told in the scripture that there arose a new king (vs:8) who knew not Joseph. And from then on the status and fortune of the Israelites began to change. And they fell upon hard days of affliction; days of increasing bondage and persecution. As this bondage increased, we see that YAHWEH was raising up another leader to step into centre stage to lead the Covenant people out of bondage.