Lesson 1: Oppression: The Background and the Birth of Moses

1.2 The Historical Background
God’s Faithfulness in History: From Joseph’s Rise to Israel’s Oppression

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Introduction

There are stories so ancient that they sound like legends. And yet they carry truths that shine across centuries into our present day. The story of Joseph in Egypt is one such account – a dramatic sequence of betrayal, suffering, but also of elevation, faithfulness, and divine guidance.

Why is this story so important today? Because we live in a time where many feel forgotten – in pain, in waiting, in doubt. The Bible reminds us: Even when people forget – God never does.

This Bible study invites you on a journey through biblical history, spiritual depth, and modern-day relevance – right into your heart.

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Bible Study

Historical Overview

The story of Joseph takes place in a very specific historical context:

Joseph was promoted by a favorable Pharaoh to become the second most powerful man in Egypt (Genesis 41:41–43).

Later it says: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8)
→ This was likely Pharaoh Ahmose I (1570–1546 BC).

Under Amenhotep I, the oppression of Israel began.

Thutmose I issued the decree to kill all Hebrew male infants.

His daughter Hatshepsut adopted Moses.

At the time of the Exodus (circa 1450 BC), Thutmose III was the ruling Pharaoh.

This span of time – about 400 years – is no forgotten detail, but a powerful witness to God’s patience and faithfulness across generations.

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Answers to the Questions

Question: What was the key to Joseph’s remarkable success in Egypt despite such a difficult beginning? (Read Genesis 37:26–28 and Genesis 39:2,21)

Answer:
Joseph’s beginning was painful and unjust.

In Genesis 37, his brothers sell him to Ishmaelite traders – out of jealousy and hatred. Joseph is taken away, enslaved, falsely accused, and imprisoned (chapter 39).

And yet, this phrase is repeated:

“The Lord was with Joseph.”

Outwardly, Joseph was humbled – but spiritually, he was lifted up.
Not through his own strength, but through:

• God’s presence in his suffering (39:2)

• God’s grace in his humiliation (39:21)

• His unwavering faithfulness despite injustice

In one sentence:
Joseph’s success wasn’t rooted in his position – but in God’s presence. The key wasn’t career, but character in the crisis.

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Spiritual Principles

• God’s presence matters more than outward success.

• Suffering is not the end – it’s often preparation.

• God works through spans of time, not just moments.

• Lost position does not mean lost calling.

• People may forget you – God never will.

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Application for Daily Life

Imagine being overlooked, dismissed, disappointed, wounded. Everything feels broken. What will you do? Many people retreat – into self-pity, bitterness, or resignation.

But Joseph remained with God.
→ And God remained with him.

What does that mean for you today?

• Trust God even without applause.

• Serve faithfully even without a stage.

• Pray even without immediate answers.

Maybe your own “Egypt” is the place where God is shaping your character – for a future you can’t yet see.

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Conclusion

• God never forgets – even when people do.

• Joseph walked through the depths – but never alone.

• Israel was oppressed – but never abandoned.

• God’s faithfulness stretches across generations.

If you’re in a season of waiting, uncertainty, or injustice today:
→ God is not late. He is already there.

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Thought of the Day

“Don’t forget – God has not forgotten you.”

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Illustration – “Where No One Looks”

It was a gray morning in a city like many others – noisy, busy, and for many people, a place of dreams or disappointments. In a small seventh-floor apartment, 28-year-old Samuel sat on his couch. He stared at the blank screen of his old phone. No messages. No call. No offer. Another day without prospects.

Three years ago, Samuel had been a celebrated young entrepreneur. He developed a promising software solution for digital health records. Investors came. Awards followed. Articles were written: “The Rising Star from the East.” But no one knew that one of his partners had secretly sold off patent rights. By the time legal action began, it was too late. The company collapsed – and Samuel with it.

He became the target of the media. The supposed “fraud.” Friends drifted away. His family didn’t understand. The silence that followed was louder than any scandal.

In his descent, he had stopped praying. “If there’s a God,” he once thought, “then He must have forgotten me.”
But today, a Bible lay on the table. It wasn’t his. He had picked it up from a waiting room at a social welfare office – out of curiosity, or maybe something more. He didn’t know.

He opened it at random. “Genesis 39:21 – But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love.”
Joseph. That man who was sold. Betrayed. Imprisoned. Forgotten. And yet – the Lord was with him? Samuel snorted softly. “If that’s true, I’d like to see it.”

He set the Bible aside. That day, he had a job interview. It wasn’t a glamorous position – night shift security in a care home. Minimum wage. No real future. But it was a door. And he was too tired not to walk through it.

At the interview, the director asked, “Why are you applying here, Mr. Kramer? You’re clearly overqualified.”
He shrugged. “I need work. And maybe it’s time to stop living just for myself.”

She looked at him for a long moment. Then she said, “We’re not looking for a technician. We need someone who sees. Who listens. And who stays when others leave.”

That night, he began. The nights were quiet, except for the beeping of machines, a cough, the murmurs of someone dreaming. He had time. To think. To read. Back to the Bible. Joseph walked with him again. And again.

One night he was called to Room 17. Mrs. Ebel, 91, was restless. He sat beside her. She wept softly. “I’m afraid of tomorrow,” she said. “I feel so alone.”
He placed his hand on hers. Without thinking, he said, “The Lord is with you. Even tonight.”

She looked at him, surprised. “My father used to say that. Before the war.” Then she smiled – for the first time.

Samuel didn’t become a hero overnight. But he became needed. And that was new. People started talking to him. His coworkers called him “the pastor in plain clothes.” He never objected.

Two years later, he was coordinator for end-of-life care. People entrusted him with their last words. And he spoke words that weren’t his own – hope, forgiveness, closeness.

One evening, he read his Bible again. Joseph had been freed from prison by then. Pharaoh had lifted him up – not because Joseph forced his way forward, but because God opened what others had closed.

Samuel looked out the window. Below, traffic buzzed. In his heart, there was peace.
He didn’t know where life would take him next. But now he knew one thing: He had never been forgotten.

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Echo:

When people forget, deny, or abandon you – God remains.
When your life falls apart – God holds the frame.
When you think you’ve fallen too deep – maybe you’ve just reached the foundation.

“But the Lord was with Joseph.”
And He is with you, too.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-1-oppression-the-background-and-the-birth-of-moses-1-2-the-historical-background-exodus-living-faith/

June 30, 2025

DAILY BIBLE READING

Exodus 25 – The Sanctuary – God Dwells Among Us

God’s Invitation to Fellowship and Holiness

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Bible Text – Exodus 25 (KJV)

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

5 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

34 And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

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Introduction

In the middle of the wilderness, far from any city, God asks His people to build a sanctuary. Not just any tent – but a place where the living God Himself would dwell. Exodus 25 marks the beginning of these special instructions – the heart of Old Testament worship: the Tabernacle. Here, we encounter a God who desires to dwell among His people.

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Commentary

1.The Offering – Voluntary Gifts from the Heart (Verses 1–9)

God desires a sanctuary – but He does not demand it through force. Each person is to give willingly, from the heart: precious metals, fabrics, wood, oil, spices, and stones. The construction of the sanctuary is a communal act, carried by hearts that love God.

2.The Ark and the Mercy Seat – Center of Encounter (Verses 10–22)

The ark of acacia wood with its golden mercy seat is the heart of the Tabernacle. Between the cherubim, God promises to speak – to Moses, to His people. It is a place of revelation and grace, a place of holy closeness.

3.The Table of Showbread – God Provides Fellowship (Verses 23–30)

The table with the showbread is a reminder: God provides. The twelve loaves symbolize the twelve tribes – all are welcome. It is a sign of fellowship with God, a lasting reminder of His care.

4.The Golden Lampstand – Light in God’s Presence (Verses 31–40)

The lampstand is to be crafted from a single piece of gold – a work of art full of light and life. Its seven lamps symbolize God’s perfect light. More than decoration, it expresses divine presence among the people.

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Summary

Exodus 25 shows that God has a plan – a detailed plan for His earthly dwelling. He invites His people to actively participate in it. The sanctuary is built with love, devotion, and reverence. It’s more than a place – it’s about God’s presence, His invitation to relationship and encounter.

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Message for Us Today

Even today, God seeks a place to dwell – not made of wood or gold, but in our hearts (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16). He invites us to make our lives a living temple, where His light shines and His fellowship is experienced.

Just as Israel gave their best for the sanctuary back then, God asks today: Are you willing to give Me the best of your life? Your time, your gifts, your devotion? Not out of pressure – but out of love?

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Reflection Questions

What place does God have in my daily life?
Am I ready to open my heart to His presence?
What “offering” do I want to bring God freely – my time, my faith, my obedience?

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

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June 28 – July 05, 2025

WEEKLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY READING

Ellen G. White │ Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 14

Destruction of Sodom

Read online here

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Introduction

Sodom was beautiful, wealthy, and cultured—yet it was lost in guilt, sin, and ultimately in God’s judgment.
The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom is more than a historical event.
It is a warning, an invitation, and a mirror for our own time.
Amid prosperity, pleasure, and religious indifference, we still hear God’s voice today:

“Flee for your life! Don’t look back.” (Genesis 19:17)

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Commentary

1. The Allure of Sodom – Outward Wealth, Inward Decay

Sodom was “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10)—fertile, beautiful, and convenient. But:

• Abundance led to pride.

• Idleness corrupted character.

• Wealth fueled selfishness and moral decay.

Sodom was prosperous—but spiritually dead.

2. God’s Warning – Grace Before Judgment

God sent angels to rescue Lot.
Lot was righteous, but hesitant.
His family was attached to comfort and possessions.

God’s grace is real—but it has a window of opportunity.

3. Lot’s Wife – A Heart in Sodom

She was on the path of rescue, but her heart looked back.
One last glance cost her life.

It’s not about where your feet are—but where your heart is.

4. The Consequences of Wrong Choices

Lot’s descendants (the Moabites and Ammonites) became enemies of God.
One wrong step led generations into ruin.

Personal decisions can have consequences that span generations.

5. The Contrast: Abraham and Lot

Abraham lived by faith as a stranger and pilgrim.
Lot sought comfort—and nearly lost everything.

Faith chooses what is eternal, even when it is hard today.

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Summary

The downfall of Sodom is:

• a testimony to God’s patience—but also His justice,

• a mirror of today’s moral condition,

• a call to repentance,

• a reminder: wealth without God is dangerous,

• a warning: do not delay when God calls!

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Message for Us Today

We live in a world like Sodom—marked by prosperity, selfishness, and moral relativism.
God’s grace still calls today—not to condemn, but to save.
Don’t delay when God calls—the time of grace is limited.
Your choices affect your family, your descendants, and your eternity.
Seek the better homeland—the city whose builder and maker is God.

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Reflection Question

Where is my “Sodom”? Where do I choose comfort over obedience?
Do I hesitate like Lot—even though I know God’s voice?
Is my heart more attached to possessions, career, and security—or to God’s will?
Do I live like Abraham—a guest in this world, waiting for the heavenly?

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/30-06-2025-exodus-chapter-25-believe-his-prophets/