God’s Loves for the Life of Babies Part 1: Can we look to Exodus 1 and 2 as a Pro-Life Passage?

This is the introduction to our short Sunday series to Exodus 1-2 which I think shows God’s Love for the Lives of Babies.  I do think there are Pro-Life implications.

We begin with setting up the context and anticipating the question of whether or not we can use Exodus 1-2 as a passage that has Pro-Life implications.

Setting up the Context (Exodus 1:1-1:7)

• Exodus 1:1-1:7 is the bridge between the previous book of Genesis and the book of Exodus as it summarizes the genealogy in Genesis 46:8-27.
• This passage also tells us that the Jews were at this time in Egpyt.
• Exodus 1:7 emphasized the growth of Israel by using five different verbs: “were fruitful,” “increased greatly,” “multiplied,” “and became exceedingly mighty,” “was filled.”
• This increase of having many babies led the king of Egypt to be concerned as recorded in Exodus 1:8-10: “8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [f]more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and [g]in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and [h]depart from the land.””
• The Egyptian King’s three policies against Israel will provide the outline points for our series.

Can We look to Exodus 1-2 and see if God is Pro-Life?

• I’m anticipating an objection here that goes on these lines: Exodus 1-2 is about God’s particular care for the babies of Israel.  It is not pro-life in general per se.
• I think the passage is more than just a proof text for the Pro-Life cause.  But it is not less.
• Again recall that Exodus 1:7 emphasized the growth of Israel by using five different verbs: “were fruitful,” “increased greatly,” “multiplied,” “and became exceedingly mighty,” “was filled.”
• This is an echo of Genesis 1:28: “God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”
  • Genesis 1:28 is part of God’s creation order in which in a world before the Fall God intended that humanity reproduce offsprings.
  • However one may ask that in a world after the fall should we also still carry out God’s Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28?
• Exodus 1:7 also echoes Genesis 9:7: “‘As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.‘”
  • Here we see the context is the Noahic Covenant.
  • The Noahic Covenant is post-Fall.
  • It is a universal covenant for all time.
  • Here the Noahic Covenant reinforces the imperative of the Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28.
  • In essence, Genesis 1:28 and 9:7 still applies.
• Looking again at Exodus 1:7 in light of Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:7 we see that the Hebrews were obedient to God in the area of having children as a society.
• But what if someone were to obstruct with the command Genesis 1:28 and 9:7?  Exodus 1-2 reveals God’s heart with the matter.
• I think we will see that an undercurrent of what God is going to do in Exodus 1 and 2 is related to the importance of having kids in God’s eyes.  While it is not the only matter in this affair (we also remember the Redemptive Historical purpose God has for Israel in light of His other Covenant with Abraham) it is at the heart of God to care for humanity having children rather than murdering them.

 

Part 2