Exodus 1 begins a new chapter in the life of God’s chosen people. It is takes place about 400 years after the time of Joseph. The Israel’s descendants are living in the land of Goshen and have prospered. The current pharaoh does not know who Joseph is and is not pleased that these people are thriving on his land.

He intentionally works to bring the Israelites down. He makes them slaves and sets oppressive taskmasters over them. But they thrive. He works them even harder in the making and laying of bricks and mortar and field work, but they thrive. He speaks to their midwives and orders them to kill all the male babies who are born. Two of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah fear God much more than they fear the pharaoh so they let the boys live. The pharaoh questions them about it and they respond that the Hebrew women have babies too quickly and the midwives cannot get to them in time. God continues to bless the Israelites and they thrive.

As Exodus 1 ends and Exodus 2 begins the pharaoh commands his people to throw all the Hebrew boys into the Nile. One of the men from the house of Levi and his wife, who is also a Levite, have a baby boy. She hides him for three months until she can hide him no longer. She constructs a papyrus basket for him and covers it with pitch. She puts the child in the basket and puts it in the Nile. She has her daughter watch to see what happens to the baby.

One day Pharaoh’s daughter is bathing in the Nile and she seed the basket in the reeds. She sees the baby boy and takes pity on him. The baby’s sister comes to her and asks if she wants her to find a Hebrew wet nurse for the baby. The girl finds her mother and Pharaoh’s daughter has her nurse the boy until he is ready to be weaned.

Pharaoh’s daughter takes the baby as her son and names him Moses because she drew him out of the water.

Moses grows up knowing that he is Hebrew. When he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave he becomes angry and kills the Egyptians. The news of what he has done spreads and when Pharaoh finds out, he seeks to kill Moses.

Moses runs away to Midian. He meets the daughters of the priest of Midian at the well. Moses saves them from some shepherds who were trying to chase them away. The priest allows Moses to stay with him. Eventually he gives Moses one of his daughters in marriage and they have a son.

The pharaoh dies, but the Israelites remain in slavery. God hears their cries and remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

In Psalm 11 the writer takes refuge in the Lord. He acknowledges that God tests both the wicked and the righteous. God will punish the wicked, but loves the deeds of the righteous, because God is righteous.

The writer of Psalm 12 cries out to God because he feels as though he is the only righteous person lect. The unfaithful boast that they are their own master. The Lord sees and hears the pleas of the poor and needy. He moves them to a safe place. The promises of the Lord are pure, he will protect us even though the wicked are on every side.

These readings all speak of God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of persecution and oppression. God sees the righteous even as they are being persecuted and causes them to thrive under his protection. God takes us out of the situations in which we find ourselves and works everything out according to His purposes. Even if it seems as though the situation is hopeless and will not come to good we must have faith that God is still there fulfilling his pure promises for our lives.