Introduction: Setting the Scene
Exodus 1 (NIV)
Q1 - Evidently Abram had no children until the birth of Ishmael. At that time, he was eighty-six years old (Genesis 16:16). When Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:5). How many other children did Abraham have and what were their names? (See Genesis 25).
A1 - Abraham had six sons by Keturah: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Keturah is called his wife in Genesis 25:1 and his concubine in 1 Chronicles 1:32. It would be through Isaac’s lineage that God’s promise would ultimately be carried out. However, God blessed Ishmael and made of him a great nation (Genesis 17:20). Upon Abraham’s death, Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25:9).
As for his other sons, Abraham gave them gifts while he was still living and sent them away from Isaac to live in a country to the east (Genesis 25:6). One of these sons was named Midian, and it was among his descendants that Moses found a home when he fled from Pharaoh (Exodus 2:15–16).
Q2 - If Moses wrote the book of Exodus, why do you suppose so little of the first eighty years of his life is mentioned in these writings?
A2 - Numbers 12:3 states that Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. After he accepted God’s calling to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he strove to obey God in every way. He followed the will of God rather than his own inclinations. Throughout the his writings, he reveals very little of a personal nature. It would have been out of character for Moses to expound on his own life beyond what God had instructed him to write. Evidently God considered what has been included concerning Moses's early life to be sufficient.
Q3 - In Exodus 1:15 the names of the two midwives are recorded. What does this tell you about their significance in the history of the Hebrew people?
A3 - You would think that more than two midwives would be needed for the great number of Israelites. Perhaps these women were over a larger group of midwives. Nevertheless, we are told in Exodus 1:17 that these midwives feared God and did not do as Pharaoh commanded them but kept the male children alive instead. These women were greatly honored by having their names recorded in history, and rightly so. They helped preserve the lineage of the Hebrew people.