April 14, 2016 | Old No-Name

 

“A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” [Exodus 1:8 HCSB]
In Exodus 1:8, God purposefully has Moses list the supreme ruler of the western world as merely “a new king.” It’s not that Moses is unaware of his Egyptian history. He knows the man’s name [likely Ahmose I], but doesn’t deign to record it – thus subtly crafting one of the most pointed snubs in history. My colleagues at Ouachita Baptist University, Danny Hays and Scott Duvall explain:
“This king (i.e., pharaoh) even though he plays a huge role in the story of Israel remains unnamed. We suspect that this is intentional and represents a put-down of sorts. This arrogant pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world at the time and was considered by the Egyptians to be divine. The Bible, however, does not even leave us his name. In contrast, the names of two lowly midwives are given (1:15), suggesting perhaps that in the overall scheme of things, the midwives are more important to God than the hard-hearted pharaoh.”
– J. Daniel Hays and J. Scott Duvall, The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, 62
Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives, fear God. They respond to the covenant YHWH and are thus known by name. In the same way, the modern person who responds to YHWH by trusting Messiah Jesus has a named bond with God. He or she enjoys a relationship akin to that enjoyed by Moses, who spoke with God face-to-face. In fact, “to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God [John 1:12 ESV].” God knows His own children by name. Unlike Pharaoh, they are never just somebody that God used to know.
Filed Under: Weekly Email