Exodus 1 is a short chapter that sets the stage for the whole book. It shows the descendants of Jacob multiplying in Egypt, a new king who fears them, and the midwives who refuse to obey an order to kill Hebrew baby boys. These questions are for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study, and they follow the flow of the chapter so a leader can use them without a separate summary.
Exodus 1 at a Glance
The chapter opens by listing the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, then notes that Joseph and his brothers died and that the people grew strong. A new king arises who does not know Joseph, sees the Israelites as a threat, and puts them under harsh forced labor. When that fails to slow their growth, he orders the Hebrew midwives to kill the baby boys, and when they refuse, he commands all Egyptians to throw every Hebrew son into the river.
The chapter moves from peace to oppression, and from the king’s public policy to the quiet courage of two women. Read it as a turning point: God’s promise to multiply Abraham’s descendants is being tested, and the chapter answers that test through the midwives’ fear of God rather than fear of Pharaoh.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the exact words in the text, and resist explaining until everyone has found what the chapter says. Short answers and quick returns to the text work best here.
Exodus 1:7
The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
(WEB)
Reading this verse first reminds the group that God’s promise of growth is already visible before any conflict begins. It sets the baseline of blessing against which the rest of the chapter unfolds.
Exodus 1:8
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.
(WEB)
This short verse introduces the new king and the forgetting of Joseph. Reading it aloud helps the group feel the shift in tone and ask what caused the change.
Exodus 1:13-14
13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
(WEB)
These verses describe the harshness of the oppression in concrete terms. Hearing the repeated words about service and bitterness helps the group sit with the reality of suffering before moving on.
Exodus 1:17
But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
(WEB)
This is the turning point of the chapter, where the midwives’ fear of God leads to disobedience of the king. Reading it aloud invites the group to consider the cost and the courage of their choice.
Exodus 1:21
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
(WEB)
The chapter ends its central story with God giving the midwives families. Reading this verse helps the group see that faithfulness is met with God’s care, even when the immediate outcome is uncertain.
Memory Verse for Exodus 1
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who sometimes feel the weight of demands that press against what we know is right. Thank you that you saw the Israelites in their suffering and that you remembered the midwives who feared you more than the king. Give us the same reverence and courage, so that we may act with wisdom and trust you with what we cannot control. Help us to notice those around us who are under pressure, and make us willing to stand with them. Strengthen our households and our church as we follow you this week. Amen.
