Justin Houtz

Exodus 1-2; Psalm 88; Luke 21

DateVersionReading Plan
January 21, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

Exodus 1-2

Observation & Interpretation

Exod. 1:8 – A new king of Egypt arose that did not know Joseph. Joseph was second in command to the previous Pharaoh, but the next king arose in such a way that he did not know Joseph.

  • …when it says this king did not know about Joseph, it means he felt no obligation to honor an agreement entered into by the previous administration. (CSB Notes)
  • The meaning of verse 8 is that a new king … arose who did not look with approval on the descendants of Joseph; Joseph himself was already dead, of course. (BBC)

Exod. 1:12 – The more the people were oppressed, the more they multiplied. Not unlike Christianity today, opposition fostered growth rather than stifling.

Exod. 1:21 – The Hebrew midwives who had disobeyed the king of Egypt feared God and thus He gave them families.

  • The reward given to the midwives in terms of a flourishing family life (v. 21) was granted them not for their falsehood but for their humanity. This is not to say that the end justified the means, still less that there are no absolute standards of morality. But in a world as charged with sin and its effects as our has become, it may be that obedience to greater duties is possible only at the cost of obedience to lesser ones. Is this as in all else, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (BBC – quoting The Daily Notes of the Scripture Union)

Exod. 2:2 – When the Levite had given birth to a son (Moses) and saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. The fineness of the child seems to have been a deciding factor in preserving his life.

  • The Hebrew word used here [translated “fine”] is the common word for “good” (tov). This verse—which combines “she saw” and the word tov—parallels God’s assessment of creation in Gen. 1:31. This link indicates that a creative act of God is in view—the birth of Moses will lead to the exodus from Egypt and the birth of Israel as a nation. (FSB)

Exod. 2:15 – Pharaoh heard that Moses had killed an Egyptian and his encounter with the two Hebrew men, he sought to kill Moses, prompting Moses to flee and stay in the land of Midian.

  • When Pharaoh heard about the killing, he sought to kill Moses, so Moses fled to the land of Midian—that is, Arabia or the Sinai area. (BBC)

Exod. 2:25 – God heard the groanings of Israel because of their slavery, remembered the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God saw the people and He knew.

  • “Knew” (1:8; 5:2; 6:3; 7; 7:5; 16:12; 18:11), like “remember,” typically involves more than awareness of information. Here it carries the thought of having regard for something or someone of exercising personal concern (Ps 31:7; 37:18; 144:3; Hs 13:4). Because God knew their situation and took action, the Israelites and others would come to know him in a new way. This verse assumes that readers are familiar with the promises that God had made and confirmed by covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…(CSB Notes)

Luke 21

Observation & Interpretation

Luke 21:9 – Jesus spoke of the assurance that wars and tumults will take place but that the end will not be at once.

  • The appearance of false messiahs and date-setting schemes (the time is near), as well as wide-spread wars, will continue throughout the present age. However, these things must occur and are part of an expected delay before the end of the age. (CSB Notes)

Luke 21:13 – Jesus told His disciples that their imprisonment and being brought before kings and governors for His name’s sake will be opportunity for them to bear witness. We see this admonition modeled in Paul’s missionary journeys later in the Biblical narrative and is something we must heed ourselves, to seize our opportunity to witness when we encounter opposition for our belief in and following of Jesus.

  • Persecution will give Jesus’ followers opportunities to proclaim the gospel. (FSB)

Resources