God reveals the importance of the Blood Covenant in Exodus 4:20-26.

....................Moses had ignored the circumcision of his first-born. He had been unfaithful to the Covenant.

..........While on his way from the wilderness to Egypt with the message God gave him about the Egyptians, Moses came face to face with death, "The Lord met him and sought to kill him."

Moses was called by God in the third and fourth chapters of Exodus.

........It includes the burning bush; God revealing Himself to Moses and His plans for delivering Israel.

............It tells of how Moses hesitated and God permitting Aaron to help him.

.................We see the power of Moses' rod where he performed miracles.

So God not only manifested Himself to Moses as the Covenant-keeping God; but also as the miracle-working God.

Hebrews 11:
"23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible."

....................Both acts were based upon faith in God [the Covenant-keeping God].

Happy Birthday Jesus 2011

The second chapter of Exodus gives us the birth of Moses and his life until God calls him.

There are two facts:
.........the hiding of Moses as a baby at the river bank by his mother, and
.........later Moses' rejection of Egypt Neither were rash acts.

The persecution that Israel received is so great that they cried to the God of the Covenant for deliverance.

..........................He hears their cry and remembers His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

.................He comes down to deliver His people from their bondage.

Read Exodus 2:12-25 and Exodus 3:5-8

The treatment that the Israelites , as slaves, received from the Egyptians was sometimes horrible.

........................................The tortures inflicted on them and the commands to kill every boy or to throw the babies into the river was Satan's way to try and destroy them.

Israel's ability to increase in population was a part of God's plan for them and all the world couldn't do anything to stop it.

...........................................................The more they were afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew.

Read Exodus 1:15-22

Then there followed oppression, enslavement and tyranny and cruelty:

...........................Exodus 1:11-14
"11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

Satan put fear into the heart of the leader of Egypt, a fear that the Israelites, who were so mighty in number, would join themselves to the enemies in time of war.

..........................Exodus 1:8-10
"8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land."

Satan tried to destroy 'the seed of the woman' [Eve] through whom Jesus was to come.

.................Now that the Savior/Redeemer has been picked as 'the seed of Abraham', Satan tries to destroy God's Covenant People, the Israelites.

So the calculating of this period seems to date from the promise to Abraham to the deliverance of the children, which makes 430 years that included 'and of their fathers'.

...................To the birth of Isaac was 25 years. From the birth of Isaac until the birth of Jacob was 60 years.

...............................Jacob was 130 years old when he entered Egypt. This amounts to about 220 years, add 210 to it and it make 430 years of sojourning from Abraham to the deliverance from Egypt.