Pharaoh commanded the killing of Hebrew male babies to stop Israel's rapid multiplication; Les Feldick teaches the deeper satanic purpose was to try to kill the promised Seed, the Messiah.
The Egyptians were alarmed by Israel's population explosion, so they put taskmasters over them to afflict them with burdens, but Israel kept multiplying. Pharaoh then tried to cut off their growth by ordering Hebrew male infants killed. Les Feldick sees behind this same satanic pattern that has tried to destroy the Jewish people so the Messiah could never come.
Exodus 1:16 — This is the verse where Pharaoh directly commands the Hebrew midwives to kill every male son born to the Hebrew women.
In Exodus 1, the children of Israel multiplied so greatly that the Egyptians felt threatened. The Egyptians set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens, and Israel built treasure cities for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). When this did not stop their growth, Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives, "When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live" (Exodus 1:16). The command was aimed at every Hebrew baby boy, showing that Pharaoh's stated goal was to stop the increase of the Israelites.
Les Feldick shows that the Egyptians tried to slow down the Israelite population explosion by putting taskmasters over them, afflicting them with burdens, and making them build treasure cities (Clip 0). He reminds us that God was preparing to send a deliverer, and Moses was that special child whose parents kept him alive by faith (Clip 1). Les also teaches that this attack on Israel's children is part of a much bigger, satanic pattern. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has tried to thwart God's plan of redemption by preventing the appearance of the Messiah. Because the Messiah had to come through the Jewish people, Satan has constantly tried to destroy them. Les points to Herod's decree in the New Testament to kill all the boy babies in Bethlehem as the latest example of the same satanic effort (Clips 2, 6).
The Egyptians were facing a population explosion among the Israelites. To slow this down, they set taskmasters over them and made their lives bitter with severe slavery, including building the treasure cities Pithom and Raamses. The order to kill the male babies was another attempt to stop Israel from growing (Exodus 1:11, 16).
Les Feldick teaches that Satan has constantly tried to thwart God's plan of redemption by destroying the Jewish people, because the Messiah, the seed of the woman, had to come through them. He notes how Herod later decreed to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem to try to remove the Messiah. Les sees this same satanic effort at work throughout Israel's history, including in Pharaoh's attempt to destroy the Hebrew male babies.
Population Explosion
Les explains that Pharaoh placed taskmasters over Israel to afflict them with burdens and slow down their rapid population growth.
The Deliverer Moses
Les describes Moses' birth and says his parents saw by faith that he was special and God was going to use him.
Satan's Attack on the Jewish People
Les teaches that Satan has constantly tried to destroy the Jewish people to keep the Messiah from coming, with Herod's killing of the boy babies being the latest example.
Why the Blood? The Bible's Answer to Forgiveness & Faith
God has been pouring out the plagues upon the Egyptians, the first few of course Israel experienced as well, and then God put a division where the Jews no longer experienced the plagues that fell on Egypt. The final one of course is going to be the worst one of all, and the one that really struck home to families and parents, was the death of the firstborn. You all know the background to that.
Why God Separated Israel: The Meaning of the Blood on the Doorposts
Then secondly, Pharaoh comes back, and he says, well, now, how many of you are going to go? He said, I'll let your men go, but I want to keep your children. And isn't that again exactly how Satan works today? Oh, you know, every parent loves to see their kid get the best of everything. We want to see them be successful.
The 3-Day Journey: How Exodus Foreshadows the Resurrection of Christ
And now verse 4, "...and the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works get you to your burdens? And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens." Now, what Pharaoh is going to make sure, as much as he can, is that he does not lose these captives.
The Seed of the Woman
Les shows that Satan tried to destroy the seed of the woman, including through Herod's decree, but God sovereignly prevented it.
Why God Separated Israel: The Meaning of the Blood on the Doorposts
And He says down in verse 5, And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits upon a throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of what? Even the beasts, even the livestock. Now imagine what that would do to a society or an economy. It just wrecks it.
Exodus 1:11: Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Shows Pharaoh's first attempt to slow Israel's growth through harsh slavery.
Exodus 1:16: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
This is the direct command to kill Hebrew male babies, the very action the question asks about.
Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
This is the promise of the seed of the woman, which Les sees as the reason Satan attacked Israel's children.
Matthew 2:16: Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Les points to this event as the New Testament example of the same satanic attempt to kill the Messiah.
No. God was preparing to deliver His covenant people, and Moses' parents by faith saw that he was special and took extra pains to keep him alive (Exodus 2:2). God preserved the deliverer He was going to use.
Les teaches that Satan wanted to keep the Messiah from being born. Since the Messiah, the seed of the woman, had to come through the Jewish people, Satan did everything he could to destroy them, from Pharaoh's day to Herod's decree.
Watch the Teaching: From Genesis to Exodus: Understanding the Biblical Timeline of Israel