Exodus² - Chapter 1

I recently began reading the book of Exodus, and I wasn’t prepared for how immediately relevant it would feel.

This book wastes no time. From the very first chapter, the themes are heavy, confronting, and strangely familiar; Power, Fear, and Oppression

Verse 10 struck me hard. The language—“let us deal shrewdly with them”—carries uncomfortable echoes of black slavery, colonial systems, and even modern movements like Black Lives Matter. There’s a sense of calculated fear at play. The Israelites are growing, and the Egyptian king sees them not as people, but as a problem to be managed.

What follows is chilling: enslavement, forced labour, and eventually infanticide. Racism and oppression are not modern inventions—they are ancient strategies born out of fear and insecurity. Lahaula!

What stands out is that Egypt’s response is not open warfare. It is strategic oppression. Quiet. Systematic. Shrewd. That word—shrewd —sent me to the concordance and the Bible dictionary, and eeeyaaaaiii, there was a lot to unpack. In Exodus, the Egyptians use shrewdness to control, suppress, and weaken. They employ clever and oppressive strategies: hard labour, population control, and psychological domination. Ukoloni 2.0? 😝 But then I remembered Jesus’ words in Luke 16:8, where He observes that the people of this world are often more shrewd in their dealings than believers. That verse has always puzzled me. Why would Jesus commend shrewdness?

Here’s what I’m learning:

The Bible is not anti-shrewdness. It is anti-shrewdness without righteousness, and anti-righteousness without wisdom. Jesus isn’t encouraging deception. He is pointing out that many believers lack intentionality. People invested in temporary things often plan, think ahead, and act with more strategy than those who claim to care about eternal ones. Matthew 10:16 confirms this balance: wisdom without compromise. Being shrewd is being thoughtful, alert, and strategic—street-smart, not manipulative.

Shrewdness, when guided by righteousness, is not a flaw. It is a strength.

Then come the midwives—a quiet but powerful contrast to Pharaoh. They fear God more than they fear the king. They choose life. And because of that, God rewards them. Scripture says God gave them households. When I looked deeper into the Hebrew meaning, one interpretation stood out: bloodline.

That reminded me of a real-life story. A woman once received the highest grade and pay at work, despite not having formal qualifications. Why? Because her employer was paying a debt of kindness forward. As a child, that employer used to walk long, unsafe distances to school. This woman’s mother would carry her on her back, ensuring she arrived safely. Years later, when the child became a boss, she remembered that kindness. The mother had passed on, so she asked who remained in her household—and she lifted her daughter. That’s when I laughed and thought, nyanya yangu mbona hakubeba watoto kwa mgongo? 🤣 But the lesson stayed with me: God remembers kindness across generations.

What This Chapter Teaches Me About God.

As I reflected on Exodus 1, three things about God became very clear to me:

1. God is a God of miracles.

   The oppression meant to reduce Israel only caused them to multiply and grow stronger. What was meant for harm became a platform for increase.

2. God is strategic.

   When Jesus tells us to be shrewd, He is reflecting God’s own nature. Strategic thinking, wisdom, and foresight are God-given traits. We are not called to be ruthless, but we are called to be wise, intentional, and thoughtful—in life, relationships, and even business. This balance is difficult, especially in today’s world, but it is necessary.

3. God is kind, and God rewards.

   The midwives’ obedience did not go unnoticed. God rewarded them in His own way, at His own scale. His rewards may not look like human rewards, but nothing done for Him is ever wasted.

Exodus opens with oppression—but beneath it all is a God who sees, plans, remembers, and redeems. And that makes this ancient story feel uncomfortably close… and deeply hopeful.

The above reflections are by one friend by the name of Susan. She's part of our 2026 reflective Bible reading journey.