The theme here seems to be the control of God over this situation, and indeed all situations. When Pharoah gives the order to kill newborn males, the Hebrew wives have birth before the midwives arrived, and the midwives don't fulfil the orders. The man God chooses to lead His people out of Egypt is protected by Pharoah's own daughter - with Moses' mother paid to care for her own son in his early years. Surely such a situation is clear evidence of God's control!
As Moses grows up, we begin to see the type of man he is. Probably as a result of his mother's influence in his younger years, he tries to stand up for his oppressed kinsmen, but flees when he thinks he is found out. The next situation we see him in, he stands up for some ladies tending their father's sheep when the other shepherd try to drive them away. Therefore we see a track record of standing up for the oppressed, and a rejection of the 'privileged life' when it comes at the expense of doing right - further expanded upon in Hebrews 11.
Moses' call by God is the first time we see Him use the name 'I AM' (YHWH). The essence of this name really sums up the role of God in Israel, and especially in the next few chapters with the demonstration of power in Egypt. He is the God that IS - and all the false gods in Egypt are nothing in comparison. Moses shows due humility to this message from God initially, but is then unwilling to play the part that God asks of Him - and so he is aided by Aaron. It reminds me of the need not only to recognise our dependence upon God for all things, and to recognise the skills and strengths of others - but also to recognise the call that God has given us. Even if we seem not to have the best skills for the job, sometimes we are the right people for the job simply because God has given us the responsibility for it, and we can trust Him to provide the skill necessary to complete it, however difficult it may be for us.
The importance and responsibility of the role of leader of the nation of Israel is evident in that incident of circumcision. Whether Zipporah knew about God's requirement of circumcision for the Israelites from Moses, or from Midianite history (Midianites were also descendents of Abraham), Moses must have known about it, and yet he had not followed God's command with his own son. All people, but especially leaders have a responsibility to set their own lives in order before they go to lead others.
Coming to Egypt, there are three themes - the obstinacy of Pharaoh, the apathy and hostility of the Israelites to being rescued, and the display of God's power over all the power of Egypt.
The obstinacy of Pharaoh is caused both by his own hardness of heart, and God's reinforcement of his attitude in order to display His power. Initially, his magicians could 'replicate' God's power by their own slight of hand and tricks, but they were quickly forced to admit that this power was beyond themselves and could only be God. Once his magicians were unable to imitate the plagues, Pharaoh had no real excuse to deny the power of God, but in pride he held out, to the suffering of both himself and the Egyptians.
In some ways, the apathy of the Israelites to being rescued is surprising, in other ways it is not. It seems to indicate that through the generations of enslavement, they do indeed have a slave mentality - the idea forced on them of being inferior to the Egyptians, and that resistance is futile and would only bring more hardship. The display of God's power should have been enough to convince them of the ability of God to protect them, but we will see a constant theme coming through the wilderness journey that they want to go back to Egypt, because they trust Egypt to provide the bare necessities more than they trust God to do so. In a way, this increases the glory of God in this event - there was no uprising of the people that released them from Pharaoh's control, it was all of God.
The 10 plagues were not only to afflict the Egyptian people, and Pharoah, whether to encourage the release of the Israelites or as a punishment for the years of slavery. They were a direct display of God's power over the non-existent gods of Egypt. Chart of Egyptian 'gods' proven without power in each plague
At the end of the plagues we have that great festival that has so much foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ. Instituted here as a remembrance of God's protection of His own during judgment upon the Egyptians, there are so many things that point to Christ - the Perfect Passover Lamb. Reading through the instructions, I am reminded of all that Christ has done in providing that sacrifice to protect me from judgement and rescue me form slavery. The blood on the doorposts forming the shape of 'chet' the Hebrew letter whose meaning is 'sin' - for without shedding of blood is no remission of sin. The bringing in of the lamb to live as a pet in the house before killing it and eating it - for the sacrifice of Christ was costly to the Father, He was beloved. Not leaving any of the meat to the morning - Christ's one sacrifice was once, enough for all, and would never be repeated (unlike the Passover meal, which was repeated year after year). Beautiful pictures of a beautiful Saviour!
Finally, we have the conquest of the Egyptian army by God - their gods could not save them, nor their military power. Only with God is there true power. Fittingly, this triumph of God is followed immediately by an outburst of praise.
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)
Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. (Exodus 15:13)
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