Our God is amazing! We have seen in the magnificent book of Genesis how He has worked in all kinds of human dilemmas and tangled messes to provide the Savior who was alluded to in the confrontation with Satan in the Garden of Eden. He chose Abraham to begin the Jewish nation through which Jesus would eventually come. The Old and New Testaments are a wonderful treasure, documenting God’s work and the future that awaits all who put their trust in Him.
My research on these blogs about God’s promises has greatly deepened my appreciation of who God is and the depth to which He will go to keep His promises. Nothing is too big, too complicated, or too messed up to stop Him from doing what He promises. Think about that as you ponder the circumstances of your life and the many issues facing our nation and the world!
God is sovereign. What does that mean, that He is sovereign? Webster defines sovereignty as “the power to act without external control.” In other words, God is all-powerful and not limited by man or Satan in achieving His ultimate goal.
Early in the book of Exodus, we are introduced to a very dark part of Israel’s history: slavery to the Egyptians. But we also see the hand of God at work, bringing good and redemption out of the evil perpetrated against His chosen people.
How did the Jewish people become slaves in Egypt? Here is the biblical description of what happened.
An Evil Leader Came to Power in Egypt
Exodus 1:8 tells us: “Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.” (NIV). This man is a prime example of a “leader” who ignores, disparages, and dismisses important history in his country. Joseph had played a pivotal role in saving Egypt during the seven years of famine. But this new king was either ignorant of the importance of Joseph and the Jews or so power hungry that he willingly dismissed their contribution to Egypt.
Another version of the situation reads like this, “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (NAS).
One of the reasons the Jews became enslaved is the ignorance of the new leader in Egypt. The evil this new leader perpetrated on the Jewish people was due, at least partly, to the fact that he ignored the facts about who these people were. This lack of knowledge led to the unspeakable evil of enslaving human beings.
How does ignorance, willful or otherwise, affect our country and our personal lives? What happens to our marriages, family life, and country when we become lazy or distracted regarding our history and the spiritual foundations that build strong families and a just and compassionate nation? Such neglect or ignorance will result in evil.
Another reason the Jewish people were enslaved was that the evil king chose power over wisdom. Let’s face it, each of us has at some point had “power” over others. As parents, husbands, wives, friends, leaders, and employers, we have been able to influence or control the actions and behavior of others. This is the way life is and why it can become so ugly and dysfunctional; using our power well requires wisdom.
Exodus 2:9-10 tells how the ignorant king viewed the Jewish people as a threat to his power and what he did about the perceived threat. ” Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
How did this ignorant, power-hungry king misuse his power over the Jewish people? Verses 11-22 in Exodus 1 outline three actions he took to preserve his power.
- He put ruthless slave masters over them and made life bitter for them. Verses 11-14.
- He attempted, but failed, to get the Hebrew midwives to kill the baby boys they helped to deliver. Verses 15-21.
- He ordered the Egyptian people to throw Hebrew boys into the Nile.
This sounds like a nice guy, doesn’t it? How does God deal with this man and the treatment of His people? He is allowed to enslave the Israelites, but God will have the last word in this situation. We sometimes wonder why the Lord allows bad things to happen, but we must trust His wisdom and the fact that He will bring about a redemptive result from the evil.
Things look rather bleak and hopeless for the Israelites and the promise God made to Abraham, but help is on the way. God is preparing His people for the promised land and getting ready to get a leader ready to lead them out of slavery.
Whatever your situation or challenge, remember this: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
We worship and serve an amazing God!