In my devotional reading of the Bible, I’m going through the book of Exodus now. I’m in the early chapters which describe the oppression of the Israelites under Egyptian bondage.
But God’s so serious about delivering them that He wages war against Egypt. At least that’s how I interpret the ten plagues the Lord visits on Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
All in a sustained effort to extricate Israel and get them to the Promised Land.
The story is familiar enough to many people, so rather than rehearse the whole account, I’d like to share a few comments instead.
Divine Direction
I start by noticing that God led the Israelites into Egypt. According to Exodus 12:40, they were in that land for a total of 430 years, but it wasn’t all bad. One of their own, Joseph, served as the prime minister of the kingdom during a time when a famine hit Egypt and the surrounding nations. God gave Joseph the wisdom to prepare for this difficulty, so the country had enough food to last the duration.
Joseph’s family in Canaan, however, didn’t fare as well. When Joseph met and reconciled with his brothers, he encouraged them to bring the whole family, including their father Jacob, to Egypt (Genesis 45:9).
Pharaoh seconded the motion. He thought it would be fine for the Israelites to move in (Genesis 45:17-20).
But this wasn’t only a good idea to Joseph and Pharaoh. God told Jacob to go to Egypt and He’d bless them there (Genesis 46:2-4).
And it worked. For a while anyway.
“Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. 8Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9‘Look,’ he said to his people, ‘the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10Come, 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.’ 11So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13and worked them ruthlessly. 14They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.” – Exodus 1:6-14
Did God make a mistake? After all, Egypt isn’t Canaan; it’s not the territory He’s promised Abraham and his descendants. Why send them if they didn’t belong there and were going to suffer?
The immediate answer is that Jacob and his family needed the provisions Joseph had stored up in Egypt. Had they remained in Canaan, they’d have starved.
But God had a long-range issue in mind, too. He allowed His people to become enslaved, but something provoked the Lord to act.
Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew newborn males.
Preservation of His People
This is genocide in slow motion. Pharaoh could have sent his army into Goshen and wiped out every last Israelite. But he wanted slave labor. So he compromised. If all the newborn males died, only Jewish females would remain. They’d have to marry non-Israelites–Egyptians or those from minority communities–within the realm. These women would adopt the customs and culture of their husbands. Within a generation, Israel would no longer exist as an identifiable nation.
And God wouldn’t allow that; He wanted a people of His own. Here’s an explanation.
Genesis 11 recounts the attempt of humanity to build the Tower of Babel. God responded by creating different languages so people had to team up with those whom they could understand. Not knowing what other groups were saying would drive them away from each other, thereby spreading all over the globe.
This sin, following the depravity that led to the flood (Genesis 6-9), was the last straw in the mind of God. Following Babel, He divested Himself of the nations and turned them over to angels.
This might sound unusual, but it’s what the Bible reports.
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.” – Deuteronomy 32:8 (ESV)
As you might have guessed, these angels who ruled the nations didn’t stay loyal to God Most High. They redirected the worship of the people to themselves and promoted idolatry and all forms of wickedness and injustice.
Sin erupts in the book of Genesis. In chapter 3, Adam and Eve bought into the serpent’s deception and fell away from God. In chapter 6, humanity was so wicked and nature so corrupted that God wiped out the world with a flood and preserved man and beast in the ark. And in chapter 11, rebellion against God continued, this time at Babel.
So when the Lord turned over the nations to angelic rulers (who proved faithless), He had no nation for Himself. If God was going to have a people, He would have to make one.
And that’s what He did.
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” – Genesis 12:1-3
Abraham’s family–Israel–is God’s people. And Pharaoh planned to assimilate them into oblivion. Whether he knew it or not, the fallen angels agreed with this scheme.
In response, the Lord unleashed plagues against Egypt, culminating in the death of the firstborn throughout the land. God saw this as a spiritual battle.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.” – Exodus 12:12
The gods who sought the destruction of God’s people would suffer the loss of many of their own.
Christ and the Church
God sent Jesus into the world to suffer in our place, on our behalf. He didn’t deserve it, but He died to deliver us from slavery to all that oppresses us, whether natural or supernatural
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
And because He did, we’re liberated!
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Galatians 1:3-5
Through His grace, we’re now the people of God. We don’t have to be born into a Jewish household; we don’t have to trace our ancestry to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Our background no longer matters; our connection to Christ does!
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule–to the Israel of God.” – Galatians 6:14-16
God calls us as His people to declare the victory of His Son over every form of sin and oppression. He delivered us from bondage; we can share the message of freedom with others!
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