A Nation Grows

Read Exodus 1-4, 6:14-27 
 
Exodus 1:14 They (Egyptians) made their (the Hebrews) lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
 
THE LORD God has expanded his nation from the 70 of Jacob’s family who went into Egypt. Over 400 years, Israel has become nearly 2 million people. They began well in Egypt’s best land. But then Israel became slaves. Think of it. Even amid great persecution and infanticide, God’s chosen people were fruitful and multiplied in God’s power.
   Why might God have directed his nation to grow in this way? Should not the LORD God have put his chosen people in the land of Canaan he had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Remember, Jacob and his family were in Canaan. They were living in the place where Israel would one day come to begin its conquest of the Promised Land. Why would El-Shaddai cause his people to spend 400 years in Egypt, mostly under various Pharaohs’ harsh rule?
   As we seek to know God, it is always good to walk carefully when we ask, “Why, God?” We must not pretend or assume our ways are better than his. That is prideful self-worship – the cause of the first sin and most sins after that. But to humbly ask God, “Why did you build your nation enslaved in Egypt, God?” will help us to know and understand who the LORD’s will and his ways.
   One answer we continually learn and re-learn in God’s inspired Word is this: The Creator will very often create difficult circumstances around his chosen people, so they will personally know his power and authority. We read in Exodus 3 how Moses strived desperately to reject God’s call to free Israel. In response I AM briefly and quickly showed Moses that obedience was Moses’ only option. Israel in Egypt without God’s Word for 400 years needed to know this, too.
   Israel enslaved in Egypt was to prepare Israel to know they needed saving. They would at first reject Moses, but then they would experience God’s very personal and remarkable deliverance. One thing is true of our sin nature: We aren’t ready to be free if we don’t know we are imprisoned. Israel, brutalized in Egypt, knew their prison and they would know their Redeemer. When I AM came to his own through Moses, Aaron and the plagues, Israel was ready to follow him. Israel learned I AM is far more powerful than the most powerful nation on earth.
   “Why Egypt?” What if Israel were prosperous and living well as in Joseph’s day? Surely they would have rejected God’s intervention into their lives. (We learn later that is exactly what they did.) When life is good, we have less desire to see and know God. In our comforts, we certainly don’t want to “take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23) or to “be the servant of everyone else." (Mark 9:35b) even if this will free us from our fears and complacency. Israel needed to call to God, so they would be ready for his response. “The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.” (Exodus 3:9)
   Has God allowed a hard circumstance in your life? Will you call on him for your deliverance? Will you be prepared to go with him?

Note: The verses in Exodus 16 show the lineage of some Israel tribes. Most importantly it tells us how Moses and Aaron are in the line of Levi. This is essential to understand God’s plan use the Levites as his priests.