God's Favor

Exodus 11:2-3 “Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” 3 (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.) 
 
DOES the parenthetical phrase in verse 3 surprise you? It would be easy to assume every Egyptian hated Moses. We could also readily conclude that many Israelites were suspicious of him. After all, didn’t all the natural disruptions begin to occur when Moses came to Egypt?
      But again the sovereign God acts into his purpose. He stirred a favor in the Egyptian’s hearts toward his servant.
      This gave Moses authority and protection. Israel needed a man they could follow into new, challenging territory – even into the desert away from their home. Israel as a nation also needed Egypt’s protection. Consider what would have happened if Egypt’s people had rebelled against Israel. Chaos and violence would have disrupted God’s plans to redeem Israel.
      One aspect of this we often miss is that God prophesied this to Abraham some 500 years before these events. Genesis 15:13-14 Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” All of these events and even people’s emotions are under God’s purpose.
      In effect, God birthed a nation in Egypt’s womb. He took Israel into Egypt and permitted their trials of bondage to last 400 years. At just the right time, God acted to redeem them with his protection and blessing. Know that he does the same for you. He often takes us into places where we experience trials and suffering. We can only find redemption in God’s favor, exhibited in his grace to save our souls into eternal life. He comes at his ordained time to welcome you into his life of holiness and freedom. That’s why Jesus came as he announced in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
 
LIFE Link: God’s favor is his decision to save you out of sin’s bondage into eternal freedom.