In the Midst of Desperation
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews, you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live”. Exodus 1:22, ESV
Pharaoh hated the Israelites. He put slave masters over them and gave them hard labor in an attempt to control and discourage them. In the midst of their persecution, God blessed them to multiply even greater. Pharaoh was so threatened by the Israelites’ size that he decided to kill every newborn Hebrew boy. His goal was to end a whole generation of people. Pharaoh did not know the history of Jospeh and what God had done through him to save his country. He was intimidated by the number of Israelites present in Egypt and feared they would side with his enemies in war and overtake them. He first told the Hebrew midwives to kill any boy born to an Israelite woman and to let the girls live. But scripture says the midwives feared God, so they did not obey Pharaoh’s command.
Pharaoh then commanded all the Egyptians to take every son that is born of the Hebrews and throw him into the Nile River to his death. During this time of mass devastation, God was still blessing his people of promise. Consider the story of Moses:
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes[a] and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses… (Exodus 2:1-10)
Even in this horrific season of life for the Hebrews, God was still in control. God knew the evil of Pharaoh’s heart. He could have had Moses born at any time, but He specifically chose for him to be brought into the world during this devastating season in Israel’s history. God sent Moses - the deliverer of Israel, the one who would defeat Pharaoh- to Pharaoh’s home to be raised by his daughter. Without knowing it, Pharaoh opened his door to what would eventually crush him, bringing about his greatest defeat. Later in scripture we read that Pharaoh and all of Egypt’s first born died by the hand of God. It’s just like the Bible says: you reap what you sow.
We must never look at our situation and think that God has abandoned us. The Israelites could not see God’s hand in their situation because what was in front of them was so devastating. Scripture teaches us to not be moved by what we see (2 Corinthians 4:18). It may be hard to see or understand how God is working things out for our good, but that is when we lean into our faith. I am not saying that it will be easy, but God is right in the midst with you. He has worked every detail out, you just have to trust Him - even when you can’t see Him, feel Him, or trace Him. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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