Slaves in Egypt Exodus 1:1-15
THE brothers of Joseph with their families settled in the north of Egypt, where King Pharaoh, because of his favor to Joseph, gave them room for their herds. They had plenty of food so their lives were saved in the time of famine.
After many years Joseph and his brothers died, but their children and many grandchildren were then grown, and still had their homes there. These had all known of the promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give their descendants the land of Canaan for their own country. And Joseph, before he died, reminded them of that promise.
But many of them seem not to have cared for God’s promise, nor to have thanked Him for His care over them in the strange land. Instead of worshiping God, they bowed down to idols the same as their Egyptian-neighbors (Ezekiel 20:7). God called for them to cast out the idols, but they would not, and trouble began to come to them.
The good king, who had liked Joseph, died, and the king after him was envious of the great number of the Hebrews, and because they were such a strong, healthy people. He thought in time of war they would he stronger than his people. So he decided to try to weaken them by making them work very hard. He set cruel men over them for the building of great brick walls and storehouses to keep his treasures safe. Two cities they built are named. Other taskmasters were over those who worked in the fields; so the Israelites no longer had any comfort in Egypt, but were poor slaves to a cruel king.
After awhile the king gave a still more cruel order, which was, that no baby boys should live. This law must have cast a terrible fear over all the Israelites. And God allowed them the sorrows, for them to learn that the idols could not help them. Some of them began to pray to God in their great trouble, and He chose and fitted one to lead them out of that land.
“Because they rebelled against the Words of God, .... therefore He brought down their hearts with hard labor; they fell down and there was none to help.” Psalm 107:11, 12.
ML 01/03/1937