“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and if war breaks out, they join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the land. Therefore, they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. BUT, the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.” – Exodus 1:8-10
How could a new king arise that didn’t know about Joseph? The Bible says he was a foreigner… “My people went down to Egypt, to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without a cause.” – (Isaiah 52:4). Refusing to acknowledge the saving grace of God through Joseph, thankless, jealous, bearing the very name of antichrist, “The Assyrian,” – hated Israel for their power. This is true for our day. Leaders have arisen that refuse to acknowledge the blessings of Christ. Instead, they see God’s people as a threat to their grip on power.
But while Pharaoh got them to build up his “treasure cities” on earth, God was balancing out the oppression – “the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.” And this is always true. When the early Church was persecuted, by leaders that rejected the goodness and grace of Christ, “the Word of God grew and multiplied.” Every historic persecution of Christianity has set it aflame and spread it… “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.”
Rest assured, these days of oppression are not fruitless. God will “multiply your (Gospel) seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness” before He leads us out. And that’s a wonderful truth we can bank on.
(Devotional by Lisa Cataford)
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