Exodus chapter one verse 12 is our key verse for this posting, and it reads, “But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became” (NLT).
When we come to this verse in Exodus chapter one, the new king of Egypt had devised a plan to oppress the Israelites due their growth. He viewed their growth as a potential threat fearing they would join forces with their enemies causing them to be overtaken. He also feared the Israelites would flee the country after assisting the potential enemies with the overtaking of Egypt. The king’s main objectives were to wear the Israelites down and stop their growth; he set out to do this by making them slaves and forcing them to work under harsh slaver drivers and within harsh conditions. But as we read in our key verse, his plan did not work. Despite the harsh slaver drivers and brutal labor, the Israelites continued to multiple and spread.
As we continue to read chapter one, we note the king did not stop after his first plan failed. Next, he instructed the midwives delivering the Israelite women’s babies to kill all male babies as soon as they were born. But there were two women by the names of Shiphrah and Puah who refused to obey the king’s orders due to their fear of God. When confronted by the king, the women stood their ground. Due to this, God was good to the women, AND the Israelites CONTINUED TO GROW more and more powerful.
The king devised yet another plan by issuing an order to all of the people to throw the newborn Hebrew boys into the Nile River. A baby boy was born to Jochebed, an Israelite woman; she knew her son was special and kept him hidden after his birth. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket and into the Nile River. Her placement was strategic! The boy’s sister, Miriam, watched as the basket containing her brother drifted down the river straight into the area where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed. When she saw the basket, she sent her attendants to retrieve it. Upon seeing the baby boy, she knew he belonged to an Israelite woman. Miriam had witnessed this and approached the princess asking if she should go find an Israelite woman to nurse the child. She replied with a yes, so Miriam went to retrieve her mother. Not only did Jochebed receive her son back to take home and nurse, but she was paid to do so! When the boy was older, his mother brought him back to the princess who adopted him and named him Moses for she had “lifted him out of the water”.
Friend, it does not matter what odds you are up against, what attack you are under, what the circumstances look like, what your emotions are telling you, what you think you have lost, what you are being oppressed by, who is attempting to hold you stagnant, who does not support your growth, or how your “king of Egypt” is attempting to wear you out and stop your growth. I know that Jesus has overcome every principality and worker of darkness. I know that His blood has all power and is able to break any stronghold and cause the forces coming up against you to be rendered powerless. I know that He sees you just as He saw the children of Israel being mistreated by the Egyptians. I know that He gave the Israelites the strength to press through those harsh conditions and the mistreatment. I know that His plan prevailed, and the king’s plans failed. I know that He was working through the midwives to save the Hebrew babies’ lives. I know that He instructed Moses’ mother to act at the right time and caused the princess to be in the right place. I know that He touched the princess’ heart to the point that she did not even consider what her own father had ordered. I know that He was Jehovah Jireh to Moses’ mother as she was paid to care for her own child. I know that no matter what the king of Egypt planned, God had a counter plan! His plan was set and not even the king of Egypt could alter it. For God knew Moses would be born to lead a people out of bondage just like you were. God knew that the people being suppressed were destined for freedom and would inherit a Promised Land just like you are.
My question to you is: will you grow more and more despite the harsh conditions and oppressive forces coming up against you? Will you allow people, situations, wrong timing, or other conditions to stop your growth in God? Friend, this is a fixed fight, and God has already won! You will grow more and more as God’s plan continues to unfold. You can’t be stopped! Press through this. Don’t lose your faith. You are trained to possess a Promised Land! TTYL!
Real Talk with Keve 