God's promises are sure in the most difficult situations.
Exodus 1:5-8 In all, Jacob had seventy descendants in Egypt, including
Joseph, who was already there. 6 In
time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire
generation.
7 But their descendants, the
Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so
greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.
8 Eventually, a new king came to
power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.
The last few chapters of the book of Genesis seem like a story where the
good guy and his family are rescued and you might think that they all live happily ever after. But if you keep on reading your Bible you will see in the very next book that this idea couldn't be further from the truth.
It looks like God is blessing his people as they settle down in Egypt, they
have political favor, the Egyptians are thankful for the contribution that Joseph has made to their country, they are living in the best part of the country, have plenty of food and they are making plenty of babies. What could go
wrong?
It didn't take very long before they lost favor politically and then it was all down hill from there. The
memory of the goodness of God to Egypt through Joseph eventually faded away and the good times and blessings that God's people enjoyed in Egypt had all
disappeared.
God's people will soon learn that when our lives are full of comfort and we feel like we are blessed with the things that the world has to offer it can make us willing to settle for
lesser blessings when God is attempting to move us up to his best.
That's where Satan wants God's people to live, just short of the full
promises of God, he doesn't want them to enjoy all of God's promises that he
made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The pleasures and comforts of Egypt
were a sure way for God's people to be okay with living short of their full
potential.
Genesis 3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
The promises of God have been attacked by Satan since the original promise
back in Genesis 3:15. Throughout the rest of Genesis there was
always opposition to the promise but it became worse after God committed himself to one person's
descendants, after God chose Abraham's family to be his people, Satan knew where to focus his
efforts. In the book of Exodus we see the attack continue.
As soon as God's people multiply enough
to become a great nation they become persecuted. But Pharaoh doesn't realize
who is in charge and he certainly doesn't believe that his actions are being
used for God's purposes. Pharaoh doesn't know that he is going to be used by God to accomplish God's promises to his people.
As life in Egypt becomes uncomfortable the people will long for God's
promised land where they would be delivered from their oppression. As we study the book of Exodus we will see that their
wait will last for hundreds of years without a word from God.
What if you
waited your whole life for God to do something? What if your children and grandchildren
passed away and God still hasn't spoken and things continue to get worse? It reminds me the words of the prophet in my post "Why Doesn't God Do Something?":
Habakkuk 1:2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.
More often that we want, God's people must wait for him to keep his promises in his timing and
through the means that he wants to use. It has been 400 years since God
promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan and
it would be 80 more years until Moses led them out of Egypt. But after all of that
they still wouldn't get to the land on the express route.
We want God to work on our timetable, the only time we like God to be
slow is when we want him to be "slow to anger" when we sin. It is very difficult for those of us that are stuck in a finite world to
deal with the perceived slowness of an infinite God. From our point of view, his promises seem to be
failing in so many different areas that we begin to lose hope.
Psalms 33:10-12 The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. 11 But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. 12 What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
Satan has used circumstances, things and people (even Godly people)
throughout the ages in a failed attempt to outdo God. A famine, an evil
government and the false gods of Egypt will not be enough to stop our
promise keeping God. God's people that were stuck in Egypt could count on the covenant promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
We have no reason to doubt the promises of God for our future as well. God's word is very clear that he is in charge, he
has a plan and his plan will not fail despite all of Satan's efforts.
Hebrews 10:23,35 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!
Since God protected his promise to redeem us by protecting the lineage of our Savior, I can be sure that he will also come again to take me to my eternal home.
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