Saved By The Blood Of The Lamb

We have been talking about Jacob and his family the last several weeks. As you recall, Joseph was one of Jacob’s twelve children. He was favored by his father and because of this special attention, Joseph was hated by his brothers. He had quite an eventful life. Joseph went from shepherd to slave to prisoner and finally to governor of Egypt.

Each event in his life bonded him closer and closer to his God. Joseph never complained because he knew God was in control of his life and as long as he was obedient and faithful to God, God would direct his steps.

When the famine started and people from all over Egypt and the surrounding countries were forced to come to Joseph to buy grain, Jacob and his children, Joseph’s brothers, who lived in Canaan, also came to buy grain.

Through the process, Joseph made himself known to his brothers and father and with Pharaoh’s permission moved his family from Canaan to Egypt. Jacob died and then sometime later Joseph died.

The family continued to grow and grow. The family grew exceedingly large and became mighty strong. Remember these people were Hebrews in an Egyptian country. When the new king took over Egypt, he realized that the children of Israel were many and mighty. The Egyptian taskmasters made slaves out of the Hebrew children or the children of Israel.

Pharaoh, king of Egypt even went one step further and told the midwives this: “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live” (Exodus 1:16).

This was the means of controlling the increase in population of the Hebrews. Bottom line is the Israelites were slaves for 400 years. They were oppressed and mistreated very badly. The Hebrews did not deserve the abuse brought upon them by Pharaoh and his taskmasters.

There are people in the world today who are in a similar position. They are being burdened by leaders in their country. The conditions under which they live are heartbreaking. They have no medical care, clean drinking water, housing, or food.

Is this the way God intended for his people to live? Are people supposed to be slaves to other people? I don’t believe the people of today are expected to live the life of slavery any more than the Hebrew people who were under Pharaoh’s jurisdiction after the death of Joseph.

God was in control during the time of Hebrew captivity just as He is in control today. He is as powerful today as He was then. God’s plan was to liberate the Israelites or the Hebrew people according to His time table and according to His way. The Israelites looked to God and prayed to God for help and He heard their prayers.

Some people who are being oppressed by strong leaders are looking to God for help. Some are also slaves to a number of sins; such as drugs, alcohol, and wild living, jealously, greed and so on. Many of these people are living worldly lives and have forgotten about the God who created them.

The Israelites never lost connection with their God. They were faithful, obedient and trusted in the Father. God knew what they were doing and the suffering they were under. God is the same today and He was yesterday. He knows each of His children, where they are and what they are doing.

God can and will liberate these people from the bondage of sin if they will keep their eyes focused on Him and their ears open to His voice speaking through the person of the Holy Spirit.

God spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, “I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh King of Egypt everything I tell you” (Exodus 6:29). God was revealing a plan to Moses and Aaron that would result in the liberation of the Israelites from bondage.

God’s plan was to harden the heart of Pharaoh. It is interesting to note that Moses and Aaron informed Pharaoh about each one of the plagues before they came about. Pharaoh had the opportunity to let the Israelites go, but he was a stubborn man.

Pharaoh was a conceited, snobbish, selfish and proud individual. Exodus 5:2 tells us this: and Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel Go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”

Pharaoh thought of himself as being divine or godly and did not believe that there was a power more powerful than he. As long as Pharaoh could keep the Israelites in Egypt, he had control over them, but as soon as they moved to other land, his control ceased to exist.