Exodus 1
Fast forward a few hundred years from the end of Genesis and Joseph and his brothers have died, but their families have grown. God has blessed them to the point that the Egyptians feared the Israelites outnumbered them and would turn on them if they were attacked and join their enemies.
It occurs to me that there are only two reasons why people oppress others: fear and greed.
And greed is really just fear that someone else will have something you don't. This chapter illustrates how God blesses those who follow Him, but notice that doesn't mean they don't face hardships. On the one hand, God increased the number of Israelites and prospered them. But that led to them being enslaved and many of their sons being killed. God blessed the midwives for not obeying Pharaoh, but they were still under threat of their lives. It also illustrates the truth about mankind: In our fear and greed, our sin will multiply to unimaginable acts.
The parallel between Pharaoh's murder of innocents and the current slaughter of the unborn seems so apparent, and the underlying motivations are the same. Fear and greed. Fear of being unable to provide whether physically, emotionally, or financially. Fear of missing out on some relationship or career move because of the responsibilities a child entails. Greed in valuing material wealth over the life of a child. Both fear and greed are rooted in lack of faith in the God who has promised to meet the needs of His people.
Reading about the courage of these midwives encourages us to trust God more completely. We must not live in fear of being without something we need and we must not long for things we don't really need just because someone else may have them.
Today I will be thankful for all the miraculous blessings God has given, especially those that call me Mom.
Fast forward a few hundred years from the end of Genesis and Joseph and his brothers have died, but their families have grown. God has blessed them to the point that the Egyptians feared the Israelites outnumbered them and would turn on them if they were attacked and join their enemies.
It occurs to me that there are only two reasons why people oppress others: fear and greed.
And greed is really just fear that someone else will have something you don't. This chapter illustrates how God blesses those who follow Him, but notice that doesn't mean they don't face hardships. On the one hand, God increased the number of Israelites and prospered them. But that led to them being enslaved and many of their sons being killed. God blessed the midwives for not obeying Pharaoh, but they were still under threat of their lives. It also illustrates the truth about mankind: In our fear and greed, our sin will multiply to unimaginable acts.
The parallel between Pharaoh's murder of innocents and the current slaughter of the unborn seems so apparent, and the underlying motivations are the same. Fear and greed. Fear of being unable to provide whether physically, emotionally, or financially. Fear of missing out on some relationship or career move because of the responsibilities a child entails. Greed in valuing material wealth over the life of a child. Both fear and greed are rooted in lack of faith in the God who has promised to meet the needs of His people.
Reading about the courage of these midwives encourages us to trust God more completely. We must not live in fear of being without something we need and we must not long for things we don't really need just because someone else may have them.
Today I will be thankful for all the miraculous blessings God has given, especially those that call me Mom.
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