1. Pharaoh oppresses the Hebrews

Pharaoh wants to control the Hebrew population by enslaving and working them with hard labour on his building projects, but it has the opposite effect. The population is multiplying and the harder the oppression of hard work, the more they grow and grow!

The spiritual reason behind this is Satan as he has always sought to destroy the Jewish people. He knows the Messiah will come from the nation of Israel. He tries to reduce them, but they multiply in number, and he needs to start murdering them next. This is not unusual in history onwards. Haman sought to destroy the Jews in the Book of Esther. Herod seeks to kill Jesus at the time of his birth. Satan himself sought to tempt Jesus. Hitler attempted to wipe out all Jews during the Second World War. There is no other explanation for history’s continuing undercurrent of anti-Semitism. In 2023 we have the Islamic militants such as Hamas and Hezbollah intend to remove every Jew, “from the river to the sea”.

The response from Pharaoh is to double down on the oppression and expand their workload to the fields but again this fails to reduce the population. They are afraid of a slave rebellion overthrowing them.

2. The persecution of the early Church

The early Church in Jerusalem faced persecution from the Jewish leaders. When this happened, they had to go elsewhere. They did not conform, but as they were scattered, they went about preaching the Gospel, and the Church continued to grow.

Luke recorded, “All the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number” (Acts 5:14).

There will be even more persecution from Jews elsewhere (including Saul), pagans and the Roman authorities. None of this deters the Christians. The number of believers continues to grow and the gospel spreads throughout the Roman empire and beyond. Saul becomes a Christian and so it spreads.

Satan will always try to oppress the truth. Oppression is a weapon for people to give up and conform to things like the government or religion. God’s purposes cannot be stopped if His people obey Him. God used this to spread the gospel to the Gentiles.

3. Oppression can have spiritual purposes

It is oppression that wakens people from slumber and brings them to work together. The Hebrews would be forced out of Egypt by the miracles of the LORD and return to receive the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They would become a nation.

We are repeatedly told in the Bible to “fear not” and so we are to have bold faith that through prayer, fasting, patience and perseverance we can come through it.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Categories: Exodus

Tags: bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus