The glory of the Exodus.
I’ve always been a sucker for mythology, whether Greek or Roman, Norse or even African mythology, but I have to admit that there’s something about Egyptian mythology and their culture that makes you wonder how they could have been so advanced so early in their civilization, and how regressed they appear to be today. But that’s not what we’re here to discuss.
Today, we’ll be looking at some of the most powerful men to have ever lived. Both of whom were used by God, and one who, by daring to go head to head with Adonai, not only lost his army, but also his own child and his life. These men were Pharaohs, rulers of Egypt, the Egyptian intermediaries between the gods and men. The Pharaoh had supreme power over the entire land and people of Egypt, legally and spiritually. In a sense, the Pharaoh was the god they could see, and he was treated as such. So although he was a man (usually at least, because the female pharaohs were few and far between), he was revered as a god. So now that we have a bit of context on the position these two men held and the authority that they wielded, we can get into it.
Like I mentioned earlier, I’d like us to discuss three particular Pharaohs today. The first one (let’s call him Pharaoh A) had no connection to the other two (Pharaohs B and C, just go with it), other than possibly being their ancestor. The connection between Pharaoh B and Pharaoh C is pretty simple thought, the first was the father of the son. That’s how it usually worked, the son would inherit the title of Pharaoh at the death of the father. So let’s deal with Pharaoh A first. This Pharaoh was just there living his dream life as the ruler of the most powerful empire on earth at the time, with magicians and courtesans and all the likes. And then one night, a single dream turned his life, and the entire kingdom, upside down (Gen. 41:1-3). Well, technically there were two dreams, but they were telling him the same thing (Vs. 5-7).
These dreams troubled the Pharaoh so much that when it was morning, he summoned everyone who was anyone in the empire, from his magicians to the counselors, to come and interpret the dreams for his. But seeing as that’s impossible, it’s not a surprise that he was disappointed. That was where the problem began. A disappointed pharaoh is not a pleasant experience. luckily though, he has a jailbird butler, who had met one fine boy like that while he was serving time (Gen. 40:1-23), and this fine boy had seen different shades of shege in his day because he talked too much, but that’s a story for another day. What’s important here is that this guy could interpret dreams. He had done so for the butler while they were in prison (Gen. 40:9-15), and that was why the butler remembered him, after conveniently forgetting him for two years. Anyhow, the butler told Pharaoh (Gen. 41:9-13), Pharaoh summoned fine boy Joe (Vs. 14), who did his thing and interpreted the dream on the spot (Vs. 16-32) and even gave recommendations (Vs. 33-36). Pharaoh’s mind was blown and he appointed Joseph as his right hand man, and some years later, after some Fuji House of Commotion with his brothers, Joseph imported every single person in his family into Egypt. And that’s the story of how Israel became established in Egypt. Pharaoh A demanded the impossible from his own people, because how can you be all-powerful if you can’t get what you want all the time? But in fulfilling the Pharaoh’s demands, God strategically removed Joseph from bondage and placed Israel where they would be preserved in the midst of a global famine. That’s it for Pharaoh A though, on to the next.
Pharaoh B is relevant today because he was the one who, unknowingly, made Moses and kicked off the plan of God to deliver His children from the slavery in Egypt. Yuuppp, you read right. That’s Pharaoh B, the popular Egyptian pagan king who commanded the death of newborn infants. That Pharaoh, yes him, he was used by God for His purpose. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
One day, Pharaoh looked up and realized that a particular group of immigrants had become so many that they could pose a threat to His peace and security (Exodus 1:8-9). Mind you, these people did not do anything to convince Pharaoh that they were after his peace or his kingdom in the first place, so where he got that idea from, we can’t say. Well we can, but let’s not waste breath on the devices of the enemy. So, yeah. The immigrants were the Israelites, brought over by the Dreamer after his family reunion (Gen. 46-50). Pharaoh didn’t like their increase and he decided to make them slaves and put them to work building supply cities and serving the Egyptians (Ex. 1:10-14). Like that wasn’t bad enough, Pharaoh also tried to curb the Israelite birth rate by having the midwives kill the male newborns of the Israelite women (Ex. 1:15-16). Thankfully, the midwives knew God and feared Him, so they didn’t obey Pharaoh (vs 17). He found out, as he was bound to notice the little baby boys who were very much alive, and he was so upset that he amended his initial instructions and had them throw the innocent babies into the river (Ex. 1:17-22). Now, here’s where I want you to pay attention. Around that time, guess who played a bit too much and had a baby boy? You know it, Mummy and Daddy Moses (Ex. 2:1). Now check this, Moses was born into a broke family in the time when his parents were slaves (Ex. 2:1-2), but God knew that this one would be very useful to Him, so how to solve the problem of preserving Moses and ensuring he grew up in the kind of environment that would allow him believe in the impact of power, understand authority and influence? How would God ensure that Moses did not have that slave mentality, and therefore did not need to be liberated in his own mind before he could be instrumental to the liberation of Israel? Get Pharaoh to raise him. Because think about it. What were the odds that Moses’s mother would place him in the water at the exact moment that Pharaoh’s daughter would be there(Ex. 2-3-10)? What on earth could guarantee that Moses would be raised as Pharaoh’s very own grandson??? I’ll tell you the odds, zero. There was simply no way to plan it, or tell the exact moment when Pharaoh’s daughter would be bathing. It’s quite obvious that only God could have orchestrated this. And how ironic is it that in trying to end the steady increase of the Israelites, Pharaoh B set in motion the sequence of events that actually guaranteed their preservation and eventual freedom? It’s so utterly hilarious, and I’m sure he must have rolled a couple of times in his grave when he realized it. But that’s not the craziest part of the whole story. Let me introduce you to Pharaoh C, the one with the wildest story of them all.
This Pharaoh no dey waste time. He and Jim Iyke have very similar personalities, kinda like how we say “if you do anyhow, you will see anyhow” in Nigeria. Small request from Moses, next thing the raw materials that the Israelites were using to work for him, they did not see again (Ex. 5:1-7). As if that wasn’t bad enough, he still insisted they produce the same quantity as before, when he was supplying them with materials to work (Vs 8&9). Haba now, how we’re they supposed to do it?
God’s plan for the Israelites was not just that they would receive their freedom and leave Egypt, but Al that He would punish Egypt and utterly destroy the Pharaoh for daring to enslave His people, people who had come to Egypt as guests of the King himself (Ex. 6:2-8). He also wanted to restore the faith of the Israelites, who had been so traumatized and down trodden that their spirits were broken and tired (Vs. 7-9). So He sent Moses and his brother, Aaron, back to Pharaoh to repeat their request that he let them go, but God warned them that it wouldn’t be easy because He was going to harden Pharaoh’s heart, in order to bring judgement upon him (Ex. 7:2-5).
Initially, when I read this I thought that the first time Moses had asked Pharaoh to let them go into the wilderness, he had phrased it as a request. But Exodus 5:1 was pretty clear with the “Thus says the Lord…”, so apparently Pharaoh heard it the way it was supposed to be heard, as an instruction. But even then, he chose to disobey, which isn’t exactly surprising considering the fact that he had never heard of Yahweh and therefore did not rate Him. But subsequently, when the plagues started and the Egyptians were suffering, he still didn’t even reason it (Ex 7:20-25). Plague after plague came, but Pharaoh kept answering the “Who can battle with the Lord?” with his full government name. To shock you more, this bros tried to negotiate and even outsmart Yahweh by saying he would let them go if Moses took the flies away, and then giving him one hot “ela” after (Ex. 8:25-31). Eventually though, the severity of the plagues kept increasing steadily until finally, Pharaoh had no choice but to admit defeat and send the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex. 12: 31-32), and they didn’t just go like that, but the Egyptians gave them everything they asked for, all their jewels and precious possessions, and so they left with the wealth of the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35). Like that wasn’t bad enough, this man changed his mind and chased them all the way into the the desert to try and get them back (Ex. 14:5-9). But that was just another opportunity for God to flex on them, and finally get rid of him and his army (Ex. 14).
Imagine these three men, all powerful, all born to believe they were gods, the literal representatives of the Egyptian deities on earth, and yet, with all their power they were all made to subject to the Will of God. All played parts in bringing to pass His plan, His desire for his children. It reminds me of the first part of Zechariah 4:7, where the angel asked what the great mountain was. Being Pharaoh was a great mountain, but even great mountains become plains before God. The preceding verse tells us that it’s not by power nor by might, but by His Spirit. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead centuries after, the very same Spirit that came on the Apostles at Pentecost. The same Spirit that lives within us. The salvation that Christ has paid for, automatically grants us access to the power of the Holy Ghost, provided we are willing to welcome Him. These men were gods, but guess what? So are we.
“I have said, Ye are gods; And all of you are children of the most High.”
(Psalm 82:6 KJV)
Being made in the image of the Father, and as co-heirs with the Son, we are not merely representatives of some dead deity, parading ourselves around in false authority and claiming owner that we do not have. We are the real deal, because God is the real deal. He has a resume thousands of years long, and goes back further than even time itself. If you believe that He is God, all-powerful and all-knowing, and that you are His child, is it really as stretch to think that you can walk in authority and power too?
Christ has shown us, HE is the Way, the Only Way. Wisdom implies that we walk with Him, in Him, by the leading of the Spirit, to the heart of the Father.
Greetings from the Foot of the Cross,
Gabrielle…
