Exodus 1:8–14 (ESV)
“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”
This is where the tone of Exodus shifts. The peaceful growth of God’s people suddenly runs into resistance. A new king arises one who doesn’t remember Joseph, who doesn’t remember how God saved Egypt through him, and who certainly doesn’t remember the covenant promise. In just a few short verses, we go from fruitfulness to fear, from blessing to bondage.
That phrase “a new king who did not know Joseph” is kind of tragic. It’s a reminder of how quickly the world forgets what God has done. Joseph had once been a hero in Egypt, but now, generations later, his name means nothing to those in power. The world’s memory of God’s good work fades pretty quickly.
Pharaoh looks at God’s people and sees not a blessing but a threat. He says, “They are too many and too mighty for us.” In other words: we’re afraid of them. So in fear Pharaoh tries to control what he can’t understand. So Egypt enslaves Israel. They set taskmasters over them, crush them with heavy burdens, and make their lives bitter.
Power often works this way it starts with fear, moves to control, and ends in cruelty. Pharaoh’s heart shows us what happens when human pride sets itself against God’s purposes.
But notice what happens when people oppress God’s people. “The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied.” You can almost hear the irony Pharaoh is trying to crush them, but the very thing meant to destroy them becomes the means of their growth. That’s often how God works. The very thing that opposes him ends up being the very thing driving his purposes forward. When the church is persecuted, when believers are sidelined, when obedience feels costly, that is often precisely when God’s kingdom grows.
And just as no power on earth could stop God from fulfilling His promise to Israel, no power in hell could stop Christ from fulfilling His promise to us. The cross looked like the end for God’s promise, just like Egypt. But God always wins and his plans cannot fail, even when the world pushes back.
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your purposes never fail. Even when the world resists You, even when Your people are pressed down, You remain sovereign. Forgive us for the times we’ve feared human power more than Your promises. Strengthen our faith when life feels heavy, and remind us that You are still at work, even in our suffering. Teach us to trust Your plan when we can’t see the outcome. We thank You for Jesus, our Redeemer, who conquered every enemy and leads us out of slavery into freedom. In His name we pray, Amen.