Oppression and Blessings

I've started reading Exodus 1. Lord-willing I will finish Exodus on schedule and will continue writing about my thoughts on my devotions on a daily basis.

What was pharaoh so afraid of that got him to afflict oppression on the Israelites? He was afraid that the Israelites would turn on Egypt and side with their enemies if war breaks out. It is important to note that Joseph was not known to this pharaoh for if he was, then he would have realized Egypt wouldn't have been the power it was if not for one Israelite. And it's important to note that pharaoh was afraid of this only because the Israelites have become numerous. In other words, he has turned the Israelites' blessing into Egypt's curse.

How did pharaoh respond? He does three things: 1. He tried to suppress the Israelites 2. He tried to get them to turn on each other 3. He tries to end their abundance by killing all the male-born children. All of this to accomplish one thing: To suppress God's blessing. Or in other words, pharaoh is trying to keep God from enacting his sovereign plan of prosperity and abundance for His people because he sees it as a potential curse to his people.

How does this apply to us? If we look at our lives and we look at one of the things God has given us, and our reaction is "God why would you give me something like this?" or "God, why would you put me in this situation?", we are in the same boat as Pharaoh. If we think about it, how quick are we to think of something as an affliction (either self-imposed or something we can't change) as opposed to be a blessing? How often do we thank God for blessings we receive, even though in that immediate moment it might not seem like a blessing?

If we look at how we deal with something we are ashamed of, whether it's an ability, something in our body, or our present situation, it's reasonable for pharaoh to have done what he did. We suppress the deformity or we hide the shamefulness of what might be God's blessing for us. We get people to focus on their own problems so that we won't feel bad. And more often than not, we end up keeping from God the glory that can come from displaying His blessing through that deformity or that affliction or that "problem".

In a more "Gospel" oriented context, how ashamed are we of our own sins and our redemption? How willing are we to be witnesses to God's saving grace and his mercy while also mentioning what exactly did we do that warranted that grace and mercy? We become so engrossed in the "Christian" life, we tend to forget we were redeemed from something called sin. I'm not saying that in our sin we should be shameless. On the contrary our shame should get us to want more of God's grace and mercy, and asking for it in humility before a holy God.

But what I am willing to say is that our sin, which we meant for evil, God meant for good and ultimately His glory. To hide the sins we were saved from in our witnessing because of our shame is the self-righteousness that comes from someone who doesn't see all things, even sin, working for God's purpose. When we are called to be witnesses, we are called to be a witness to God's working through us. For Jesus died on the cross not for people who are already redeemed or people who are already perfect, but for sinners.