God's Unseen Work

 Exodus 1-2          Psalm 90             John 19

 After a pause of several hundred years the story that ended at the end of Genesis picks back up in Exodus noting that a lot has changed in the intervening years. The Pharaoh has changed, several times we can be sure, the story of Joseph has been lost and is now unknown. The small band of people, the family of Israel, have grown so large that they outnumber the people of Egypt. As Pharaoh observes this he become fearful and tries to find ways of limiting that power while recognizing the importance of keeping them there because of what they bring to his kingdom, power in labor.

 First, he wants to show how powerful he is so he increases the demands that he puts on them. At the same time suppressing their rights. If you read carefully you see that they grow in power and are forced to spread out even more. This creates such fear in Pharaoh that he attempts to kill the male children of the Hebrews by demanding they be put to death on birth by the hands of those who deliver them. Their fear of God is greater than their fear of Pharaoh and they refuse and are blessed because of their faithfulness. His response is to demand that every male child, Hebrew and Egyptian be killed. We should remember that while Joseph was alive all the land and everything in it became the property of Pharaoh. They were all under his control, including life or death. We should put this in the back of our minds as the rest of the story plays out.

 Because the Hebrews, who had entered Egypt as invited guests, have become so strong to create fear of them, while at the same time the power of their labor being needed, great conflict arises in Egypt. The harshness of the suppression creates such pain that they cry out to their God, who had saved them by sending them there, to once again save them.

 Their prayers are heard and in chapter 2 Moses, who had been saved by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as her son, is in the position of power. We shouldn’t miss through that both the Hebrews and Egyptians never forget he is a Hebrew. Neither really trust him and therefore challenge him. Then we find him fleeing for his life around the age of 40 and living in the wilderness for 40 years, getting married, raising a family. Feeling safe and settled while never forgetting his family, friends and people left behind.

 Psalm 90 reminds us that God is the same from generation to generation and that time is of no meaning. While our days are numbered what we do with them will be reflected in the view of the work of our hands.

 John 19 is the story of the struggle Pilate has in trying to find a way to do the right thing, release Jesus, and maintain his own power. The crowd demands the justice they see is right and use his fear against him. In the end he is more interested in keeping his position in doing what is right. He does do everything he can to put the responsibility on others. Jesus reminds him where his power really comes from and unsaid is who he will be responsible to in the end. He hands off the problem to someone that really doesn’t want to be responsible for it either. The whipping up of popular support in the mob demand death and that is what they get.

 I always find this part of John and the crucifixion story drawing me into the drama and feeling the conflict of power. Power either comes from doing what is right or surrendering responsibility. We can’t miss the part that fear plays in this story either, from Pilate, the crowd, the Sanhedrin, and so many more. The conflict of fear and reaching to do what is right in Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. In the end all think they know how the story has ended and react accordingly.

 How often do we fail to see that God is working out his plan, now ours, for the good of His Kingdom?