Power

 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.Exodus 9:16 ESVhttps://bible.com/bible/59/exo.9.16.ESV 

Secular historians point to the lack of extra-biblical evidence of Hebrew slavery in Egypt and ensuing exodus. But here in this verse, God describes how this anonymous Pharoah has been immortalised in the annals of the Hebrews, so that God is proclaimed in all the earth. The mighty men of the world might think they can stand against God and win, but resistance is futile! 

The more stubborn Pharoah was, the more the Lord was able to display His power. The more insistent Pharoah was of keeping his slaves, the more unreasonable he appeared. It was a battle of wills, and the will of Yahweh prevailed. 

In the end, Pharoah will have been broken by the plagues. In the final plague, his own firstborn son was killed, the next in line to the throne of the world superpower. He might have tried to put a brave face on it, but he will have been devastated by it, and finally relented, to let God's people go. 

The Egyptian propaganda machine might have tried to gloss over the Hebrew slavery aspect, but the Bible exposes it. The Roman propaganda machine might have tried to gloss over the fact the Roman Empire was built on slavery, but the Bible challenged it. The Bible doesn't even whitewash the fact that there was slavery in ancient Israel, but the Biblical ethic of love of our neighbours is incompatible with enslaving people. 

'Almighty Yahweh, thank You that not even the most powerful slave owner can thwart Your purposes. You will have Your way, and Your name will be exalted in all the earth. To the praise of Your glory, amen'

Comments

  1. David Ettinger26 February 2021 at 14:43

    Well done, Robert.

    "The Bible doesn't even whitewash the fact that there was slavery in ancient Israel, but the Biblical ethic of love of our neighbours is incompatible with enslaving people. "

    So true, Robert. Along with that, what many people don't understand is that just because the Bible speaks of something, doesn't mean it supports it. In the case of slaves, it is simply recording history, not advocating it.

    I'll visit your blog more often. Thanks for the link.

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  2. Robert26 February 2021 at 14:52

    Thank you for visiting David, it's great to have you!

    I've heard a speaker compare slavery in the Bible to petrol motorised transport as a kind of necessary evil at different times.

    Slavery might have been tolerated in ancient Israel, but the slave trade wasn't, and we see that carried through into the New Testament, which didn't inaugurate some kind of Spartacist revolt; instead commanding slaves and masters alike to respect one another. But I'm sure you know what I'm writing about already! Interesting though!

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