Land of Egypt

The Hebrews were strangers in the land of Egypt; Egypt stood as a beacon of wealth - a place of affluence, knowledge, science, with pyramids that rivaled Babel. 

From the time of Abraham, people had left the land of Canaan in times of drought to seek refuge in the sustaining waters of the Nile.  The Nile flooded regularly providing fertile soil for agriculture and provided the food and resources the Egyptians needed to pursue other cultural exploits such as building the pyramids.  The Gift of the Nile is often a term historians use to identify Egypt's rise.  The Gift of the Nile allowed the Egyptians more leisure time to develop other trade skills which developed into scientific (medical) knowledge, architecture and the ability to be insulated from the otherwise volatile Fertile Crescent - a land rich in resources but vulnerable to attack. 


I have a passion for history and I'll be the first to admit I enjoy studying Egyptian history - it is amazing to think that they were at the height of their culture nearly 4,000 years ago and the pyramids were built centuries upon centuries before Christ.  The Egyptians were experts in medicine and had a strong understanding of human anatomy - which helped in developing their burial practice of mummification.

In fact life in Egypt was so 'good' that they believed in death - life would go on as it had in this life - just across the Nile - whereas other regional powers often had doom and gloom beliefs about the afterlife - Egyptians believed you had to store up your worldly fortunes and built lavish tombs to ensure you continued to have everything you need in the next life.

In spite of their science, math and somewhat forward philosophy in state affairs - Egypt had thousands of pagan gods - each with their own cult - the people of Egypt and the Pharaoh paid homage to these gods - who are nothing more than dusts and statues.  

I bring this up because it is important to understand the historical and cultural background of Egypt during the Hebrew enslavement.  Egypt was the richest land with thousands of foreign gods and a king who claimed to be god.  Pharaoh was supposed to be a god acting like The Nile, calm and discerning - but power is a bitter thing when the ego hordes it.

In Genesis we learn that Joseph, Jacob's son by his beloved Rachel, is hated by several of his brothers, who conspire to throw him into a pit...they end up selling him to Egyptian traders as a slave instead.  Joseph is forced into slavery in Egypt - far from his home in the Promised Land.  Many would lash out and feel forsaken by God...once again God uses his will and HIS purpose in strange ways.  He knew that Joseph's brothers were kindled with hate, when they acted on their hate - God turned suffering into a blessing - though a blight at first was crucial in God's glorious timing.

Joseph suffered in slavery - going to prison, but God redeemed him and Pharaoh so honored Joseph's help in preparing for a famine in the land Joseph received many blessings.  When the famine occurred, his family came to Egypt - where instead of seeking revenge on his brothers - Joseph forgives them - Jacob eventually comes to Egypt where he dies - Jacob gives the instruction that his bones should be buried in the promised land.

Exodus starts off by letting us know that a new pharaoh is in charge and did not know Joseph. 
A lot of scholars and theologians have pondered over this because if a man saves you from famine as Joseph did and his descendants were well-regarded - why is there such a shift from abundance to slavery.  Truth is sadly humans have exercised xenophobia and hate for the alien throughout time and God demands justice against this hate - he tells us to take care of aliens, widows, orphans...all human creation is precious in HIS sight.

I'm a historian and there are a lot of theories about the time of the Exodus and Hebrew slavery in Egypt.  I have several ideas and think many scholars of differing views have valid points - I would not be surprised if Joseph dealt with a non-Egyptian Pharaoh - The Hykssos took over Egypt before the New Kingdom era - they were from Asia (around Turkey possibly - there remains some debate) and the Egyptians did not want them in their country.  So if Joseph were dealing with a Pharaoh who was not of Egyptian descent - it would make sense when the Hykssos fell that the new pharaoh would subjugate his allies and also want to oppress foreigners in the land. 

"Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, ⁷ but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
⁸ Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. ⁹ “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. ¹⁰ Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
  
For centuries (400 years in Egypt) the Hebrews suffered and toiled in slavery (some hypothesize they were paid - but were indentured servants of sorts - either way they were bound to a foreign land and dependent on a foreign ruler who believed in false gods) - how crushing to be God's people yet marginalized and degraded by a foreign ruler - a pharaoh who claimed to be a god.  The Hebrews prayed for hundreds of years to their God, the only true God in heaven to release their load and lead them out of Egypt and the bonds of slavery.

For years it seemed the Lord was indifferent to their suffering, still the Hebrew people kept their faith in their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Even in their captivity in Egypt, God blessed them in suffering - their nation grew by leaps and bounds and they found abundance even in the confines of slavery - God is faithful - this population boom made pharaoh nervous - he feared an slave uprising and rebellion - the Egyptians did not want to be taken over again (Egypt historically was overtaken by neighboring Nubia, but for the most part remained with local leadership with the exception of the Hykssos)  

The Pharaoh could have let the Hebrews go or made them citizens - but he required their labor and also if you let them be citizens they would surely usurp the Egyptian ruling class.  So pharaoh devised a plan to kill all the newborn Hebrew males.  Why males?  The idea was the Hebrew women would marry Egyptians or be barren - either way assimilating into the culture and giving up their Hebrew identity.  Pharaoh underestimated the power of women in God's mighty hands...read onto our next post for our feature on Jochebed - a woman who defied the Pharaoh - trusting God's work in a time of hardship and doubt.