We're the Israelites enslaved by Egypt for punishment or something else.
I have my thoughts about this but wanted to here some viewpoints on the matter.
I have my thoughts about this but wanted to here some viewpoints on the matter.
Ouestion of the day
- Thread starter God-fearing
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It was not for punishment at that early in the history of the Hebrews.
It was Canaan where they dwelt and was not Israel yet when they went to Egypt.
Since Abraham followed the one true God so did his offspring when they went to Egypt.
They went to Egypt to avoid famine and to survive for the Hebrews.
Joseph was there and had the solution to beat the famine to come by storing up food to get them through it.
Which Pharaoh made him second in command and he found favor and flourished.
He was second in command when the Hebrews got to Egypt so the Hebrews prospered and flourished with sustenance and a good life.
So it was meant for good towards the Hebrews and not punishment.
Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Exo 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Exo 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
Exo 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
Exo 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
Exo 1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
A new king arose that did not know Joseph and feared the Hebrews so he did not give favor to the Hebrews and put them in bondage and kept them weak and had the new born sons killed so to dwindle their numbers and strength.
Now the Hebrews were slaves and in heavy bondage.
Exo 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo 9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
Exo 9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Exo 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
God had the plan to afflict Egypt triumphing over them so His name could be known on earth so they would acknowledge the God of Israel and worship Him.
So Moses was preserved and became the Pharaoh's daughter's son and found favor with the Pharoah and would lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.
Gen 43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Exo 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
Exo 2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Exo 2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Exo 2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
Exo 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
Concerning Moses he is not the man some people think he is and was never considered a prince and not of the royal family and never in line to take the throne and not a leader.
All the Egyptians considered themselves better than Moses.
To the Pharoah he was a lowly Hebrew but found favor more than the other Hebrews because his daughter took him as her son.
Moses went out to see his brethren which he knew he was a Hebrew and knew it his whole life.
Pharoah's daughter knew he was a Hebrew and would not claim him as an Egyptian and the Pharoah knew it.
And a Hebrew slave said to Moses who made thee a judge and a ruler over us which if Moses was considered a great man among the Egyptians having status in the royal family he would of not said that.
He knew Moses was considered a lowly Hebrew in the eyes of Pharoah and Egypt.
Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
The Hebrews would not conquer Canaan until the iniquity of the Amorites was full so they had to wait for quite a while before they could take Canaan which was the period they were in Egypt and the 40 years in the wilderness.
As Israel grew from essentially a tribe to a nation in numbers, the food they consumed would be required to be paid for in labor. This would over time come to be seen as slavery. What is not often appreciated with the exodus is that in spite of supernatural demonstrations of power, people want to be comfortable. The desire to return to Egypt demonstrates that people usually do not care about truth or even demonstrations of power, but simply want comfort and ease.