Lord of Order and Might

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we, come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.  Exodus 1:8 - 10

Just to imagine the jealousy and evil intent of the Egyptian king, who thought Israel might become a problem, is mind boggling to me. His taskmasters sent to afflict Israel, burdened them with mortar, brick, and backbreaking work in the fields. Yet, Israel flourished and increased in numbers, tormenting Pharaoh and all Egypt anew with increasing fear. Dread of Israel motivated Pharaoh to fall to the lowest levels of all. He demanded that the Egyptians murder the Hebrew male babies by tossing them in the Nile—Egypt’s symbol of regeneration of life.

But, when Father God wants something done, the same will be accomplished. The rich history and scripture of Exodus makes that fact obvious. Pharaoh sensed that something dangerous and destructive to his kingdom and rule lingered on the horizon. Yet, for all of his selfish efforts he remained blind to that threat. He had no inkling of what was to come.

A three-month-old infant rested in an ark of bulrushes nestled among the reeds of the river Nile when Pharaoh’s daughter decided to adopted the Hebrew baby. The one Elohim destined to be Israel’s deliverer!  The reeds, how symbolic of Moses life. These plants are slow growing and are often found in infertile soil. Evergreen, but not flashy in appearance or color. One could say humble looking. The reeds have sets of three leaves situated three times along the stem and the fruit has three sections with many seeds.

The Moses of the Bible, is extremely humble. Though he’d been raised in Pharaoh’s royal household, privileged with training and favor, he later became a shepherd—an occupation looked down upon by Egyptians. Once Elohim sent Moses to deliver Israel from slavery, there were many Hebrews who didn’t have fertile soil in their hearts to accept the Lord’s blessings and rule. The reeds by the river Nile and the repetitive number of groups of three leaves symbolize the Trinity to me. The fruit of the reeds has three sections with many seeds—that equates to God’s multiplication, in my opinion. Old Testament Jews and New Testament Christians alike have been blessed by the seeds of truth and love provided by Elohim’s design for centuries.

Doesn’t it seem as though God’s own thumb print is present here for anyone to see? As though He chuckled as he prepared a way for Israel’s redemption! He alone is the Lord of order and might. Who can stand in His way? No one. Pharaoh proved clueless to God’s involvement all around him though he jealously watched, dreaded, and chose evil solutions. My daily longing is to be aware of Him and joyfully follow His lead. To be the planting of the Lord in any location. So, what about you, have you noticed what God is up to in your life lately? Just look around, but especially, look up and see.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23