Faith

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Pharaoh's Curse

True to the word that the LORD had spoken Israel grew. We read from Scripture that Joseph, his brothers and all that generation died. But the Israelites were fruitful. They multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous so that the land was filled with them (Exodus 1:6). A new Pharaoh came to power. He did not know anything about Joseph and seeing their number decided to curse them. His greatest fear was that they would grow more numerous and even side with the enemy when war broke out and leave his country. To all, this was a genuine concern but there was something more to the equation. Satan was beginning to take note of the threat that Israel was going to pose.

Yes they were in bondage but they were growing too fast for comfort. The devil was trying to stall the inevitable. Even under the bond of slavery the Israelites continued to multiply and dread fell upon Egypt. It seemed as though God was working well in situations they thought were not conducive. The more they oppressed Israel was the more they continued to multiply. How could it be that when they were burdened they could multiply? It was God's purpose to show that no amount of trouble or ruthlessness could divert who He was or His purpose.

Too often in life just after the comfort of living under a man like Joseph we tend to meet up with trouble so severe we end up asking, ‘Where is God?’ It is in such dark times that God says, “For you who revere My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” Malachi 4:2. Why not adopt the attitude of Micah and cry out, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy. Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light” Micah 7:8. Times may look dreary and desolate but it is times like this that God decides to stand out and show His true nature and character. As a loving God He declares that He will never leave us nor forsake us. To Israel, God saw the need to express His divine purposes. After all, it was He who had the blueprint for all things.

Dear friend, there are coming times when the enemy will increase your frustrations so that you will lose your focus on Jesus. He will be ruthless as that is part of his nature. Expect the worst to come but know that the light shines better in the darkness. To see the stars well you need a very dark night. Here was Pharaoh making the Israelite lives ruthless via forced labour. The king was so convinced that this would stop their reproductive qualities.

But he must have forgotten to read God's command to Israel's forefather Adam in Genesis 1: 28 to be fruitful and increase in number. He must have been a man who did not like reading the book of Genesis because he missed the call from God to Abraham that his descendants would increase and be as numerous as the stars and be countless as the grains of sand. So no matter what comes your way be sure of one thing, when troubles come it is the time God has intended for increase- spiritually, financially, physically and emotionally. It is God charge that when Pharaoh oppresses we increase.

Pharaoh had had enough so he called the Hebrew midwives Puah and Shiphrah to his palace and gave them orders to kill the boys at childbirth. This pronounced what was to be called “Pharaoh's Curse” on the male child. It was Satan who inspired this decision, “If it is a boy kill him, but if it is a girl let her live” Exodus 1:16. However, the two women were God fearing, and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live v17. Glory to God! Though Pharaoh was king of Egypt, he was not the King of Kings, the One to be feared above all gods and there was no need for the Hebrew women to respect his call.

We need a generation of people who will refuse to obey the call to destroy that which God has built up. We need Puah's and Shiphrah's who will refuse to budge even if the command comes from Pharaoh that evil king of Egypt. Yes you may be a slave in his nation but your call and commitment are first to God then to everyone second. God needs a people who will adopt the attitude of Balaam who said to the king who had hired him, “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?” Numbers 23:8 If you have a position of authority over a situation, be careful of how you deal with it lest you find yourself face to face with the wrath of God.

God put an answer to Pharaoh's question of why the boys were let to live, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive” v19. For a fact Hebrew women were not murderers and they were vigorous for the things of God. Today you will find the average woman just like the women of Egypt- they are murderers!

Some have the guts to birth a child and throw them into a toilet. Others have the nerve to smash newborn babies against the rocks. Worse still, others will strangle the life out of these innocent souls, all in the name of not wanting to burden them. Come on! Don't you realise that you are putting to death the plans and purposes God has for this world?

Many a day newspapers are awash with stories of abortion, infanticide and baby dumping. This is simply the curse of Pharaoh come to life in everyday society. Why would someone have the nerve to destroy that which God has said must be let to live? The issues above are a hotbed but it is painful to note that many great sons and daughters have been killed before they lived out their potential. Please if you are pregnant don't put to death that which God has brought to life. When we started this book we read from the Word that sons are a heritage and children a blessing from God, keep those blessings alive there is yet a heritage to be attained by these children,

Many sons have died for no reason at all, some at the hands of God fearless midwives who abort at will. Note that these women are simply fulfilling the devil's plan to exterminate God's plan for a fallen society. That child who does not see the light of day probably was carrying the answer to the problems bedevilling our society and even the cure to the dreaded HIV/AIDS pandemic. Give these kids a chance to live in the same manner your parent allowed you to live. The midwives did not allow themselves to be used. As a result God was kind to them and the people increased and became even more numerous.

Pharaoh seeing that he was not getting any support from the God fearing Hebrew women, decided to change his focus. He then issued this order to his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live” Exodus 1:22. This man just had a vendetta against the boys. Satan had so impressed upon his heart that he go full out to destroy the male child. Not that this would stop reproduction. It was meant to preserve slavery intact upon the Israelites and deny them their inheritance.
As long as the Israelites were kept in Egypt they would not be in a position to possess their inheritance. God had promised to give Canaan to the descendants of Abraham, Joseph had made a prophetic repetition of that promise and now Pharaoh wanted to be the stumbling block to its attainment. Pharaoh wanted so much and so bad to enslave the remaining daughters and probably kill off the Israelite nation. He would probably have done so by having Egyptian sons marrying the Israelite daughters thus diluting the Royal Blood from God. If he managed to do so it would mean the end to the Israelite dream. But if Satan had wanted to stop reproduction, why did he not target the girl child?

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