Day 22: Exodus 1-3
Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt. Pharaoh Oppresses Israel. The Birth of Moses. Moses Flees to Midian. God Hears Israel's Groaning. The Burning Bush.
The new king of Egypt oppressed Israel, and I know from having read this story before that the king and his people suffered many plagues, with some also ending in a violent death.
The cautionary tale tells one person not to oppress another, and what does it mean to oppress? Merriam-Webster defines "oppress" as to treat (a person or group of people) in a cruel or unfair way. This modern definition actually helps us connect the dots between what the Bible says and how discrimination hurts our society.
At my friend's community group tonight, we intentionally talked about the recent politically volatile deaths in Ferguson, Cleveland and NYC, involving white cops and black victims. Without beating too many dead horses, I just want to note for my own benefit two questions to ask to determine whether I'm oppressing someone, based on the "unfair" qualifier used in M-W's definition of the word "oppress":
It's intriguing how such an important figure came as a descendant of Levi, instead of Judah or Joseph.
Avoid the inevitable fall of oppressors
The Bible teaches people to not be oppressors, lest they doom themselves and their posterity.
And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. (Exodus 1:9-11 ESV)
The new king of Egypt oppressed Israel, and I know from having read this story before that the king and his people suffered many plagues, with some also ending in a violent death.
The cautionary tale tells one person not to oppress another, and what does it mean to oppress? Merriam-Webster defines "oppress" as to treat (a person or group of people) in a cruel or unfair way. This modern definition actually helps us connect the dots between what the Bible says and how discrimination hurts our society.
At my friend's community group tonight, we intentionally talked about the recent politically volatile deaths in Ferguson, Cleveland and NYC, involving white cops and black victims. Without beating too many dead horses, I just want to note for my own benefit two questions to ask to determine whether I'm oppressing someone, based on the "unfair" qualifier used in M-W's definition of the word "oppress":
- Is my action hurtful to the other party?
- Would I act the same way to the same extent if the other party was someone who looked like me? Or better yet, someone who looked like my wife?
If the answer to the first question is "yes" and the answer to the second question is "no", I think my action would meet the definition of "oppression", which I feel is condemned by the Bible.
Moses is not from the house of Joseph
Just for my own future reference: Moses is from the house of Levi, not from the house of Joseph. What's interesting is that I thought Israel intentionally cursed or condemned the house of Levi when he blessed his children prior to his death.
“Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 49:5-7 ESV)
It's intriguing how such an important figure came as a descendant of Levi, instead of Judah or Joseph.