Wondering About Delays of Deliverance

(posting on Wondering Wednesdays thoughts from my 2014 Bible Read-Thru)

...wondering in Exodus...

God rescues the Israelites through the poor treatment of Joseph.  His brothers meant it for bad, but God allowed it for good.  Joseph gets put in a place of authority and is able to save his family from the famine.  So the Israelites move to Egypt and prosper like crazy.  So much so that the after Joseph dies and the folks that knew him are gone, the remaining Egyptians start to worry that these Hebrews might get the idea of conquering in their heads.  The Egyptians feel threatened so they decide to take control and oppress the Hebrews.  They make them work as slaves and treat them poorly.  It seems to me that this would backfire and be more likely to cause rebellion than conformity.  We don't know the whole back story and perhaps the Hebrews were getting unruly.  What we do know is that the Hebrews became slaves for some generations.  This did not stop their multiplying.  God fulfilled His word to Abraham about making them as numerous as the stars. 

I sometimes wonder if we end up with some bad circumstances because we feel threatened and think that we need to control situations and that just makes things worse.  I wonder if I can live more open-handed and still live wisely. 

I also wonder how the middle generations in Egypt felt.  There were those who were rescued from famine by Joseph at the beginning of the stint in Egypt.  There were those who were delivered at the Passover.  If I recall correctly there 400 years of captivity in Egypt, so what about the generations that didn't see the hand of God at either end of the spectrum.  In the season of only captivity, how did they remember God or trust in His promises that their ancestors might be telling them about.  The law and the feasts hadn't been established yet so I wonder how it was that the testimony of God's precious promises were remembered.  It seems very possible for many to disbelieve in light of their present life.  These people lived in between promises.  They lived in a place where it might seem like God had abandoned them.  They needed to dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness when they didn't see much fruit. 

I think we experience these seasons too and it's hard to cultivate faithfulness when all the promises feel a little empty.  It's part of why God established the feasts and celebrations and the retelling of His deliverance.  It's why there are memorials built.  We need something to helps us in those empty seasons to remember the reality of God and His plan.  He is working and will continue to work.  We may not see it, but it doesn't change the fact that He continues to work His plan and accomplish His purpose. 

I think the Hebrews were left in captivity in part so no one would doubt it was the Lord's hand that brought them out.  It was beyond their ability to do what all was done in the Exodus.  It was miraculous.  The backdrop of weakness, brokenness, and oppression could not be confused for human strength that could bring deliverance.  Only God.   

Sometimes I do think things dim, so that the glory of God shines brighter.