And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
The words were spoken by the new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph, addressing his own Egyptian people after Joseph and all his generation had died and the children of Israel had become fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and grown exceeding mighty and filled the land. To them he declared that the people of the children of Israel were more and mightier than his own people, for he regarded their growing numbers and strength as a threat to Egypt. His hostility did not arise from ignorance of Joseph's service, but from refusal to acknowledge it and a wish to erase its memory.
He feared that when war should come they would join themselves to Egypt's enemies and fight against Egypt and then leave or escape from the land. To prevent that danger he proposed acting shrewdly and dealing wisely against them in order to keep them from multiplying. At the same time he knew they were of great service to the kingdom as able and understanding workmen, and being unwilling to lose their labor he ranked them with the slaves who had sold their flocks and lands and themselves to the kingdom and moved to afflict them with burdens and hard bondage.
This part of Israel's history in Egypt is an experience that God's people living in the last days are to consider and respond to by placing themselves fully on the Lord's side.
The words were spoken by the new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph, addressing his own Egyptian people after Joseph and all his generation had died and the children of Israel had become fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and grown exceeding mighty and filled the land. To them he declared that the people of the children of Israel were more and mightier than his own people, for he regarded their growing numbers and strength as a threat to Egypt. His hostility did not arise from ignorance of Joseph's service, but from refusal to acknowledge it and a wish to erase its memory.
He feared that when war should come they would join themselves to Egypt's enemies and fight against Egypt and then leave or escape from the land. To prevent that danger he proposed acting shrewdly and dealing wisely against them in order to keep them from multiplying. At the same time he knew they were of great service to the kingdom as able and understanding workmen, and being unwilling to lose their labor he ranked them with the slaves who had sold their flocks and lands and themselves to the kingdom and moved to afflict them with burdens and hard bondage.
This part of Israel's history in Egypt is an experience that God's people living in the last days are to consider and respond to by placing themselves fully on the Lord's side.