Exodus 1:6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brickand mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
The Israelite, chosen of God to be His had a tumultuous time after the death of Joseph. The Egyptian forgot the good that God did through the hands of Joseph to preserve them during famine and also to make them great and a reference point in the world – for it was only in Egypt that grain could be found during the famine.
Israel was oppressed on every side because the hand of God was mighty upon them. The taskmaster was ruthless with their very life. Who then is the taskmaster over your case, your life my friend? What is that thing that has an idea of your potential – cause it can only have an idea, only God has the full picture of your potential.
What is it that is threatened by what you can do, become or accomplish and has come to oppress and discourage you? Are the Egyptians within or without you?
Your mental state, capacity – ability to conceive great ideas that are so scary you break out in sweat – Fear robs you of realizing your full potential!! Could it be the love of the flesh, lust of the eyes, inordinate affection, and all its attending issues? Fornication, adultery, covetousness, pride, lies, manipulation and much more comes to make sure you do not realize your full potential – these are seeds of evil sown in your mind that if left to grow like cancer destroys the vessel. Living without integrity makes you unreliable and how can you really touch another positively for the kingdom? Do not compromise your body, mind and soul!!! Sinning against your body keeps the Holy Spirit far from you, the Spirit of Truth leaves and what is left of you is lies, sickness and the likes that hinders the manifestation of the Lord’s deposit in your earthen vessels. Resist It!
Most often the Egyptians are without. Those are the factors outside of yourself working hard to steal, kill and destroy the potentials within you. The array of obstacles in form of human relation and its attending issues. Your relationship – family, parental, spousal, friends, though with the best intentions may actually be working against the realization of your true potential.
Josephs brothers and dad opposed him. Your family may have seen something different about you that you are not even aware of, and may have perceived it as something to be resisted. Parent sometimes work against the glow of their children to protect them so to say, whereas, they are oppressing the shine embedded in their being. If Manoah and his wife in Judges 13 had not been privileged by the angel of God to be instructed about the long awaited and expected son to be named Samson, they would have oppressed the greatness out of him. The forces within Samson after much unheeded warning cut short his potential – terminated his life – Judges 16.
You may have been fortunate to be married also to someone who feels threatened by the treasure they see in you, even when you were ignorant of it, for it was the oppression of the children of Israel that worked for them in terms of numbers and strength- Exodus 1:12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
Sometimes it is people in positions of authority around you, the people you value their opinion, role models and the likes – your friends, boss, leaders, mentors etc that somehow feel threatened by your potential and vows to quench the fire within you. An example is a young man I know with a wonderful idea that will benefit his entire industry. He went to his supposed mentor with this burning idea that he had and was rebuffed about nine years ago he said and has since abandoned the idea. I asked him when he shared his experience with me few years ago, what you had in mind then, has anyone in your industry taken it up? He said no! I said to him, take it up and run with it, maybe God want it to be you that will pioneer this – be a revolutionary, changing the dynamics with far reaching results for the better I guess.
I should follow up with him to see how far gone he is with that idea someday.You know what baffles me about this man’s case was that he seem not to believe in himself and the source of his idea. Had he courage and belief in his own capability and the source of his idea, he probably by now would be a face synonymous with a phenomenal I guess! He wanted affirmation and validation from those that did not value him or maybe saw him as a threat to their position or relevance in the industry – rather he got rebuttal and was maligned.
Friends, we all have to constantly examine ourselves to see if we are still in the way, forsaking all known and unknown sin and errors, and then we can wage war against the enemy without in prayers so God in His infinite mercy may send us a Moses – God will pick on something in us, a gift, an idea, something He already preserved within us for a time like this – to deliver us from the oppression within and without.
Shalom! Shalom! Shalom!
Radiant Glory Of Love 