Sermon Central
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Tribulation Series
Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Apr 8, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Promises of God leads to Tribulation. Tribulation leads to Blessings. God directed Jacob to go to Egypt and he said that he would be with him. Then they stayed for 430 years. Then redemption came.
Introduction:
The Book of Exodus has two records of the travel history of Israelite. First was the travel from Canaan to Egypt. Then from Egypt to Canaan. First journey was by Jacob and his sons went to Egypt as small group with seventy members. The second journey from Egypt to Canaan for forty years.
1:1-7 God multiplies
Go with the Family
God said to Jacob you go with your family to Egypt (Gen.46:1-6; Total 70 persons went to Egypt – 1:7-27). Jacob was a powerful family leader. He had controlled his entire family to obey his order, follow his footsteps. Worship YHWH.
Receiving and enjoying God’s command, God’s worship, God’s word, God’s grace, God’s love, God’s comforts, God’s promises as family is very important. Family altar, family sharing, family or planning together as family leads to success, gives strength to face everything.
God is able to multiply your small resources (I Ki.17:12-16, 2 Ki. 7:1-2). The five bread and two fish God multiplied for 5K. God can multiply us. The disciples of Jesus Christ will be multiplied and they will fill the earth.
v.8-11 Problems Multiplied
Powers against you. Pharaoh said let us deal shrewdly with Israelite. Often people forget goodness, forget love, forget sacrifice. Usually they want to squeeze you and throw you.
The world is so cunning. It wants to use your money, your resources, your energy, your labour and want to prosper. But it doesn’t want you to multiply. It doesn’t want you to grow exceedingly (v.10).
I see sometimes people are jealous on you, they smile at you but inwardly full of hatred. They show as though they love you and interested on you but with evil designs in the heart. The philosophy of the world is “poor should be poor and the rich must become rich”. But God calls us to fight against these kinds of evil.
The world is full of jealousy and hatred towards the righteous and the innocent. The king said that we should make them always depend upon us. One of the powerful tactics of the kings and rulers is to make you always dependent. They never allow people to live dignified, glorified and independent (v.11; 5:6-7,18-19).
If you are very closer with you there would be swords against you, but will not over power you. There may be evil plans, counsels and evil designs against you but they wouldn’t succeed you (Is.54:17).
It is painful to go through fire, water and storm but God sails with you. Because God said to Jacob “you go to Egypt, I will come with you” (Gen.46:3-4). The promise of Jesus to Peter was that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against you. Take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Eph 6:17).
v.12. Blessings multiplied
The more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread.
Humiliations were increased, persecutions were increased. Ruthless treatment, hard labour, life became bitter. God said that I know their pains (Rev.2:9).
It brings you closer to God (Ps.119:67,71). David says that God has redeemed from all tribulations (1 Sam.26:24). He will not despise the tribulation of the poor as unimportant (Ps.22:24). He has found you in the den of tribulations (Is.48:10). Stand firm in the tribulation for the sake of the Gospel (Mk.4:17). You will have tribulation on the earth (Jn.16:33). Be patient in tribulation (Rm.12:12).
Let us rejoice over our sufferings so that we can enjoy the blessings of Life.