Multiplied Through Your Afflictions Series

Ex. 1: 6-14

(Exodus 1:12 KJV) But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

As to better understand what this verse was really saying I found myself having to go to our long time trusted friend Dr. Webster. Webster defines affliction as

2 a : to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish b : TROUBLE, INJURE. synonyms AFFLICT, TRY, TORMENT, TORTURE, RACK, meaning to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear. AFFLICT is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress. TRY suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control . TORMENT suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance . TORTURE adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering . RACK stresses straining or wrenching .

All of these definitions have the air of causing us to feel that affliction is that which is send to destroy the thing in which it is administer to.

But when we’re dealing with affliction and talking about God we often leave out a very important fact that can make all of the difference.

Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

To make this verse real plain, God is saying two things.

• First, God is saying that He is not limited to and doesn’t think the way we think.

As a child of God, we can never sit back and think we can obtain an understanding of God on a mental plain.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 MSG (19) It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. (20) So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? (21) Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb--preaching, of all things!--to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

This is not just true about the way that we think about God. Right when the disciples thought they had Jesus figured out, here he comes walking on water. Every box that we attempt to but God in, it can not contain him.

• Secondly, God is saying that he is not limited to doing things the way that you think things ought to be done or that you would think is proper.

Allow me to give a perfect example:

He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes, (7) and said, "Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "Sent"). The man went and washed--and saw. John 9:6-7 MSG

People of God we need to learn how to just pray and stop trying to instruct God on how to be God.

Things that we are fighting and praying against the most, I have found is usually the thing that God has send to bring us into another level of understanding of who he is.

• It was my sickness, not my health, that showed me he was a healer.

• It was my lack, not my abundance, that showed me that he was a provider.

• It was my defeats, not my victories, which showed me that he would fight my battles.

Saints of God in this coming Glory, God is not going to do for you what you can do for yourselves.

In our scripture text, without giving a lot of background information, the children of Israel were fairing fine as a result of Joseph having been in power. You remember Joseph, son of Jacob, the man that wrestled with God and had his name changed to Israel. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and ended up in Potiphar’s house, who was an officer of Pharaoh. An as a result of these events Joseph, that knew God, ended up the most powerful man in all of Egypt.

But about sixty years after the death of Joseph a revolution took place--by which the old dynasty was overthrown, and upper and lower Egypt were united into one kingdom. Assuming that the king formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that he would know nothing about the Hebrews; and that, as foreigners and shepherds, the new government would, from the first, regard them with dislike and scorn.