Life Matters

a. God Seeks to Reach the Egyptians and Test the Israelites

Although the children of Abraham had experienced several trials within their family, the book of Genesis culminates with Jacob blessing his children and keeping the channel of blessing from heaven open.

The receiving of blessings from God required a character of humility and a discernment of the true role of wealth. We remember that the blessings of God on Lot actually turned his heart towards the riches he received and he ended up losing everything.

The allowance of a famine had led Abraham to move to Egypt for preservation of his family, but the encounter nearly destroyed his family and revealed Abraham’s lack of faith. God saved Abraham’s family by sending great plagues on Egypt to prevent the destruction of Abraham’s family through the loss of the vital role of Sarah the submissive agent.

Jacob had become a wealthy man through the blessing of God and the test of riches once again would be needed to help preserve the channel of blessing. Once again a famine came to the land, but God allowed circumstances to come about that would place Joseph as a leader in Egypt to preserve the Egyptians from the coming famine.

The question that arises is, why did God preserve the food supply for Egypt? They were an idolatrous nation, sons of Ham that were filled with the lie of serpent, and false life source concepts and false worship. Why would God help them?

God is a Father and He seeks to draw His wayward children with kindness. The Bible tells us:

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

The Egyptian nation, ruled by the principles of the serpent’s lie, was heading in the direction of the antediluvians and the inhabitants of Sodom. The Egyptians worshipped many gods, all based upon the inherent power system. As we have seen before, this style of worship will lead to the destruction of families and therefore the destruction of nations.

God allowed Israel to come in contact with the Egyptians to acquaint them with the true God and give them an opportunity to repent; while at the same time testing Israel concerning their belief in the true God and deepening their understanding of God’s family system. Israel was never meant to simply keep their knowledge to themselves; they were meant to share it with other nations, so they could be benefited by it and preserve their families.

Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

God gave Pharaoh a dream concerning the coming famine. In giving this dream to Pharaoh, he could bring him into contact with the true God and if Pharaoh would recognize the true God, he then could act as an agent of blessing to the whole nation.

None of Pharaoh’s agents could interpret the dream but circumstances allowed Joseph to come before the king and introduce the true God.

Gen 41:15-16 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

God enabled Joseph to tell and interpret the dream and Pharaoh began to be influenced by this mighty God that Joseph represented.

Gen 41:39-41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

Here was a great opportunity for Egypt. Through Joseph, Egypt had the chance to acknowledge the true God and turn to Him. It was God that enabled Egypt to become the most powerful nation at that time. If they had recognized God’s favour towards them, they would have been released from the curse of insecurity, worthlessness and the need for domination and control as manifested in Satan’s kingdom. Sadly, the lessons were not learned.

b. Egypt and Israel Seduced by Blessings of Wealth and Prosperity

Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

How could there be a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph? This verse suggests a kind of sarcasm. The new Pharaoh did not want to know Joseph. His heart was not filled with gratitude for what the God of heaven had done for Egypt through him and how that Egypt was now an extremely powerful nation as a result. Pharaoh failed the test of riches through the influence of the Egyptian priests who represented the worship of Nimrod in an Egyptian form, and chose to cling to the lie of inherent power source.

Israel, now living in a province of Egypt was not immune from the test of riches either. Through the blessing, they also were greatly prospered and this prosperity caused complacency which allowed them to be influenced by their urban neighbours.

Exo 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

If the Israelites had been discerning, they would have noticed that the Egyptians were turning away from their recognition of the true God. They should have left knowing that sooner or later, the spirit of insecurity and worthlessness that always comes, would be turned against them, but in their enjoyment of their wealth and might in Egypt they failed to discern what was about to take place.

c. The Lie of Inherent Power Produces Insecurity in Egypt and the Need for Control and Achievement

Exo 1:8-10 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

The spirit of insecurity within Pharaoh manifested itself in the need for control. To deal with this insecurity he enslaved the Israelites to build treasure cities for him. The activity of large scale building was another sign of the insecurity of Pharaoh. He needed to display his power with great building projects in the same way the antediluvians did with the tower of Babel.

Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Even though the Israelites were now serving the Egyptians, they still were strong family units and therefore continued to thrive. Pharaoh, inspired by Satan, increased the work load to reduce the Israelites time to spend with their families and then he added to that the policy of removing and killing the baby boys.

Exo 1:13-16 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

Here we see again the direct attack on the family. When fathers and mothers are forced to work extremely hard, they have less time for parenting and spending time with their children. The care of children must be left to others while the work goes forward. This measure alone would ultimately have undone the Israelites but Pharaoh wanted to accelerate the process by feminizing the society. By removing the males, the seeding principle of blessing would be blunted, and insecurity and worthlessness would soon be the inheritance of Israel.

This process of increasing the workload and then feminizing a society was carefully engineered by the enemy of souls in modern society through the process of industrialization and the two world wars. Industrialization, while bringing some benefits, was largely driven by greed for money and the need for bigger empires. Fathers were taken away from their homes for long hours to serve in factories and were essentially slaves like the Israelites. The removal of fathers fed the flames of insecurity and the need for protection. The great wheels of industry were soon used to make weapons of war for that protection. This would ultimately ensure the destruction of millions of men which would ensure the destruction of the channel of blessing in many families and the feminization of society. So the experiences of Israel have a direct lesson for us today. The working families of the world are enslaved to the pharaohs of this world and once again God will send plagues to release His people from this terrible situation so that the family of heaven can be truly reunited.

d. Pharaoh Undermines the Channel of Blessing to Israel

The plight of the Israelites was dire. Pharaoh was now in full control of the destiny of Israel and he was systematically destroying the foundation of their family treasure system. In Chapter 11 we summarized the platform of Abraham’s family system as opposed to Nimrod’s inherent life source system. Here it is again:

Abraham	Nimrod
1. Family Structure (Gen 18:19)	1. Individual Dictator/Tyrant (Gen 10:10)
2. Nomadic Rural Dwellers (Heb 11:8-10)	2. City Builders and Defenders (Gen 11:4)
3. Identity by Parental Blessing (Gen 12:2)	3. Identity by Renown (Gen 11:4)
4. Observe Sabbath and Commandments (Gen 26:5)	4. Follow Personal Desires (Rom 1:21-32)
5. Belief in Death and Resurrection (Heb 11:17-19)	5. Belief in Immortality of the Soul (Gen 3:4)
6. Saviour as Humble Life Restorer – Revealed in Slain Lamb (John 11:25)	6. Saviour as Prideful Liberator and Subduer Empowered by Sun and Nature Worship
7. Focus of Worship on the Invisible	7. Focus of Worship on the Visible

While under the slavery in Egypt, the Israelites slowly lost the underpinnings of its family system.

• The Pharaoh was now their supreme authority and this replaced the headship of the father. Family structures would constantly be tested by the demands of Pharaoh. Father’s were forced in many cases to lay down their family sovereignty to the dictates on the king.

• The Israelites were herded in suburbs for easier labour control and lost the blessings of rural surroundings and the possession of land. The ownership of land enables families to produce food and sustain themselves and be independent. The process of suburbs strips families of this independence and makes them dependent on others for food and protection.

• The harsh bondage of labour, takes the father out of the home to the point where it is harder for fathers to spend much needed time with their children.

• The slavery and demands of Egypt did not allow for the worship of the Sabbath or a faithful keeping of the commandments.

• The worship of the Egyptians centred on the belief in the immortality of the soul. The building of the treasure cities was part of allowing the Pharaohs to prepare for the next world. Israel was constantly exposed to these views.

• The Pharaoh was surrounded by pomp and grandeur. His leaders dressed in expensive garments and were paraded in the streets and lauded. The constant exposure to this concept of leadership dimmed the Israelites minds of the humble pastoralist Jacob who lived in tents under the open sky. They also found it hard to sacrifice the lamb as a symbol of the coming Saviour. Some of the animals of sacrifice were sacred to the Egyptians and the sacrifice of them would have been an insult to the Egyptian gods and brought swift retribution. (Exodus 8:26)

• Egyptian worship was extreme idolatry and the building of temples and idols was all around the Israelites. The focus on the visible aspects of worship was constantly being impressed on the Israelites.

In this situation, the promises to Abraham could not be fulfilled. God said that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. But this channel of blessing was now cut and Israel was in great danger. The Lord had to step in and reopen this channel for the sake of Israel and the world. The evidence of how dangerous the situation had become was revealed in the Israelite failure in regard to the manna – where they violated the Sabbath and also the apostasy with the golden calf. We will explore this more deeply later, but Israel was now fully under the curse and their families extremely vulnerable.

e. The Deliverer – The Call of Moses to the Prophetic Office

The authority of Israel had been usurped by Pharaoh. He had taken Israel captive as slaves, feminized their society by killing the baby boys in the river and had no intention of letting them go free. The insecurity of Pharaoh could only be quieted by controlling them as slaves. This is the ultimate fate of any society that allows a power-based value system to rule them. It happened in Pharaoh’s day and these things were written for our instruction, because it is going to happen again.

How was God going to restore the channel of blessing to Israel? Israel was in slavery partly by allowing the situation to happen to themselves, because they were influenced by Egypt’s desire for power and wealth. Just as Adam had willingly become a slave of Satan in the garden, so Israel willingly became a slave of the Egyptians. Only once in chains, did Adam and Israel begin to realize the foolishness of their actions.

God called a man – Moses – to act as His prophet and deliver His people back to the channel of blessing. We will notice through history that when the channel of God’s blessing is blocked, God authorizes a prophet to restore the channel. It took some effort to convince Moses to go, but with the assurance that Aaron his brother would speak on his behalf, he consented to go. (Exodus 4:10-16).

The Lord sends Moses to appeal to Pharaoh to let His people go. Why did God send Moses to ASK Pharaoh to let His people go? Why didn’t He just send Moses to tell Pharaoh we are going to leave and if you get in the way, our God will annihilate you and your people? Remember that Pharaoh’s rulership of Israel was legitimate because Israel subscribed to the spirit of Egypt and finally became physical slaves to Egypt. If God had just removed the people, even though they were His, He would have instilled in his people the seed of disregard for authority. The word of Pharaoh had to be secured to let them go. This is a vital principle. Even though Pharaoh was a heathen king, still his authority was respected. It is true that God revealed Himself in the plagues, so that Pharaoh could understand who he was dealing with, but the death and destruction was the responsibility of Pharaoh because he refused to heed the warnings and acknowledge that the Israelites truly belonged to God.

As Moses heads towards Egypt to begin his mission, his family structure needed bringing back into line.

Exo 4:24-27 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.

All Israelites were required to perform the rite of circumcision. Moses had failed to carry this rite out on his son because of the protests of his wife. If this issue was not dealt with, the entire mission would have failed. This was a life and death issue and the Bible portrays that God made as though he would kill Moses. He needed Moses to understand the importance of being the head of his home. If he could not be the head of his home, how could he lead the church of God?

Zipporah outwardly submitted and performed the rite herself, but in her heart she still resented the command. It would take time for her to learn the principles of submission.

f. The Plagues of Egypt – Reveal the Lie of Inherent Power in Nature

When Moses went to Egypt, he was to explain the relationship that Israel had to the God of heaven. Israel was God’s Son – or builder of the family name. It was through Israel that God would bless the families of the world. The actions of Pharaoh were damaging God’s ability to bless the world.

Exo 4:22-23 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

Pharaoh’s first born carried the birthright of death. He was trained in the principles of the lie of the serpent and his insecurity and worthlessness would possibly make him a greater tyrant than his father. If Israel remained another generation under the new Pharaoh, their family identity would have been obliterated. God had no choice but lay the decision before Pharaoh. Remember that God did not want to slay Pharaoh’s son, He just wanted His Son to be free to receive the channel of blessing again; and if Pharaoh would not yield, then the only way to open that channel was to remove the blockage to that blessing.

Sadly Pharaoh, in his pride, would not let Israel go. Pharaoh believed that his gods were stronger than the Hebrews and that through this power he could keep them enslaved. Each of the plagues that God brought revealed power over aspects of Egyptian worship. It also revealed that the God of Israel was stronger and the true source of power.

Plague	Egyptian god, idol or temple priest targeted	Significance
1. Water Turned to Blood – Ex 7:17-19	Nile River – the giver of life and the gift of Egypt	The Egyptian’s giver of life now was the giver of death. Egyptians thirsted to shed Hebrew blood, now God was giving them blood to drink.
2. Frogs – Ex 8:5,6	Isis – fertility goddess	Isis was often represented as a frog. She symbolized new life. A frog was thought of as good luck. Now they were dying and fouling everything. Their “new life” was being racked up in dead piles.
3. Lice – Ex 8:16,17	Seth – earth god	This little, insignificant creature now rose from the earth to torture the people. All the prayers to Seth didn’t help, and lice are born of earth.
4. Swarm of Flies – Ex 8:20-24	Beelzebub – prince of the air	Flies were always around and considered ears of Beelzebub. Now they were attacking in droves, driving the people crazy and their priests could not stop it. The fact that they didn’t attack the Hebrews set them apart as holy.
5. Cattle – Ex 9:4-6	Apis – sacred bull	God demonstrated that He was the sacred one. The bull could not stand up to His power.
6. Boils – Ex 9:8-11	Medical shamans	Boils were thought to represent punishment of sins. God punished them for their sins, and the magic of the medical shamans could not stop it.
7. Hail – Ex 9:22-26	Weather shamans	Weather shamans supposedly could control the weather, but here again God showed that only he controlled the weather.
8. Locusts – Ex 10:4-6	Agriculture shamans	Agriculture shamans supposedly could control the crops through their magical powers to placate or influence their false gods. God showed them that none could overcome His power.
9. Darkness – Ex 10:21-23	Amen-Re – most favored god and considered the most powerful.	The sun god Re was considered the father of the Pharaoh and the most powerful of gods. In defeating the sun, God showed that Amen-Re was powerless against Him.
10. Death of First Born – Ex 11:5	The first born was dedicated to god – was considered the favor of God or to the Egyptians, their gods	Several gods of Egypt were supposedly protectors of the lives of men and beasts. The Pharaoh was considered a god, and his son the next god.

It is interesting to note that the destruction that was brought upon Egypt came through the very things that the Egyptians worshipped, except for the last plague. The destruction that came upon the Egyptians was a symbol of the spiritual destruction their belief in these things were causing their families. In the spiritual world, the Egyptians were the true slaves; slaves of fear, worthlessness, pride and selfishness. If it was not for a belief in these false gods, they would have been spared this destruction.

These striking events that occurred in the past are an example of what will happen in the future when the New World Order leadership will seek to enslave the world and prevent God’s faithful people from keeping His commandments, His Sabbath and all the things that are vital for a family based system as revealed in the family of Abraham.

g. Israel Delivered and the Channel of Blessing Restored

In the final plague, God’s people were required to place lamb’s blood on their door post, so that the angel of death would pass over them and their firstborn would be spared.

Exo 12:12-13 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exo 12:21-22 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

The blood of the lamb was a symbol of the blood of Christ that was shed that we might have life. When Adam and Eve sinned and became servants of Satan, they forfeited their right to life. The Son of God stepped into the gap and promised to give His life to keep the channel of life open for Adam and Eve. The promise of His blood caused death to pass over Adam and Eve and shield them from the true impact of their sin. This symbol was revealed in the lambskins that they wore and covered them. In the time of Israel, the covering was symbolized by the blood on the door posts. Without the blood of the lamb, there is only death for the human race. Thank God for the blood of the Lamb that causes permanent death to pass over us.

God immediately went to work to re-educate the children of Israel in the channel of blessing foundations and true family structure.

Abraham	Israel
1. Family Structure (Gen 18:19)	1. The 5th commandment restored the family structure. The release from slavery gave families more time to spend together. Inheritance determined by family genealogy.
2. Nomadic Rural Dwellers (Heb 11:8-10)	2. Israel returned to a rural setting in the wilderness living in tents.
3. Identity by Parental Blessing (Gen 12:2)	3. God promised to bless Israel if faithful. The 5th commandment concerning parents restored the family blessing channel.
4. Observe Sabbath and Commandments (Gen 26:5)	4. God gave the commandments on Mt Sinai and taught them about the Sabbath through the collection of the manna.
5. Belief in Death and Resurrection (Heb 11:17-19)	5. The fourth commandment revealed God as the only source of life and the only One that keeps us alive. Without Him there is no life.
6. Saviour as Humble Life Restorer – Revealed in Slain Lamb (John 11:25)	6. A complete Sanctuary worship system was given to fully reveal the work of the coming Saviour and His work to teach us His commandments.
7. Focus of Worship on the Invisible	7. The second commandment focused worship on the invisible.

It would take time for Israel to relearn the principles of the channel of blessing via the Ten Commandments and Sanctuary system. The experience of Israel in regard to the worship of the golden calf revealed how far Israel had fallen from a true understanding of God’s family kingdom.

The lack of respect for leadership developed in Egypt and fostered by the lie of the serpent caused some to cast doubt on the leadership of Moses and caused Israel to sin by the worship around the golden calf.

Exo 32:1-7 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

The people were not familiar with maintaining a faith relationship with God without visible tokens of worship. While Moses their visible leader was gone, the people revealed their spiritual blindness to look beyond the visible. Even though there was evidence of God’s presence on the mountain, the people clamored for something they could see to worship.

Just as Adam and Abraham hearkened to the voice of their wives, Aaron hearkened unto the voice of the people (the church – symbolized by a woman) and fashioned a golden calf for them and caused them to sin.

Graciously, God forgave Israel and this event revealed to Israel that they had no power to keep their promises to follow Him. They had to trust in the blood of the lamb as revealed in the Sanctuary service and the protective commandments designed to keep the channel of blessing open. The recovery of these things would ensure that Abraham would be a blessing to the families of the world.

Hopefully we can see that the seven points in Abraham’s family system hold the key to helping us build and retain a treasure of family memories and enable our children to know they are loved and blessed.