Every Oppression- An Opposite and Unequal Reaction

UV 1297/10,000 Every Action- an Opposite and Unequal Reaction

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

Exodus 1 v 12

The Egyptians and their ruler, the Pharaoh had forgotten the good that Joseph the ancestor of the Jews had done them and how he had virtually saved the nation from a disastrous and prolonged famine of seven years. The Israelite descendants of Jacob and of Joseph had multiplied and prospered in the land. The Pharaoh threatened by their growth and blessing enslaved them. After so enslaving them and causing them to do hard and forced labour for them, the Egyptian taskmasters further increased their violence and oppression of the Jewish people. But the more they were persecuted, tortured, afflicted, the stronger, the healthier and more numerous they became. For God was with them and seeing the injustice meted out to them blessed them in this manner. Indeed, when God blesses us, who can curse us? When He is kind to us, of what avail is oppression? When He is favourable to us, who can prevent us from multiplying, becoming influential and successful in all fields?

It is a lesson of biblical history that the more the persecution, the more the wanton affliction and oppression, the more faithful those who belong to God become. The more faithful we are, the more the fruit of the spirit multiplies among us and the greater will be our impact and influence. We are currently facing a period of famine and oppression but the Lord will use this as a time to multiply both our numbers and our influence in the nation. The nation of Israel cried out to the Lord and God sent a savior to them in the person of Moses and later, Joshua. When we cry out to the Lord, He sends Jesus the savior not just to save us but also the numbers of those who choose to oppress us. It is a time of pruning that the divine Farmer has willed, a time of leaving the field fallow, a time of lying low to allow for greater fruitfulness in the days , seasons and years to come. It has an effect on the oppressed and the oppressor. One will be purified, unified and strengthened and the other will be touched and transformed.

The days will come when the oppressors will be alarmed at the growth of the faithful in terms of both sheer quantity as well as in terms of blessedness or quality. They will be disarmed by the opposite result of their actions. They will realize that this is not natural but supernatural, that without divine intervention this could not have happened. The manifold grace of God towards His chosen will be multiplied and so His will be done like the surprise ending of an O Henry short story. Instead of diminishing or weakening, the faithful will be multiplied. For God’s math is multiplication while the enemy plans division and subtraction.

Prateep V Philip