Good Morning.
Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. (Exodus 11:2-3)
Just before the last plague was unleashed upon the people of Egypt, certain events transpired that remind us of what is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11). Israel’s release from bondage was to be complete in every way — that is to say, all debts were to be settled. That meant that the children of Israel were to be recompensed for all the labor that had been extracted from them at the end of a whip.
By receiving gold and silver from the Egyptians, the children of Israel were not only compensated with wealth but were given the opportunity to be relieved of the bitter feelings they may have had for the Egyptian people at large. In turn, the Egyptians were presented with the opportunity to shower Israel with favor and with wealth. Furthermore, Moses’ reputation grew in the sight of all Egypt — from the house of Pharaoh down the common citizen. In fact, it seems that his reputation may have been greater among the Egyptians than among his own people.
Thus we observe that, when we are faithful to God’s calling and purpose — and if we remain humble in the process — that God will exalt us in the sight of those around us. He will cause our enemies to bestow blessing upon us our of reverence to Him. We must remember that, according to God’s own testimony, Moses was a meek and humble man. Even though he had moments of uncertainty and struggle, he continued to pursue God’s purpose in the face of adversity. For his perseverance, God rewarded him with a great reputation among his enemies. They may not have liked him but they certainly respected him and why? Because he honored the one and true God. May it be that our enemies respect us because we respect the Almighty in their sight. May it be that those who stand against Him come to acknowledge that He is Almighty because we have lived our lives in accordance with His will.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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