He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (Psalm 111:5)

In the previous devotion we focused on the idea that, at times, God has cared for His people by taking from others — notably wicked oppressors — and giving to those who fear Him. In light of this, I thought it would be appropriate to consider another facet of this issue. First of all, in regard to what God did to Egypt in order to free Israel from bondage, we should acknowledge that the spoils delivered to Israel were compensation for decades of unrequited toil, exacted only after God had devastated Egypt. It should also be noted that Egypt amassed her great wealth and prosperity because, long before the enslavement of His people, God had sent a man named Joseph who, with the help of God, made Pharaoh and Egypt rich.

That being said, let us to consider another important fact. Because God cares for those who fear Him, it is common for those who do not fear Him to benefit as result of God’s provision for His people. As it is written, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Egypt prospered because Joseph was used by God, not to sustain Egypt, but to prepare Egypt to receive and sustain Jacob and his family, i.e. Israel. In reality, the entire world is blessed because God had pledged to bless His people, and in turn, His people are to be a source of blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:3). In short, God feeds the world for the sake of His people and He “feeds” His people for the sake of the world.

Even though Israel suffered greatly under the heel of Pharaoh, when they left Egypt with a “high hand,” they were accompanied by many who had joined themselves to Israel. Thousands, known only to us as a “mixed multitude,” abandoned Egypt and her gods because many of them had come to believe that the God of Israel is God. This speaks to the essence of why God called forth a people to be set apart from the nations — that they  might be a light to those in darkness and feed them with truth. It is written that, in the last days, “Those who come (to God) He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6). Remember, God is mindful of His covenant — we should do the same. That is to say, as partakers of the covenants of promise, it is our duty to produce abundant fruit and feed the world with the bread of Heaven.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill