David Bahn – Reflections

Exodus 1:8-10

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

I’ve done some hard work in my life. I worked in construction, from carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder onto the roof, then nailing them down, to pouring and finishing concrete – complete with wind-sprints with wheel barrels full of concrete, to carrying railroad ties (heavy, sticky, stinky!). But the most difficult work I’ve ever done was working for 7 months in a brick factory: Hot, hard, heavy, hot, hard, heavy, hot, hard, heavy… Did I say, “Hot”? There was a 1500 degree kiln that ran the length of the factory in which we worked: Great on a cold February morning, but July: oh my! I figured I handled about 1.2 million bricks during my stint there, and still have some souvenir bricks as reminders of those days (and once as motivation to get back to studying while at the seminary).

When I read of Pharaoh making life difficult for the Jewish people in Egypt, making them work in mortar and brick, my heart goes out to them! That’s hard work! And only the first volley has been fired. The king is going to make life difficult for the people of Israel to push them down. But God has other plans. He will make them stronger through this time of difficulty and testing. 

When I finished my stint at the brickyard, I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Sadly my lifestyle has changed since those days, so that I have to import physical activity into my life in order to have any hope of being in better physical shape. 

Exodus 1:1-14

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 ThenJoseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.