Monday, September 14, 2009

The More They Were Oppressed, the More They Grew!

"But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread" Exodus 1:12

We learned in the Bible in Exodus that God heard the cries of his people the Israelites who were enslaved to the oppressive government of Egypt. How did they get there in the first place? Joseph was sold into slavery to Egypt by his brothers because they were jealous of him. He was eventually wrongly imprisoned where his gift for understanding dreams was noticed by someone who later turned the Pharaoh onto him for a dream that was bothering him. When Joseph was brought to Pharaoh he was told that in this dream there were seven fat cows, and seven fat heads of grain that were eaten by seven starving cows and seven withered heads of grain. Joseph told the Pharaoh that it meant that there was going to be seven years of robust harvests followed by seven years of famine, and that they should store grain and food from the first seven for the next. The Pharaoh put Joseph in charge, he raised taxes on everyone and filled the storehouses with grain, built new storehouses and filled them as well. When the seven years of plenty ended, the people of Egypt came to the government to buy food. When they ran out of money they sold their animals to the government for food, then their land, until the government of Pharaoh owned everything. The people of Israel too came to buy food, and eventually over time traded their very freedom to Pharaoh for "security." This caused the children of Israel to be enslaved for 430 years. The first Pharaoh invited them in as guests, but with time and new Pharaohs there was no relationship with Joseph to see them as guests, but as slaves.

This is sounding a lot like how those in Washington seem to have forgotten that they are in our employ, not our rulers. It started in the 20s and has grown nearly unabated since. It really took off in The Great Depression, those seven years of famine where Americans traded much of their freedoms for "Social Security." It accelerated in the 60's with "The Great Society," and "The War on Poverty." Today, we see another massive push to finish the job of moving Americans from liberty to slavery to their version of Pharaoh today.

When the Israelites cried out and prayed for deliverance, God sent for Moses, and unlikely hero. When Moses answered the burning bush he didn't see himself as a leader, or definitely not the answer to the people enslaved. In fact when God told Moses what he wanted him to do, Moses gave him three excuses why he couldn't do it.

1. I don't have time, man I am busy, got a family, a flock to take care of, too much on my plate right now.
2. Who am I to go, I have no credibility, I left running away from doing murder in the night.
3. Look if I have to get up in front of people and speak I could never do that.
(The quote was buy behold your servant is of slow and stuttering tongue.)

God told him not to worry about it, to use God's credibility not his own, and if he really was to worried about public speaking take your brother Aaron and let him talk for you. Of course this is all somewhat paraphrased.

Who is going to lead this movement we are seeing build right now? Is it one of those 56 people that Glenn Beck is asking to come forth and lead to fight on corruption in both parties and throughout the government system? Is it an ex-governor from up North? Is it Mike Pence? Is it someone who we haven't met as of yet?Is it you? Beck has said if you are one of those 56 he is calling for, if you have committed a crime, or something that keeps you under control of the political machine to hide from the consequences. That is exactly what Moses was doing as well, hiding in the desert before accepting the challenge.

If we follow this analogy further that means it is going to get worse before it gets better. Every victory that Moses had through God against Pharaoh, the more hardened Pharaoh's heart became, and the more he oppressed the Israelites. Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words."

Those in power today, will not give it up willingly without a fight. For every victory we bring, when we make them recoil with ferreting out their corruption for everyone to see. When we topple their friends from power, they will fight back.
Look at how they have acted with the people showing up for tea parties and for town halls. They have made fun, called them names, and tried to scare them off. However, the more the oppressed them the more they multiplied and grew. Look at the million plus people who showed up on 9/12. Who knows what they will do next to discourage you, to scare you, to silence you. Just know it is coming.

The Exodus has begun, it is the Exodus of We the People shedding the chains of slavery that they call security, shedding he yoke of an oppressive government who has been riding our backs and will keep adding weight to our burden. Now is the time to keep fighting, keep speaking out, keep marching, keep up our resolve no matter what they may throw at us. If might be safer to go back to your homes and not fight, but if you do, wouldn't you later in life trade all those days from now to then for a chance at your FREEDOM, for you, for your children, and for your country!

Fight On!

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