Behind the screen of miseries, God prepares an Exodus.

“They made their lives bitter with hard work building with stones and with all kinds of work in the field. They made them work very hard.” Exodus 1:14.

The Book of Exodus is the second book in the Bible. The meaning of the word ‘exodus’ is ‘exit’ or ‘a departure.’ Before the Exodus or Exit, Israel’s children had to go through untold miseries and heart pains. After Joseph’s death, who was a Hebrew and the famous then prime minister in Egypt, came new kings (Pharaohs) who did not know anything about him or the good things he had done for Egypt’s land.

The Egyptians made the children of Israel slaves and gave them hard work. They put men in power over them to make them work hard. They had to build the store-cities for Pharaoh, the king. They treated the children of Israel harshly and made their lives bitter with hard work building with stones and all kinds of work in the field. The life of the children of Israel was filled with untold miseries and groaning in the land of Egypt.

However, there is a beautiful verse in the middle of it all that you would not miss. And that is verse 12. It says, “but the more the Egyptians made them suffer, the more they became until they spread throughout the land.” Verse 7-8 tells the children of Israel became many in number. There were so many that the land was filled with them.

On top of the miseries of the slavery works, the king of Egypt also ordered the midwives to kill the Hebrews boys at the time of birth and let only daughters live. However, the midwives feared God and did not do what the king asked them to do. Because these midwives feared God and spared their lives, God “gave them families.” In short, God blessed them with families- a special blessing. Then the king ordered to throw every son of the Hebrews into the Nile but keep daughters alive.

In all these painful, heartbreaking sufferings, God was at work behind the scene. You see, when they came to Egypt, the number of the children of Israel was only seventy (Genesis 46:26-27). However, seventy are not enough for a nation being built by God according to the promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis 12:2; 17:2;26:3-4;28:13-14;35:11-12). God worked behind the scene to multiply Abraham’s descendants, Isaac and Jacob, to form a nation to fulfill his promise to them.

You see, divine work to fulfill God’s covenant and human suffering went hand in hand for some time –for about 430 years of slavery in Egypt. By multiplying and increasing the number of the children of Israel amid miseries to fulfill God’s eternal promises. You see, a nation was at birth in their sorrows in Egypt. They did not know about it. The only thing they knew was miseries and sufferings day after day for an extended period.

Where was God at this time of their hardships? You see, He was at work in fulfilling his covenant promise. Not only was God multiplying their number as he promised to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, but also he was preparing a leader in these sufferings. The leader God was preparing was none other than Moses.

Beloved, God prepares beautiful, amazing, and divine exits amid your miseries as well. You see, the Bible affirms in Hebrews 10:23, “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Do you know the living God who does open divine exits even from your pains, sufferings, and ashes? His name is the LORD God, the living God in heaven. He loves you and sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to make you His own by forgiving all your sins and shortcomings. Jesus came to this world, died, and rose again victoriously to save you and grant you eternal life in heaven when you close your eyes here on this planet earth. He is the sovereign Lord who can help you come out of your difficulties and miseries. Would you call upon him now with me?

“Father in heaven, I understand you have a divine purpose in my sufferings and miseries. I believe you are the living God who opens the ways of exits and deliverances in lives. I also know you love me and sent your Son and the only savior of the world to this earth. Jesus died and rose again for my sins and shortcomings. I accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. Please save me now and deliver me with your mighty arm. I call upon the name of the wonderful name Jesus for help now. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”