What I’m Thinking: Rebels from Way Back

The idea that faithful people simply do what rulers tell them may be many things, but it isn’t Biblical. At least it isn’t in the first two chapters of Exodus.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking this week about the first and second chapters of the Book of Exodus. Our passage starts with the words that along came a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph, did not remember the person who had been instrumental in preserving the nation of Egypt from a terrible famine. 

Instead, this Pharaoh looks at Joseph’s relatives and descendants and sees a threat. Such a threat to the people that the Pharaoh decided that he was ruling that he actually said to the midwives that they should take the male children born to the Hebrew people and toss them in the river.

Well, the midwives refused to do that, and so the Pharaoh told his other people to do the same, and Moses ends up being preserved from drowning because his mother floats him down the river in a basket, followed along the shore by his sister, until the Pharaoh’s daughter, a member of his own family, finds the child in a basket and decides to take [him] into her own home.

Well, folks, this is a sign that we do not accept the evils of the world, not we who are attempting to follow the Bible. We do not simply let those who are in authority tell us to do evil things. We are institutionally rebels from way, way back.

Whether it be slavery or murder or anything else by which one people oppresses another, we do not accept it. We will resist.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Please leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!