FRIDAY, JANUARY 4
Exodus 1:9-14
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“… a time to every purpose
under the heaven.”

THE TRIMESTER

The new Pharaoh was concerned about how the children of Israel had multiplied to become greater in number and strength than his own people in his own land. His concern was that this alien ethnic group might join Egypt’s enemies and turn against them in the event of war. He thought the children of Israel might do this in order to free themselves from being slaves in Egypt. So, Pharaoh devised a scheme to reduce the rapid multiplication of the children of Israel. He put taskmasters over them to make their lives difficult by burdening them with building cities for Egypt. He probably thought that by keeping them busy and depressing them with heavy tasks, they would have no time, energy, or interest to have more children. But the opposite came true. The harder they worked them, the more babies were born! This made the Egyptians even more upset and anxious. So they ramped up the pressure on brickmaking and the diverse tasks in the field. The word “rigour” is repeated. It emphasizes harshness, severe cruelty to the point of fracture in whatever tasks were given to God’s people.

Doctors monitor the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain of the baby in the mother’s womb to ensure they are functioning well as the baby grows. In the final trimester, the baby is ready to come forth in time. The budding nation in Egypt, the womb assigned by God, was growing very well. As much as Pharaoh wanted to indefinitely retain and enslave these people, he was going against God’s will. Would the children of Israel want to leave its womb despite the cruel slavery? The lesson we can learn is that God works things out according to His infinite wisdom and perfect timing. In the process, not even the most powerful king on earth can do anything to stem the development of God’s unfolding plans. Who can control the birth of a nation? May we learn to trust Him!

THOUGHT: Am I troubled by increasing difficulties in my life and wonder why? Why is this so?
PRAYER: LORD, help me to be patient, obedient, and to simply trust Thy plan and power even if I do not understand it now.