ANGLICAN DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR FEBRUARY 11, 2023  (THE PHARAOH THAT KNEW NOT JOSEPH)

TOPIC : ”THE PHARAOH THAT KNEW NOT JOSEPH”

TEXT: Exodus 1(NKJV)
1. Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:
2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4. Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt [already).]
6. And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.
7. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and 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, “Look, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we;
10. “come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and [so] go up out of the land.”
11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
13. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage — in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve [was] with rigor.
15. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one [was] Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah;
16. and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see [them] on the birthstools, if it [is] a son, then you shall kill him; but if it [is] a daughter, then she shall live.”
17. But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
18. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”
19. And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women [are] not like the Egyptian women; for they [are] lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
21. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
22. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

MESSAGE
Joseph was Governor and second in command of all Egypt (Gen. 41:41,45c) under Pharaoh. Later a new Pharaoh arose that knew not Joseph. Biblical evidence and Egyptian history point to the fact that this Pharaoh could be a foreigner of Syro-Palestinian who were known as the Hyksos who invaded Egypt and ruled only the Northern part from 1664-1555 BC.

(True Watchers: Evidence for Joseph from Egypt).This Pharaoh felt threatened by the Israelites and decided to make the Israelites serve as slaves with hard labor. God was with the Israelites as they grew and multiplied.

Pharaoh ordered the midwives: Shiphrah and Puah to kill the male children at birth, but they feared God and saved them alive. They gave excuses to Pharaoh (Exo. 1:19).

God therefore dealt well with the midwives and provided households for them. God knows what you are going through. Is someone greater than you persecuting you? Trust God and He will change your situation.

No matter the plans of the enemy against you, he will not succeed. Continue to obey God always. There is reward for fearing and obeying the Lord, so shun evil and do the right. Get to know Jesus Christ today and know victory.

PRAYER: Dear Father, grant me boldness to stand for righteousness in Jesus name.

The Anglican Communion is the fourth-largest Christian denomination. Founded in 1867 in London, England, the communion currently has 85 million members within the Church of England and other national and regional churches in full communion.