By Apostle André Pelser

Exodus 1:6-12

Here are a few reminders that God keeps His promise!

The Israelites multiplied and grew even under mistreatment and persecution by the Egyptians. Growth represents the blessing of the promise of God. God promised Abraham that he would expand to become the father of nations. He would have children like the stars of heaven and the sea sand.

When God promises something, it is exciting! God gives vision to excite us. Vision excites our faith in God.

When God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child in their old age, they laughed until they realized it was no laughing matter with God. God was serious about His promise. God always fulfills His promises. He is not a man that He should lie.

Some people only see the difficulties in life. They only see how hard it was for the people of Israel. They suffered under the cruel rulership of the new Pharaoh that did not know Joseph. He forced the Israelites to work like slaves to build buildings – and probably pyramids as well. He even made it harder by giving an order that they should be given less straw to make clay bricks.

But even under the persecution and stressful lives as slaves they multiplied exceedingly. It was a baby boom time in Israel!

When it seems impossible to you, God still makes it possible!

The birth rate of the Israeli women became a threat to the new Egyptian ruler. He devised and evil plan to kill all the baby boys under the age of two.

The devil hates it when God blesses us. He wants to spoil God’s plan and prevent His promises of coming true. When God blesses, the enemy feels threatened and then attacks with evil plans because he is jealous of God’s blessing on us as believers. We are the heirs of the faith of Abraham and therefore the promise of growth that God made to Abraham is ours. God blessed Abraham and his Seed, which speaks of Christ. He did not say ‘seeds’, but ‘Seed’. The earthly descendants of Abraham are not the ones to whom the promise was made, but to all who believe like Abraham did in the invisible God, Jew & Gentile alike. Christ earned that promise on our behalf. We do not have to try and please our God to earn it like the Hindus do: we do not have to pierce our tongues & cheeks and put hooks in our backs to pull heavy carts.

What pleases God is faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Even though the Egyptian ruler meant evil against the nation of Israel, God turned it around for their good. They became a great nation. The Egyptian midwives complained to Pharaoh that even before they can get to the women of Israel, they already gave birth. That is why Pharaoh tried to stop the phenomenal growth.

It is a Biblical principle that all thing works together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Pharaoh meant it for evil, but it worked for good to Israel. We also see this in the case of Joseph. His brothers sold him as a slave to Egyptian traders, but he became Prime Minister in Egypt and helped his brothers when their land experienced a devastating famine! It worked out for good!

Jesus died on the cross and the devil thought it was all over, but God raised Jesus from the dead and He became our Savior. His blood paid the price to redeem us. The devil meant it for evil, but it turned out for our good. Jesus descended into hell and took captivity captive. He destroyed the power of the devil, once and for all. He stripped him of all the weapons he trusted in and displayed him as a defeated foe in Jesus’ march of triumph! He brought all the Old Testament saints out of the pit of death and they marched with Him! Samson, David, Abraham and all the other Old Testament saints marched with Jesus!

When Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple, He displayed His turnaround artistry! God is a turnaround art