How slavery came to ancient Egypt

by: michael wolfe | published: 11 18, 2009

What led to slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago? What can it tell us today? The Bible is full of spiritual truth, but it contains much more than that. It tells how great people fell, how the humble rose to great heights. It also tells of a people who sold themselves into slavery, without complaint or protest. It begins in the time of Joseph. The Egyptian government, under the wise leadership of Joseph, prepared for hard times. The Egyptian people, did not. Seven years of unprecedented prosperity went throughout the land. The people went about their lives, probably thinking it would go on forever. They ate, drank and were merry. They failed to make any kind of preparation for the times ahead. Eventually, as God had said, the good times came to an end. Famine was throughout the land of Egypt. The people consumed whatever feeble supplies they had left, and then went to the government. First went their money, until, the Bible says, money was gone throughout the land. Then they turned over their lively hood in exchange for survival. Now, with nothing else left, they consumed their substance, and surrendered possession of their lands and homes. Now, the people were total wards of the state, and again they ran out of food. So now, with nothing left, they turn once again to the government, with nothing to offer but their very lives. And they were made slaves. Everything they owned, was gone. Freedom was gone. Instead of planning for the future, when times were bountiful, they squandered their substance, and had no where else to look except to big brother.

Before Israel was forcibly taken into slavery by a pharaoh who “knew not Joseph,” the people of Egypt where themselves taken into bondage.

Let me quote the exact words of scripture, and you can read it yourself:

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not aught left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s. And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s. (Genesis 47:13-26)

And now the second bondage: the Pharaoh that hired Joseph treated him and his family with gratitude, and one could argue he was a benevolent dictator, one who had absolute authority, but didn’t abuse it like he could have. He gave the children of Israel of the finest land in Israel. And here’s what happened.

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses. (Exodus 1:6-11)

Thus, you have the perfect storm: A tyrannical ruler with absolute control. I’m sure dissent wasn’t tolerated, the people of Egypt owed their livelihoods to the pharaoh, who not only was held to be god, but had near-godlike power. It was son of this man who would-be God that brought about the judgment of, and ultimate destruction of the world’s super power. The pharaoh’s pride reached up to the heavens. It was the hardness of this man’s heart, that sealed the fate of Egypt, which was brought down swiftly by the power of God himself.

Today in America, we can see a similar trend. The fat and goodness of the land is squandered. As the economy falters, men clamor for the government to give them food, housing, lands, healthcare, money. Indeed, the government already provides food and housing and money for many (and it does so above and beyond any constitutional mandate and restriction).

If we continue to demand the government to do everything for us, to give us everything, to cater to our every need and want, we will have traded our American birthright for a cheap bowl of pottage, and sold our children into socialist slavery.

comments

• Reply to this comment

  Joy G.

  PS:

  Sorry... correction... Moses "stumbled"
  Guess now my words are moot, too, because of my typo.

  
  

• Reply to this comment

  Joy G.

  Hope this doesn't imply what it sounds lke it's implying:
  That... yup... once more... the accuser of our brethren has planted the notion in some people's heads that Joseph, JEHOVAH's doubly blessed child, was to blame for the ensuing slavery in Egypt.

  Just hope not. I've heard how Moses stymlbed, so therefore everything in 5 Books isn't necessarily JEHOVAH's ideas, but an imperfect man named Moses'.

  I've heard how because King David sinned, his credibility was moot.

  Oh well, 'Bye 'Bye Jesus. So-long to Your laying down Your liufe for us, because we, the sheep, are not credible.
  But, of course, the goats are ?????????????????

  
  

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