<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Exodus 1;8-11<div><br></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;Now there arose&nbsp;a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph,</b></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;Come, let us deal shrewdly&nbsp;with them, lest they multiply, and, if war follow us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh&nbsp;store-cities, Pithom&nbsp;and Raamses.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Wherever God directs his people, there goes with the people the blessings of God. &nbsp;Even later&nbsp;in the wilderness, under Moses,&nbsp;the people had God’s supernatural&nbsp;presence,&nbsp;protection, and provision.</div><div><br></div><div>I suspect that Pharaoh recognized from the history of annually&nbsp;recorded productivity of Egypt,&nbsp;that Egypt was economically doing very well ever since the people of Israel arrived, so well in fact that the need for <i>“store-cities” </i>had arisen. &nbsp;I think God was blessing the whole of Egypt because the children of Israel were temporarily&nbsp;settled there.</div><div><br></div><div>Why do you think Pharaoh feared that the Israelites might align themselves with an enemy? &nbsp;And,&nbsp; how does enslaving the people of Israel&nbsp;serve to make Egypt safer?</div><div><br></div><div>Fear is a powerful motivator for Satan. &nbsp;He uses it to manipulate and tempt people into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and&nbsp;vice. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>What ‘fears’ are being perpetrated upon our own culture to tempt us both as individuals and as a nation to do &nbsp;wicked and foolish things?</div><div><br></div><div>What has God given us to counter the temptation to be a fearful people? &nbsp;Answer: His own presence, protection, and provision. &nbsp;These all come to us from Emmanuel, God with us. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>How do we access the peace and joy our Heavenly Father desires to fill us with? &nbsp;Answer: Faith. &nbsp;Believe in God’s goodness toward us in Jesus Christ and the Good News of the Gospel of life and salvation IN Him.</div><div><br></div><div>Joy and peace are gifts from God, given to us in the presence of temptations to fear, not through the absence of fearful circumstances.</div><div><br></div><div><b><i>Praise the Almighty</i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</b>#797 LSB, st.2</div><div><br></div><div>2. Trust not in rulers they are but mortal;<i></i></div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Earth-borne, they are and soon decay.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Vain are there counsels at life’s last portal,</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When the dark grave engulf its prey.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Since mortals can no help afford,</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Place all your trust in Christ our&nbsp;Lord.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Alleluia, alleluia.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that we delight in Your great love to us, Your&nbsp;Word of Life, (Christ Jesus) to us. &nbsp;It/He is the means for us to believe in Your powerful,&nbsp;protecting,&nbsp;presence, and promises. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor,</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Exodus 1;8-11
8.  Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph,9.  And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.10.  Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war follow us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”11.  Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Wherever God directs his people, there goes with the people the blessings of God.  Even later in the wilderness, under Moses, the people had God’s supernatural presence, protection, and provision.
I suspect that Pharaoh recognized from the history of annually recorded productivity of Egypt, that Egypt was economically doing very well ever since the people of Israel arrived, so well in fact that the need for “store-cities” had arisen.  I think God was blessing the whole of Egypt because the children of Israel were temporarily settled there.
Why do you think Pharaoh feared that the Israelites might align themselves with an enemy?  And,  how does enslaving the people of Israel serve to make Egypt safer?
Fear is a powerful motivator for Satan.  He uses it to manipulate and tempt people into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice.  
What ‘fears’ are being perpetrated upon our own culture to tempt us both as individuals and as a nation to do  wicked and foolish things?
What has God given us to counter the temptation to be a fearful people?  Answer: His own presence, protection, and provision.  These all come to us from Emmanuel, God with us.  
How do we access the peace and joy our Heavenly Father desires to fill us with?  Answer: Faith.  Believe in God’s goodness toward us in Jesus Christ and the Good News of the Gospel of life and salvation IN Him.
Joy and peace are gifts from God, given to us in the presence of temptations to fear, not through the absence of fearful circumstances.
Praise the Almighty  #797 LSB, st.2
2. Trust not in rulers they are but mortal;     Earth-borne, they are and soon decay.     Vain are there counsels at life’s last portal,     When the dark grave engulf its prey.      Since mortals can no help afford,     Place all your trust in Christ our Lord.     Alleluia, alleluia.   Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that we delight in Your great love to us, Your Word of Life, (Christ Jesus) to us.  It/He is the means for us to believe in Your powerful, protecting, presence, and promises.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor,“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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