A New King Who Did Not Know Joseph

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” – Exodus 1:8

What happens when a new leader comes to power who we believe does not honor God’s Word?  Does God remain sovereign?  What should our attitude be as Biblical Entrepreneurs?

I am so glad that the outcome of the elections in the U.S. was received peacefully without any public disturbance or instability.  This is what makes America great: the ability to debate passionately over our differences but in the end accept the will of the people regardless of our concerns about the outcome.  When this is no longer true, our republic will be in jeopardy.  I heard from many God-fearing people about their disappointments and their fears concerning what will happen to America with a second Obama administration and their concerns about the threats to our Christian principles.  As I reflected upon that question, I was reminded of Exodus chapter one.  The Children of Israel enjoyed years of prosperity and favor in Egypt because Joseph, the son of Jacob, had saved their economy from bankruptcy. The Bible tells us that after Joseph’s death, a new king came to power that did not have a relationship with Joseph nor did he know the things that Joseph did for Egypt.  This led to policies being enacted that resulted in a season of suffering for the Children of Israel.  Why would a sovereign God allow such a thing?  What should our attitudes be?

God allows leaders to rise who seem to not honor His Word as we see it because:

1. His ways are not our ways – We cannot always understand how God’s mind works and we must accept the fact that we are not God.  We sometimes don’t see what He sees.  Isaiah 55:8-9
2. He has given man freewill and He will not impose a leader upon them – Leaders are often a reflection of the people who they are leading.  I Samuel 8:6-9
3. It is an opportunity to show His power and might – God sometimes wants to show off through a bad situation. Exodus 14:4
4. It gives a chance for the believer to be salt and light – What better time is there to shine our light and be salty than in bad times? Matthew 5:13-16
5. He is still able to work all things together for our good – No matter the situation we can still see that He will work things together for our good.  Romans 8:28
6. We are not citizens of this world but of heaven – As great of a nation as we may live in, we must never forget that it is not our permanent home; therefore we cannot become so consumed by it that when it turns bad we have a hard time letting it go or adjusting.  Philippians 3:20
7. He is Sovereign – God’s purposes will always manifest in spite of the will of man. He is in complete control of history.  Isaiah 46:9-11

If you are losing sleep over the outcome of the election it means you are operating more as a citizen of America than you are as a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 3:20.)   Just like the Children of Israel were not sent to Egypt to live prosperous lives and make it their permanent residence, God did not bring us into the earth to lead prosperous lives and make it our permanent residence.  Every child of God whether Democrat, Republican or independent is an alien in this country.  We are here for a divine assignment which must be realized regardless of who is in power. When we become comfortable and begin to make this place our home God will shake things up a bit.  Joseph told the Children of Israel, as he was dying “when you leave take my bones with you.” (Genesis 50:25)  Even as he was dying at the apex of his fame, with all the favor they had in Egypt, he recognized it was not their permanent home and that God would take them home to a more permanent residence as He promised Joseph’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

If you are losing sleep over the outcome of the elections it means you forgot your purpose as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15-18).  We are here for a reason and it is not to have our way or just to enjoy the pleasures that this earth has to offer.  We are here to work.  We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ and as ambassadors we have a mission to represent Him no matter the circumstances (2 Corinthians 5:20.) We are called to be salt and light.  Our mission is more significant the darker it gets and the worse the world becomes.  This is the time that America needs us most; this is the time that the world needs us most.  If you believe things are going badly, then you are most urgently needed.  We need more prayer, more servants and more witnesses. God used the harsh policies of the new king in Egypt to bring His people together even more, to trust in Him even more and to bring Him more glory through their perseverance and divine favor in midst of the suffering.  And out of that despair a Moses was brought forth.

If you are losing sleep over the outcome of the elections it means you forgot that God is sovereign.  Was God asleep when this new king took over the throne in Egypt?  Was God asleep on Election Day in America? Of course not. God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4.)  He is in control of everything.  Just like He allowed the new king to come to power, He allowed our new president to be elected.  God’s sovereignty is not determined by His ability to grant us what we ask or want but rather it is based on His will being done in all circumstances.   God had a plan for His children in Egypt and no king could stop that.  In fact, the new king was used by God to facilitate His plan for His people in Egypt.  God’s plan was that out of the belly of Egypt a new nation called “Israel” would be birthed and they would leave Egypt with resources to go to establish a new country.  The book of Exodus is the story of Egypt giving birth to this new nation. They came to Egypt as a family of seventy, not including Joseph, his wife and children who were born in Egypt, and when they left they numbered over six hundred thousand (Exodus 1:1-5 and 12:37.)  The new king’s arrival was the sign the birth pains were starting that would lead to the eventual birth of the new nation.   God is in control of historical events and He uses them to facilitate His story for the redemption of mankind.

What then should be our attitude when there is a leader who we believe does not honor God’s will?  We should pray for them that we may lead peaceable lives (I Timothy 2:1-6,) continue to seek the peace of the land so that we too may have peace (Jeremiah 29:7,) be salt and light that we may represent Christ before them (Matthew 5:13-16,) submit under the authority of the leadership (which means obeying the law and being willing to suffer the consequences of breaking the laws we choose not to obey due to our convictions) (Romans 13:1) continue to do business until Jesus comes or He takes us to Himself so that we may hear those wonderful words “well done my good and faithful servant” (Luke 19:13).

My prayer for you this week is that God will give you the grace to see yourself as a citizen of Heaven, trust in His sovereignty and focus on your purpose as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ.