Daily Readings - Mon Jul 17 2017
Exodus
8Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.9"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.10Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."11So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites13and worked them ruthlessly.14They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
Sermon
The first reading from Exodus describes a time of great turmoil for the Israelites in Egypt. A new pharaoh, unaware of Joseph’s contributions to Egypt, views the growing Israelite population as a threat. To suppress them, he imposes harsh labor and decrees the murder of all Hebrew male infants by casting them into the Nile. This narrative sets the stage for the eventual deliverance of the Israelites, highlighting the tension between human oppression and God’s providence. It reminds us that even in darkness, God’s plan is at work, preparing the way for liberation.
This passage invites us to reflect on the human condition and the persistence of evil. The Egyptians’ fear of the Israelites leads to unjust policies, revealing how fear can distort judgment and lead to cruelty. Yet, amidst this suffering, the Israelites’ resilience and faith endure. Their story mirrors our own struggles with injustice and hardship, encouraging us to trust in God’s fidelity even when His ways seem hidden.
In our daily lives, we face our own forms of oppression—whether societal, personal, or spiritual. Like the Israelites, we are called to perseverance and hope. The reading reminds us that God’s plan often unfolds in ways we cannot see, and our trials can be the foundation for future grace. Let us pray for the courage to stand against injustice and for the faith to trust in God’s providence, even in the darkest of times.