Exodus 11:3 tells us that the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

Alright.

Let me back this story up because I am in amazement over this verse this morning.

This is is the story of Moses and the Great Exodus of the Hebrew nation from Egypt.

The Israelites had been oppressed for over 400 years in Egypt and their cry to Lord for freedom was answered through Moses.

By this point in the story, there have been (by my fast count) 7 plagues brought on by God to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites slaves.

These plagues were no joke.

It may have started with the water inconvenience of the whole Nile turning to blood and some pesky frog infestation but when the hail of fire rained down that killed the crops and everything else exposed to it I would think the people of Egypt were suffering.

If that wasn’t enough, prior to the hail, was the plague of boils…Go ahead and Google a boil and see if those sound fun.

I believe they were pretty miserable.

What the Bible tells us is that not one plague affected the Hebrew people: not their livestock or the land on which they lived.

Their crops were just fine.

Their skin was intact.

Their livestock thrived.

And YET…at the end of all these plagues (before the worst one of all came down that would kill all the first born of Egypt as Pharaoh had decreed to be done the Hebrew newborn boys 40 years prior), the people of Egypt found favor in the people of Israel and ESTEEMED Moses as a leader.

THEY WERE NOT JEALOUS OF THE ISRAELITES THAT WERE PROTECTED AND THRIVED THROUGH THESE CALAMITIES.

THEY WERE NOT EMBITTERED TOWARD THEM.

They actually seemed to LIKE them in spite of all the horrible things that had been happening on the Egyptian soil.

AND, instead of hating the leader that seemed to make all these horrible things happen, they admired him.

WHAT?!

Who ever heard of such a thing?

A person finds favor in someone who is thriving in the face of their own absolute suffering?

They don’t BLAME the other person for their own misfortune?

How easy could it have been to use the Israelites as a scapegoat of sorts for the Egyptians troubles?

In verse 2, we are told the God instructed the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold….and they gave it to them because of this favor…this admiration for a people so blessed and protected by God.

Only God could design a person’s heart to have the capacity to be so generous instead of exhibiting hostility.

The people of Egypt responded in the exact opposite way of Pharaoh- their leader and king.

Where his heart was hardened against Israel, their hearts were softened.

Why is that?

How is that?

God said Pharaohs heart would be hardened so the glory of the Lord would be revealed without a doubt through these circumstances.

God’s glory is NOT in miracles…His glory and power is reflected in the transformation of a person’s heart and therefore life choices.

His people were chosen, special, and set apart…they were to be the example for the world to emulate…they were to be a light shining in a darkened pagan world.

Jesus was the same.

He was radical.

He made people uncomfortable.

He was honest…genuine…. pure.

He was a tough teacher.

But people were drawn to Him by the thousands.

Why?

Like a moth to a flame….we are drawn to the Light.

There is something so appealing about goodness and love…we want to resist it but, being created in the image of God, we cannot.

The Egyptians were drawn to the Israelites and wanted to help them because they could not resist being a part of God’s great glory.

Powerful stuff.

Be blessed today friends.