AP

Exodus 12:36    The LORD had made the Egyptians favourably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

We are reminded by this verse that the Sovereign LORD can be trusted fully to care for his people in every situation, and to provide all their needs – he is capable of moving the hearts of men, even his declared enemies, to fulfil his purposes.

I find it helpful to reflect on this truth as his Church comes under attack more and more from a hostile world.  The LORD knew that, in the wilderness, Moses would need vast quantities of precious metals and stones, etc, to fulfil all the requirements of the Tabernacle they were to build, and the vestments for the priests to serve him in it.  The plagues were all part of the process he would use to move the Egyptians to free the Hebrew slaves and to be generous towards them as they willingly ‘sent them packing’.

This was God’s prerogative to provide for his people.  Sadly, when I was working as an engineer in Construction Branch at Sydney Water, my boss belonged to a ‘Christian’ group who had a policy of ‘Spoiling Egypt’.  (The KJV translates it sd ‘so they spoiled Egypt’.)  According to this policy he claimed ‘justification’ for getting all his ’foreign orders’ done at the workshop at the Water Board’s expense!

It is not surprising that this policy did not go over well as a ‘testimony’ to the unbelievers in the construction office, and it made it more difficult for me to witness as a Christian.  It served as a warning to me of the danger of applying biblical accounts out of context, and of taking things that are only intended to be descriptive and making them prescriptive.

– Bruce Christian