How does Christianity traditionally explain the need to subject the Israelites to slavery in Egypt?
Upvote:1
According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
In the most general sense, God subjected the Israelites to bondage so as to later free them and bring glory to his name. His name, thus glorified, would attract people to faith in him, bringing them to salvation. Thus his self-glorification is to our benefit. It is a bright light saying: Go this way!
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. (Exodus 14:1-4)
When God spoke to Moses above, the glorification of His Name was given as the purpose of the events.
God has many purposes for the things He does. The events of the Exodus were for the sake of the Israelites, but also to serve as examples for later generations. The pattern of falling into bondage, crying for mercy, and receiving words from God, a new heart to obey them, and an ultimate harvest of righteousness and personal as well as corporate renewal and peace recurs throughout Scripture. Thus the Exodus is both history and a parable revealing the process of salvation and sanctification.
Another purpose was the salvation of the Egyptians. God showed them His power and that their Gods could not save them. This was an opportunity for them to repent and find the truth - but most if not all Egyptians refused.
Of course as Christians, we see that the Israelites followed (involuntarily) a path through suffering to victory that prefigures typologically the path that Jesus would follow. His family was harassed and forced to flee to Egypt before later returning to the Holy Land. The wandering in the desert that followed the crossing of the Red Sea parallels Jesus' fasting and entering the desert to be tempted by the devil, etc. Numerous additional parallels could be produced, but these should suffice.
More post
- 📝 According to Roman Catholicism, is a person required to fast?
- 📝 Did any Early Church Fathers believe that Mary was without sin?
- 📝 What does it mean to test God?
- 📝 Why do Trinitarians call the Father, the Father?
- 📝 Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich's Prophecy on the Two Popes
- 📝 Do any Christian groups refer to God as "she", "it" or "they"? (Or is it always "He"?)
- 📝 Does "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" signify the chronological sequences in God's plans within eternity?
- 📝 Is there anything people do today that would have been seen as a miracle by ancient standards?
- 📝 How does sola fide doctrine reconcile with how much David talks about his own righteousness?
- 📝 Is there modern evidence that the Sun stood still?
- 📝 From Scripture, what are the signs of demonic presence?
- 📝 What is the First Death?
- 📝 Who are the missionaries and godly men who were helped by Keswick Theology for a fuller Christ like life and ministry?
- 📝 Can Christians be demon possessed?
- 📝 How are the Gospel accounts of the ritual of marriage of St. Joseph and Blessed Virgin Mary reconciled?
- 📝 To the Protestant, what is the benefit of putting a cross inside the church?
- 📝 Did Jesus really die?
- 📝 Does the RCC view 'prevention of ovulation' in the same light as 'abortion'?
- 📝 What arguments are given that Ephesians was not written by Paul?
- 📝 Significance of Methuselah's death year
- 📝 Luke 16:19-31—Is the rich man in Hell or Purgatory?
- 📝 What does it mean to be an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ?
- 📝 If I win the Powerball jackpot will Catholic Church accept a donation?
- 📝 According to the Westminster Confession, what is the Biblical basis for the belief that the guilt of Adam and Eve was imputed to all mankind?
- 📝 What test is used to determine communicability of an attribute of God
- 📝 How does the Catholic Magisterium advise the married laity to defend the institution of marriage?
- 📝 Does liturgical abuse make a mass invalid?
- 📝 In LDS canon, is the Final Judgement before or after the resurrection?
- 📝 How does the Trinitarian defend this argument from a JW?
- 📝 What are some of the reasons why Catholics would feel more drawn to focus on pius devotions than the Psalms?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How does Christianity traditionally explain the need to subject the Israelites to slavery in Egypt?
- 📝 How does Christianity explain the health benefits of sexual intercourse
- 📝 How does the Catholic church explain Matthew 19:9, which seems to allow divorce in case of sexual misconduct?
- 📝 How does Christianity deal with biblical criticism related to the Old Testament?
- 📝 How does the Swedenborgian Church explain passages where Jesus talks/prays to the Father?
- 📝 How does OEC explain the existence of pre-fall death?
- 📝 How does the Bible explain the existence of fossils that are millions of years old?
- 📝 Please explain how the Israelites were supposed to keep the Sabbath year
- 📝 How does leaving a 'gift at the altar' reconcile with reformed views of the need to 'approach the throne of grace' in everything?
- 📝 How does Christianity explain suffering that ends in death?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain passages that seem to use culturally specific logic?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain their interpretation of Matthew 16:19 (Simon Peter as the first Pope) in light of Matthew 18:18?
- 📝 How does Christianity work with all the biblical covenants?
- 📝 How does Western Christian theology explain the doctrine of the Filioque within the context of the Old Testament?
- 📝 How does Catholic Church explain the reference to Christ at 1 Cor. 10?
- 📝 How does one explain that the Church is the Bride of Christ?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain the differences in the verses of Lk 4:18 vis-a-vis Isiah 61:1
- 📝 How does one explain God being outside the universe yet on the throne in heaven without violating divine simplicity?
- 📝 How does LDS creation doctrine explain so many different words for the creation process in Isaiah 45:18?
- 📝 Of the 1752 Catholic Canon Laws, how many does the average Catholic need to be aware of in order to practice faithfully?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain their belief that Jesus chose Peter to build upon?
- 📝 Jesus said I am the Way, how does the Catholic Church best explain this passage?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain the addition of the word “died” in the Nicene Creed
- 📝 How does Catholic sacramental theology explain the efficacy of the sacraments conducted by a priest who is in the state of mortal sin?
- 📝 How does Catholic Church explain the use of singular word “name” in the Prayer of Sign of the Cross?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain the omission of identity of the young man referred to in Mk 14:51?
- 📝 How does a literal teaching of the Great Flood explain the spread of ethnicities?
- 📝 Does Christianity address the difference between joy and pleasure and how to manage them?
- 📝 How does Catholic Church explain the phrase " Ïn the beginning " in Genesis and Gospel of John?
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain the juxtaposition of two tenets of faith with two different pre-conditions at Roman 10:9?