The Story of God -- Phrustrated Pharaoh

Some more thoughts from our Sunday night sermon series, The Story of God....

To Pharaoh it must have felt like he was trying to push water up hill. The more he attempts to make this unwelcome people go away, the stronger they become.

After trying to work them to death and then offering the worst nationalized health plan in history, Pharaoh is desperate. His final effort is to deputize the entire nation to perform "no mercy" killings on the Israeli newborns. But he could not even convince his own daughter to sign on to his program.

All of these efforts had focused on destroying the male population. Which makes the roll calls of Numbers chapter 1 suddenly more meaningful.

Reuben, 46,500 men. Simeon, 59,300 men. Gad, 44, 650 men. Judah, 74,600 men. Issachar, 54,400 men. Zebulon, 57,400 men. Ephraim, 40,500 men. Manasseh, 32,200 men. Benjamin, 35,400 men. Dan, 62,700 men. Assher, 41,500 men. Naphtali, 53,400 men.

Male only censuses seem to be quite standard for this time in history, but none has ever so specifically celebrated the hand of God. There was no missing generation of men....the despite the wicked heart and evil designs of a phrustrated pharaoh.