Expert: Paul Walker - 3/9/2006

Question
HI

  
     All the times the Jews were captured by another nation such as the assyrians, babylonians, or persians it was always a chastisement from God because they were committing Idolatry and other sins. That being the case - Why were they subjected to slavery in Egypt- I cant find a reason in the bible. Did they do something wrong. Thanks

Answer
No they did not do anything wrong. They were not a nation when they went down into Egypt. It had to do first with God's plan of creating a nation to be the sign and similitude of his existance and dealings with the world.

It would not do to have a prophet in China, one in Peru, one in Mexico, etc., there had to be a focal point for his revelations to mankind. Ergo, a nation was needed to be that focal point, hence the creation of Israel. Of necessity also was the need for its creation to be supernatural and a demonstration of God's power. The judgments upon Egypt served this purpose. The enslavement was a type, a picture of man's enslavement to sin and God's salvation from it.

This is rather brief but I hope it helps. Check out my site, www.aficj.org, for some Bible studies. It is not much now but hopefully I can put more time into it.

Your Servant in Christ Jesus,
Paul Walker
paulwalker@aficj.org