In the first chapter of the Old Testament Book of Exodus, the story is recorded of how the nation of Israel made it to Egypt. The story is not a pleasant one to say the least; however, it teaches us the importance of how history (even our own history) has many lessons that we should never fail to forget.

For those that do not know the story allow me to give you the “cliff notes” version from the Bible. Due to a famine in the land of Canaan, the nation of Israel was forced to seek refuge in Egypt where food had been stored for nearly 7 years. The sons of Jacob go to petition Egypt for food by way of the Pharaoh, but they are sent to the person who was second in command of the land. The one that was second in command was their younger brother Joseph who they had previously sold into Egyptian slavery. While in slavery, Joseph was the servant of a man named Potiphar. Potiphar sensed a divine favor on Joseph and made him the chief servant in his home. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but Joseph rejected her and this led to her lying to Potiphar that Joseph tried to rape and assault her. Without any questioning Potiphar had Joseph thrown in prison.

One day, Joseph was called to interpret a dream of the Pharaoh as Joseph was known to have the gift of interpreting dreams. When he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of the 7 years of plenty & 7 years of famine, he was placed in the position of power to allocate food to anyone who asked for it. When Joseph called his brothers when they sought Egypt for food, they did not recognize him. Joseph ultimately had compassion on them and was able to send for his entire family and have them migrate to Egypt during the famine.

The number of people that came to Egypt was 70 and they lived and prospered in the land. This was a part of the history of the Hebrew people and it is something they have never forgotten. However, chapter 1 of Exodus shows how much Israel continued to be blessed while they were in Egypt even after the generations of Jacob and Joseph had passed away. Their nation multiplied in number and were fruitful in Egypt; however, “a Pharaoh arose in Egypt who knew not Joseph”.

There was a Pharaoh who came into power who decided that the God-ordained history of Joseph and his people did not matter. There arose a Pharaoh who discounted the contributions that Israel and their God had made to the betterment of their society. There arose a Pharaoh who saw their in fluxing increase in population as more of a threat than a blessing. There arose a Pharaoh who was so governed by his own selfishness rooted on the foundation of fear that he accepted the inhumane ideology of indignity and placed a God-anointed & God-favored people into the shackles of slavery.

There arose a Pharaoh who decided to propagate and even disseminate his own despicable gospel because he refused to know his history by refusing to know Joseph, and more importantly, Joseph’s God! And if you look at much of the world today you see this same litany of activity based on various lessons throughout history that are refused to be examined.

The rise and fall of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler was marked by a premise of self-pride which was fashioned in fascism, racism, and diabolical propaganda. The modern day Civil-Rights Movement was centered on keeping African-Americans and other minorities in a mental and social cycle of servitude whereby racist and discriminatory practices would continue without giving the least level of promise to the dream of freedom. The hostility of our modern day political climate, unchecked police brutality toward minorities, and hateful activities against many aspects of humanity should tear our spirit and make us realize that some people in this world are still taking history lessons from a history book that they refuse to open.

I believe that God leaves history for us in order to know the proper direction we need to turn in order to handle any situation that life would present. Generations may change; however, the base foundation of life’s problems and issues do not. If a particular mode of action did not work in a conclusion from the past then it is highly unlikely that it will work within a similar conclusion in the present or even the future. Those who continue to fail in the present from lessons they should have learned from the past are studying history in books that they voluntarily leave closed.

My prayer for you today is that you will view and read from the open history books of Scripture, that you will view and read from the open history books of your personal experience and the experiences of others, that you will view and read from the open history books of practical thought and reason, and that all of it will form the theoretical and positional map you are led on and guided by.

Let’s not be contrite. Let’s not be proud and haughty. Let’s not refuse to read the history which God has already presented or else we will fall into the trap of: “There arose a Pharaoh in Egypt who knew not Joseph!” May God bless you and may heaven smile upon you.

~Rev. E. Shon Hagwood, M.Div.