As the story of the Exodus begins, the descendants of Abraham have been living in Egypt since a massive famine over the whole area of what we now call the Middle East. Joseph, Abraham’s youngest son, was influential in the leadership in Egypt at the time of the famine, even though he wasn’t Egyptian. The years go by, and then “a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8) That historic respect for the descendants of Abraham disappeared and because there were so many of them this king decided that they needed to be kept in check, and so they were enslaved. “The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor.” (Exodus 1:13-14) That king died after a long reign. “The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning.” (Exodus 2:23b-24a). They needed a change from being oppressed, enslaved, and not able to fully worship their God.
Moses is called on by God to “negotiate” their freedom from slavery, and lead them away from Egypt to a land promised to them. So of course they aren’t even out of Egypt yet before they complain, as the king sends his army after them. “As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, “Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ (Exodus 14:10-12) The change they had longed for was happening and they were complaining about the process of the change.
This wasn’t the last time they’d complain. When they were in the wilderness and hungry, they said they might have been slaves in Egypt, but at least they knew they’d have food to eat. When they were thirsty, the same thing. It seems they wanted change, and then they didn’t want change. The change was harder than they thought it might be; the change was different than they thought it might be.
We’re not that different. All too often we want change until we get change, then we don’t want it. All too often in our lives we aren’t happy with what is, and then when change happens we are nostalgic for the same thing we complained about. A 1924 song picked up on this theme with a familiar phrase, “The Grass is Always Greener in the Other Fellow’s Yard.” We find that what we thought might be true isn’t—the new grass isn’t any greener, and now we long for the “old” grass which is suddenly somehow better as we remember it.
But that doesn’t mean that change is always bad. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, but God always provided, and then they entered the Promised Land that was promised. And in our own lifetimes, we gotta admit that the change to indoor plumbing, despite the occasional (costly) repairs, certainly was a positive change from not having it. Never heard anyone long for the outhouse.
There are seemingly contradictory statements in the Bible about change as relates to the Divine. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” That would seem to say that God doesn’t change. And then Revelation 21:5a says, at the end of things as God restores it all, “[T]he one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.” What I draw from those statements is not a contradiction, but a reassurance, that through the changes, some of which are in truth God’s ideas and plans, we can count on the consistent, faithful, presence of Jesus, God-With-Us, through them. And even if those changes are NOT God’s ideas or plans—because we have certainly all experienced change that it seems God had nothing to do with—we STILL can count on the consistent, faithful, presence of Jesus, God-With-Us, through them.
OLD TESTAMENT Exodus 1:8-14; 2:23-25; 14:5-14
8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed towards the people, and they said, ‘What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?’ 6 So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; 7 he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, “Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ 13 But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 43:15-21
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
NEW TESTAMENT Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
NEW TESTAMENT Revelation 21:1-5a
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ 5a And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.