25 He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
26 He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron, whom He had chosen.
27 They [k]performed His wondrous acts among them,
And miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His words.
29 He turned their waters into blood
And caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies
And gnats in all their territory.
32 He [l]gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck down their vines also and their fig trees,
And shattered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
And young locusts, even without number,
35 And ate up all vegetation in their land,
And ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He also struck down all the firstborn in their land,
The first fruits of all their vigor.37 Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the dread of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a [m]covering,
And fire to illumine by night.
40 [n]They asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the [o]bread of heaven.
41 He opened the [p]rock and water flowed out;
[q]It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
44 He gave them also the lands of the [r]nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor,
45 So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
[s]Praise [t]the Lord!
In case you’ve not read the previous portions of this psalm, v. 25 is referring to Egypt. This psalm recounts how Israel ended up living in Egypt, and now we see (in brief), how God brought Israel out of their slavery into a new land. It certainly wasn’t easy though, as the Egyptians were loathe to let free slave labor just vanish into the night.
In fact, if we look back in Genesis, it became even more difficult for the Israelites after God sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt. Pharaoh doubled their work, and made it even more difficult for them to accomplish it. Many wondered what was going on, and I’m sure they doubted they would ever escape. Yet God has a way of making things happen. After all, He is God, and no one can stand in His way.
Still, Pharaoh gave it a valiant effort, and withstood nine awful plagues without budging. The tenth was the worst (v. 36) and the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back”. As a result, they not only escaped Egypt, they came “out with silver and gold” and “Egypt was glad when they departed” (vv. 37-38).
We often struggle to see how God’s plan is possible, when the end is not in sight. At times, it seems so far away, that His plan is unattainable. Even the Israelites doubted while they journeyed through the wilderness, but God fed them, and gave them water, and even kept their clothes from wearing out… for forty years!
No doubt you’ve heard it said, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Nothing could be truer when it comes to God’s will. He will make a way. In fact, He’s already making it, and you just need to follow Him. Don’t let that fool you, simple things aren’t always easy, and worthwhile things less so. But as Solomon learned, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”