You Shall Plunder the Egyptians

It has felt like a week on the mountain top. 

I’ve studied the text of Exodus 3 more closely than I ever have before, and I know I’m just scratching the surface.

So far my only regret with Exodus is that I don’t have more time … more time to chase every allusion, to pursue every cross-reference, to turn every page of the Bible looking for the Name we’re taught in verse 14. There are just 6,800 occurrences, each loaded with meaning, revealing a little more of the sheer, irreducible particularity of the Holy One who is and acts thus. “I am Yahweh, that is my name,” he reminds us again in Isaiah 42:8, and I’ve never wanted so badly to know him. He tells us who he is. He shows us. And more than anything else, I want to know Yahweh. I want you to know him, too.

And I’ve got 30 minutes for this chapter on Sunday. I’ll barely do it justice, if even at all. And I certainly won’t have time to tell you about plundering the Egyptians.

That’s the last sentence of Chapter 3 — it’s in verse 22.

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, [22] but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians. 

Yahweh has told Moses that Pharaoh ain’t gonna listen. 

It’s not going to be so easy, Moses. You’re going to say what I’m telling you to say, but Pharaoh won’t budge, not until I rock the Egyptian world with my power. (see Ex. 3:19–20)

And then after that happens, after Yahweh stretches out his mighty hand, then Pharaoh will let Israel go — except that they’re not just going to go, they’re going to go with favor.

“And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians” — and that means that the Egyptians are going to pack their bags with goodies. If a Hebrew woman asks something from her Egyptian neighbor, the Egyptian will give it to her — silver, gold, all the bling. And then the Hebrew mother will put it on your sons and daughters.

Oh my. 

Wow. It’s just … — can you … — it’s too amazing.

The same Egyptians who were throwing Hebrew sons into the Nile are going to be decking them with gold.

The same Egyptians who murderously stole Israel’s treasured sons will be soon be donning those sons with their own treasure, handing it over by their own free will, because God made it so. 

Can you imagine the sight?

Little boys and girls, sons and daughters, will walk out of Egypt in droves, wearing the jewelry of their captors, because their captors came to like them, because God gave them favor. 

Once again, we are more than conquerors. 

This story is too good not to be true. 

See you Sunday.