Satan’s Hatred of God’s Law
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the earth again rebelled against the Lord. Twice God’s covenant had
been rejected by the world. Both the people before the Flood and the
descendants of Noah cast off the divine authority. Then God entered
into covenant with Abraham and took to Himself a people to become
the depositaries of His law.
To seduce and destroy this people, Satan began at once to lay
his snares. The children of Jacob were tempted to contract marriage
with the heathen and worship their idols. But Joseph’s fidelity was a
testimony to the true faith. To quench this light Satan worked through
Joseph’s brothers to cause him to be sold as a slave. But God overruled.
Both in the house of Potiphar and in the prison, Joseph received an
education that, with the fear of God, prepared him for his position
as prime minister of the nation. His influence was felt throughout
the land, and the knowledge of God was spread far and wide. The
idolatrous priests were filled with alarm. Inspired by Satan’s enmity
toward the God of heaven, they set themselves to quench the light.
After the flight of Moses from Egypt, idolatry seemed to conquer.
Year by year the hopes of the Israelites grew fainter. Both king and
people mocked the God of Israel. This spirit grew until it culminated in
the Pharaoh who was confronted by Moses. When the Hebrew leader
came before the king with a message from “Jehovah, God of Israel,”
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it was not ignorance of the true God, but defiance of His power, that
prompted the answer, “Who is Jehovah, that I should obey His voice?
... I know not Jehovah.” From first to last, Pharaoh’s opposition was
the result of hatred and defiance.
In the days of Joseph, Egypt had been an asylum for Israel. God
had been honored in the kindness shown His people; and now the
long-suffering One, full of compassion, gave each judgment time to
do its work. The Egyptians had evidence of the power of Jehovah, and
all who would might submit to God and escape His judgments. The
stubbornness of the king resulted in spreading the knowledge of God
and bringing many Egyptians to give themselves to His service.
The gross idolatry of the Egyptians and their cruelty during the
latter part of the Hebrew sojourn should have inspired in the Israelites
an abhorrence of idolatry and led them to flee for refuge to the God of
their fathers. But Satan darkened their minds, leading them to imitate
the practices of their heathen masters.