How Refuge Became Oppression

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Deuteronomy says, "Thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land." So how did refuge become oppression? Genesis says Joseph's family settled in good land, received food, and multiplied—growing households thriving peacefully in the land of Goshen. Jubilees says the Egyptians honoured Israel during Joseph's lifetime. Josephus, in his later retelling, instead describes envy of Hebrew prosperity. Exodus says a new king feared their growing numbers. He imposed forced labour, piling heavy bricks onto the backs of workers. He then ordered newborn Hebrew boys killed. Midwives saved many; Moses was rescued in a basket by Pharaoh's daughter, but other boys survived too. Egypt was first refuge, oppression came later—this bondage meant harsh labour and beatings, not an ordinary job. Open books and a magnifying glass remind us: Read widely. Compare carefully. Reading more should challenge our assumptions—including our own.