Article appeared Friday, September 27th, 2019 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (589) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Does God protect those who place complete trust in Him? But wait, what does placing
complete trust mean? And when and how should we trust Him? There may be situations
in our lives where and when we may feel hopeless or situations in which one might
panic. What should one do and how should one feel or react? Would a story from our
Holy Scriptures help to find answers?

The story of Pharaoh and Moses appears both in the Bible and in the Qur’an. Does this
story carry any lessons on how and when to trust God? Should we analyze the story? To
start analyzing the story, let us first workout the different types of roles in it. First and
foremost, we have God, who has created mankind to workout and testify who He is.
Then we have Pharaoh, who was given power and status by God to serve his people.
Yet having received this honor from God, he became arrogant and instead of serving his
subjects he used and oppressed them. And we have the oppressed, the Israelites, who
became followers of Moses and finally, we have Moses, who was sent by God as His
Messenger. The job of Moses was to not only demonstrate and make apparent the
nature of God, but to invite mankind to turn to Him.

So, how could God make His Purpose clear to mankind who are generally busy with
their own selves occupied with self-promotion, self-indulgence and self-pity? Mankind
are the only creatures that have been given analytical intelligence, a free will together
with opportunities to discover God’s Reality and establish His Truth. How can God make
His Purpose clear to people who simply do not reflect on God’s blessings – the gift of
existence, gift of consciousness, gift of analytical intelligence and opportunities to
establish self-worth?

We pick up the story after when the miracles given to Moses had outclassed and
effectively destroyed the magic of the best magicians of Pharaoh. The magicians, highly
learned and skilled in the art of magic, stood in awe of what had happened. They used
their analytical intelligence to work out that it could only be Almighty God who was
behind the miracles. With this eye opening evidence, they became believers.
“Then did the sorcerers fall down prostrate in adoration, saying, “We believe in
the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Moses and Aaron.”” [26.46 – 26.48]

Pharaoh, blinded by his arrogance, and who had already declared himself as god
[28.38], could not accept this. He decided to kill Moses, his brother Aaron and those who
followed him. God then guided Moses.

26.52 “By inspiration We told Moses, “Travel by night with My servants; for
surely you will be pursued.””
God warned Moses that Pharaoh would chase him. So, He asked Moses to leave the
town with his followers during the night. What did Pharaoh do?

26.53 “Then Pharaoh sent heralds to (all) the Cities”

To pursue Moses and his followers, Pharaoh sent news to all the nearby cities to aid him
against Moses. His intention was to gather a large army.

26.54 “(Saying), "These (Israelites) are but a small band”

He assured that the Israelites were small in number – an excuse to lure the people.
26.55 “"And they are raging furiously against us;”
There were a number of reasons that Pharaoh would be annoyed with Moses. The first
was that God had punished [7.132 – 7.135] them with calamities when they challenged
Moses. The second reason was that Moses had not accepted the religion of Pharaoh –
where Pharaoh had declared himself as god. And finally he had discredited Pharaoh
through the miracles sent by God.

26.56 “But we are a multitude amply fore-warned.”

Pharaoh’s armies were well equipped and battle ready to tackle the likes of Moses and
his followers.

26.57 “So We expelled them from gardens springs”

26.58 “Treasures and every kind of honorable position;”

As the disbelievers decided to join Pharaoh with the intention of doing away with Moses
and his followers, how did God look upon this? God had blessed the Egyptians with
gardens and springs, treasures and an honorable status in society. Rather than enjoy
these things and be grateful, they decided to do away with believers. As God was about
to punish them with death, the Egyptians in effect traded their blessings with death and
deprived themselves.

26.59 “Thus it was but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such
things.”
God decided to give such worldly blessings to the Israelites – the nation of Israel is now
one of the most highly developed nations {1} of the world.

26.60 “So they pursued them at sunrise.”

Pharaoh went after Moses and the Israelites early morning.

26.61 “And when the two bodies saw each other the people of Moses said,
"We are sure to be overtaken."”
When the Egyptian disbelievers were near, the believing followers of Moses panicked.
They feared that Pharaoh would kill them. In turn, did Moses trust God?

26.62 “(Moses) said, "By no means! My Lord is with me! Soon will He guide
me!”
Contrast the level of trust Moses placed in God, with the level of understanding and trust
of the Israelites. Which was greater their fear of Pharaoh or the trust in God?

26.63 “Then We told Moses by inspiration, "Strike the sea with your rod."
So it divided and each separate part became like a huge firm mass of a
mountain.”
God made the seawater separate with a path in between for the Israelites to escape.

26.64 “And We made the other party approach there.”

26.65 “We delivered Moses and all who were with him;”

26.66 “But We drowned the others.”

Moses and his followers crossed the sea safely, while the seawaters closed on the
pursuing army and Pharaoh. All were drowned as a punishment [28.39 – 28.40] from
God.
26.67 “Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.”
The Israelites witnessed this miracle with their own eyes. However, did they
subsequently establish faith and trust in God? Do the inheritors believe and trust in God
today?

26.68 “And verily your Lord is He the Exalted in Might Most Merciful.”
Should people analyzing this historic story take lesson regarding who God is and bow
down to Him in worship? Are there any lessons for us today? How long will God continue
to tolerate disbelief, oppression and the wanton display of power?
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{Notes}:
{1} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Israel