A King Who Did Not Know Joseph: Exodus 1:8-22

Then a new king, to whom Joseph did not matter, came to power in Egypt.

The words chill. Joseph—who saved Egypt from famine, who brought his family to Goshen, who was second only to Pharaoh—did not matter. Forgotten. Irrelevant. The new king knew nothing of the Hebrew who had rescued the nation.

Look, he said to his people, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.

Fear drove policy. The Israelites had multiplied as God promised Abraham. What was blessing to Israel felt like threat to Egypt. Too numerous. Too powerful.