And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. Exodus 1:7-14 (KJV)

After the children of Israel had lived in Egypt for a time, a new Pharaoh came to power who was not familiar with Joseph and what he had done for the nation of Egypt. The Israelites had become fruitful and had “increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” This made Pharaoh feel threatened by them so he persecuted them, attacking and mistreating them, making slaves of them and treating them harshly. The enemy always attacks us to stop our progress.

However, the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites, the more they multiplied and grew. That’s the point- don’t let anyone or anything stop you from being who God made you to be, which is a people created to glorify His name. No matter how long it goes on or what it takes, press on. God will deliver and bring us out of bondage and into all of His promises.

God brought the nation of Israel out after 430 years, and they got paid by the Egyptians for all their years of hard labor when they left. It was harvest time for them. The children of Israel took all the wealth of Egypt with them. The enemy has to pay us back for all the years he stole from us, giving us what rightfully belongs to us.

And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty. But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. Exodus 3:21-22 (KJV)

God told them they would spoil the Egyptians and recover their “back wages.”

Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. Exodus 11:2-3 (KJV)

This was the prophetic fulfillment of what God had promised. It was payback time. They received what was stolen from them, and from the generations before them that had toiled under the Egyptians. Now it is payback time for us as well. By God’s favor and by His powerful hand, we won’t go away empty-handed, but instead we will receive the wealth of the “Egyptians,” or the world system. The world economy will collapse, with the wealth of the sinner being placed into the hands of the righteous.

Get ready; payday is coming. Everything we’ve pressed through will be worth it. God is building character in us to be able to handle the goodness and riches that are coming our way. Like the Israelites, God will increase us more and more.