We have gone to the Word of God over and over again as to Biblical reference about the origin of the slaves that came to the new country by ship. There has been some debate when it comes to what race of people suffered the most throughout history. Several races of people suffered tremendously for many years, but when it comes to the African peoples, there are specifics in the book of Deuteronomy that reveal who those people are and why they/we are still suffering today.
Some people think the Old Testament is not relevant today, but the principles remain the same and the prophecies were written for us to benefit by. The Old and the New connect; in other words, one cannot exist without the other. It’s just that some things were pertaining to the Hebrews/Jews or nation of Israel only. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Deuteronomy, chapter 28 pertaining to the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. The nation of Israel consists of two types of people, those who obeyed God’s commands, and how they are still prospering today, because God made a covenant (agreement, oath) with them which cannot be broken.
The other type of Israelites were the ones who disobeyed God, and the curse resulted from disobedience. Notice that I didn’t say two nations; two nations were the Jews and the Gentiles. Remember what the scripture is saying and what it is not saying. The Word is talking about God’s people, the Hebrews; Gentiles at that time were not the people of God.
Certain verses in Deuteronomy, chapter twenty eight points directly to our people who were enslaved in Egypt, which means bondage. Several verses are relevant dealing with the consequences (curses) of disobedience. “And the Lord will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again.’ And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you (Deuteronomy 28:68).
I did not have a clear understanding of this verse until the Spirit of God directed me to do further research. The verse does not mean that these people would return to Egypt physically. This was a metaphor of them returning to bondage; Egypt means bondage.
This is the scripture that relates, support and connect: For the sacrifices of My offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, But the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt (Hosea 8:13). We know that the old covenant was done away with. When Jesus hung on the cross, for our sins a new covenant, which caused us to be free from the curse. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13).
The summary of this chapter tells who we are and that our ancestry came through the nation of Israel, of whom we are descendants. How is that so? Africans were the only peoples known to be captured as slaves in Egypt and came to another country by ship.
Regardless of our past and all the suffering that was experienced in our race, we are blessed! The final two days of African American History, I will post about some peoples who God blessed and their legacy continues to go on.
His handmaiden, Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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