For the Love of Pharoah

The story which lends the book of Exodous its name is a very intriguing one. By the nature of the narative it seems easy to see things in a strictly antagonist / protagonist light; i.e. Pharoah vs. Moses and Aaron. As I think about the story however I am inclined to recall a couple of scriptures from 1 Nephi 17:

32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the adriving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.
33 And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
34 Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.
35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all aflesh in one; he that is brighteous is cfavored of God. But behold, this dpeople had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.

I realized that Egypt had been an important tool for the Lord in preserving His people. As Moses and Aaron pressed Pharoah, who was a new Pharoah that knew not Joseph, for the release of the Israelites, they followed God's instructions every step of the way. Obviously God could have reverted directly to the final step of the passover, slaying the first born of all Egyptian families. It's likely that this would have fulfilled His divine purposes in much less time. I realize however, that God loved Pharoah as well. I kind of picture Him extending His arm, offering the Egyptian leader every chance to obey. While Pharoah continued to harden his heart His [God's] hand was stretched out still. The final straw seems to have been when Pharoah forced Moses from his precence and threatened him with death were he to return (Ex 10:28). At that point the passover was set in motion.

I am impressed with God's love and longsuffering even unto Pharoah. It really gives new meaning to the command to bless your enemies and pray for those that spitefully use and persecute you. We must love them, because God loves them, just as He did Pharoah.