The Egypt theme

The Egypt theme is a powerful metaphor for the United States.  For some it represents fleeing bondage for a promised land, “flowing with milk and honey”.  For others it represents enslavement and bondage.

John Winthrop set the tone for the early settlers in New England in his famous sermon “A Modell for Christian Charity”.  In it Winthrop compared the covenant the Hebrews had made with Yahweh in the wilderness to the obligations the settlers had made with God themselves.

This was the beginning of many American’s belief that they were a new Israel.  They believed that their nation and they themselves were chosen with a sacred destiny.  This self delusion kicked into high gear after the Revolution and can be seen in its full splendor in Ezra Stiles’ 1783 sermon entitled, The United States elevated to Glory and Honor”.  In which Stiles says, “Already does the new constellation of the United States begin to realize this glory”.  It has already risen to an acknowledged sovereignty among the republics and kingdoms of the world.  And we have reason to expect, that God still has greater blessing in store for this vine that his own hand had planted, to make us “high among nations in praise, and in name, and in honor””.  This sort of religious fervor fused with nationalism is what led to such imperialistic doctrines as the Manifest Destiny and leads us down dangerous roads even today.

There is another take Egypt and Israel that has been developed in the United States.  This theme was not born of Pilgrims and Puritans in New England.  Rather, it was vision of African slaves held in bondage in the southern states.  They too saw themselves as Israel, but instead of a chosen people marching into and claiming a land of milk and honey, they were Israel enslaved, still waiting for their Moses to lead them to the Promised Land.

Maria Stewart a free black reform activist from Boston wrote in 1831, “America, America, foul and indelible is thy dark stain!  Dark and dismal is the cloud that hangs over thee, for thy cruel wrongs and injuries to the fallen sons of Africa.  The blood of her murdered ones cries to heaven for vengeance against the….You may kill, tyrannize, and oppress as much as you choose, until cry shall come up before the throne of god; for I am firmly persuaded, that he will not suffer you to quell the proud, fearless, and undaunted spirits of the African forever; for in his own time he is able to plead our cause against you, and to pour out upon you the 10 plagues of Egypt”.  This was not the America that Winthrop or Stiles had though of when they wrote sermons of hope and praise.

The Africans had great affinity for the Exodus story, much to the chagrin of their white preachers.  They could see themselves as Israel enslaved and hoped and prayed for the day that God would send a deliver to free them from bondage.  They were also certain the United States stood under God’s judgment and was found wanting for its treatment of the children of Africa.  They were believed that if America failed to repent she would face tribulations and God’s retribution unless she repented the ways of Egypt.  By adapting the story as their own Exodus became a cohesive force in their culture and provided a much needed sense of unity.  Moses became an idealized version of all that is noble and good in the world and Jesus was seen as a second Moses who would come and deliver his African children from the bondage of a new Egypt.

This worldview can be seen even in contemporary times in many places, amongst them the sermons of Dr. King and the music of Bob Marley, and although Bob preferred to compare the Western world to Babylon many of the themes remain the same.

BOB MARLEY - Exodus Lyrics
Exodus: Movement of Jah people! Oh-oh-oh, yea-eah!
.......
Men and people will fight ya down (Tell me why!)
When ya see Jah light. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
Let me tell you if you're not wrong; (Then, why?)
Everything is all right.
So we gonna walk - all right! - through de roads of creation:
We the generation (Tell me why!)
(Trod through great tribulation) trod through great tribulation.

Exodus, all right! Movement of Jah people!
Oh, yeah! O-oo, yeah! All right!
Exodus: Movement of Jah people! Oh, yeah!

Yeah-yeah-yeah, well!
Uh! Open your eyes and look within:
Are you satisfied (with the life you're living)? Uh!
We know where we're going, uh!
We know where we're from.
We're leaving Babylon,
We're going to our Father land.

2, 3, 4: Exodus: movement of Jah people! Oh, yeah!
(Movement of Jah people!) Send us another brother Moses!
(Movement of Jah people!) From across the Red Sea!
(Movement of Jah people!) Send us another brother Moses!
(Movement of Jah people!) From across the Red Sea!
Movement of Jah people!


America is Israel become Egypt.