Psalms 105:25
“He turned their heart to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.”
What does Psalms 105:25 mean?
This verse describes a moment in Egypt's history when the Egyptian people's attitude toward the Israelites shifted from tolerance to hostility. Rather than suggesting God made people hate arbitrarily, the psalmist is reflecting on how God allowed natural human tendencies toward prejudice and fear to work themselves out, leading Egypt's rulers to see the growing Israelite population as a threat. The passage acknowledges a hard truth: when we feel threatened or insecure, we often turn against those who are different from us or whom we perceive as outsiders. In this case, a new Egyptian dynasty that "did not know Joseph" began viewing the Israelites with suspicion, eventually enslaving them. God didn't create hatred from nothing, but allowed the consequences of human nature and politics to unfold, setting the stage for the liberation story that follows. If you're reading this during a time when you feel like an outsider or when prejudice surrounds you, remember that God sees these injustices and hasn't abandoned his people, even when circumstances grow darker.