And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. (Exodus 11:3 ESV)
Popularity
In middle school, I was not popular. But for a brief period of time, my star rose. Objectively, my situation changed because I got to be lab partner with the most popular boy in school. He was forced to spend time with me, and found out that I was clever, funny, caring, and not quite as nerdish as everyone had thought.
For a while, as Paul began to publicly include me in things, others noticed, too. I was asked to parties, had actual conversations during recess, and my lunch began to be stolen less often.
It did not last.
In my middle school, to all appearances, Paul was the arbiter of popularity.
Whether we admit it out loud or not, we want to be popular. This part of the Bible reminds us, though, that finding true favor with the world does not come through efforts, haircuts, skills, or lab partnership.
The Lord is in charge of popularity. And He bestows it for powerful reasons, salvific reasons, eternal reasons. The Lord did that here.
The Lord raised funds for the travel needs of the wandering Israelites, for political expenses along the road to Canaan, and for the construction of the tabernacle.
It is concerning that these days, Christians seek popularity with the world through compromise of principle, purposefully ignoring the unpopular parts of God’s Word, and being silent about who we are, and Who God is.
Those methods will not really give popularity.
At various times in history, however, favor has been strangely found through adherence to God’s Truth, to the Gospel. Because then God often grants favor. Consider the Emperor Constantine, the nations of the reformation, the pilgrims and puritans, the Great Awakening… and maybe even you in your life.
We cannot gain true popularity, but Jesus can grant it.