“¹³So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. ¹⁴And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage – in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor [“harshness”].”

– Exodus 1:13-14 (NKJV)

“So the Egyptians (a) [now become the embodiment of enemy-fuelled tyrants] made (b) [through the age-old tools of witchcraft of the flesh: manipulation, intimidation, domination. This is achieved forcibly and autocratically by enemy powers, yet has been Sovereignly ordained for a set season for the ultimate glory to our God . . . ] the children of Israel (c) [ . . . that it may be abundantly clear for generations to come that He will save His treasured possession to the uttermost from the hand of the oppressor, the cruel taskmaster, the enemy of God himself] serve (d) [i.e. forcible idol-worship to be juxtaposed by the delightful free service & worship come from the overflowing of a thankful redeemed heart unto the One True God from a surrendered free-will and its consequent loving expression freely given unto Him] with rigor (e) [read: mercilessly and cruelly imposed impossible standards]. And they made their lives bitter (f) [afflicted to the point where the soul is tempted unto the danger of enemy-inspired bitterness (Heb 12:15) which may yet act as a cancer among the people of God if yielded to] with hard bondage (g) [enslavement to the uttermost] – in mortar, in brick, (h) [forced to erect monuments aimed at insulting, challenging, mocking the One True God, and yet producing some of the most astonishing structures known to mankind as we yet marvel at the engineering and architectural wonders that is the pyramids to this very day; the very objects produced on the backs of the Children of God that can but shine as gold, for truly, truly it was forged in the fire] and in all manner of service in the field (i) [forced labour aimed at desecrating the image of the Good Shepherd, twisting and contorting it to include all manner of suggested labour as far removed from the associations of tender tending, leading, provision and comfort as possible, in stark opposition to Joseph’s Pharoah once welcoming, potentialising and supporting God’s shepherd people as they cared for the flocks in Goshen and beyond]. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor (j) [unsympathetic, cruel, to the uttermost, forced, without any liberty, rest or comfort; not unlike when under the curse of the law when seeking to obey it by the flesh (Gal 3:10-14 & Rom 8:3-4)].”