International Relations and the Bible

"Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." Exodus 1:10

This quote from Exodus because of the political situation it proposes. This is the pharaoh of Egypt that knows not of Joseph and so he severely misunderstands the Jewish people under his rule. He wishes to stop their expansion because he is afraid that they will eventually find an enemy nation and attack Egypt with this outside force. The Israelites are getting too big and their growing numbers represent their growing power that can and will be realized by the children of Abraham violently. Their population expansion can be seen in the modern context as a rising economic power like that of modern day China. The Israelites represented the potential for conflict, like in the eyes of many Americans and International Relation theorists, the economic might of China can and is being translated into military power. This military power is seen as a threat to the power of the United States and is the reason why some believe a conflict with China is eminent. But can we learn something from the situation of pharaoh and the Israelites?

"lest they multiply", Pharaoh should know that this is an inevitability that these people will multiply, its God's divine will, they're his chosen people, there is even a covenant between these people and this non-human entity. As Exodus tells us, "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph" Ex 1:8, so obviously he is completely unaware of the agreement and the divine choice and the promise. He is completely under informed about the enemy he is naming, sounds like an American President who could have been a burning Bush if one's pants actually lit on fire when one lies. A common problem between leaders is not knowing your enemy, which we know is a grave mistake, as Pharaoh learned with his relationship with Moses and as America learned with our endeavors in the Middle East (and Vietnam). 

Know your enemy. The United States should ensure its well informed on a Chinese enemy if they choose to make China an enemy. That is they should be well informed on China's view of themselves in the international system. As well as understand Chinese culture and traditions; lest America try and punish them, like pharaoh who, "made their lives bitter with hard bondage"Ex 1:14, and then when that didn't work ordered the genocide of Jewish males. If the U.S. trys to enact a modern day punishment against the rising power, like economic sanctions to try and deter the Chinese economy, the equivalent to the hard labor and murder of Jewish children ordered by pharaoh, then America might end up with a stronger China than before, like the Egyptians saw with Israelites.