From Egypt and Babylon to the African Diaspora: Can hardship, displacement and migration become instruments of divine purpose?
There is a question that has been growing in my mind for some time:
Why do so many Africans want to leave Africa?
Is it simply because life has become difficult? Is it because governments have failed, economies have struggled, opportunities are limited and people want a better future? Is migration simply an economic decision? Or could there be something deeper happening?
Could God, in His providence, be working through the movement of African people across nations and continents in ways that we do not yet fully understand?
I am not asking this question because migration is an abstract subject to me. I also desire to travel abroad. I have looked at the United States with particular interest, while remaining open to other countries where there may be a legitimate pathway for work, growth and family stability. I have invested in education, vocational training, creative skills, digital work and caregiving because I believe preparation matters.
Like many people, I am not looking for a foreign country simply because I dislike home. I am looking for an environment where hard work, skills and responsibility can have a more sustainable economic expression.
And that personal question has led me to a larger biblical one:
Could migration sometimes be more than escape? Could a journey that begins because of hardship eventually become part of a much larger story?
The Bible gives us several examples that force us to take this question seriously. But it also gives us a warning: we must never confuse God's ability to use suffering with the claim that God approves every injustice that produces it. That distinction is essential.
1. Egypt: When Fruitfulness Provoked Fear
One of the most striking migration stories in Scripture begins with a family moving into a foreign land.
Jacob and his household went to Egypt during a time of famine. Joseph was already there, having been sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually elevated to a position of enormous influence.
Years passed. Joseph died. His generation passed away. Then something changed.
A new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph. The Israelites, who had originally entered Egypt as a relatively small family, had multiplied dramatically. Exodus records that they became exceedingly fruitful, multiplied and filled the land. And then Pharaoh became afraid.
His concern was not that the Israelites had suddenly become evil. His concern was their increasing number and strength. So oppression began. The Egyptians placed taskmasters over them and subjected them to forced labour.
Yet something remarkable happened: the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied.
That is an important biblical pattern. Sometimes oppression does not destroy what God has placed inside a people. Sometimes it exposes it. Sometimes pressure reveals resilience. Sometimes displacement becomes the environment in which hidden capacity becomes visible.
This does not mean oppression is good. It means oppression does not necessarily have the final word.
Pharaoh's intention was control. God's larger story was deliverance. Pharaoh saw a threat. God saw a people whose story was still unfolding.
2. But Egypt Is Not the Same as Babylon
Before we draw parallels with African migration, we need to make an important distinction. Egypt and Babylon were not the same experience.
Israel's experience in Egypt involved forced labour and oppression. The Babylonian experience was primarily one of conquest, exile and displacement. When Babylon conquered Jerusalem, people from Judah were taken into Babylonian captivity. Among those taken were young people such as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Daniel did not choose Babylon. He did not submit an immigration application. He did not travel because he had received a better employment package. He was displaced by geopolitical power.
Yet Babylon became the environment in which his gifts, wisdom and faith became visible. Daniel served within a foreign political system without surrendering his identity in God. He learned the language. He operated within the system. He developed intellectual capacity. He became useful. And he remained faithful.
This is one of the most important lessons for anyone thinking about migration:
Being in a foreign land does not automatically mean abandoning who God called you to be.
Daniel was in Babylon, but Babylon did not have to get inside Daniel.
3. The African Story Is Far More Complicated
This is where we must tread carefully. It would be historically and morally wrong to simply say, "The transatlantic slave trade was Africa's Babylon." It was not.
The Atlantic slave trade involved systems of kidnapping, warfare, commercial exploitation, racialization and hereditary enslavement on a massive scale. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database estimates that approximately 12.5 million enslaved Africans were embarked from Africa for the Americas, with about 10.7 million disembarking, mainly in the Americas.
Millions of people did not migrate voluntarily. They were violently removed from their homes. Families were separated. Cultures were disrupted. Human beings were treated as property. The suffering was real, and it should not be spiritualized away.
Yet something extraordinary happened after the forced displacement. African people survived. They built families. They created communities. They developed new cultural expressions. They contributed profoundly to the societies in which they were forced to live. They preserved aspects of identity under conditions designed to strip identity away. They produced generations of thinkers, artists, entrepreneurs, scholars, scientists, ministers, activists and leaders.
The evil that produced their displacement does not become good because good things eventually emerged from it. But neither does the existence of evil mean God was absent from the subsequent story.
That is where the biblical principle of Joseph becomes powerful.
4. Joseph: The Difference Between Human Intention and Divine Providence
Joseph's life gives us one of the clearest biblical pictures of this tension. His brothers intended evil against him. They sold him. He became a slave. He was taken to Egypt. He was falsely accused. He was imprisoned.
Yet eventually Joseph stood before Pharaoh and became a powerful administrator in Egypt. Years later, when his brothers came before him, Joseph gave them one of Scripture's most profound statements:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." — Genesis 50:20
Genesis 50:20 goes on to explain that God's purpose involved preserving many lives. Notice the two intentions. They intended evil. God intended good.
Joseph did not say, "They did not really do anything wrong because God had a plan." He did not excuse their actions. He did not call slavery good. He did not pretend betrayal was acceptable.
Instead, he recognized something deeper: human beings can act according to evil intentions while God remains sovereign over the larger story.
This distinction may help us think about migration. A government can fail. An economy can collapse. A person can experience discrimination. A family can face unbearable financial pressure. A country can lose opportunities. A person can be forced to leave home.
None of those realities automatically means God caused them. But none of them is beyond God's ability to redeem either.
5. Could African Migration Be Part of a Larger Story?
This is where the question becomes uncomfortable.
Millions of Africans today want to leave their countries. Some are escaping insecurity. Some are looking for jobs. Some want better education. Some want functioning infrastructure. Some want professional recognition. Some want higher incomes. Some want to raise their children in environments they believe offer greater stability. Some simply want an opportunity to build what they cannot currently build at home.
There is nothing inherently unspiritual about that.
The Bible itself contains numerous movements of people because of famine, danger, political circumstances, persecution, economic realities and divine direction. Abraham left his country. Jacob's family went to Egypt because of famine. Joseph was forcibly transported to Egypt. Israel was taken into Babylon. And in the New Testament, persecution scattered early Christians from Jerusalem.
Yet Acts 8:4 says:
"Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word."
That verse deserves careful attention. They were scattered because of persecution. Their scattering was not presented as something pleasant. But God used the scattering. What looked like geographical disruption became an opportunity for the Gospel to travel. The persecutors wanted to silence the believers. Instead, the believers carried the message into new places.
That creates a fascinating biblical principle: sometimes movement expands what remaining in one place could not accomplish.
6. Migration Can Begin as Escape and Become Assignment
This may be one of the most important ideas in the entire discussion.
Sometimes migration begins as an escape from hardship but becomes an entrance into purpose.
A person may leave because there is no job. But the job they eventually find may expose a gift they did not know they had. Someone may leave because the educational system at home cannot support their ambitions. But the education they receive abroad may equip them to solve problems affecting thousands of people. Someone may leave because their business cannot grow. But exposure to a different market may teach them how to build a better business.
- Someone may leave for survival and eventually discover service.
- Someone may leave for money and eventually discover mission.
- Someone may leave for education and eventually become a teacher.
- Someone may leave as a worker and become an employer.
- Someone may leave as a student and become a leader.
- Someone may leave because of hardship and eventually become a bridge between two nations.
The original reason for movement does not necessarily determine the final meaning of the journey.
7. What Happens When the Migrant Discovers Capacity?
There is another pattern worth examining. Many Africans who migrate discover that they are capable of much more than their previous environment allowed them to demonstrate.
This does not mean every African succeeds abroad. That would be false. African migrants can experience racism, loneliness, exploitation, immigration restrictions, underemployment, credential barriers, cultural isolation and financial pressure. Some become poorer. Some struggle for years. Some return home. Some experience discrimination more intensely than they expected.
Migration is not a magical transformation.
But there is also another reality. When people encounter functioning systems, stronger markets, better infrastructure, professional networks, technological resources and wider opportunities, some are able to convert skills that previously produced little economic value into skills that produce substantial value.
That distinction matters. Sometimes the problem is not that the person has no capacity. Sometimes the environment does not provide enough opportunity for that capacity to mature.
A seed can be alive and still struggle in poor soil. That does not mean the seed is dead.
8. Why Do Developed Countries Need Migrants?
There is another side of the story that is often ignored. Migration is not always simply Africans begging developed countries for opportunities. Modern economies themselves need migrants.
Countries experiencing labour shortages recruit people from other countries. Healthcare systems need workers. Construction needs workers. Technology companies need skilled professionals. Universities recruit international students. Agriculture needs labour. Care industries need workers. Businesses need entrepreneurs. Research institutions need researchers. And aging societies increasingly face demographic challenges.
This creates a complicated relationship. The migrant may need the destination country. But the destination country may also need the migrant.
That changes the question. Instead of asking only, "Why are Africans trying to leave?" we should also ask, "Why are countries receiving them?"
The answer is not simply compassion. There are economic, demographic, educational, labour and strategic reasons.
This is why migration is not merely a story about people escaping poor countries for rich countries. It is also a story about the movement of human capital. Skills move. Knowledge moves. Faith moves. Ideas move. Businesses move. Culture moves. Networks move. And eventually, influence moves.
9. When the Stranger Becomes Useful
There is something fascinating about the biblical story of Joseph. Joseph was a foreigner in Egypt. He was not an Egyptian. He did not begin with political power. He had no inherited Egyptian dynasty behind him.
Yet his competence became impossible to ignore. The man who arrived as a slave eventually became an administrator whose wisdom helped preserve Egypt and surrounding nations during famine.
That does not mean every migrant is a Joseph. It does mean Scripture does not portray foreigners as inherently useless. Sometimes the stranger carries something the host society needs.
This should challenge both sides. Migrants should not assume, "Because I have arrived in a developed country, I deserve success." No — you still have to become useful. You must learn. Adapt. Work. Develop competence. Respect laws. Build relationships. Understand culture. Solve problems. And demonstrate character.
At the same time, host societies should not assume, "These foreigners have nothing to contribute." They may carry skills, ideas, labour, businesses, creativity, knowledge and perspectives that can strengthen the society.
10. But Why Does Prosperity Sometimes Produce Conflict?
There is another uncomfortable reality. When migrants become visible, successful or economically influential, tension can emerge. History has repeatedly shown that societies can become suspicious of outsiders, especially when economic anxiety, political manipulation and cultural fear intersect.
The biblical story of Egypt contains an early example. Pharaoh saw Israel's growth and became afraid. The Israelites' increasing population became politically threatening in his imagination. Their fruitfulness did not make oppression disappear — it provoked it.
That should make us cautious about simplistic narratives. If Africans become successful abroad, that does not automatically mean everyone will celebrate. There can be envy. There can be racism. There can be xenophobia. There can be political backlash. There can be resentment. There can also be legitimate debates about immigration policy, integration, labour markets and national identity.
We should not label every disagreement racism. But neither should we pretend prejudice does not exist.
The biblical pattern reminds us that fruitfulness can sometimes attract opposition. The answer is not arrogance. The answer is character, wisdom, excellence and resilience.
11. Africa's Diaspora May Carry More Than Money
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is reducing African migration to remittances. Money matters. Families depend on it. Communities benefit from it. But migrants carry more than money.
They carry knowledge. They carry professional experience. They carry new ideas. They carry networks. They carry exposure. They carry technology. They carry stories. They carry faith. They carry culture. They carry relationships. And they can eventually carry investment.
A Nigerian who spends ten years abroad may return with more than savings. He may return with knowledge of systems. She may return with professional standards. A young African student may return with research capability. A business owner may return with international contacts. A Christian may discover new ways of communicating the Gospel. A designer may learn new technologies. A caregiver may return with advanced knowledge of elderly care. A digital professional may build a company that employs people at home.
Therefore, diaspora should not only be viewed as Africa losing people. Sometimes it can also become Africa extending its reach. The question is what the diaspora does with what it receives.
12. What About the Biblical Idea of Exile?
The word exile is powerful, but we must use it carefully. Not every African migrant is an exile. Not everyone leaves because they are persecuted. Not everyone who travels abroad is being displaced.
Many people migrate voluntarily. Some migrate temporarily. Some pursue education. Some seek employment. Some simply want adventure.
So we should not force the biblical category of exile onto every modern migrant. But Scripture does give us a theology of living faithfully in unfamiliar environments. Daniel is an example. Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon is another. The people of God were told to build houses, settle down, plant gardens, marry, have families and seek the welfare of the city where they had been carried.
The message was essentially: you may not have chosen this environment, but you still have a responsibility within it.
That principle matters enormously for Christians who migrate. If God opens a legitimate door into another country, the goal should not simply be, "How much money can I make?" It should also be:
- What kind of person will I become here?
- What value will I create?
- Whom can I serve?
- What does my faith look like in this environment?
- What am I carrying into this nation?
13. The Greatest Danger Is Not Leaving Africa
There is a deeper question Christians should ask. The greatest danger of migration is not necessarily leaving home. The greatest danger is losing yourself while trying to build a better life.
A person can leave poverty and enter materialism. A person can leave insecurity and enter loneliness. A person can escape economic hardship and lose family relationships. A person can gain money and lose purpose. A person can gain citizenship and lose spiritual identity. A person can gain professional success and become morally bankrupt.
Daniel's story gives us a better model. He learned Babylonian knowledge. He operated within Babylonian structures. He served Babylonian kings. But he did not allow Babylon to redefine his allegiance to God.
That is the challenge for every Christian migrant. Learn the system without losing your soul. Build your career without abandoning your calling. Increase your income without reducing your life to money. Adapt to the culture without surrendering biblical conviction.
14. Is God Making Africans Suffer So They Will Leave?
Now we can return to the hardest question. Is God intentionally making Africans suffer so they will migrate?
I do not believe we can responsibly say that. The Bible does not give us permission to look at every hardship and declare, "God caused this specifically so you would leave." That would go beyond Scripture.
There are corrupt governments. There are unjust systems. There are irresponsible leaders. There are economic failures. There are wars. There are criminals. There are exploitative employers. There are racist structures. There are human decisions. We should not baptize all of these things as direct acts of God.
But there is a second truth that Scripture gives us: God is capable of working through circumstances He did not morally approve or directly cause.
Joseph's brothers meant evil. God brought good through it. Persecution scattered the early Christians. The Gospel spread through the scattering. Babylon was an instrument of judgment and conquest, yet Daniel's faithfulness flourished there. Egypt became a place of oppression, yet Israel multiplied there.
The biblical story repeatedly demonstrates that human circumstances do not place God outside history.
15. Maybe the Better Question Is Not "Why Are We Leaving?"
Perhaps we have been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking only, "Why are Africans leaving?" we should ask, "What is God doing with Africans wherever they are?"
That changes everything. If you are in Nigeria, what are you building? If you are in Ghana, what are you building? If you are in South Africa, what are you building? If you are in Britain, what are you building? If you are in Canada, what are you building? If you are in America, what are you building? If you are in Germany, Australia, France or anywhere else, what are you carrying?
Because geographical movement does not automatically create purpose. You carry purpose with you.
A person who has no discipline in Lagos will not automatically become disciplined in London. A person who refuses to learn in Abuja will not automatically become wise in America. A person who cannot manage ₦100,000 responsibly will not automatically manage $100,000 wisely.
Migration can change an environment. It cannot substitute for character.
16. I Am Also Asking This Question About Myself
This is where the subject becomes personal for me.
I want to travel abroad. America is my preferred destination, although I am open to other countries where there is a legitimate pathway for work, development and family stability.
I have invested in skills. I have pursued graphic design for many years. I have developed digital marketing and creative media capabilities. I have studied UI/UX. I have pursued caregiving training and gained practical experience. I have undertaken vocational creative-media training. I have built and continue to develop SDC World. I have worked on book layouts, branding, publishing, content creation and digital projects.
I am still learning. I am still building. And yet, like many Nigerians, financial limitations can make international migration feel extremely distant.
That creates a difficult question. Am I simply trying to escape hardship? Perhaps partly. There is no virtue in pretending otherwise. I want better economic opportunities. I want to provide more effectively for my family. I want an environment where my skills can produce greater value. I want my children to have opportunities. I want to continue developing professionally. I want to serve God with the abilities He has given me.
But perhaps there is another question underneath all of this: what if the desire to move is not the entire purpose? What if the real assignment is bigger than the country I eventually enter? What if God is using the preparation itself? What if learning new skills, meeting new people, building digital platforms, studying, working, failing, trying again and preparing for international opportunities are all developing something in me?
Perhaps the destination matters. But perhaps the person I become on the way matters even more.
17. "I Prepared While I Prayed"
This is the posture I believe Christians should have toward migration.
Not: "God will take me abroad, so I don't need preparation." And not: "Everything depends on me, so I don't need God."
Both extremes are wrong. The better posture is:
I pray as though God is sovereign, and I prepare as though my actions matter.
I can pray for a visa. But I should also develop employable skills. I can pray for an international opportunity. But I should build a portfolio. I can ask God for favour. But I should become useful. I can believe for provision. But I should manage whatever resources I already have wisely. I can desire America. But I should not make America my god. I can desire migration. But I should not make migration my identity.
I prepared while I prayed. That may be one of the healthiest ways to approach the question of leaving.
18. The Diaspora as a Kingdom Opportunity
There is also a spiritual dimension that deserves serious attention. If millions of Africans are living outside Africa, then the African Christian presence outside Africa is not insignificant.
People move. Churches emerge. Communities form. Businesses grow. Children are born. New relationships develop. And the Gospel travels.
Acts 8 gives us a remarkable precedent. The believers were scattered because of persecution, yet they preached wherever they went. Their movement became ministry. That does not mean Christians should seek persecution. It means we should understand a fundamental principle: God can turn movement into mission.
Perhaps some African Christians will become pastors abroad. Some will become doctors. Some engineers. Some caregivers. Some designers. Some entrepreneurs. Some teachers. Some researchers. Some artists. Some technology professionals. Some parents who simply raise godly children in another nation. All of these can become expressions of Kingdom influence.
The question is not merely, "How far can I go?" It is, "How much good can God express through me wherever I go?"
19. Africa May Not Be Losing a Generation. It May Be Sending One.
This does not mean Africa should celebrate brain drain. Africa needs its professionals. Africa needs strong institutions. Africa needs entrepreneurs. Africa needs teachers, doctors, engineers, designers, farmers, researchers, pastors, innovators and builders. African nations cannot develop sustainably by constantly losing their most skilled people.
So the answer cannot simply be, "Everyone should leave." Neither can the answer be, "Nobody should leave."
People have agency. Families have needs. Individuals have dreams. Governments have responsibilities. Countries should create environments in which people can build meaningful lives without feeling forced to escape.
But when people do move, we should not assume their departure makes their lives irrelevant to Africa. The diaspora can become a network. A Nigerian in America can help someone in Nigeria. A Nigerian in Canada can mentor someone in Lagos. A Ghanaian in Britain can invest in Accra. An African researcher abroad can collaborate with African institutions. A business owner abroad can employ people back home. A Christian migrant can support ministry across borders.
Distance does not automatically destroy connection. Sometimes distance expands influence.
20. What If the Journey Is Bigger Than the Destination?
This may be the conclusion I am personally arriving at.
Perhaps the question is not, "Did God make Africans suffer so they would migrate?" Perhaps the better question is, "Can God use the circumstances surrounding African migration to accomplish purposes larger than the migrants themselves?"
I believe the answer is yes. But with an important qualification: we should never use God's sovereignty to excuse injustice.
We should never tell a suffering person, "God wanted you to suffer." We should never romanticize slavery. We should never minimize racism. We should never pretend poverty is God's ideal. We should never tell people that corruption is simply part of God's plan. And we should never assume that everyone who leaves Africa has received a divine migration assignment.
But we can say this with biblical confidence: God is not limited by geography. He can work in Nigeria. He can work in America. He can work in Britain. He can work in Canada. He can work in a village. He can work in a foreign city. He can work through migration. He can work through return. He can work through staying. He can work through leaving. He can work through opportunities. And He can even redeem circumstances that human beings intended for evil.
Joseph understood this after years of suffering:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."
The point is not that evil becomes good. The point is that evil does not have the authority to determine the final meaning of a person's story.
21. So, Are Africans Leaving Because of Hardship or Because God Is Directing Them?
Perhaps the answer is: both human circumstances and divine providence can be operating at the same time, but we must not confuse the two.
A person may leave because the economy is bad — God may still use the move. A person may leave because there is no job — God may still open an unexpected door. A person may leave because of insecurity — God may still give the journey meaning. A person may leave for education — God may use the education to prepare them for an assignment they cannot yet see. A person may leave for money — God may use the money to establish something larger. A person may leave because they are desperate — God may meet them in the process and turn desperation into development.
The migrant sees a visa. God sees a life. The migrant sees a job. God sees influence. The migrant sees a foreign country. God sees a field of assignment. The migrant sees distance. God sees possibility.
22. What Should Africans Carry Into the Nations?
If migration is going to become more than movement, Africans must carry more than luggage.
We should carry excellence. We should carry integrity. We should carry creativity. We should carry resilience. We should carry wisdom. We should carry faith. We should carry professional competence. We should carry entrepreneurial courage. We should carry respect. We should carry the ability to learn. We should carry the ability to contribute.
And when God gives us influence, we should remember where we came from.
Because the ultimate goal of migration should not simply be, "I escaped." It should become, "I became."
I became more skilled. I became wiser. I became more useful. I became more disciplined. I became more compassionate. I became more capable. I became a blessing. And perhaps one day, I became a bridge for someone else.
Conclusion: Perhaps We Are Moving Into a Larger Story
Africa's migration story cannot be reduced to poverty. It cannot be reduced to ambition. It cannot be reduced to racism. It cannot be reduced to Western opportunity. It cannot be reduced to African resilience. And it cannot be reduced to a simplistic statement that "God is sending Africans abroad."
The story is far more complicated. History contains human decisions. Economics contains incentives. Politics contains power. Migration contains desperation and ambition. And faith asks us to see beyond the visible.
The Israelites entered Egypt because of circumstances surrounding famine and Joseph's position. They later experienced oppression. Yet they multiplied. Daniel entered Babylon through conquest and displacement. Yet he became influential without abandoning his God. Joseph entered Egypt through betrayal and slavery. Yet his suffering eventually became connected with the preservation of many lives. The early Christians were scattered by persecution. Yet wherever they went, they preached the Word.
These stories do not teach us that suffering is good. They teach us something more profound: God can write purpose into circumstances that human beings did not intend for good.
Perhaps that is one of the questions Africa's diaspora must wrestle with. Maybe the story is not simply, "We left because Africa was difficult." Maybe one day we will look back and ask, "What did God do through the people who left?"
Perhaps some will build. Some will return. Some will send. Some will teach. Some will innovate. Some will preach. Some will create. Some will invest. Some will raise another generation. Some will become bridges between nations. And some will discover that the country they thought they were trying to reach was never the ultimate destination.
The destination was purpose.
So, if you are an African thinking about migration, do not ask only, "How do I get out?" Ask, "What am I preparing to become?"
If God opens the door, walk through it with wisdom. If the door remains closed, keep building. If you remain, build. If you leave, build. If you prosper, remember others. If you struggle, do not assume the story is over. And if God eventually takes you into another nation, do not arrive empty.
Carry your skills. Carry your character. Carry your faith. Carry your story. Carry your capacity to serve.
Because perhaps migration is not merely about moving from one country to another. Perhaps sometimes it is about God taking what He has developed in one place and giving it expression in another.
And perhaps the greatest question is not, "Why did we leave?" It is, "What will God do with us wherever we go?"
Your Journey Is Bigger Than Your Destination
If this article made you think about migration, purpose, faith, preparation and the life God is building through you, continue exploring these related teachings from SDC World.
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