Who's In Charge?
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, use Your Word today to teach, lead and work in me what You know is best for me.
Read Exodus 5:1-21
[1] Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.'” [2] Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.” [3] Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.” [4] But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” [5] Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.” [6] That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: [7] “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. [8] But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ [9] Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.” [10] Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. [11] Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'” [12] So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. [13] The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” [14] And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?” [15] Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? [16] Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.” [17] Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are-lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ [18] Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.” [19] The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” [20] When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, [21] and they said, “May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How did Pharaoh show his arrogance and hard-heartedness?The elders and the people are convinced and worship the Lord (4:30,31). Everything seems set for victory. The problem is Pharaoh. Secure in the power of the state and its religious trappings, he simply refuses to accept that God has any authority over him. Rejecting God’s authority, Pharaoh asserts his own: denying the Israelites the straw they need to make bricks, Pharaoh keeps their quota the same, adding hours of searching and gathering to already back-breaking labor. Failing to reach their quota leads to punishment. Israelite excitement gives way to demanding God’s judgment upon Moses and Aaron. Moses’ first confrontation with Pharaoh ends in total failure. Why? Moses didn’t obey carefully enough. None of the signs of God’s power are shown to Pharaoh. Moses unwittingly suggests that the Lord will strike Israel rather than Egypt with plagues or the sword (3). He gives Pharaoh no reason to take his request seriously. Perhaps overconfident, he has simply forgotten God’s prediction that Pharaoh would not listen unless compelled to do so (3:18-20; 4:21-23). The Israelites’ reaction in v. 21 suggests that Moses hadn’t told them that serious confrontation was inevitable. No wonder they’re angry and discouraged!
Apply
Are there places where you’ve given up hope of seeing God breaking through? Pray that God will help you trust him.
Closing prayer
Lord God, in all the situations I face, I want to be obedient and confident in Your power and purpose.
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