Reading: Exodus 5
Today’s reading is when Moses first comes and speaks to Pharaoh regarding letting God’s people go so, they can hold a feast in the wilderness for God. Pharaoh, who does not know Israel’s God, ask ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?’ (vs. 2) Pharaoh is angered by this request and tells them to ‘Get back to your labor.’ Moses may be confused this is not the response he was expecting. God had told him to go and lead the people out of Egypt. But as we see sometimes what God has for us takes time. This is the first of many times Moses will go before Pharaoh with this request.
On that very day, Pharoah ordered the taskmasters that were over Israel to stop giving the people straw to build bricks and make the people find their own. More so, he ordered that the people were to have the same quota as they had prior when the straw was provided. Needless to say, Moses going to Pharaoh had not panned out the way the people or Moses had all hoped.
As I was thinking about this today all I can think is the slow fade that America has taken to get to where we are today. Years ago, businesses were not open on Sundays because it was a day set apart for rest, church, and family. The people had these as priorities in their life, in their communities, and also apart of government. Now I did not live during those times, but I love to listen to stories of those that did. The times were much slower and there was respect that many have lost today. Yet over time, businesses began to open up on Sundays and slowly that became a normal occurrence. In addition, sports began to play on Sunday and families were no longer home. Our lives have changed forever.
Although we do not serve a master, in some ways the slow fade that has happened to us, also had occurred to Israel. When they first came into Egypt, they were welcome and given the best land because of Joseph. But Joseph eventually passed away and so did the Pharaoh, who had given them the best land. “The new king said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’”(Exodus 1:9-10) Joseph was forgotten and all that he had done.
Egypt was concerned with Israel taking over because they had continued to grow in number. The king set taskmasters over them to work them harder. I love that ‘the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.’ (Exodus 1:12) God was still blessing His people in the midst of trials and persecution. Out of fear, the king asked the midwives to kill all the male children. However, “the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.” (Exodus 1:17)
Eventually Pharaoh asked all his people to cast the boys into the river, but the girls could be saved. This is barbaric, but in some ways no different from what people do today going down to planned parenthood to have an abortion. When did children go from being a blessing to a curse? When did we call evil, good? It was a slow fade remember. Thankfully, one was saved from the Nile, his name was Moses, and he was set apart to bring the people out of bondage however ill equipped he felt.
When God spoke to Moses, he had many excuses why he was unable to do the task put before him. God does not call those qualified, instead God qualifies the called. This is what God did with Moses and continues to do with those today that have been called. As we see today, Moses went and spoke to Pharaoh, but the result is not what Moses expected. Rather the result seems far worse. Instead of being allowed to go and worship God, the people have to do more work causing them to complain that Moses is to blame.
They came to Moses and Aaron saying, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (vs. 21) Ouch! Now I don’t know about you but that must have hurt for Moses to hear these words. He was only trying to obey God and yet the very people he came to help were attacking him.
Moses, feels confused and seeks the Lord and ask him, “why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?” (vs. 22) Here we see Moses questioning God and questioning his calling. Have you ever gone to God asking similar questions? I have. I want you to see that God does not rebuke Moses for questioning. Instead, He will remind you of who He is and what He is able to do.
Today I want to remind you of who God is. He is the God that multiplied the people in the midst of trials and came to His people when they were in need. He is a God that loves and cares about His people. He sent Moses a man with his own flaws, to save an entire nation. Moses had doubts and fear, but God used him anyway. He will and can use you as well if you are willing. God needs more of His people to be a vessel of hope. “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.” [Mat 22:14 NKJV] Are you ready to be used today for something outside your comfort zone? Seek Him and He will lead you and not leave you along the way.