Going into his meeting with Pharaoh, Moses had immense popular support from the Israelites. The Israelites knew that Moses was following God’s command, which only happened to coincide with theirs. Moses knew that Pharaoh would deny his request for the Israelites to attend a three-day festival. Sure enough, Pharaoh mocked Moses and in retaliation for the request, increased the slave’s work requirement. Once the requisite beatings began, Moses popularity plummeted with his people. Moses complains to God that he doesn’t understand why his people are suffering. God responds that he will show Pharaoh that he is the mightiest of all.
This pattern of the rise and fall of faithfulness to God’s law begins a pattern that we are to see time and time again in the Bible, until finally the cycle is ended through Jesus’ death. It is so easy for us to see the pattern of faithfulness and betrayal in hindsight: the poor Israelites are toiling without hope. Moses, their surprising leader, while following God’s command, has apparently made their desperate lives intolerable. The Israelites’ faith falters. They were unable to maintain their faithful allegiance to God as their physical conditions deteriorated. God promises Moses that he will show his mighty hand.
Our challenge today is to follow God’s commands without question. Let’s break through that cycle that still may continue in our own lives. We may not have God’s specific requirements written in stone or uttered from a burning bush, but God’s word remains. We must take strength from our ancestors’ trials to give us strength for the future. Just as the Israelites did not know the future, our faith must prevail.
PRAYER:
God of our ancestors, give us strength to carry our your work. Let us compensate for the lack of straw and other perceived necessities in our life by having stronger backs to carry us forward. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
Written by Page Morgan
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