And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The GOD of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our GOD; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast Thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy Name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all. (Exo 5:2-6, 11-13, 22-23)
Pharoah dismisses Moses just as GOD had said, even denying the Lord, and making the work of the Israelites harder. The people are hard put to complete their quotas, and blame Moses. Pharaoh claims the Israelites are idle, and so need incentive to work, which gets blamed on Moses. Moses, knowing what GOD had told him about Pharoah rejecting the Lord with a hard heart, goes back and complains to the Lord that Pharoah didn't let them go, and the Lord didn't deliver them.
Many times this world will not understand, outright reject, or even be hostile to GOD's people, and especially the message of GOD. They can't reach GOD, while trying to deny He exists, so they lash out at GOD's servants. They make things worse in the short term, but GOD is faithful and will intercede in His timing to provide and deliver according to His will. We are to submit to His will, trust Him and His ways, and be steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that even if the world slays us, we are secure in the Lord and will be with Him.
We often blame GOD for what happens, when we don't have all the facts, or the insight into what GOD is doing. Whether we respond like Moses, we forget what GOD told us, or speak like Job who was not aware of the spiritual battle going on, or like Adam who was in rebellion against GOD and made poor excuses for his sIn. GOD is longsuffering, or we would be consumed in His righteous anger, and merciful toward us, and chastises where He must, and directs His children so that we learn, even when repeating the same errors that were given in the Scriptures for our example.
Like Moses, the prophets, the disciples, and many who have come before us, we are commissioned and commanded by the Commander of the Lord's Army to minister to the hurting and in need around us as GOD gives the increase. We are to disciple one another in love and in His Word that they may be equipped and encouraged unto every good work. We are to proclaim the Good News of Salvation through faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to this lost and dying world. As we go, we are to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to GOD, that those who hear may believe, and believing have life in His Name.
For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD with forgiveness and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new heart in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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