Not To Be Shaken By Setbacks While Serving God

<Exodus 5> 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.”

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.”

22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

<Ex 6> 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

The battle between God and Pharaoh.

1) Two powers at war: God and Pharaoh.

• Israelites: “God’s people”; “Pharaoh’s slaves”
• At first seemed like Pharaoh won, but God won in the end.

2) Pharaoh’s problem: He did not know God.

• Not just ignorance, but also his disinterest and indifference toward God.

3) We are quite different from the Pharaoh. Really?

Want to obey God, but obstacles abound.

• Contradictory outcomes following our obedience.
• God’s strange command to continue doing what He said, no matter how senseless it seemed.
• If we only know how to run away from difficulties, then how are we different from the world and how can we grow in our faith?
• God’s power can be better experienced when we obey His word.
• God reveals more to us as we try obeying and doing.
• We are to do God’s work, regardless of our feelings or people’s receptivity.
• Even when face opposition, still be faithful.

Turn to God in the face of setbacks.

• Doubt that makes us turn to God (Moses’ eg) VS doubt that turns against God (Pharaoh’s eg).
• <Ex 5:1-6:1> wants to highlight: Moses only played a secondary role. The Lord Himself is whom matters.
• God answered Moses’ complaint not by addressing it point by point; God did not explain ‘why’, but He simply reminded Moses of His promise.
• God didn’t say anything new, but merely repeated earlier promise – which Moses knew but did not believe enough.

Reflection

1. What setbacks or discouragements had you encountered while serving God or following Him? What made you press on to obey God despite those setbacks?
2. Do you think you are as ignorant or stubborn as the Pharaoh sometimes? How so?
3. Are you always looking to hear something new from God? What are certain promises/truths which you already knew but just couldn’t believe enough, especially when outward situations contradict them?