Message: Ok Exodus 5 got me today and it got me good! When Moses began confronting Pharaoh things got real tough for Israel. A couple of Israelites went to Pharaoh and tried to pitch their complaints and it didn’t go well at all. Pharaoh called them slackers and basically pulled the parent line “I’ll give you something to cry about!”. He demanded that they still had to meet their daily quota but the straw would no longer be provided for them. They would have to go find it for themselves. In response to this, those same Israelites confronted Moses and said “may the Lord take note of you and judge because you have made us reek in front of Pharaoh and his officials-putting a sword in their hand to kill us!” This is a huge accusation, and nobody can argue that it sure appeared that way, but God was doing something that none of them would understand. This was so relatable because I have definitely watched what looked like simple cause and effect in my own life and wanted to assign blame. Nobody likes to feel squeezed. Nobody loves feeling the vulnerability of daring to hope, only to feel it snatched away and even get worse. They were angry with Moses, and Moses was just as confused and upset as they were because he was obeying what God told him to do. Sometimes we question whether we heard from God when things appear to be worse instead of better. Sometimes we want to blame people and situations because all we can see is the cause and effect in front of us.
Command: I have to know that regardless of what is at play in front of me, that when I listen to God and obey, he is moving and working in ways I don’t know and could never understand. His plans don’t look like mine and he will use the circumstances around me to shape me and grow me if I let them. If I choose to blame God or other people I may have to keep going through it until the goal is accomplished.
Promise: God’s word will come to pass regardless of what I see in the moment.
Warning: If I make it about me I will miss the point. In this case God was working something in and out of Israel, but more importantly, he was showing Egypt who he was. If I take these situations personally I miss the point that it’s not even about me!
Application: This speaks to me on so many levels. The first is understanding that God is not here to fulfill my desires. I am here to fulfill his will. God found it important to show Egypt who he was so he took the Israelites on a ride they weren’t expecting. They blamed Moses and said “may God take note of you and judge…” They had NO idea what they were speaking about and they actually spoke judgement upon themselves in that statement. It was not about them and sometimes the things I go through are not about me either. I need to get over myself and obey God because this is HIS plan and HIS way.
