God called and enabled Moses to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt. After Moses returned to Egypt armed with three miraculous signs which confirmed God's promise of deliverance, the people believed and worshipped the LORD. They were convinced of God's power and rejoiced He had visited His people. Any day now they would be free!
The Hebrews were all for freedom from bondage. There was one looming problem however: Pharaoh was not. He was not at all impressed when Moses appeared before him and scorned his God. He was incensed anyone would even suggest the idea of the Hebrews leaving their tasks for a day! He accused the people of idleness, refused to provide straw for bricks, and told the taskmasters to kept the production quota the same. The people worked feverishly, trying to gather up stubble and make enough bricks to meet Pharaoh's demand. When they failed, they were beaten. They felt cheated, trapped in an impossible cycle. The people complained about this treatment to Moses: what sort of deliverance was this? In their mind Moses was killing them, not saving them!
Exodus 5:22-23 describes the response of Moses: "So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all." Moses agreed with the assessment of the people. They hadn't signed up for such trouble! They expected God would miraculously and quickly bring them out of Egypt as He promised them. What they didn't understand at the time was God's promised deliverance involved a process. Perhaps they assumed because of God's great power He would save them quickly without a struggle. But it would prove to be a fight waged within their own hearts and minds: would they continue to trust God and the wisdom of His plan through the process, or would they lose heart and give place to fear and doubt?
The decision to repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour also results in opposition and renewed aggression by all which held us captive in sin. This spiritual and largely inner battle will continue to occur throughout our earthly pilgrimage. In choosing to obey God the results may seem disastrous and we think, "I didn't sign up for this! Why doesn't God just do it? Why does it have to be so painful and impossible?" If we want deliverance and salvation, we must submit to God's process and plan. He will continue to be faithful and with every temptation will make a way of escape so we will be able to bear it. Moses nor the Hebrews could deliver themselves, and God would reveal His power over His enemies and His protection and provision for His people as time wore on. Slowly Pharaoh's resolve crumbled, and the faith of God's people grew exponentially.
Allow me to conclude with a quote from an address I read by Spurgeon titled, "On Returning to the Renovated Tabernacle:"
The Hebrews were all for freedom from bondage. There was one looming problem however: Pharaoh was not. He was not at all impressed when Moses appeared before him and scorned his God. He was incensed anyone would even suggest the idea of the Hebrews leaving their tasks for a day! He accused the people of idleness, refused to provide straw for bricks, and told the taskmasters to kept the production quota the same. The people worked feverishly, trying to gather up stubble and make enough bricks to meet Pharaoh's demand. When they failed, they were beaten. They felt cheated, trapped in an impossible cycle. The people complained about this treatment to Moses: what sort of deliverance was this? In their mind Moses was killing them, not saving them!
Exodus 5:22-23 describes the response of Moses: "So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all." Moses agreed with the assessment of the people. They hadn't signed up for such trouble! They expected God would miraculously and quickly bring them out of Egypt as He promised them. What they didn't understand at the time was God's promised deliverance involved a process. Perhaps they assumed because of God's great power He would save them quickly without a struggle. But it would prove to be a fight waged within their own hearts and minds: would they continue to trust God and the wisdom of His plan through the process, or would they lose heart and give place to fear and doubt?
The decision to repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour also results in opposition and renewed aggression by all which held us captive in sin. This spiritual and largely inner battle will continue to occur throughout our earthly pilgrimage. In choosing to obey God the results may seem disastrous and we think, "I didn't sign up for this! Why doesn't God just do it? Why does it have to be so painful and impossible?" If we want deliverance and salvation, we must submit to God's process and plan. He will continue to be faithful and with every temptation will make a way of escape so we will be able to bear it. Moses nor the Hebrews could deliver themselves, and God would reveal His power over His enemies and His protection and provision for His people as time wore on. Slowly Pharaoh's resolve crumbled, and the faith of God's people grew exponentially.
Allow me to conclude with a quote from an address I read by Spurgeon titled, "On Returning to the Renovated Tabernacle:"
"My friends, beloved of my soul, more dear than ever as years roll on, I do not ask trouble for any of you; but if there be no other way of renovating your spirits, you may on your own account cheerfully welcome the severest trials, when sent by heaven, to visit your house. Come they will, whether we welcome them or no, for the promise is sure to all the seed, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." Let us most devoutly praise God that he does not consult our whims, or our fancies, as to how he should deal with us; we have a Father who does not spare the rod for our crying, knowing better than we do what is good for us. He does not ask us in which path we will go; he directs our steps according to his own wisdom, and not according to our folly. Surely we poor shortsighted creatures can even now feel that it is good for us to have infallible wisdom to direct us, and that it is our duty to give up our unbelief, and all our questionings, and submit ourselves absolutely to the will of the unerring Father. All our misery springs out of our self-will. Self-love is the nest out of which the hornets fly in their armies; would to God it were utterly destroyed. If self-will were slain, sorrow would lose its sting. The daily cross in itself is not heavy - as Jesus' yoke, it is easy; but self-will makes our shoulders raw, and then the cross becomes very heavy to bear." (Spurgeon, C. H. C.H. Spurgeon's works as published in his monthly magazine The sword and the trowel. Vol. 1. Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1975. Print. pg. 321.)
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