Exodus 5:1-23

Sometimes things must get worse before they can get better.  Even though this seems to go against our logic and especially against our desires; it is often the path that God chooses to bring about His will.  There are often things about our lives that must be changed before we are ready to be and do all that God desires.  Suffering is usually a part of how God brings about these necessary changes in our lives.  We might not like or enjoy the path through which the Lord seeks to perfect us; but we are called to trust Him and recognize His sovereignty in all of our circumstances.
THE REQUEST OF MOSES IS MET WITH RETALIATION OF PHARAOH: Moses asks Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go and worship God for three days.  He is not even asking for their release from slavery.  However, Pharaoh will not hear of this request but instead he retaliates and accuses them of being lazy and decides to withhold straw from the workers who are in charge of making bricks.  This in no way comes as a surprise to God.  He is about to judge Egypt in a very severe way, but He is also preparing Israel for her freedom.  Pharaoh’s actions, though selfish and sinful, end up being used by God to accomplish His purposes.  If we could choose, we will almost always seek the easy and painless road.  However, God knows that what we often need is a more difficult path in order to prepare us for what God already knows lies ahead of us.  Our responsibility is to trust God.
THE RETALIATION OF PHAROH IS MET WITH RESISTANCE OF ISRAEL: The increased work load causes the workers to fall behind in their production which ends up causing the leaders to be beaten.  Israel tries to reason with their Egyptian masters but there is no reasoning with them.  They are expected to do more with less and cannot keep up with the new demands.  Their situation is certainly not fair or just.  There are times in our lives when we will face situations that are not fair.  However, we must remember that God is at work in these situations.  God wants to bring about His ultimate goal that is usually bigger than what we are able to see.  In this case God wants to provide extra motivation for the children of Israel to want to leave.  Satan is also at work in this situation wanting the children of Israel to reject the leadership of Moses because of their increased suffering.  We must never be willing to accept relief from suffering in the place of the transformation God desires to build in our lives.
THE RESISTANCE OF ISRAEL IS MET WITH RIDICULE OF GOD: All of these trials end up having a domino effect.  Israel complains to Moses and Moses ends up ridiculing God for the way that Pharaoh has reacted.  Moses thought that the presence of God would mean that everything would work out smoothly.  When that is not the case, complaining begins.  We often wrongly assume that when we begin to do God’s will that we will be readily accepted and warmly received.  The reality is that God’s will is almost always met with great resistance on the part of sinful men.  We must not expect sinful men to understand or comply with the will of God without resistance.  We must learn to expect this and not be discouraged by it.  We must learn to recognize the hand of God behind our sufferings and know that He is in control.  We must learn to worship in the face of difficulties instead of questioning and complaining to God.  Sinners will be sinful.  This should not surprise us or cause us to question God. 

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