Monday: A Rough Start
Daily Lesson for Monday 14th of July 2025
Though Moses must have known, even from the beginning, that what the Lord had tasked him with was not going to be easy (hence his attempts to get out of it), he probably had no idea of what was coming.
Read Exodus 5:3-23. What were the immediate results of Moses and Aaron’s first recorded encounter with Pharaoh?
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Even before going to Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron gathered the elders and people of Israel, told them God’s words, and showed them God’s signs, which resulted in Israel’s believing that the Lord would deliver them from their slavery. Thus, they worshiped the Lord (Exodus 4:29-31). Expectations surely were high: the Lord was going to deliver the Hebrew people from their bondage—finally!
Moses then went to the king of Egypt with God’s demands, and things became even worse for the Israelites. Their suffering increased, and their daily labor became more burdensome and demanding. They were accused of being lazy; they were treated more harshly; and their service became more difficult than it had already been.
Their leaders were not happy, and the confrontation between them and Moses and Aaron was ugly, and (as we will later see) it simply portended the kind of conflicts Moses would have with his own people for years to come.
Read Exodus 5:21, and then put yourself in the place of these men as they confronted Moses and Aaron. Why would they say what they did?
It’s not that hard to see why they would have been upset with Moses (“ ‘Let the Lord look on you and judge,’ ” they said). They thought Moses was coming to free them from the Egyptians, not to make their lives under the Egyptians even harder.
Thus, besides dealing with the Egyptians, Moses and Aaron had to deal with their own people, as well.
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What are some better ways you and others might be able to deal with local church leaders when disagreements arise, as they inevitably do? |
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How many times do we hear the adage, "It gets worse before it gets better!"? My Dad had his own version of it as he handed out the pitchforks at hay-making time, "It's all part of the toughening-up process!" And even our politicians admit that sometimes we have to suffer a bit of pain to become great again.
Moses learned quickly that being called by God did not solve all the problems. His biggest task was convincing the Hebrews that leaving Egypt really was possible. And his first steps were seriously misread. They rebelled. Not a good start.
I am reminded of my sheep-minding days. The flock had been in a paddock for several days and had grazed it down to the ground, so I would be sent, with the dogs to move them to another paddock full of rich clover and rye grass. In sheep terms that should have been party time. But sheep are stubborn creatures and like to maintain the status quo. I would round them up and bring them to the open gate, where they would stamp their feet and refuse to budge. I have even seen them head-butt the dogs. it often took a fair degree of subterfuge to coax the sheep though the gate.
Even though Moses had been shepherding for 40 years, I am sure he found the Hebrews to be stubbornly complex.
The lesson author asks questions about our modern local church in this context. Too many of my friends read my comments for me to quote examples, but I think I can add that human behaviour has not changed all that much between the Exodus and now.
Isaiah has something to say about sheep that is pertinent to this discussion:
Life had become more harder and more miserable after Moses had requested Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people go and worship their God in the wilderness. This request triggered more brutality from the Egyptian slave masters. This request was even seen as an excuse not to work and earned them a label for being lazy people (Exod. 5:17-18). More pain followed the request, and this increased animosity between Moses and his own people. What was meant to be the start of good times to come, unfortunately, added salt to the injury. What was meant to be a hopeful turning point turns into increased suffering and disillusionment. From this unfortunate episode, what spiritual lessons can we learn?
1. Obedience does not bring instant relief from earthly miseries. In fact, obedience leads to greater trials before deliverance comes (1 Peter 4:12).
2. God’s plans quite often include times of testing. Moses’ faith was tested, and the Israelites’ trust in God was put on trial. The testing of our faith produces patience (James 1:3)
3. God is still in control even when situations seem to be worsening. The worse the situation, the greater the glory to God when deliverance comes (Exodus 6:1)
4. God’s deliverance is more often a process than instant coffee! We must learn to trust God in every stage of the process. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)
5. Discouragement and frustration are a real part of a believer’s experience. Moses was discouraged and questioned God’s calling. “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)
God sees our pain and responds in His time. His promises are sure, and His deliverance will be at the right time.