Friday: Further Thought – Rough Start
Daily Lesson for Friday 18th of July 2025
Further Thought:
Read Ellen G. White, “The Plagues of Egypt,” Pages 257–265, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Look at how badly things started off for Moses and his people after Moses first approached Pharaoh.
“The king, thoroughly roused, suspected the Israelites of a design to revolt from his service. Disaffection was the result of idleness; he would see that no time was left them for dangerous scheming. And he at once adopted measures to tighten their bonds and crush out their independent spirit. The same day orders were issued that rendered their labor still more cruel and oppressive. The most common building material of that country was sun-dried brick; the walls of the finest edifices were made of this, and then faced with stone; and the manufacture of brick employed great numbers of the bondmen. Cut straw being intermixed with the clay, to hold it together, large quantities of straw were required for the work; the king now directed that no more straw be furnished; the laborers must find it for themselves, while the same amount of brick should be exacted.
“This order produced great distress among the Israelites throughout the land. The Egyptian taskmasters had appointed Hebrew officers to oversee the work of the people, and these officers were responsible for the labor performed by those under their charge. When the requirement of the king was put in force, the people scattered themselves throughout the land, to gather stubble instead of straw; but they found it impossible to accomplish the usual amount of labor. For this failure the Hebrew officers were cruelly beaten.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 258.
Discussion Questions
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The author, Jiří Moskala asks:
I am glad that his question morphed from "What would you say ..." to "What would you do ...", because if we want to be effective the doing comes before the saying. The issue for most people these days is that the idea of a personal God has slipped over their horizon. They consider the God idea as no longer relevant.
There is a little bit of the story of Moses we have studied so far that has slipped by us. When Moses was arguing that he was ill-prepared to lead the Hebrews, God asked him a very important question:
God asked Moses to use the things he already had - a simple shepherds rod. I know about those. I had one: a simple manuka stick cut out of the New Zealand scrub, and used for guiding wayward sheep. Granted, God used Moses' stick in miraculous ways. But, I think it is useful for us to consider that God asked Moses to use what he already had in his hand and was familiar with.
Consider this: We often want some sort of miraculous manifestation of God's power so we can convince our secular friends that God is real. We want a rod that turns into a snake. of hits rocks so that water flows out. But we don't have that. God is probably asking us too, "What is that in your hand?"
We need to pray for a miracle, "Lord show us what we already have that we can use to reveal you to others."
Maurice, we need to stop waiting for a miracle to fall from the sky and start recognizing the miracles that are already in our lives—our transformation, our endurance, our joy in suffering, our forgiveness, our hope. These things can’t be manufactured or explained away.
So our prayer should be: “Lord, show us what we already have—our experiences, our faith, our testimony—that we can use to reveal You to others. Help us stop hiding our story in shame or fear, and instead lift it up as proof of Your living presence.”
Pharaoh’s disregard for God's authority was not only based both on ignorance but also willful indifference. In Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh responds to Moses’ request by saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” This was not simply a lack of information, it was a declaration of disinterest and rejection. Through the plagues, God kept working on delivery of Israel, but also continuously revealed His name and power to Egypt (Exodus 7:5). Pharaoh like all people was given opportunities to acknowledge the Lord, yet he repeatedly hardened his heart. This reminds us that God’s actions are not just punitive, they are redemptive in nature. Each plague was a direct challenge to Egypt’s false gods and a step in revealing God's sovereignty. what comes out in Exodus is clear in the context of this week's lesson “The conflict in Egypt was not just between Moses and Pharaoh, but between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt.” Pharaoh’s ignorance and willful disregard to God was being corrected by undeniable signs, but his heart remained indifferent.
A combination of ignorance and indifference is very dangerous and wasn't just unique to Pharaoh only. Many including professed believers, live with a passive disinterest toward the living God. Demons, who know God’s identity, do not worship Him but certainly are not indifferent (James 2:19). In contrast, many people ignore God's authority simply because they do not truly know Him. This aligns with Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” There is a clear challenge to reflect on our own response: Are we softening our hearts as God reveals Himself to us, or are we, like Pharaoh, resisting His voice even as His truth becomes clearer? God desires that we know Him intimately not just intellectually so that our response may be rooted in reverence, obedience, and trust.
No one can say it would be easy when bad things happen, especially at the very start... no breathing space.
Moses was promised deliverance, but at the start, it got worse. Two things I have learned from this study: - keep our eyes on the prize and don't be distracted by any side shows
Secondly, God's timing is not my timing. He will do the best for me in His timing and get the glory. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him James 1:18.
Trust and obey 'cause there is no other way to be happy and contended in Jesus. Trust the process!
Great lesson this week.
One question that hangs over humanity – those who profess to know God, and those who don’t is the central question from the study, “Who is YHWH?” (Exodus 5:2)
The question is not “Who is God (Elohim)?”, but “Who is the LORD (YHWH)?” which importantly is God’s covenantal/personal name.
This is the showstopper question, and the one that we should ask every day. The God/god we individually “know”, will be reflected in the lives we individually live, as well as being demonstrated through the collective church.
Who is the God we profess to “know”? What do we think are His expectations or goals, and why do we think He acts as He does? In other words, how well do we really know Him?
Is it possible that the God we think we know may be different to the real God. If this is true, is there an acceptable band of belief that exist on the “knowing God” spectrum shaped by YHWH’s revealed character of love, justice, and righteousness, and who decides what that is?
When we consider that the definition of eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3), that the only thing we should glorify in is knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23-24), and those who profess to know God but don’t are in real trouble (Matthew 7:22-23), then the importance of this question becomes more evident.
The reality is that our distorted, self-centered, awkward, immature, unrefined, and manipulated view of God is all we have. He is eternal, we are a puff of wind that in the scheme of things is infinitesimally unimportant. Yet despite that fact, the eternal Creator God wants to reveal Himself to us so we may know Him better.
This takes time, can be frustrating (as it was for Moses), and often requires us to reconsider what we think we know. Additionally and remarkably this often involves arguing with the Creator God (as did Moses). This shouldn’t surprise us given that not only does God invite us to reason with Him, but the name Israel literally means wrestle with God.
That, when compared to every other belief system in the world – is nothing short of breath-taking. While we will still have questions, frustrations, and arguments with God - and unsurprisingly, with each other, the words of that old song will ring true throughout eternity as we continue to grow and mature in knowing and relating to YHWH…
“Be Thou the glorious answer to all my questionings.”
When we set out to serve the LORD we should expect that there will be push back from the enemy's side. The last thing he wants is a jail break from his prisons. If he senses that God is stirring in one's heart he will assign his demons to discourage us from following in God’s leading. He often uses those closest to us, our family and friends, to persuade us that this notion that God has called us is some sort of grandiose self-ideation. I'm sure that Zipporah asked Moses, "Who do you think you are, that God would call you to this grand plan?"
In those moments we have to know, that we know, that we know, that it's not about who we are, rather, it's about who God is. How committed are we to following His voice? 2 Chron. 16:9 shows us that God is always seeking someone to enlist in his army. When we enlist in the Lord's Army we aren't at that moment fully trained, but we are fully qualified by the One that has called us. His presence in our lives qualifies us to use our God given personality and abilities for His service and Glory. He will refine and develop us from fearful to go, to faithful to go.
God is not looking for natural giftedness or ability, he will provide that. What God is looking for is availability. "He doesn't need an army to guarantee a win. He just needs a few good men (and women)." You think about that as you listen to the lyrics of this song.
A Few Good Men, The Gaithers
As I studied this week’s Sabbath School lesson, I was especially drawn to the reactions of both the people and Moses in response to Pharaoh’s increased oppression.
The Israelites were overworked and overwhelmed. When they couldn’t meet Pharaoh’s impossible demands, the Hebrew officers were beaten. In frustration, the people turned against Moses—and Moses, in turn, poured out his anguish to God. He even accused God of bringing more trouble upon the people.
Yet God didn’t rebuke Moses. He wasn’t angry or defensive. Instead, He reminded Moses of who He is—faithful, merciful, and true to His covenant.
What a powerful lesson for us!
When others vent their pain—even if their words feel unfair or harsh—we have a choice. We can reflect God’s character by responding with patience and compassion. Like God, we can listen with grace, speak with gentleness, and help lead others back to hope.
Let’s take the higher ground—especially when people are hurting.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” — Psalm 103:8 (NKJV)
I have been reflecting on Maurice's proposal to pray for a miracle: “Lord, show us what we already have that we can use to reveal You to others.” What came to mind may not be considered “tangible” in the conventional sense. Yet, one can say that without this foundational element, no tangible manifestation of God’s work is possible.
I am referring to the spiritual transformation that occurs within the believer — the renewing of the heart and mind through union with Christ. From 2.Cor.5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is IN Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” - we learn that this regeneration is not merely symbolic; it is the essential miracle through which all other spiritual fruit becomes possible.
It is this inward renewal that enables the believer to serve as a vessel through which God’s Word and character are revealed to the world.
When we ask God to circumcise our lips and heart - Deut.30:5–6 - we are inviting a divine recalibration of our affections, intentions, and behaviors. The resulting transformation is not self-generated but a reflection of divine agency, evidenced through the wisdom, kindness, and integrity that flow from a life aligned with God’s purpose.
Thus, the most profound and enduring resource we possess for revealing God to others is not material at all, but spiritual: the evidence of a renewed self, made new in Christ and responsive to His Will – Psalm 51:10-13.
I love God when things go well, but I run to Him when they go wrong. Although reality may seem totally different from what I think it should be, looking back on the past, I'd rather continue to trust my Lord.
I must learn to surrender every feeling to the Lord. My comprehension of what happens in my life is extremely limited. I pray not for Him to accept what I feel, but for me to accept His will for my life.
To believe a lie is to deny reality. Satan has been very successful in making lies to be more attractive than the truth. He did this in the garden of Eden and he is doing it today. Redemption includes God helping us to see that truth is better than lies and reality is better than fantasy.
Sometimes God's will for our lives may seem pretty awkward. But he knows the future and the result of everything. Let us trust Him.