Return to God

Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." (Exodus 5:22-23 NIV)

When we try to walk together with God and things don’t go well, it’s easy to get discouraged.  God, however, doesn’t want us discouraged.  We can always return to Him.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." (Exodus 6:1 NIV)

God encouraged Moses by reminding him that God already knew the outcome of this conflict.  God wanted Moses to trust Him through all of this.  God wanted Moses to have peace.

God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. (Exodus 6:2-5 NIV)

That’s what God wants for us, too.  God wants us to have peace in all circumstances.  God wants us to trust that God knows what He is doing.  God wants us to walk with Him and let Him do the heavy lifting.  God wants us to walk together with God.  When we do, it all works out just as God had said.

"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'" (Exodus 6:6-8 NIV)

We have a part to play in God’s plan.  When we encounter God, He tells us what it is.  We may be inspired by His Word, a preacher, or a worship song.  We may hear it in person or electronically from half way around the world.  When God speaks to us, He tells us what to do.  We make it real, live it out and then, when things get tough, we decide again.  Will we walk with God?  Will we live out our part of His plan?  Will we live it out?

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" (Exodus 6:9-12 NIV)

You know, this story intrigues me.  When I went back to read it over again, I found something that encourages me.  God knew that Pharaoh would resist.  God knew Pharaoh would fight back.  God didn’t keep it to Himself.  He told Moses.  He instructed Moses to tell Aaron and the elders of Israel.  God gave them what they needed to know ahead of time, so they wouldn’t be discouraged when things got rough.  God gave them everything they needed to experience peace.  All they needed to to was walk together with God.  When they started to doubt, they only needed to return to God.  God would help them live it out.

How about you?  Do you listen to the details of God’s plan for your life enough to experience peace?  Do you pay attention to what God says rather than the list of objections, doubts, and worries that you have?  When you work through the God encounter and make it real, do you live it out?  When things get tough, do you return to God?  Does God give you peace?

Retreat

Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." (Exodus 5:15-16 NIV)

When we try to live out our walk together with God, it helps to have friends, family members, and a church family to encourage us in that walk.  Sometimes we encounter resistance or even retribution from one of these groups, but other times they support us.  That is a blessing.

Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are--lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." (Exodus 5:17-19 NIV)

When they encounter resistance or retribution, though, the picture may change.  They may like going to church services until they see that guy that they really don’t like.  Then it’s a whole different story.  They retreat.  When they leave, you’re stuck with a decision:  “Will I do what God is calling me to do even when my friend stops?”

When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, "May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." (Exodus 5:20-21 NIV)

The Israelite leaders turned on Moses.  When the going got tough, the leaders stopped going.  They were willing to walk together with God as long as it was easy.  When it got tough, though, they quit.  They turned on Moses.  They left him standing alone.

How about you?  Have you ever been left standing alone in your faith?  Have you had good friends or family members quit on you when things got tough?  In the other direction, have you ever quit on someone else?  When things get tough, to you retreat?

Retribution

Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." (Exodus 5:5 NIV)

Moses was simply doing what God told him to do.  He was confronting Pharaoh.  He didn’t just experience resistance, though.  It was going to be much worse than that.  He, and the Israelites, were going to receive retribution for even trying.

That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." (Exodus 5:6-9 NIV)

Sometimes, when we try to live out our faith, we experience retribution.  People try to punish us just because we believe in God, believe that Jesus is the Christ, or because we follow Jesus as our Lord.  When that happens, it doesn’t seem very fun to be a Christ-follower.

Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'" (Exodus 5:10-11 NIV)

God never said that following him would all be a bed of roses.  In fact, God told us that we would encounter resistance.  Our families will be divided over following Jesus.  People will persecute us for following Jesus.  When Jesus warned us about such things, he told us to pick up our crosses and follow Him.

So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." And Pharaoh's slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, "Why haven't you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" (Exodus 5:12-14 NIV)

So, how about you?  Have you ever experienced retribution for your faith?  Has anyone ever tried to punish you simply because you believe and follow Jesus?  When they do, does it stop you from following Him?

Resistance

Sometimes I think that we are naïve as we rush in to do the will of God.  It’s not that God doesn’t warn us about the difficulties we will face.  It’s just that we gloss over those parts.  “It’s God,” we think. “God will protect me from any harm.”  Even though God warns us about what is going to happen, we choose our own picture and God’s power over God’s truth and sovereignty.  In other words, we expect God to back our plans rather than listening to the details of God’s.  God told Moses exactly what would happen the day he confronted Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2 NIV)

I’m not sure what Moses thought at this point.  Maybe he thought that he was going to be able to change Pharaoh’s mind.  Maybe he thought Aaron could deliver a stirring speech that would change the course of history.  Maybe he thought God’s plans were more “suggestions” than anything else.  Whatever he thought, they tried to change Pharaoh’s mind.

Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." (Exodus 5:3 NIV)

At this point, God had told Moses and Aaron what was going to happen.  Yet, they will find themselves surprised and even discouraged as it happens.  God is going to show Pharaoh that he really isn’t a god.  Pharaoh isn’t going to give up yet – not by a long shot.  So, Moses is going to encounter resistance.

But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" (Exodus 5:4 NIV)

How about you?  Do you ever follow through with God’s plan, only to encounter resistance?  Do you see that resistance as a part of God’s plan or something that gets in the way?  Is it possible that the person who is resisting is the very person God is trying to reach through your actions?  How do you respond when you experience resistance for walking together with God?

Live It Out

Moses encountered God at the burning bush.  He took off his sandals, drew near to God, and listened to what God had to say.  This all went well until God had something for Moses to do.  God explained to Moses what his part of God’s plan would be.  Moses struggled.  This moved Moses into the next stage of the cycle: make it real.

Moses made sure his God encounter was real.  He believed in the one true God.  That wasn’t a problem.  He wasn’t sure the one he was talking with, however, was that true God.  So, he asked questions.  When he struggled with his part of God’s plan, he asked more questions.  He raised objections.  He asked for signs.  When God met him every step of the way, then he spoke with his brother, Aaron.  He went with Aaron to speak with the elders of Israel.  They all believed, too.  Now there were no more hold ups.  There were no more objections.  There was nothing else to hold him back.  God had given Moses and assignment.  Now, it was time for Moses to live it out.

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.'" (Exodus 5:1 NIV)

Moses and Aaron did what God called them to do.  They went together and faced the most powerful man in the world of their time.  In fact, Pharaoh considered himself to be not only the king of Egypt, but a god as well.  Moses faced Pharaoh.  Moses delivered the message.  Moses lived it out.

How about you?  When you experience God, do you work through the process of making it real?  Do you remove all doubt so you can move forward?  Do you removed just enough doubt so you can move to the next stage?  When you encounter God, do you make it real and then…live it out?