6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” ~ Exodus 5:6-9
If we read the previous chapter (chapter 4), we will find that “that same day” refers to the first day or the first encounter that Moses and Aaron had with Pharaoh. They had just had a town meeting with all the elders, and everyone was pumped about how concerned God was about them and their situation. Social Media was lighting up, and the whole internet came to a screeching halt as everyone chatted excitedly about leaving Egypt and slavery. I mean, these people had pure hope and joy excitedly surging through their veins. They probably even had detailed dreams in HD color – they were so hopeful and excited. But instead of Pharaoh saying, “Oh, my bad, I didn’t realize you needed worshiping God, please go quickly and do what you need to do.” He said, “No way! Get back to work! and by the way, let me help you with some of that free time you seem to be burdened with!”
So, instead of things getting better, things got extremely worse, and they gave up; they lost hope. And that is exactly what happens to us today. We think deliverance from our Spiritual Egypt should be quick and easy, and because it doesn’t work the way we think it should, or immediately, we give up and lose hope. But I am here today to encourage you that because conditions have gotten worse for you in Egypt does not mean the dream is over. If the LORD is your God and you have been groaning and crying out to Him, He has heard you. He will come to your rescue and deliver you and bring you into your Promise Land. So do not give in and do not give up. Keep the faith and do not lose heart; even if things get worse, God will deliver you.
Our Heavenly Father, You alone are God Almighty, and besides You, there is no other God. You care for us, and provide for us, and satisfy our mouths with good things, that our strength is renewed so we can soar on wings like eagles. Thank You, LORD. Now O LORD, please come down with great concern and see the plight of some of Your people. In Your great compassion, deliver them from their cruel bondage and bring them into a spacious land flowing with milk and honey. Bring lasting hope to Your people, I pray. Hope that can and will weather the storms that are sure to come before they reach the shores of their promise. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
Similar Content
