Chapter 5
Life can be incredibly busy. Finishing school, finding a job, building a career, getting married, having children, raising them, and striving to build a better career—it all piles up. We tend to create lists of things to do and goals to accomplish. Somewhere in the midst of it all, the thought of “spending time with God” comes to mind.
How many of us have thought, “I need to set aside time for prayer”? Or, “I need to schedule some time alone with God and His Word”? Some of us even look at our schedules and carve out a time. Maybe it’s early in the morning, around lunchtime, or in the evening before bed. We take the time to make the time.
Then, life happens. “Okay, I had to miss my time with God today,” we think. But work, kids, school, and other commitments got in the way. We tell ourselves, “I’ll start again tomorrow, once I catch up.”
Weeks, months, or even years later, we’re still “kicking the can” down the road, postponing our time with God.
Has this ever happened to you? It certainly has to me. The enemy is sly in pulling us away from worship and time spent with God. He will use every tool at his disposal to keep us from getting to know God better.
I can speak from personal experience: the hardest part of spending time with God is the first day. As the old slogan says, “Just do it.” Then, do it again and again. Whether in the morning, noon, or evening—whether in your car during your commute or even in the shower—take the time, and spend it with God. Start the race. Begin the conversation. Don’t wait for time to open up—take it. The enemy will never make it easy.
This was the simple request Moses and Aaron made to Pharaoh: “Let us go worship God.” Look at how the world responded. Even today, we can expect no different. The world has not changed—it remains the same. So, use wisdom and don’t look to the world to be reasonable. Seek the Father, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way.
Bricks Without Straw
1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Jehovah says, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is Jehovah, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I know not [meaning – don’t: perceive, experience, consider, recognize, acknowledge, confess, either physically or spiritually] Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” [This illustrated the posture of Pharaoh’s heart.]
3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we request from you, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, or He may he fall upon us with plagues, or with the sword.” [Notice the request was not for full liberation. It was for a short break so they may worship God. Not an unreasonable request, but it highlights the unreasonableness of Pharaoh.]
4 And the king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, release the people from their works? Go back to work.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their work.”
6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the number of the bricks, which they did make before, you shall require of them; you shall not diminish their quota: for they are lazy; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor more; so they may not pay attention to lying words.”
10 And the slave masters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go yourselves, get straw where ye can find it: for none of your work shall be reduced.’” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 And the slave masters were pressing them saying, “Fulfil your works, and daily tasks, as when there was straw.” 14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s slave masters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why have you not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as before?”
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why have you dealt with your servants like this? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.
17 But Pharoah said, “You are lazy, you are lazy! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.’ 18 Go then now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you, yet shall you deliver the same number of bricks.”
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not reduce the number of your bricks, from your daily tasks.” 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they departed from Pharaoh. 21 And they said to Moses and Aron, “Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because you have made us to be obnoxious in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” [Israel fell into a common trap of immaturity. They assumed that because God was on their side, anything that made their immediate situation worse could not be from the Lord. How many times have we fallen into that same thinking?]
God Promises Deliverance
22 And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, “Lord, why have You dealt ill with this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt ill with this people; neither have You delivered your people at all.” [Even those who are mature in the Lord can lose focus on the promises He has made to us in His Word, if we allow it. God had already told Moses that Pharaoh would refuse the request, yet Moses still hoped that the release would come easily. However, God had a plan and purpose for everything that happened—and everything that will happen—just as He does today.]
