2020年7月2日星期四

Joining the Kingdom Revolution

Exodus 5:1-6:13

Pharaoh Intensified His Oppression on the Israelites
Moses received God calling in Midian, to deliver Israelites from slavery. He then went back to Egypt and gathered all the Israelites as well as the elders of the people.
Moses did some miracles before their very eyes which caused them to believe that God was concerned about them and had seen their misery, and He wanted to lead them out of Egypt (4: 29-31).
After that, 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.”
This meant that the people of Israelites had replaced Pharaoh with God, and they regarded God to be the One they served. But Pharaoh did not know the LORD, and he paid no attention to Moses’ message.
Pharaoh reacted angrily. Not only did he refuse Moses’ request, but he made the workload of the Israelites heavier, and he intensified his oppression over them. He gave an order not to supply the Israelites with straws for making bricks, and the Israelites had to go and gather their straws, and he required them to make the same number of bricks as before (5: 6-8).
When the people could not make the same number of bricks as requested, they were beaten by their overseers. Moreover, Pharaoh accused them of being lazy.
The people were under great oppression and they had no way to channel their frustration. Hence, they turned against Moses and grumbled against him. They concluded that it was Moses who brought them this unnecessary disaster (5: 20-21).
Moses was extremely puzzled by this unexpected failure. He did not understand why the situation turned worse.  Moses hoped that his effort would produce an immediate result. He never thought that it would become worse!
Therefore, he complained to God just as how the people complained to him. Moses complained to the LORD, why didn’t He rescue His people (5: 22-23).
Pharaoh had his whole set of reasons for accusing the people, and he considered them lazy because they wanted to offer their sacrifices to God.  The people accused Moses as a busy body who invited great troubles on them. Moses accused God for not rescuing the Israelites; and for calling him to accomplish something which he failed before and never wanted to do again.
Men will still Experience Setbacks even When God is At Work
The experience of Moses was likened to someone who intended to do good initially but ended up doing something that was not helpful at all. He received no compliment, but was blamed by the people he served.
We may also encounter similar situations. We are attacked or persecuted because we have submitted to God. Our situation becomes worse than before.
We may be feeling discouraged and think that we should not have involved in these unrewarding things; or we may think that we are destined to be a failure; or we may conclude that the task is mission impossible, so just abandon the task.
The experience of Moses and Aaron reveals that God’s people will still go through moments of pain, failure, and hardship even when God is at work. It is not that God does not care for His people. It is part and parcel of journeying with God.
As we follow God’s way and do good works; as we serve God and fight for justice in this evil world, we will suffer opposition and persecution. Some might even be martyrs for the sake of the gospel.
We are prone to complain to God, “Why don’t you deliver me out of this suffering?”
Yes, God will deliver his people out of suffering or persecution. Praise the Lord! But God also allows some to suffer casualties for a higher purpose. God has His timing in His plan and work. He would wait and only rescue them when they reached a certain level of difficulty.
In the process of waiting and suffering, in the case of the Israelites’ sufferings, they would eventually witness God’s power and might in destroying Pharaoh and all the Egyptian patron gods completely (the Ten Plagues).
The LORD Himself would replace Pharaoh and be the Lord of Israel. The Israelites were to be delivered from their slavery and they would serve the LORD instead of Pharaoh. In this respect, they had to experience a paradigm shift and an overturn of their value system. This was a revolution!
Revolution is not about holding a banquet, but it is materialized through the traumatic and painstaking sacrifices of the people. When Israelites suffered in the hand of Pharaoh, God also suffered with them. (eg: pains in intelligence warfare)
God delivering the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt is a type that foretold the plan of God to deliver all mankind later. In the New Testament times, God saves everyone from sins through Jesus Christ who died on the cross and who was resurrected three day after His crucifixion.
God also adopts the believers to be His people, and He has become our God. He shall guide the believers into a new life which is governed by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Christians who are saved by the grace of God must be thankful for the gift of life we have received, and we should love Jesus Christ and follow in His footsteps to serve God and others on earth as the Spirit leads us.
With the help of the Spirit, we are to fight against all sorts of evil forces (Pharaoh) that enslave people, and these include overcoming the weakness of our flesh and the bondage of our old self, as well as to eliminate the injustice found in social systems.
In this respect, Christians also shall encounter difficulties, objections and need to make sacrifices in this process. Let us be prepared to be an army of God. Do not let sufferings, difficulties and failures become our stumbling blocks that hinder us from moving on.
Submit under God’s Sovereignty
How did God respond to Moses? God did not give a clear explanation to Moses, but He re-emphasized two things:
Firstly, Moses had to know that God was in control.
God repeated five times and He stated again and again that, “……I am the LORD” (6:2-8).
God wanted us to shift our focus from our “current difficulties and past failures” and to fix our eyes on Him, to know Him and to trust Him.
Secondly, we must believe that God is faithful, and His promises will surely be fulfilled.
God said seven times and He emphasized that, “I will……”  (6:6-8)
Cast your burdens on God when you feel lonely and discouraged, for He shall take care of you. In times when you encounter failure after failure, and things are getting worse, you can still trust in God and know His power. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy peace and joy and have the strength to overcome your current difficulties.
The Israelites eventually left Egypt successfully. In the same way, we shall be protected by God and exit our “Egypt” successfully.
What defeat and hardship have you encountered today? Do not be frustrated and do not give up, but instead, strive continuously in proclaiming the Word of God and doing His work, and serve God with an undivided attention, paying whatever price we have to pay.
An excellent worker will not be mindful of his temporal failures. The economic depression and the pandemic shall continue to beat us down for some time. Yet let us be unwavering in worshiping and serving God. Let us continue to live out our faith in this world.
Do not expect that there will always be the comfort of a “banquet” when we walk daily with the Lord. Yet we shall surely have victory if we rely on the Lord for, he is in control in all circumstances.
God still Uses Us even though We are Vulnerable
As we know, despite the setbacks, God was still working. So, he again sent Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh to ask him to let the people go so that they could leave Egypt.
Though the people were weak in their faith, God’s providence was still there with them.  Moses had questioned and complained against God over his frustration, but God still used him.
We are all weak and of little faith. Our faith is shaken whenever we see our circumstances getting worse. Nevertheless, God is unchanging. He is faithful and He is compassionate with our weaknesses. He still would like to use us despite our weaknesses. It is through our weaknesses that God’s power is revealed.
Were Moses and Aaron scared to meet Pharaoh again? Wouldn’t they worry that the consequence could be worsened?
Of course, they were worried and fearful, but they went anyway, because they submitted to God’s instructions. They were willing to pledge their life and possession and to trust God to keep them intact!
We should be like Moses and Aaron, who were persistent and unyielding. Do not be surprised, discouraged or fearful when people reject you and refuse to believe in your faith and struggle.
Let us take our stand. Let us step out boldly and not shrink away, so that we may become witnesses of God amid our difficult times, and that we may be faithful to Him and serve Him wholeheartedly.
Do not give up easily. For example, do not be discouraged when someone criticizes you or wrongs you, or when you are hit by the Covid-19 or you fail in your undertakings.
Moving in God’s plan is not “feasting at a banquet”, but it is resisting “evil, hardships, persecution” in life until the very end. Christians who follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ must take up their own crosses.
Are you willing to be used by God again? God is saying to you this day, “Know that I am the LORD, and I will exert my powerful arms to rescue you from the evil slavery ….”

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