2/25/2018
The Exodus of God’s People Pt 6
Let My people go!
God Desires The Worship of His People
Exodus 5:1 (After meeting with the Elders of Israel) Moses & Aaron went in, & told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.
The World System Does NOT Recognize Our God
Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go!
John 14:30; Luke 4:5-6; Revelation 12:9a; 1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Psalm 2:2-3
Discipline Begins With The Household of God
Exodus 5:3 They said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
1 Peter 4:17
The World Resists The Exercise of True Faith
Exodus 5:4-5 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses & Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, & you are stopping them from working!”
The World System Keeps Us TOO BUSY FOR GOD!
Exodus 5:6-9 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers & foremen in charge of the people: “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go & 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 men so that they keep working & pay no attention to lies!”
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Deliverance Sounds Good but It Doesn’t Gather Straw
Exodus 5:10-13 Then the slave drivers & the foremen went out & said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. Go get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'” 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.”
Life Experience Is The Best Teacher
Exodus 5:14-18 The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh’s slave drivers were beaten and were asked, “Why didn’t you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?” Then the Israelite foremen 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.” Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are–lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks!”
Ephesians 4:2-3
When Things Go Wrong Leaders Get Blamed
Exodus 5:19-21 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, & they said, “May the LORD look upon you & judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh & his officials & have put a sword in their hand to kill us!”
When Leaders Get Blamed They Pray… (kind of!)
Exodus 5:22-23 Moses returned to the LORD & said, “O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, & you have not rescued your people at all!”