Focal Passage: Exodus 5:1-4; 6:2-9
People crave freedom. Unfortunately, many desire an auto- cracy where they answer to no one but themselves. In the poem, “Invictus,” William Ernest Henley declared, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” Ironically, I have most often heard this poem read over dead men’s caskets. Pharaoh proved to be such a man.
Pharaoh quickly admitted (Exodus 5:2) that he did not know the Lord and showed that he had no interest in getting to know the Lord. Here we see how bad theology leads to bad practice. Since Pharaoh did not know the Lord, he felt no obligation to obey the Lord. In a culture that contained well over a thousand gods, the true and living God was dismissed as though He were just another deity born out of superstition and added to the pagan pantheon. By rejecting the command to let God’s people go, Pharaoh would see (and yet never believe) that this God alone is worthy of worship.
Typical of lost men, Pharaoh lived for the things of this world. When confronted with the opportunity to obey God’s command probably for the first time in his life, he chose to obsess over the productivity of his slaves. To discourage any further confrontations with Moses he took away the straw for bricks to increase the burden of the Hebrews (Exodus 5:7ff).
Rust
Thankfully, the hands of a sovereign God are never tied! Pharaoh would prove no match for God’s power, yet he would never yield in faith to God no matter how much it cost him. Although we would rather see people obey God, we must remember that God is glorified in both the condemnation and salvation of sinners. In both cases God is true to His promises and His character, giving justice to the unbeliever and grace to the believer.
Before His death on the cross, Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus to warn His hearers that some people would not believe God even if someone (Jesus) rose from the dead (Luke 16:31). Both the Old and New Testament demonstrate that obedience to God is the result of faith, not scientific evidence. There are numerous scientific facts to support the Bible, but a cold dead heart can never see enough proof.
Believers on the other hand do not cling to blind faith; they simply believe in the seen and unseen power of God. In numerous passages following the Exodus, God reminded the Israelites, that He was the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt. We cannot separate God’s character from His actions. We worship Him both for who He is and for what He has done! Sadly, numerous Israelites would see the miracles of the Exodus and never follow God by faith.
For them, physical redemption from slavery would not display spiritual redemption from sin, because true freedom is not found in fleeing an earthly oppressor; it is experienced in worshipfully walking with God.
No matter what our earthly plight entails, Jesus’ finished work on the cross provides freedom from slavery to sin for all who believe (John 8:34-36) B&R
