Readings for today: Exodus 5-9
Too often I make the mistake of reading Scripture through 21st century eyes. I subconsciously assume the people I read about in the Bible think like I do. But not only is there a massive cultural gap between 21st century America with our ideals of freedom and liberty and justice and fairness and ancient Egypt where Pharaoh was worshipped as a god but I also have to remember I live post-resurrection. I’ve been blessed to see the fullness of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. The ancient Hebrews did not have this benefit. They did not yet know this God. They had no Bible. There were no Ten Commandments at this point in history. They had not yet appeared before Him at Mt. Sinai. They did not know how to worship Him. Furthermore, they had no real national identity. They had no land. No leadership. They were slaves. At best, they were a collection of loosely related people with a common ancestor and some stories about a God who once spoke to them.
In the ancient near eastern world, Egypt was the dominant power. Pharaoh was literally the most powerful man on earth. As such, he did not consider himself to be a man like any other man. He ruled with absolute authority. He held the power of life and death in his hands. His domain stretched for thousands of miles in every direction. He was wealthy beyond belief. His armies were feared. He truly believed he was divine. He truly believed the peoples of the earth existed to serve his needs and his purposes. So it comes as no surprise when Moses approaches him with a demand from Yahweh to let the Hebrews go that Pharaoh would have laughed. "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go." (Exodus 5:2) For all Pharaoh knew, this Yahweh was just another small-time, tribal god who had no power. After all, Yahweh had allowed His people to become slaves for hundreds of years. He was not a god to be respected, much less feared.
The Exodus story has so many layers and we make much of the drama between Pharaoh and Moses. But the real story is the conflict between Pharaoh and Yahweh. Yahweh is using Pharaoh as an instrument to reveal His true glory to the world. He says as much in Exodus 9:13-16, “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” The Apostle Paul underscores this same idea in Romans 9:14-18, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” The reality is God is not going to relent with Pharaoh until he reaches a place of complete and total submission. God will not stop with the plagues until Pharaoh is completely broken and grasps the difference between himself and Yahweh, the Lord of the Universe. So plague after plague after plague rains down. The people of Egypt suffer. Their lands and livestock are largely destroyed. Fear begins to permeate the land as the Egyptians realize that the god they’ve come face to face with is no tribal deity! He is Yahweh! He is the Lord! He is God!
By the way, God isn’t just revealing Himself to the Egyptians, He is re-introducing Himself to His people. He is reminding them who He is. He is teaching them about Himself. “Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.” (Exodus 6:6-8) After four hundred years of silence, God is once again on the move. He is fulfilling His promises in His time.
Now some may ask why God waited so long? What about the people who don’t get to experience the miracle of the Exodus? What about those who had lived and died under the lash of the Egyptians? Here we come face to face with the fact that our God is no tribal god. His primary purpose is not to meet our needs. It’s not to make sure we remain safe and happy and live a blessed life. No, God has a greater plan in mind and that is to reveal His glory to the world. This is why God delivered His people. To show forth His power and glory to the world. To leave no doubt as to who is God and who is not.
So the question then comes to us...will we believe this God? Will we trust this God? Will we worship this God? Will we harden our hearts like Pharaoh? Will we cling to our pride and continue to act like “little gods?” Or perhaps our spirits are broken by the pain we’ve suffered in this world. Perhaps belief is beyond us because of how beaten down we feel. Will we pray the prayer Thomas prayed, “Lord, help my unbelief?” Will we trust Christ above even our own thoughts, feelings, and fears?
Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 10-13