Monday Bible Study Life in Christ Bible Church LICBC Headquarters, 154 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024, USA http://www.licbc.org ********************************************************************************************** Systematic, Expository Study of God's Word Study 6: PHARAOH'S BLASPHEMOUS QUESTION AND OPPRESSIVE ACTION Exodus 5:1-23 The time had now arrived for Moses and Aaron to appear before Pharaoh and confront him with God's demand. They had already spoken "all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses and done the signs in the sight of all the elders of the children of Israel. And the people believed...then they bowed their heads and worshipped" (Exodus 4:29-31). The favourable response of Aaron and Israel must have encouraged Moses. The Lord inclined the hearts of the people to believe and worship at Moses' first entrance into Egypt. Would Pharaoh respond in a similar way? would he believe and worship the true God with the taskmasters of Egypt? Would the signs have an immediate impact .on him? God had earlier warned his servant, Moses: "And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and AFTER THAT he will let you go" (Exodus 3:19,20). We need not be surprised or discouraged if we keep in mind "the words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, and of the commandment of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." (2 Peter 3:2). Moses and Aaron were well instructed and well equipped for their ministry before Pharaoh and Egypt, and it was time to confront the tyrant. Having the recognition and support of the elders of Israel helped them to proceed in their God-appointed ministry. 1. PHARAOH'S REACTION TO DIVINE REQUEST Exodus 5:1-5; 2 Kings 18:28-36; Daniel 3:15-19; Job 21:7-22; Luke 19:14; Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. "And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus saith the LORD God of Israel..." There were many gods in Egypt (Exodus 12;12), but Moses and Aaron brought a message from the only true God. The message was not from one of the gods of Egypt, but from "the LORD God of Israel". Moses did not come in his own authority. Making a request based on national interest, he maintained "thus saith the LORD." The message "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness" was what God had told Moses (Exodus 3:10,12,18; 4:22,23). The message "Let my people go" came as a surprise to Pharaoh, because he thought of Israel as his slaves, his people. Pharaoh was told in clear language that God required the worship and service of the people he held in slavery. God acted in mercy towards Pharaoh before acting in judgment. God revealed His will through the spoken word and gave him opportunity to respond in faith and obedience or in unbelief, disobedience and rebellion. This is always God's way with man. He sent forth Noah as a preacher of righteousness before the flood came upon the sinners of Noah's day. He sent forth Jonah to warn Nineveh before the judgment of being overthrown. He sent forth one prophet after another unto Israel, before they were carried into captivity. And later, He sent forth His own Son, followed by the apostles, before Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70. So it is with the world today. First warning, then the judgment; first salvation is offered, then wrath and everlasting punishment if mercy is rejected. "And 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" (Exodus 5:2). Unacquainted with God, God's grace, God's truth, God's irresistible power, God's justice and sovereignty, he defiantly refused to bow to His mandate. Precisely such is the reply of the unbelieving and rebellious heart of the natural man to God's authoritative word: "Repent - Believe" (Acts 17:30; 16:31). The rebellious heart replies "who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?" For such rebellion against God's authority, judgment came upon Pharaoh, and judgment will come upon impenitent sinners. God will "take vengeance on them that KNOW NOT GOD, and that OBEY NOT the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:8). 2. THE TYRANT'S CRUELTY AGAINST GOD'S PEOPLE Exodus 5;6-14; Proverbs 29:12; Jeremiah 43:1,2; Luke 9:37-42; Psalms 27:12-14; 74:19-23. The king in anger immediately commanded the Egyptian taskmasters to increase the work of the Israelites. Like a tyrant, blind to all reason, he was determined to break the will of the people. He regarded God's Word through Moses as "vain words". Pharaoh here is a picture of the sinner who disobeys the Gospel command to repent. The one who refuses to repent becomes more impenitent, more defiant, more lawless until (with rare exceptions) the Lord abandons him to his own ways and leaves him to suffer the due reward of his iniquities. Pharaoh said, "Let them not regard VAIN WORDS.." He regarded God's word as vain words. To the man who does not know God, His words are counted as vain words -idle tales. So does the rebellious, impenitent sinner regard God's word, the Holy Bible. The Bible tells the sinner that he is a fallen creature, separated from God, unprepared to die, unfit for the presence of God, in need of repentance, God's grace and salvation. The Bible tells him plainly that he that believeth not shall be damned, but these solemn words are counted as "vain words" by the skeptical heart of the impenitent sinner. Let the sinner be warned of the awful case of Pharaoh. Let him beware. Let us learn some important lessons from the lot of Israel at this time. The severe measures which Pharaoh ordered to be taken upon the Israelites illustrate the malignant efforts of Satan against the soul whose salvation is very near. When the devil recognizes the first advances of the Holy Spirit toward a sinner, he at once puts forth every effort to retain his victim - by increased occupation with material things, to expel all thoughts and desires for spiritual things from his heart. As hope was awakened in Israel, opposition and oppression became stronger. Just when deliverance seemed near, the affliction was increased (Luke 9:42). This is why so many convicted souls find that their case gets worse before it becomes better. 3. DISCOURAGEMENT AND DESPAIR IN ISRAEL Exodus 5:15-23; Genesis 25:21-23; John 16:20-23; Ecclesiastes 4:1; 5:8; 2 Corinthians 1:7-10. Discouragement and despair! These are strong tools in Satan's hands to weaken our faith and make us lose hope. "The officers of the children of Israel" were discouraged (Exodus 5:19-21) and Moses too appeared shaken by the situation (Exodus 5:22,23). The officers had appealed to Pharaoh on the brutal treatment by the taskmasters but Pharaoh was absolutely pitiless and inflexible. These officers (Israelites) then confronted Moses and accused him of increasing their troubles. Moses had been prepared (in his heart) for the initial rebellion of Pharaoh (Exodus 3:19,20) but little did he know that he would have to endure the criticism of his own people. This is always a real test of the faith of God's servants. It is far more painful to be criticised by our own brethren, by those we are trying to deliver than it is to be persecuted by the world. "And Moses returned unto the Lord". Moses did well in turning to the Lord in the hour of trial but his faith was yet weak and his heart appeared to be in confused state. Yet God spoke to him and directed him on what to do next (Exodus 6:1). What we have seen here supplies a striking picture of that which awaits Israel in the Great Tribulation. These awful experiences will still come upon Israel in greater measure during "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:6,7). Prior to the second coming of the Deliverer to Zion, the world will reject the testimony of God's two witnesses and the Antichrist will deal with the children of Israel mercilessly (Matthew 24:21,22,29,30; Revelation 11:3-12). May God count us worthy to escape the great torments of the Great Tribulation period.
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