January 22, 2025 - Exodus 5-6

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ But Pharaoh said, ‘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’” (5:1-2).  Pharaoh did not know the Lord but, rest assured, the Lord knew Pharaoh, what he was up to, and what he would do.  To Moses’ demand, Pharaoh responded by making their labor more onerous and, then, in successive steps compromised and compromised  until he not only allowed the people to leave, he demanded that they leave.  God knew this would be the outcome.  After all, as he repeated to Moses over and over, he is the Lord!  And this Lord “said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land’” (6:1).  It’s amazing, isn’t it, that rulers and authorities time and time again doubt the God of Israel.  They push against him.  They blaspheme him.  They refuse to bow before him.  What foolishness! Pharaoh is about to learn a very painful lesson.

Chain’d by sin in cruel bondage,

Groaning with our bitter need,

Drooping ‘neath our guilty burden,

Lord, Thy promises we plead.

I, Jehovah, will redeem you,

For my name and covenant’s sake,

From your burdens I’ll release you,

All your fetters I will break,

And I will take you for a people;

Your Redeemer I will be,

And with an outstretch’d arm I'll rescue

Ev’ry soul that trusts in me.   -- Mary Ann Baker (1874)