The verse we are considering is an excerpt from the prayer that Moses made to God with a complaint. It seemed that the first demand from Moses to free his people backfired resulting in an increase of their burdens by Pharoah. In reviewing this text, we can take heart that Moses did not lose faith. He became confused. He was discouraged and perhaps misguided at times. However, he sought God for instructions in the next step to take against Pharaoh.
The oppositions between Moses and Pharaoh are a type of good and evil that always stand in conflict with each other. The conduct of Pharaoh is typical of what would be from the devil himself. In response to Moses, Pharaoh offered compromises that would deprive the people of their possessions, and then spiritually as well as socially. Compare with me a deeper view of this interaction between Moses and Pharaoh.
Egypt is a type of the sinful world that enslaves people in so many ways. Drugs and alcohol are one of the devil’s prime tools, but they are not the only ones. Our world is so corrupt and those living in it are so sinful that there is no room in most people’s hearts for God. The Jews in this incidence are like those captured by sin, but who are trying to accept God’s invitation for salvation. It is easy to see Pharaoh as the “god of this world.” His chief objectives are to blind the mind, burden the heart, and ultimately destroy lives.
Unilaterally Pharaoh/Satan are opposed to all that is good. The king of Egypt asked, “Who is this Lord?” (5:2) From the beginning of time Satan has put forth a challenge to the majesty of the Godhead. He wants people to believe that the true God is no greater that all the idols or false gods of other people in the land. Pharaoh called the message of Moses “vain words.” He despised God’s loving message and call for salvation. He seeks to destroy the Word of God refusing to believe that God’s help is possible.
According to verses 17 and 18, Pharaoh increased the burdens on the slaves. He wanted it to seem that all was hopeless without any means of escape. Look at the cunning devices offered to the Jews which are also today being offered in the ears of whatever person starts on the road of freedom, joins in the pilgrimage of faith. For this time Pharaoh told him to go, and sacrifice but stay in the land.(8:25) Satan is unconcerned if a person goes to church when and if that person retains an allegiance to sin. There came a second offer that was for the people of Moses to go but not very far away.(8:28) Satan is willing for people to go on a spiritual bench as long as nothing genuine I occurs.
Pharaoh’s third offer was to go as men, not with their families, not as a godly obedient people.(10:11) Evil still under those circumstances had a tether rope on the person seeking God. The final compromise of Pharaoh was for the Jews to go but leave their flocks behind. That may not seem like much but as such it offers a telltale. All of our possessions really belonged to God, anyway, meaning that the person who has not known Christ’s freedom is still under the influence of worldliness.
When checking out this picture story we are reminded that no one can enjoy the promises of God until they have left, thrown off their slavery bonds. Take notice how cunning and deceiving the devil is. At the same time, the believer, like most of us, must demand of himself a complete fulfillment of the messages from God that lead to an eternity in heaven. For them it was physical freedom. For us it is spiritual and emotional freedom. Victory is ours when we are God’s.
Christian Writer 