Ecclesiastics 10:2 “A wise person chooses the right road. A fool takes the wrong one.”
God’s people had been in bondage under the fist of Pharaoh. God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to free Israel from slavery. Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the known world. Moses gave four objections why he wasn’t the one to go. He insisted he was a clumsy speaker and even his own people wouldn’t listen to him. So the Lord told Aaron to walk alongside Moses. So together they went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him what the Lord, the God of Israel wanted, “Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness.”
Pharaoh, not believing in the God of Moses, did not obey this request. God then gave Moses the ability to show Pharaoh what his disobedience would cost not only to himself but to his own people. So God sent the first sign which was water turned to blood. Dead stinky fish everywhere and no water for the people to drink. This lasted seven days but Pharaoh returned to his palace like nothing was wrong. Then came those nasty frogs that covered all the land. Frogs in the houses, the courtyards and the fields and they all died and then they were smelly dead frogs. Then came the gnats that covered the people and the animals. Still Pharaoh refused. His line to Moses was tomorrow. Come back tomorrow and I will do what God has asked. So many tomorrows came, along with plagues. Flies infested the land, tomorrow. A plague against their animals, tomorrow; festering boils, tomorrow; hail falling from the sky, tomorrow, Here a locust, there a locust, everywhere a locust, tomorrow, and then darkness covered the sky. It was a deep darkness so dark, people couldn’t see one another. Pharaoh had no idea the worse was yet to come. He was out of tomorrows. His next tomorrow, at midnight, grief and heartache would cover the land of Egypt. Moses announced that the Lord would pass through the heart of Egypt and every first born son would die. Even Pharaoh would feel the pain of losing his son. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened to the point where he put his people and his family through hell on earth.
Both Moses and Pharaoh did not want to obey God. Moses was afraid to go speak to Pharaoh because he felt inadequate. Pharaoh didn’t want to let God’s people go because of his pridefulness. One felt less, and the other man felt more than. God had lessons for both men to learn. Why didn’t God just take Pharaoh and the Egyptians out with the wave of His hand? Instead God chose to slowly reveal His sovereignty. He gave Pharaoh chance after chance to let God’s people go and do as God commanded. Did God, who wants all to enter into eternity, give Pharaoh so many chances in hopes Pharaoh would finally obey God? When God saw that Pharaoh was dug in, He finally said, “Ok, you want to play God. I will now harden your heart. You will now get the full effect of my wrath.” Moses, on the other hand, watched God continually be faithful in what He said He would do. Moses saw God would be there with him. This gave Moses the courage to take God’s people into the promised land.
How many of us are like Moses? We hold back on doing what God wants because we feel inadequate. We forget that if He asks us to do something He will give us what we need to get it done. He doesn’t send the equipped. He equips the sent. Can you look back on your life and see God’s faithfulness? Does this give you the courage to face your Pharaoh? Or do we react like Pharaoh? Are there times when we are stubborn and prideful? God is asking us to let something go and we refuse. I will forgive tomorrow. I will let go of my anger tomorrow. I will spend time with the Lord tomorrow. What damage are we doing to ourselves when we hold on to what God wants us to release? Are we keeping ourselves and others in bondage? One day we too might be out of tomorrows. Either we are wise or foolish. The choices we make are very important to our God who loved Pharaoh just as much as Moses.
Lord, You love all of us whether wise or foolish, but eventually our tomorrows will run out.
– Michele
