Chapter 3

Please read Exodus, chapter 5.

Yes, they worshipped and . . . suffered all the more.

Exodus 5:1 “Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said; ‘This

is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ’Let My people go, so that they

may hold a festival to Me in the desert.’ “

Pharaoh ridiculed that message. The idea that there would be a break in his program of expansion, because his slaves would not make bricks, was totally unacceptable to him. These two strangers, who were they, marching into his palace and presence, with their ludicrous phantasies. I certainly hope and pray you will not think like that about me, bringing fancy ideas into your mind and life. If that would be so, you are, like Pharaoh, mistaken. The truth is they were two strangers, but their message was from the Lord, the God of Israel. It was a message that made Pharaoh increase his stranglehold on his slaves. Listen to him:

Exodus 5:2 “Pharaoh said: ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go’ “.

Instead of letting his slaves go he would increase their burden and suffering. ‘I don’t know the Lord’ he said. He just could not see his problem. The Lord knew him! Every step of his life, every one of his hours was like an open book to God.

There they are. The slaves. Crushed and crumbling. Every day they had been given the necessary straw to use in their bricks and soon Pharaoh ordered them to find their own straw but still make the same number of bricks as before. Defeated and down they had no hope at all of delivering themselves. If there were to be delivery from their slavery it must come from outside of their captivity. And who would go to that type of trouble? Humanly speaking their situation was beyond any improvement.

Well, from the days of Adam and Eve, until the year of 2007A.D. it has been exactly like that for the human race. Many high and mighty rulers have come and gone, returned to dust. At the cost of millions of human lives, for victory or loss, important generals have commanded their armies into battle and death. Once mighty companies, they have crumbled into dust causing grief to their trusting shareholders. Medicos expect to get cancer under control. When? Authorities are getting frantic trying to exercise their power over motor traffic. But day after day people left home in the morning but did not come back at night. They were murdered, killed in accidents or suicide, or they just died and all returned to dust. That happened exactly as God told Adam and Eve. But the world says: ‘We don’t know God, why should we obey Him?’ Could the same serpent that deceived Adam and Eve be deceiving the world today? Can there possibly be a power, a lying power that deceives human minds and hearts? What do you think? Please, do think about it! The power that

controlled Pharaoh’s thinking was satanic power. And satanic power is always increasing in wickedness, controlling our world today. Deliverance is impossible, unless it comes from outside. It will come from the God of Heaven. The Bible calls the power of evil ‘the prince of this world’ (John 12:32). All kinds and colours of political parties thought or are thinking to get the better of him. For at least 60 years we have heard the claim that world-conditions will improve by better education of the masses. Well, perhaps better education did come but peace and harmony are definitely still out of sight. And they will be, until God steps into world-affairs. Only He and He alone will defeat ‘the prince of this world’.

Exodus 5:3 “Then they (Moses and Aaron) said ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.’ “

He Who is the God of the Hebrews, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is the God of the Bible. Millions of humanity think and act as if they can do without Him. They will never admit their need of forgiveness; they will never accept His rule for their lives but accept the rule of the prince of this world, the archenemy of God. As it was for Pharaoh, so it will be for them, a sad and bitter end, because they were without God and without hope in this world.

Exodus 5:6 “That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave-drivers and foremen in charge of the people: ‘You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.’ “

Exodus 5:10,11 “Then the slave-drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people: ‘This is what Pharaoh says: I will not give you any more straw; go and get your own straw, wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ “

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Here we have the fight. It is between the God of Heaven and the prince of this world. The God of Heaven says: ‘Let My people go’! This is what Pharaoh says: ‘Your work will not be reduced at all’.

Anyone who desires to begin walking with God will find God’s enemy will do anything and his utmost, one way or another, to stop that. Any day you may make hundreds of decisions but fail to decide to begin walking with God. Bow your knees and acknowledge Him to be your Creator and Savior. In the Person of Jesus Christ He has given you His best. Believe Him and He will take charge of things that matter in your life.

Exodus 5:19 “The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told: ‘You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.’ “

There was no way for them to escape from their slavery. The way of escape must come from outside. Even Moses and Aaron could not possibly achieve such a feat.

Exodus 5:22 “Moses returned to the Lord and said; ‘O Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to

Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.”

Does that sound somewhat familiar to you? How often has the Lord God heard that cry from human hearts and lips? ‘Why have you, why did you? Why? Why did you not?’ It never was the Lord at all, being at fault. In any case, He never makes mistakes. But usually it is human mistake, mischief or ignorance that forced the question, ‘Why?’ Moses was expecting God to do what Moses thought He should do. That is always a sad, human mistake. In His divine wisdom and will God does work out His own plan and purpose. He does not need you or me to help Him. Nor does He need to explain.

My mum and dad had four boys. During the second world war the three oldest ones were forced out of sight, underground. The youngest one was still at home. The allied air force became the rulers in the air. Anything that moved on our roads, on the railways or in the canals they shot to pieces. About half a kilometer from our home there was the railway station. And at it the last passenger-train for a good while to come. One pilot did get it in his sights. And began his murderous, destructive work. Again and again he came back, his guns blazing. Down there, at the station, there was a young boy. He was helping passengers to come down from that high-level train-exit to the ground. In his shirt pocket he had a pen and a little notebook. One bullet came through his upper-arm, sheared across his chest, cut pen and book into four pieces and struck some steel of the train. A second bullet found its way through his leg. That young boy was my brother. The nearest hospital was 10 kilometers away. One very brave and gracious citizen came with horse and cart and carried mum and her boy to that hospital. Dear mum. Three of her boys somewhere she did not know about. Her youngest one, shot and shattered by two bullets. She was a devout Christian believer. The God of Heaven spoke peace and comfort into her heart. She had no reason to ask ‘why?’ She already knew the answer. It was with ‘the prince of this world’ who causes sinful men to go to wars.