Exodus 4:27-6:13 - What to Do When You Face (Spiritual) Opposition
Exodus 4:27-6:13 - What to Do When You Face (Spiritual) Opposition
Read Exodus 4:27-6:13.
Introduction⤒🔗
Vince De Paul was the manager of a rock band, until he met Christ. When he told an acquaintance about his conversion, the man offered Vince a timely insight: “Vince, Satan cannot get you back, but he will do whatever he can to attack you.” That sound spiritual counsel helped prepare Vince to face what lay ahead and to comprehend what was happening.
When a well-known music trade magazine learned about his conversion and his departure from the rock scene, they mockingly labeled him as a “Jesus freak.” Seeking new employment, Vince found no one interested in hiring a former rock band manager. When a series of lawsuits were filed against the band they included Vince’s name; he had to sell his home to pay off his share of the financial obligation. From living a life of glamour, wealth and luxury, Vince was reduced to working odd jobs to provide for his family. But Vince was able to see the spiritual dimension to his plight and, consequently, looked to his heavenly Father for the grace to get through his ordeal.1
As Christians, we need to recognize the spiritual dimension to the opposition or conflict or problem we are facing, and be enabled to cope and to conquer by means of the spiritual provisions supplied by Christ. This is the lesson we learn from Moses in this passage of Exodus: Because we are faced with spiritual opposition, we must rely upon spiritual measures.
When You Face (Spiritual) Opposition, Resort to God in Prayer←⤒🔗
Together, Moses and Aaron come to the people of Israel and report to them what the LORD is about to do. They perform the confirming signs He had given them, and the people believed (Ex. 4:31). Moses and Aaron then proceed to gain an audience with Pharaoh. They inform him of the LORD’s command, “Let my people go, so that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness” (Ex. 5:1).
Now they encounter opposition. At this point, their progress is ground to a halt, they are faced with a substantial roadblock, and everything is thrown into reverse. Pharaoh does not acknowledge the LORD, he refuses to let the people go, and he insists on increasing their burden.
Consider the response of the Israelites to this unexpected and disheartening turn of events, their response to this opposition. The leaders of Israel went and cried to Pharaoh; they appealed to him for mercy and understanding—but he rejected their pleas:
17[Pharaoh] said to them, 'You are lazy! You are lazy! That is why you say, Let us go and offer a sacrifice to the LORD. 18Now go and work! You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the same number of bricks!'5:17-18
Upon being rejected by Pharaoh, the leaders of Israel actually curse Moses and Aaron: “May the LORD look upon you and judge you!” (Ex. 5:21).
In contrast, consider Moses’ response to this opposition:
22Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, Lord, why have you dealt harshly with your people? Why have you sent me? 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has been hostile towards this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.5:22-23
Moses returned to the LORD and prayed.
Consider the prayer Moses addressed to the LORD. There is a bold questioning of God: “LORD, why have you dealt harshly with your people? Why have you sent me?” (Ex. 5:22)
Dare we question God? Dare we seek answers and explanations concerning His dealing with us? When you consider the prayer of Moses, and other prayers in Scripture, you find the answer to be, Yes.
The Psalmist cries out to the LORD, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psl. 10:1)
Again, we hear the Psalmist bring his complaint before God:
1How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? Psl. 13:1-2
Then there is the prophet Habakkuk’s prayer:
2How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Hab. 1:2-3
Finally, we find recorded in Scripture the cry of the Lord Jesus uttered from the cross of Calvary: “At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ (which, being interpreted, means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’)” (Mk. 15:34)
It is completely legitimate for you, as a child of God in Christ Jesus, to voice your questions, to honestly seek to know the mind of your heavenly Father, especially when what you presently see does not seem to correspond with the promises or the character or the will of God. Such was the case with Moses. In Exodus 3:7-8 we find the LORD’s promise:
7The LORD said, I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of their taskmasters. I know their sorrows. 8I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
But when Moses seeks to carry out the LORD’s command, he and Israel do not receive the promised deliverance; on the contrary, “Pharaoh gave this command to the taskmasters appointed over the people and to their foremen, 9‘Make the work harder for the men’” (Ex. 5:6,9). So it is that Moses now returns to the LORD with his bewildered complaint.
We may approach the LORD with our questions, but when we do so, we must approach Him in a manner and spirit that is befitting a child of God approaching the heavenly Father who is also the sovereign God of all the earth.
We should approach our heavenly Father with steadfast unwavering faith: “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge” (Psl. 62:8).
We must approach our heavenly Father with a humble, reverent spirit, remembering whom we are addressing: “Abraham responded and said, ‘Behold now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the LORD, I who am nothing more than dust and ashes’” (Gen. 18:27).
We must approach our heavenly Father with a readiness to wait upon Him and accept His answer: “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will give to me” (Hab. 2:1).
When you face (spiritual) opposition, resort to God in prayer. Bear in mind the words of the hymn writer, Joseph Scriven:
What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
But there is something more to be said: When Moses finds that Pharaoh does not immediately comply with the LORD’s command that he release Israel from their bondage, but in fact increases their burden, Moses returns to the LORD and protests, “Lord, why have you dealt harshly with your people? Why have you sent me? 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has been hostile towards this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” (5:22-23) In the present instance, Moses’ bewilderment stems from his failure to bear in mind all that the LORD had told him. To be sure, the LORD has promised that He will deliver His people (Ex, 3:7-8), but He also warned that Pharaoh would initially oppose the divine will: "the LORD said to Moses, When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go” (Ex. 4:21).
When you face (spiritual) opposition, you can and should resort to God in prayer, bearing in mind that often times you will find the answer to your dilemma or the needed counsel, in the Word of God—the Scriptures.
When You Face (Spiritual) Opposition, Rely upon God’s Word←⤒🔗
In response to Moses' prayer, God promises to employ His awesome power on behalf of His people: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; because of my strong hand he will let them go; indeed, because of my strong hand he will drive them out of his land’” (Ex. 6:1). In the days ahead, Moses would witness all of nature rising up against Pharaoh, at the command of God, until the mighty Egyptian empire was brought to its knees in defeat.
As Christians, the LORD points us forward to the day when He will employ His almighty power:
10...the day of the LORD will come like a thief. On that day, the heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up... 13But, according to his promise, we are watching for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides. 2 Pet. 3:10,13
The LORD also points us back to previous displays of His almighty power:
50And when Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shock and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!' Matt. 27:50-54
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the LORD came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6aHe is not here; he has risen, just as he said...'Matt. 28:2-6a
The LORD exhorts us to rely upon His almighty power, which He will dispense on our behalf: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psl. 46:1). We may take confidence from the testimony of the Apostle Paul: “[the Lord Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Cor. 12:9a). Again, he testifies, “everyone deserted me, 17But the Lord stood at my side and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:16-17).
God assures us that He is the covenant-keeping God who is ever faithful to His people. God spoke to Moses and told him, “I am the LORD” (6:2); “I have established My covenant with them” (6:4); “I have remembered My covenant” (6:5); “I am the LORD” (6:8). Based upon His covenantal faithfulness, the LORD instructs Moses, “Therefore, say to the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians” (6:6); “I will take you to be my people and I will be your God” (6:7); “I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as an inheritance. I am the LORD” (6:8). The LORD’s message may be summarized as follows: I am your covenant God; therefore, I will act on your behalf to fulfill My promises to you. Notice that both in the assurance He gives to Moses and the message He gives Moses to deliver to Israel, the LORD’s promises are framed by the affirmation, “I am the LORD,” the faithful covenant-keeping God, who is at the same time the Almighty.
In the New Testament, we hear the Lord Jesus renew His covenantal promises:
32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Lk. 12:32
1Do not let your heart be troubled; trust in God, trust in me also. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going to prepare a place for you. 3And if Igo and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me; so that where I am, you may be also.Jn. 14:1-3
God promises His people that they shall know that He is the LORD their God: “I will take you to be my people and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God” (Ex. 6:7). Here is the promise that God’s people shall know with understanding and personal experience that He is the true and living God and that He is our God.
Note the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ made to His disciples: “On that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (Jn. 14:20). The “day’ of which He speaks is the day of His resurrection, the day on which He would be reunited with His disciples. But the day of our Lord’s resurrection is also a foretaste of the Final Resurrection, on which day all of the redeemed shall enter forever into the most personal and profound fellowship with Christ our Lord.
But as Christians, we need not only wait for that day of Final Resurrection to experience Christ’s presence and fellowship. We have His sure promise that He is with us always (Matt. 28:20); and it is especially in times of need or times of trial, that He makes His divine presence known. In the hour of his trial, the Apostle Paul testified, “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17).
By way of more contemporary example, consider the experience of a Russian Christian: While imprisoned in a Siberian prison camp for his Christian faith, he experienced a foretaste of the great and blessed truth of which our Lord Jesus speaks in John 14:20, he felt the presence of God and an indescribable union with Him.
When you face (spiritual) opposition, rely upon God’s Word. He promises that He will employ His almighty power, He will be faithful to His covenant, and we will know Him as our God.
When You Face (Spiritual) Opposition, Request a Charge from God←⤒🔗
When Moses brings this message from God to the people of Israel, they did not listen, “because of the anguish of their spirit and because of their cruel bondage.” The verse literally reads, “because of shortness of spirit and cruel bondage” (Ex. 6:9). In other words, they were spiritually fatigued and overwhelmed by the oppression of their Egyptian overlords.
The unbelief and spiritual lethargy of the people had an adverse effect on Moses. When the LORD instructs him to return to Pharaoh and demand the release of the people from their bondage, Moses raises the objection: “If Israel will not listen tome, surely Pharaoh will not listen” (Ex. 6:12).
What does the LORD now do?
13The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron and he gave them a charge concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt—[a charge] to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Ex. 6:13
The LORD re-commissioned His servants, this time charging them with divine power and authority to accomplish His will and fulfill His purpose.
When you face (spiritual) opposition, you may need to request a charge from God. When you sink into the depths of Israel’s spiritual despondency and unbelief, when you allow yourself to become intimidated and overwhelmed by the world around you, when you lose heart and hope and nerve, when your spiritual life shrivels up and barely clings to the tree like the last leaf in autumn, at such times, request a divine charge from the LORD to enable you to carry out your God-given calling and carry on with your God-given responsibilities.
When you imitate Moses in his attitude of defeat and his desire to resign from his divine commission, when you lose your zeal for serving Christ, when your love for Christ grows cold, when you grow weary in the task God has assigned to you, when you lose sight of the purpose and the goal of the Christian life, when you want to retire from the conflict and give up the struggle against the sinful nature and the devil and the world, at such times, request a divine charge from the LORD to enable you to carry out your God-given calling and carry on with your God-given responsibilities.
In such times as these, our prayer needs to be that of the Psalmist: “I am laid low in the dust; revive me according to your word” (Psl. 119:25). Furthermore, we should turn the Psalmist’s question into a prayer: “Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psl. 85:6)
Conclusion←⤒🔗
When you encounter (spiritual) opposition to your Christian faith, to your Christian life, to the accomplishing of the will of God, you need to know where to turn and what to do. Let us learn from the example of Moses and the way the LORD dealt with him:
- Resort to God in prayer
- Rely upon the Word of God
- Request a divine charge from God
Discussion Questions←⤒🔗
1. How do the people of Israel respond when they learn the LORD has responded to their cry (Ex. 3:9) and has come to deliver them? See Ex. 4:31 Do we worship the LORD with thanksgiving for answered prayer, or do we neglect to do so?
31When they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. Ex. 4:31
2. How do the people react to the miraculous signs the LORD had given Moses to perform? See Ex. 4:30-31a What was the purpose of these signs? See Ex. 4:1, 8 What is your view of miracles? Do you think they only occurred in biblical times? Or that their purpose is to heal all our maladies and make life comfortable for us? Or do you see them as being under God’s sovereign control, used by Him at His discretion to serve His purpose, being at His disposal, not at our command?
30Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and he performed the signs in the sight of the people—31aand the people believed. Ex. 4:30-31a
1And Moses answered and said, “But, behold, they will not believe me...they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.'... 8Then it will be, if they will not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. Ex. 4:1, 8
3. The miraculous signs were given to serve as Moses’s divine credentials, verifying the fact that he was the divinely appointed deliverer. What signs has God given to verify that Jesus is our divinely appointed Redeemer? See Jn. 20:30-31.
30Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and by believing you may have life in his name. Jn. 20:30-31
4. What two methods does Pharaoh employ to dissuade the people from paying attention to Moses? See Ex. 5:8-9 What response do the Hebrew foremen receive when they appeal to Pharaoh for justice and mercy? See Ex. 5:15-18a As a Christian, have you ever looked in vain to the unbelieving society for justice or mercy? Does their negative response surprise you? What do the foremen proceed to accuse Moses of doing? See Ex. 5:20-21 What protest does Moses now bring before the LORD? See Ex. 5:22-23 How do we react when we encounter opposition or disappointment?
8But you shall still require them to make the same number of bricks as they have been making. You shall not reduce the quota, for they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, Let us go and offer a sacrifice to our God. 9Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies. Ex. 5:8-9
15Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh, saying, 'Why are you treating your servants like this? 16Your servants are given no straw, but yet they tell us, Make bricks! And look, your servants are beaten, but the fault lies with your own people.' 17But he said to them, You are lazy! You are lazy! That is why you say, Let us go and offer a sacrifice to the LORD. 18aNow go and work! Ex. 5:15-18a
20When they left Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who were standing there waiting for them. 21The foremen said to them, 'May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, so as to put a sword in their hand to kill us!' Ex. 5:20-21
22Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Lord, why have you dealt harshly with your people? Why have you sent me? 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has been hostile towards this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.' Ex. 5:22-23
5. What does the LORD do for Moses and Aaron? See Ex. 6:13 When might we need a similar work of God in our Christian lives? How does the LORD empower us as Christians to live for Him and fulfill whatever ministry He has entrusted to us? See Jn. 20:22b; Phil. 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9.
13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron and he gave them a charge concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt—a charge to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Ex. 6:13
22b...he breathed on them and said unto them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit...' Jn. 20:22b
9He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor. 12:9
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