His mother was his father’s sister. He was 80 and his brother was 83 but “just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. They spoke to Pharaoh.” [1]
The fact that God used elderly men to speak to the most powerful king on earth is a sign from God. A sign that the power to bring evil empires down and to bring His people into paradise rests with God not in human muscle.
The Book of Exodus is similar to the Book of Revelation in that it is a book of signs. Signs that God exists! Signs that He intervenes in human time and space to deliver His people from abusive rulers! The plagues and pestilences that God issues in Exodus and Revelation decimate the dictatorships of cruel bullies and assure His people that He keeps His promises.
The Lord’s servants, Moses and Aaron, confront the king of Egypt about his labor practices. The people of God need time off to worship the Lord. “Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” [2]
The Pharaoh responded to the Lord’s demand, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” He told his officers, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before.” “You shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore, they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” [3]
The King of Egypt did not believe God’s Word, and he was not going to give people a day off to worship the Lord. God had to speak to him with signs and wonders. God promises to do the same in the Book of Revelation to the ruling kingdom of the world in the last days.
Things got worse before they got better. The Pharoah gave the workers extra work to do and yet had the foreman over the workers beaten when they failed to produce as much per day as they did previously under better conditions. When the foreman complained about the beatings, the Pharoah accused them of being lazy. “He said, ‘You are idle! Idle! Therefore, you say, let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’” [4]
God’s people complained to Moses about the poor outcome of their faith in his words. Moses complained to God. [5]
The Lord assured Moses that He had heard the groanings of His people. He remembered His covenant to bring them to the Promised Land. To be their God! [6]
Moses assured God’s people that God would come through for them “but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.” [7]
Then, the Lord began to work His signs in the sky, land and water for Pharoah. Each plague was an opportunity for the proud Pharoah to humble himself before the Lord and to serve God rather than his own evil ambitions. He chose to die in his unbelief. God’s people on the other hand were liberated from his abusive treatment and brought into a beautiful land.
Revelation chapters 21-22 contain the description of the beautiful place that God is bringing those whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. [8] How does one get his or her name in the Lamb’s Book of Life? The answer is by believing in and professing the Lamb (Jesus Christ) as one’s Lord and Savior.
It is important to believe. Don’t be like the Pharoah who hardened his heart!
It is important to observe the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. To worship the Lord! As the Bible says, “Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching.” [9]
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.” [10]
God’s promises in Revelation shall surely come to pass even as His promises did in Exodus.
[1] Exodus 6:20; 7:6-7
[2] Exodus 5:1
[3] Exodus 5:2, 7-9
[4] Exodus 5:10-17
[5] Exodus 5:21-23
[6] Exodus 6:5-7
[7] Exodus 6:9
[8] Revelation 21:27
[9] Hebrews 10:25
[10] Revelation 1:1-2
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