I am Pharoah

Several weeks ago, I was reading the story of the Israelites leaving the land of Egypt and their exodus from the slavery they suffered under the Pharoah.  As I read through the plagues suffered by the Egyptians and the terrible circumstances they endured before finally (reluctantly) allowing the Israelites to leave, I starting to feel a little bit sorry for them.  Yes, they had subjected the Israelites to harsh treatment, killed Israelite male babies, and probably been involved in countless other examples of incredibly poor treatment of God’s people. 

The Great Pyramids of Egypt

But did they really deserve to have ALL of their water turned to blood?  To be covered in frogs?  In gnats?  Or flies?   To watch all of their livestock fall sick and die?  Be covered in boils?  To have most of their crops destroyed by hail?   Then, the remaining crops eaten by locusts?  To live in complete darkness for 3 full days?  Witness the death of their firstborn?  When I list it out, it sure sounds like a LOT to endure, right?   

Silly Pharoah, just let the people go!

However, as I looked deeper, God spoke a truth to me.  Time and again, after God had given a respite from a particular plague, Pharoah hardened his heart and denied the immense power that God had just demonstrated.  He promised to release God’s people, but as soon as the hard times had passed, he decided that he just enjoyed having the Israelites around to do his bidding too much to let them go freely.  Surely what he and his people had just endured was the worst they would see.  Then came the next plague and again, he would remember his own insufficiency to protect both him and his people from whatever the “plague du jour”  was.  He begged Moses to pray to his God to deliver them from whatever they were suffering.  Then, wash, rinse and repeat, he hardened his heart and refused to release the Israelites from their bondage.  How dense could Pharoah have been? 

As I reflected further, God revealed a second truth to me.  I DO THE SAME THING!!!  I am the same as Pharoah.  I’ve never had to endure a river of blood or watch all of my livestock die – shoot, I don’t even have any livestock – but I act the same way.  God has blessed me so abundantly and when things are easy, my mind wanders to what I don’t have that I think for some reason I need.  What am I missing out on?  Where could I find “X”?  My heart is hardened just like Pharaoh’s was.   When things are hard, I turn to God and ask Him to get me out of this situation, to relieve the pain, to take this obstacle out of my path.  And when he does, how do I respond?   I return to complacency and my heart is yet again hardened.  

My prayer is to live consistently – that I will give thanks, rejoice, and be content in the good times but also that I will persevere and trust our good, all-powerful, and loving God when I go through trials of all kinds.  Solely by God's grace is this great challenge possible.  Will you join me in this prayer today and ask God to soften our hearts and continue to mold them for his purposes?

Soli Deo Gloria (To God ALONE be the glory)