A Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Pt.2 Series

MOSES: FROM DOUBT TO DELIVERANCE

A TERRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Pt.2

Sunday October 27, 2002

Scripture Reference: Exodus 5 & 6 various verses

Intro.

A. Last week we began learning about Moses’ terrible, no good, very bad day. I want to take just a few minutes to review what we learned last week as we prepare to share the second part of this message.

1. Last week we saw how this bad day had begun. If you were here you will remember that Moses and the leaders of the Hebrew children who were in Egypt had just come back from a great bible conference. Look with me again at 4:29-31 (read). I do not think it would be hard to imagine the excitement that these people must have felt as they came away from this event. I am sure they felt like they would march right up to Pharaoh and tell him what God had said and he would give his consent, but that is not what happened. In fact Pharaoh said that he did not know this God they were talking about and he certainly was not going to obey some God he didn’t even know.

2. But not only were Moses and Aaron rejected by Pharaoh but then things began to get worse for the Hebrew children rather than better. Now let me point out something here that I failed to mention last week. Remember we are talking about Moses’ terrible, no good, very bad day. In 5:6 it says, “That same day…” All this is happening in just one day! Moses is rejected by Pharaoh and then Pharaoh decides that he needs to make life even harder for the Hebrew children.

a) Listen people, this is NOT good news. These people were being horribly oppressed by Pharaoh already. God even said to Moses twice in chapter three that he had seen the “misery” of the Hebrew people. The circumstances of their lives were already pretty bad, but now they are about to get much worse. Pharaoh is going to force them to continue have them making bricks but he isn’t going to supply the materials they need to do so, and on top of that he is not going to reduce the daily requirement.

Trans. Now wouldn’t you say that this was in fact a terrible, no good, very bad day? I think so but guess what? It about to get even worse. Let’s take up the story where we left off. In case you didn’t know it Pharaoh was a pretty clever guy. Do you think that Pharaoh really felt that these people would be able to do what he was now requiring? No Way! He knew he was asking for something that was impossible, but I am convinced he had grander scheme. You see, it appears that at this time the Hebrew children do not know what has happened as a result of Moses and Aaron’s visit to Pharaohs palace. It seems that they probably still believed that their release was immanent. But now all of a sudden life just got harder and they can’t figure out why. So the bible tells us that the foremen who were Hebrews themselves go to Pharaoh to complain about these unfair labor practices that he has instituted. It is at this point that Moses’ day begins to get worse. Look with me at 5:17-18 (read).

The lights just came on, they asked Pharaoh why he was treating them this way and his response was, “It’s because you guys want to go off into the desert to worship this God who I have never even heard of.” It’s then that these people realize, IT’S MOSES’ FAULT! ** Let me interject a thought here that I think is vital. Pharaoh acted just like Satan acts with us today, divide and conquer. Satan’s greatest tool to destroy the church and defeat the cause of Christ is to get Christians arguing and fighting with each other. Let me remind you of Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:12. Paul said in that verse that our struggle was not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. Our fight is not with each other but with Satan and his army of demons. One of the ways Satan causes division is through misunderstanding, and that is precisely what happens to Moses.

II. BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.

A. Being Misunderstood hurts Deeply.

1. Do you think I can get you to agree with that statement? Look with me at 5:19-21 (read). Once again, let’s remember what has led up to this point. They had this great bible conference; they felt like their deliverance was just about to occur. God had called them; He had proven His call with miraculous signs. Moses entered into this task knowing that he was doing precisely what God had told him to do but what happened? His own people turned on him and said, this whole thing is all your fault! We are going to die now and it is all because of you!