False Start Series

February 15, 2025

Last week, when the Children of Israel were told that Yahweh had seen their misery and was concerned about them: “They believed and bowed down and worshiped”

It was a great 1st start. Now all Moses and Aaron had to do was convince Pharaoh.

I am not sure what they were expecting, after all God had already told them Pharaoh was going to be a tough nut to crack:

Exodus 3:19-20 - But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

However, bolstered by the Israelites response, they must have felt they would have some level of success, so they boldly went to Pharaoh – he did not respond as expected.

1st he said: "Who is Yahweh, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh and I will not let Israel go."

It must have seemed absurd to Pharaoh, who was a son of the gods, that the God of an enslaved people was making demands.

But his humor quickly turned to irritation: "Why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!"

He then gave orders that the people would no longer be provided straw for making bricks. They would have to source their own straw and maintain the same production schedule – there would be no reduction in the daily brick quotas.

Clearly, these lazy slaves weren’t working hard enough if they had time to contemplate time-off to sacrifice to their God.

After being informed that they would not be getting anymore straw deliveries, the people scattered across Egypt to find straw. Meanwhile, the Israelite foremen kept pressing them to complete their daily quota. When the people were unable to comply, the foremen were beaten by the slave drivers.

Confused, the Israelite foremen appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated us this way? We aren’t given any straw but told to make bricks. We are being beaten, but the fault lies with your people, not with us.”

Pharoah responded: “You are lazy, L. A. Z. Y! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.' Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks."

With one decree, Pharaoh had made the work of the Israelites nearly impossible and the leaders of Israel were certain they would die under the weight of such an impossible task and they blamed Moses and Aaron: "May Yahweh look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

This pattern of Israel blaming Moses and Aaron for their difficulties will continue for the next 40 years.

Moses’ feelings of expectancy were quickly replaced by despair.

Do you think Moses was embarrassed? Probably.

Do you think he felt foolish? Probably.

Do you think he expected Pharaoh to crumble at his feet – even though God had said Pharoah would take some convincing? Maybe.

After all, Moses had not wanted this assignment – sheep herding was a great job, thank you very much. But after some convincing, he had gone before Pharaoh and thrown down the gauntlet, but instead of crumbling, Pharaoh had taken up the challenge and thrown the first punch, apparently unafraid of the insignificant shepherd and his desert God.

Moses was just a bit irritated with God and the accusations flew: “Why did You send me here? I have gone before Pharaoh in Your name, but he just laughed at me and placed a heavier burden on the people AND YOU HAVEN’T DELIVERED THE PEOPLE”

And isn’t that a truly human response? God calls us to participate with Him in some great adventure and instead of everything going well immediately, things go pear-shaped – or at the very least don’t go as expected – and we complain. We experience a “false start” and we turn on God and accuse Him of not doing what He promised to do. We don’t trust. We don’t believe.

I wonder if God doesn’t allow these setbacks to see what we’ll do. I think it’s a real possibility.

Not put off by Moses’ frustration and accusations, God responded: “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he shall let them go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of his land. I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I did not make Myself known to them. I established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 'And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am Yahweh.'"