Monday, November 12, 2012

OT: Exodus 5:1-4

Reading

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.   And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.   And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.   And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

Commentary
The enemies of the Lord, such as Pharaoh here, pride themselves in their own strength and wisdom.  They stand in utter defiance against God, against Christ His anointed, and by their unbelief they bring God's wrath upon themselves.  As Pharaoh mocked God and God's people (Moses, Aaron, and the Children of Israel), so many rules of this earth mock our Triune God, mock His believers, and persecute.  When Christian suffer under such a cross, there is always the temptation to rebel against such rulers, namely take matters into our own hands (as Peter with his sword and Malchus).  What is needed at such times of tyranny however is faith and trust that God Himself will take vengeance in His own good time.  As Moses and his people were delivered in God's time, so we shall be for by grace we are saved.  Consider well the strong words of God's vengeance in Deuteronomy 32.  "To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand."  "Rejoice O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land and to His people."

No comments:

Post a Comment