Exodus 5:1-6:1

At this point the children of Israel have been in bondage in Egypt for around 400 years. God has heard their cries, so He sends Moses & Aaron to speak with Pharaoh to release them to the wilderness. Moses and Aaron have spoken to Pharaoh, telling him what the Lord has directed. “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.” But Pharaoh will have nothing to do with it. In fact, Pharaoh has made it quite clear he will not be letting the children of Israel leave. He actually required the same amount of bricks to be laid while taking away the straw. Meaning they now had to go get their own straw. This lead the children of Israel to instead use to more available resource of ‘stubble’ instead of straw. While at the same time, Pharaoh required the same amount of bricks to be laid. *This has actually been proven archaeologically*

The Israeli overseers see Moses and Aaron and tell them the Lord should judge them. By upsetting Pharaoh, he is increasing their work and reducing their supplies.

Moses then goes directly to the Lord and says “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of this land.”

Honestly

As I was reading this passage I felt the similar anguish that Moses felt and expressed towards God. As I have traveled through Japan & South Korea in the past 2 months I have felt the psychological warfare and the oppression on such a realistic level. Whether it be on the trains or subways, in restaurants and market places. Yes, even in churches. I have seen a bondage I’ve never felt nor experienced in my entire life. This prayer that Moses prayed asking God “why are these people so bound & what is your purpose for bringing me here?” This has been a daily prayer for me the past 10 weeks.

Statistically

In Japan, there is about 1 pastor for every 16,000 people. As for Korea, there are 17 mega churches in Seoul alone, and 1 pastor for every 600 people. Yet the same level of oppression in Japan is the same in Korea. The same anxiety, depression, and lack of freedom is ever present. Why is this? It would seem as though Korea should be more free and less oppressed. Considering the children of Israel were God’s chosen people, it would seem as though they should have been the freest people on earth. They should have been rulers in Egypt, not slaves!

   Realistically

Considering I do not speak Japanese or Korean fluently by any stretch of the imagination, and I don’t have a camera crew recording my encounters with people. After selling every earthly possession I had, and establishing a npo one month before leaving. One could say I’ve ‘bit off more than I could chew.’ You could go as far to assuming I didn’t really hear God, and just wanted an excuse to travel. Its ok, I’ve had my doubts and I’ve thought everything that you’re probably thinking right now. But the one thing that holds me, the one thing that keeps me going is not my belief in my abilities. But its my faith in Christ Jesus. I hold onto Him every moment of everyday, trusting Him to lead me and guide me in every interaction.

But God

He never does things the way we think they should be done. Mainly, because He sees what we cannot see, and knows things we could never imagine. He is my hope, He is my refuge, my strong tower, my ever present Father who loves me more than I could imagine.

“Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh”

He has placed this verse on my heart, he has placed a fire within my bones, He has breathed new life into my very soul and my innermost being!

Church, let us rise to the occasion!

God has entrusted us to be His ambassadors!

Vessels of His Love and His Light!

Let us WATCH, and see what God is about to do to the Pharaohs of this world!

    BE ENCOURAGED, GOD HAS CALLED YOU, FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!