I am the LORD

It’s fascinating to watch this story unfold in the sacred text. Inspiration records a vivid drama that not only instructs, but convicts.

Moses had finally gotten on board with God, despite earlier excuses to the contrary (cf. Exodus 3:11,13; 4:1,10). He would be, with Divine assistance (Exodus 3:12), God’s agent with God’s message to the most powerful man in the world (Exodus 5:1).

Moses eventually met with Pharaoh and delivered Jehovah’s edict (Exodus 4:22-23; 5:3).

To Moses’ chagrin, the king was defiant, and since Egypt considered him fleshly deity, he not only rejected the orders which had been brought before his throne, but he forced the Hebrews to scour the topography of Egypt in search of the straw necessary for his building endeavors (Exodus 5:6ff).

As a result, the children of Israel were no longer capable of meeting their brick quotas. And since the bulk of their time was now devoted to searching for the components to make bricks, they weren’t able to produce to Pharaoh’s satisfaction.

Hebrew construction supervisors, not surprisingly, took the bulk of the blame. They were beaten for not meeting the necessary brick allotments.

They in turn took their angst to Moses. “…And they said to them, ‘Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us'” (Exodus 5:20-21). From their perspective, Moses had not only not delivered the Hebrews as promised, but he was primarily responsible for their pain.

Moses, like his peers, took his troubles upwards. He blamed the next “leader” up the chain of command – which, in this case, was God Himself. “Lord, why have you brought trouble on 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” (Exodus 5:22-23).

Mull the whole story over in the recesses of your cranium. God sent Moses. Moses went to Pharaoh. Pharaoh rejected God and Moses and punished the Hebrews. The Hebrews and their supervisors blamed Moses. Moses blamed God.

It was Eve, Adam, the devil, and God all over again (cf. Genesis 3:8ff). “God, it’s all Your fault!”

But have you ever considered what God said to Moses on this occasion? He told Moses simply, “I am the LORD”

(Exodus 6:2).

Maybe that doesn’t sound too profound at first, good brethren, but it’s essential that we ponder, meditate upon, and internalize this truth!

Please don’t miss this point! Over and over again, when Moses encountered opposition, God told the prophet, “I am the LORD” (Genesis 6:6-8, 29; 7:5, 17; 8:22; 10:2; 12:12; 14:4). You see, He wanted his servant to understand that the answer to every problem was to be found in Him!

When we’ve stood for the right and boldly, and yet lovingly, spoken the Truth only to be the recipients of criticism and harsh censure, it is then we must open our ears and hearts to one fact – “I am the LORD!”

When we’ve rejected the cries of the politically correct and those who seek to foster immorality on our culture, it is then we must ponder, “I am the LORD!”

When the world insists that we water down the doctrine of Christ in order to accommodate the masses, we must dwell on God’s affirmation to Moses – “I am the LORD.”

Are you being criticized for doing and speaking the right thing? Remember God said, “I am the LORD!”

by Mike Benson

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