“And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.”
At the end of Exodus 4, Moses and Aaron presented themselves to the leaders of Israel as the Lord commanded, and proclaimed God’s promise of deliverance for them. They did the miracles God had told them to do: “And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (Exodus 4:31) The deliverance they were hoping for was coming!
At the beginning of chapter 5 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and requested that Israel be allowed to go into the wilderness three-day’s journey to worship the Lord, and sacrifice unto Him. 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.” (Exodus 5:2)
Pharaoh decided He that their request indicated idleness. So, he commanded that their tasks be made heavier. Pharaoh told their taskmasters to discontinue the supply of straw for their brickmaking. He also insisted that the number of bricks they produced not be any less despite the additional work. The leaders of the Israelites were even beaten when the number of bricks was less.
So, it looked as if it were all for nothing. Moses was sent by the LORD, and the people believed that He had sent him. They worshipped God for His promised deliverance. But now things were worse. Their work was harder, the leaders were beaten, and Pharaoh refused to let them go. The people came to Moses and complained about their situation. The verses above were Moses’ complaint to the LORD.
Consider what he said. “Wherefore has thou so evil entreated this people?” Their work was made harder, the leaders were beaten. Moses did everything that the LORD had told him to do. He went when the Lord said, he spoke the words that the LORD gave him, and he did the miracles that the LORD told him to do. But things were worse. With his question Moses revealed doubt of God, perhaps even accused Him.
Then Moses wanted to know, “Why is it that thou hast sent me?” He thought that God was mistaken to send him. He remembered that he told the LORD that he was not the right man for the job. Or perhaps he thought that it was a failing on his part that things turned out like they did.
Then he said, “…since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people…” This was something the LORD already knew. When Moses was given this task, the LORD said that Pharaoh would not let them go right away. Moses certainly had expectations about how God would do things. And this was not what he thought.
And Moses said, “…neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.” But God said that was what He would do. The LORD said that their deliverance from Egypt would be a process. He said that He would show all His might against them. So far, nothing had happened. Moses just made the first request.
As events proceeded in Exodus through the book of Joshua, we find that God did indeed deliver His people, God did indeed bring them to the land that He had promised. The trials they endured were part of what needed to be done to accomplish God’s complete plan for Israel. Romans 8:28, 29 reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” In addition, the LORD’s dealings with Israel were also His dealings with the nations. They, too, are being governed by God to bring glory to His own name (Genesis 15:16).
Interestingly, in Exodus 6:1, the very next verse after the two above, we find that the Lord did not even speak to the points that Moses raised. The LORD said “… Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.” God’s plan continued regardless of how things looked at that moment.
Moses’ challenge to God was that He had done evil to the people, that He had made a mistake in sending Moses, and that He did not keep His promise. Like Moses, are we confused about what God is doing? Have we had what seemed to be clear direction from Him, only to have things turn in an unexpected direction, or bring an unexpected result? Is it because we have expectations of God that are not realistic? Is God a person who has His own plans, in which He includes us? Will His plans bring results that only He knows?
Through all of this Moses ultimately learned that he could trust the LORD. And so will we.
Come, every soul by sin oppressed;
There’s mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.
Refrain
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.
For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.
Refrain
Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way,
That leads you into rest;
Believe in Him without delay
And you are fully blessed.
Refrain
Come, then, and join this holy band,
And on to glory go
To dwell in that celestial land
Where joys immortal flow.
Refrain
O Jesus, blessèd Jesus, dear,
I’m coming now to Thee;
Since Thou hast made the way so clear
And full salvation free.
Refrain (John H. Stockton)