January 12, 2023 – “Let My People Live”

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labors!”” Exodus 5:1ff

{“I heard about a horrible river dragon that lurked in the waters under the old London Bridge and destroyed passing boats, eating the crews and passengers. Finally, a group of brave knights lured it up onto the banks and, with great loss of life, managed to slay the horrible beast. After the conquest, Sir Newt suggested that they grind up the foul beast and use it for food in the local orphanage to cut down on the wasteful cost of gruel. Thus Dickens’s opening line…”It was the beast of Thames, it was the wurst of Thames.” A German farmer with relatives in the US sent them a package consisting of some pork sausages made from his old pig. When they complained that the package had not yet arrived, he wrote: “Cheer up. The wurst is yet to come.”} (Patricia Wooten)

For the Israelites in Egypt, it was the worst of times. They had grown in enormous quantities since the days of Jacob and Joseph, and they were now enslaved by the Pharaoh and his people. The Lord had forgotten about them for approximately 500 years, and now the Lord was about to make things right. But for a time, the people would have to endure even more difficulties. Why does it seem that when we are experiencing difficulties, more difficulties seem to pile on? I know this is not often the case, but just because we may have one problem does not mean a second or third may be just on the horizon.

They say deaths come in threes, and sometimes difficulties come in threes as well. It is the way of chance and randomness. But our faith is not left to chance and randomness. We may feel as if the Lord has forgotten us, but in fact the Lord is continually fighting battles for us – the first battle being the battle against sin, death and the devil. That battle rages on day after day. And it is for just this reason that Jesus was sent to die once and for all times for the sins of all people. Death was defeated on the cross; and so was evil and sin. But the battle rages on, because the earth and this existence is the playground of the devil. In 2023, just like Moses, let us turn to G-d for direction, in the best of times and in the worst of times.

Let us pray: Lord, you have given me another day, which may bring the best or it may bring the worst of times. Help me to praise your name every day no matter what the day may bring. Amen.

Pastor Dave