Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why hast Thou brought harm to this people? Why didst Thou ever send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he has done harm to this people; and Thu has not delivered Thy people at all.”
It happens to all of us.
When things are not going right, especially when we think we have done
all that God wants us to, and people are being hurt, the natural thing to do is
to turn to God and ask “Why?” It is a
common response or frustration. It hits
Christians and non-Christians alike. In
fact, even atheists seem to want to blame the God whose existence they deny.
I experienced a little of this recently when I was
speaking to one of the members of a Board of Directors I work with. I told him that I did not know why God was
allowing certain things to happen, but I was willing to keep on following what
I believe He has told me and suffer any necessary consequences. My personal view is that it is okay for us to
wonder “why” God is allowing or doing something we cannot understand, but it is
not okay for us to question Him.
I think that Moses, in keeping with his previous approach
to questioning God, again went a little too far. Not only does he ask “why?” but also he
accuses God of bringing harm to the children of Israel. And then he makes the issue about him when he
further asks, “Why did you ever think of sending me?” Wow.
Now Moses was actually challenging God’s selection of His choice as to
who would do His work or how it was to be done.
This is probably not a wise way to question the Almighty.
And Moses does not stop there. He tells God that he did everything in His
Name, as God told him to and all that resulted was that Pharaoh started harming
the people more. God’s plan was faulty
as far as he was concerned. And then he
makes it about God – “You have not delivered at all as you promised.” We cannot miss that phrase, “at all”. I am reminded of our grandchildren that get
‘totally’ upset at one of their parents because they were denied a fourth treat
at a local fair, but give no credit to their mom or dad who take them to the
fair, buy them lots of rides, and the first three treats. So it is with us, in the moment’s
frustration, we often forget God’s blessings and overall generosity to His
people and His individual children.
Chuck Smith in his commentary on these verses in C2000
Series says this:
You know quite often
Satan, when you embark on a work of God, throws so many things in the way that
things look like they've just gotten so much worse, you wonder, "Oh man,
did God really tell me that?" Or, "Did God really call me?" He
does his best to discourage you right at the onset of any program that you
endeavor for God. You'd be amazed how many problems can arise when you make a
commitment to God, you desire to serve the Lord. Not gonna be peaches and cream,
not gonna be roses. Satan will do his best to discourage you. So often things
look like they have just gone from bad to calamity because you've launched out
in faith to do a work for God. Satan will do his best to hinder it and stop it
at the beginning. He'll do anything to stop it, discouragement, lies, anything
to stop that work of God that you endeavor for Him. So that secret is
"just keep on". If God has called you to a task, "just do
it". Don't get discouraged at initial responses.
Years ago I thought God
called me to the ministry. So I trained, went to school, prepared, and spent
seventeen years trying to minister, until I got so discouraged that I thought
"Well, maybe God didn't call me to the ministry." I was ready to
quit, ready to give up so many times. Put out applications for different kinds
of work, get out of the ministry, get into something secular. I was
discouraged, I was tired, fighting, hassles, trying to feed a family, to patch
the squabbles of people. The thing, the interesting thing is it was just after
my period of greatest discouragement, I really just sort of resigning from the
ministry, and going into home Bible studies that God really began to bless and
anoint me. Just when I had a good job, started making money. Satan will do his
best to discourage you. He'll make you question your call. He'll challenge you
on every corner. If God has called you to do it, stick with it, God will bring
you through. God will work.
I know exactly how Moses
felt. I turned in my resignation to God so many times, "I've had it,
through. Thought You called me to the ministry, but Lord there's nothing
happening, I'm tired." Lord said, "Ah get out there and get back to
work. What are you doing crying to Me?"
It is my prayer that we can all learn from Moses’ mistakes
and be strengthened by God’s undying love for us and His willingness to forgive
and overlook our failing eyesight and memory.
It is fine that we pour out of heart to God as Moses did, but we must
never forget God’s promises and His exact words. You will remember that back in Exodus 3:19-20
God had actually said, “But
I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty
hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which
I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.” Moses had forgotten. Let us not forget God’s promises to us, even
when things look dismal.
In the next chapter of Exodus, we see God’s response once again to the
man He has chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt.
[Are you
looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken
is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]
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