Instead of a warm welcome, Moses found himself rejected by Pharaoh and rejected by the children of Israel. Moses’ response wasn’t to start a PR campaign, or to try to convince the people to change their minds–instead, he turned to God and brought his burden to the One who could carry it.
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Scripture
Exodus 5:20-22
20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” 22 Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
Observation
Moses was in a hard spot. God had told him to return to Egypt and lead the people to freedom. I would venture to guess that he expected to be welcomed with open arms by his countrymen…but that was not the case. Instead of a warm welcome, he found himself rejected by Pharaoh and rejected by the children of Israel. In fact, the Hebrew foremen in this verse came to Moses to tell him that he had merely made a bad situation worse! Moses’ response wasn’t to start a PR campaign, or to try to convince the people to change their minds–instead, he ‘turned to the Lord’ and brought his burden to the one who could carry it.
Application
I love the unvarnished honesty of Moses’ cry to God in this passage. “Why, God? Why have you not helped them? Why have you not helped me? Why did you bother to send me?! Why have you not delivered them, as you promised?!”
Moses didn’t vent to Pharaoh, or to the Hebrew foremen. He didn’t form a support group, or write an editorial in the newspaper about how ungrateful everyone was. Instead, he turned to the only one who could truly carry his burden–the God who had sent him.
I haven’t walked in Moses’ shoes, but I’ve experienced rejection and frustration from time to time while trying to do what God has sent me to do. Venting my frustration on those around me rarely helps anything–but bottling up my frustration doesn’t accomplish anything either. Instead, I must daily take my burdens to God–trusting that He is big enough to handle what I bring to Him, and He’s ok with me being raw and real in His presence. He may not always respond the way that I want him to, but His strength with never fall short and His grace will never run out.
Prayer
God, thank you that you hear me when I call on you. Thank you for being there when I turn to you, and for not rejecting me when life gets heavy. Today I bring my burdens to you, trusting that you will accomplish what only you can do. Thank you for being sufficient!
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