“Darkness before the Dawn”

“Darkness before the Dawn” (Exodus 5:10–21)

Pastor Cameron Jungels

Eastside Baptist Church

Sunday PM, June 25, 2017

 

Exodus 5:10–21 (NIV)

10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

 

1. The Deteriorating Conditions for God’s People (10–14).

 

Application: When the name of God is being proclaimed in an unbelieving world, God’s people may endure greater hardship and opposition from the world (10–14).

 

2. The Appeal to Pharaoh for Justice and His Rejection (15–18).

 

Application: Appealing to an unbelieving world for justice and mercy is often spurned and is instead met with hostility and slander (15–18).

 

3. The Blaming of God’s Servant-Leaders for Their Miserable Conditions (19–21).

 

Application: God’s people may be tempted to blame God or God’s servant-leaders when worldly opposition grows more hostile, but this response is near-sighted and misdirected.

 

“…someone who speaks the truth cannot be blamed when evil people respond to the truth with violence.” (Duane Garrett)

 

Main Idea: When the message of God becomes more unpopular and is met with more resistance from the world, the solution is not to blame God or his messengers or withdraw from our mission. The solution is to trust God, faithfully speak his message, and wait for his salvation.