Tag Archives: Discouraged

Ebenezer

80 – Ebenezer

1 Samuel 7:1 – 8:22

The people of Israel slowly turned back to God. This was a process that took twenty years. Finally Samuel said, “If it’s true you want to serve God, get rid of all your idols. Dedicate yourself to the Lord and serve him only. Do this, and he’ll give you victory over the Philistines.”

The people did what Samuel said and got rid of their idols. So he told them to come together for a dedication service. He said, “Come, and I’ll pray for you.” The people came together and dedicated themselves to God. From then on, Samuel was their judge.

The Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered in one place. They thought this was an act of war, so they marched into the land and prepared to attack Israel. The people were afraid when they saw the massive Philistine army.

Samuel said, “Don’t look at your enemy. Instead, focus on God and pray to him. The Lord will save us from the Philistines.” He then presented a sacrifice to God, and asked for help.

The Lord answered Samuel’s prayer. Suddenly loud thunder was heard throughout the Philistine camp. They became confused and started to run. The men of Israel chased after them and killed many of them.

Samuel set up a large stone as a monument of what happened that day. He called it Ebenezer, which means “Rock of Help.” He said, “The Lord has helped us up to this point.”

The Lord fought against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. Every year the prophet went on a circuit so he could better judge the people. The rest of the time, he judged them from his hometown.

 When he was old, he appointed his sons to become judges. Unfortunately, they didn’t have his integrity.  They accepted bribes and judged accordingly.

The people went to Samuel and said, “Your sons are not just. Therefore, we want to be like all the other nations and have a king. Select one for us before you die.”

Samuel was shocked. He couldn’t understand why they would want such a thing. He prayed to God, but the Lord said, “Don’t be offended. They haven’t rejected you. They’ve rejected me. Do what they say, but first tell them what it will be like to have a king.”

Samuel stood before the people and described in detail how a king would abuse them and take advantage of them. He said, “A king will take your sons away from you and they’ll work for him instead of you. They’ll serve in his military, or work for him personally. He’ll take your daughters and put them to work. He’ll take your best fields, vineyards, and orchards. He’ll tax you so he can live in luxury. You’ll become his servants, and you’ll work to fulfill his every whim. When that happens, you’ll complain to the Lord, but he won’t help you.”

The people refused to take this warning. They insisted, “We still want a king! He’ll judge us and fight our battles for us.”

The Lord said, “Do as they ask. Give them a king.”

So Samuel told them to go home, and he would find them a king.

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Ark of God Captured

78 – Ark of God Captured

1 Samuel 4:1-22

God was not pleased with Eli. The high priest knew his two sons were sinning in the sanctuary of the Lord. They didn’t even try to hide it. Still Eli hadn’t stopped them. God told him that his family would be judged. The Lord said, “I will do something that will cause people to shudder when they hear about it.”

When Eli was 98 years old, the Philistines made war with Israel. The army went out to defend their nation, but they lost the battle and 4,000 men were killed. 

The elders of Israel were confused. “Why did the Lord allow this to happen?” Suddenly one of them had an idea. “Let’s go get the Ark of the Lord! We’ll take it with us into battle, and it will give us victory.” So they sent for the Ark of God, and the sons of Eli brought it to the camp. When the Israelites saw it, they shouted for joy. The shout was so loud that it seemed like the ground shook.

The Philistines heard the shout and thought it was a war cry. They sent spies to see what was going on and found that the Ark of God had been brought into the camp. The Philistines panicked. They said, “Their gods are now in their camp. We’re doomed! These are magnificent gods. They’re the ones that slaughtered the Egyptians with plagues.”

The Philistine leaders stood before the troops. “Be strong and act like men! You are mighty Philistines, not weak Hebrews. Now is the time to fight like you’ve never fought before. If you don’t, you’ll be their slaves.”

So the Philistines fought as if they had everything to lose. Israel was crushed—their soldiers slaughtered. 30,000 men were killed, including Eli’s two sons. The Philistines then captured the Ark of God and took it to their own camp.

Back in Israel, Eli was sitting on a chair beside the road waiting for a report from the battle. He was concerned about the Ark of God. A man ran from the battle to tell everyone what happened. The entire city started crying out in pain. Eli was blind and had difficulty hearing. He heard the noise, but couldn’t hear what was said. “What’s going on?”

The man got close to the old priest and said, “Our men were slaughtered today. Your two sons were killed, and the Ark of God was captured.” When Eli heard about the Ark of God, he fell backwards off the chair. He was a heavy man, so the fall broke his neck and he died.

Eli’s daughter-in-law was due to give birth to a child. She heard about the Ark of God and her husband’s death. She then heard that her father-in-law was also dead. Suddenly she went into labor and gave birth to a son. Those helping her said, “You now have something to be happy about. You’ve given birth to a son!”

At first she didn’t respond, and then she finally said, “The glory has departed from Israel because the Ark of God has been captured.” Just before she died, she named the boy Ichabod, which means, “The glory has departed.”

Continued in the next story

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Brides for Benjamin

74 – Brides for Benjamin

Judges 20:1 – 21:25

Continued from the previous story
The entire nation of Israel prepared for civil war. All the tribes united against the tribe of Benjamin. They declared that no city was exempt from this war. Any that violated this would be destroyed. They also swore an oath that no man would give his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.

Both sides gathered massive armies. The commanders of Israel went to Bethel and sought God’s leadership. In the morning, the war started. By the end of the day, the Benjaminites had killed many Israelites and had won the battle.

The commanders of Israel went before the Lord in anguish. They said, “Should we continue this battle against our brothers?”

The Lord said, “Fight them.”

The next day, the Benjaminites once again killed many Israelites and won the battle. This time, the entire army went before the Lord at Bethel. They made sacrifices and cried out in anguish. They said, “Should we go up against Benjamin again, or should we stop?”

The Lord said, “Go and fight them. I’ll give you victory tomorrow.”

The Israelite army prepared to fight in the morning, but this time they hid some of their men behind the city. The Benjaminites came out to fight, and once again it seemed like they were winning. The Israelites pulled back and the Benjaminites ran after them. They shouted, “We always win every battle!”

Soon the city was unprotected. Those in hiding entered the city and totally destroyed it, killing everyone. When the army of Israel saw the smoke coming from the city, they turned and charged back into battle. The army of Benjamin also saw the smoke and knew they’d been tricked.

The Lord fought against Benjamin, and soon they were terrified and tried to run, but Israel had them surrounded. The only ones to survive were 600 men who hid in a fortress. Everyone else in the tribe was killed, and their cities destroyed.

Once it was over, the people of Israel realized what they had done. They went to Bethel and sat before the Lord. They sobbed and mourned. “Oh Lord God. What have we done? Now we’re missing one of our twelve tribes.”

They stayed before the Lord all day and made sacrifices. They said, “What can we do? We only have 600 men from Benjamin and all their women are dead.” They knew it was important that the tribe repopulate.

They couldn’t give them their daughters because of the oath they had taken. Suddenly they got an idea. “Was there a city that didn’t come to battle as they were commanded?”

One city had disobeyed the order to fight. So the army of Israel went and killed everyone there. The only exception was virgin women. When the battle was over, they had 400 virgins from that city.

Israel made peace with the 600 men in the fortress, and gave them the 400 women to be their wives. They still needed 200 women.

Then they had another idea. They said to the Benjaminites, “Shiloh has an annual festival. At one point, young women come dancing out of the city. Hide in the vineyard next to the road. When the time is right, each of you jump out and grab a wife for yourself. Take them back to your own land. Don’t worry about their fathers and brothers. They’ll complain to us, but we’ll explain the situation.”

So the Benjaminites hid in the vineyard next to the road. They waited until the young women came dancing out of Shiloh. At the right moment, they jumped up and grabbed wives for themselves.

The fathers and brothers of the women complained, but the men of Israel said, “Be kind and let them keep your daughters. They need wives, and we don’t have enough to give them. Don’t worry about the curse because you didn’t actually give them your daughters. They took them!”

The men of Benjamin went back to their cities and rebuilt them. They settled down with their new wives and raised families. Once again, all was peaceful in the land.

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Gideon’s Fleece

64 – Gideon’s Fleece

Judges 6:1-40

For seven years, the Midianites came into Israel like a swarm of locusts. They moved across the land, taking everything off it—all the crops and farm animals. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat. The people became desperate and had to find places to hide in mountain caves.

A man named Gideon was also hiding from the Midianites. He had to thresh his wheat in a wine vat instead of an open threshing floor. The Angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak tree nearby. He said, “The Lord is with you, oh mighty warrior.”

Gideon said, “Oh my Lord! If God is with us, why is he allowing all these bad things to happen to us? Where are all the wonderful miracles our fathers told us about? God is no longer fighting for us.”

The Angel said, “I’m sending you to deliver Israel from the Midianites.”

Gideon was shocked. “Lord, how can I deliver Israel? I’m a nobody.”

The Lord said, “Yes, but I’ll be with you, and you’ll have victory.”

Gideon said, “Lord, I need a sign that you’re really talking to me. Please, stay here while I prepare a sacrifice.”

The Lord said. “I will stay here until you return.”

Gideon rushed off and prepared a sacrifice for him. When it was ready, he put it on a rock. The Angel of the Lord reached over and touched the sacrifice with the tip of his staff. Fire came up from the rock and burnt it up. And then the Lord vanished.

Gideon yelled, “Lord God! I’m about to die! I’ve seen the Angel of the Lord face to face!”

The Lord said, “Don’t be afraid. You’re not going to die. Do what I say. Your father has an altar of Baal. Tear it down and build an altar to God. Then offer a burnt offering to the Lord.”

Gideon obeyed, but he did it at night. He was afraid of his family and the men who lived in his city.

In the morning, people found Baal’s altar torn down. They saw the altar to the Lord built in its place, and the ashes of the burnt offering on top of it. Soon they learned Gideon had done this.

The men of the city went to his father’s house and said, “Give us your son! We’ll kill him because he tore down Baal’s altar.”

Gideon’s father said to them, “Show me the man who is defending Baal. He’ll be dead by morning! If Baal is really a god, let him defend himself.”

Once again the Midianites came into Israel and camped in a valley. The Spirit of the Lord filled Gideon, and he sent out messages for people to come, ready to fight.

Then Gideon prayed, “Lord, give me a sign.” He then put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor and said to God, “I’ll know you’ll deliver us if the morning dew is only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry.”

He got up early in the morning and found that the fleece was soaking wet, but the ground was dry.

Gideon said, “Lord, don’t be angry with me. Allow me one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry, and the dew be all over the ground.” In the morning, the fleece was dry, and dew was all over the ground.

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Job’s Three Friends

61 – Job’s Three Friends

Job 1:1 – 42:17

Job was a great man of high integrity who feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was a rich man with many servants. His livestock included a large number of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys.

One day, Satan went to the Lord when all of the angels were there. The Lord said, “So, where have you been?”

“Oh, walking here and there around the earth.

The Lord said, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one else on earth like him. He has high integrity and stays away from evil.”

Satan said, “Well, of course he does. He’s found that being righteous is a good deal. You protect him and everything he owns. You bless him and give him whatever he wants. But try taking away all his possessions. Then watch what happens. He’ll curse you to your face.”

The Lord said, “We’ll see. I give you permission to take everything he owns, but you can’t touch him personally.”

Soon afterwards, a servant ran up to Job and said, “Some thugs came and took all your oxen and donkeys. They tried to kill all the servants, and only I escaped. I immediately came to tell you what happened.”

While he was still talking, another servant ran up and said, “A huge storm blew in. Lightning struck and killed all your sheep and servants. Only I lived through it, so I ran here to tell you what happened.”

While he was still talking, another servant ran up. “An army came and took all your camels and killed the servants. I escaped and came to tell you what happened.”

While he was still talking, another servant ran up. “Your sons and daughters were eating together, when suddenly a tornado hit the house and they all died. I’m the only one to live through it. So I came here to tell you what happened.”

Job fell down with grief. He tore his clothes and shaved his head. He then bowed his head and said, “I came into this world naked. I’ll leave this life naked. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In spite of all that happened, Job didn’t sin or blame God.

Once again, Satan went to the Lord when all of the angels were there. The Lord said, “So, where have you been?”

“Oh, walking here and there around the earth.

The Lord said, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one else on earth like him. He has high integrity and stays away from evil, even after I permitted you, without any reason, to destroy all he had.”

“Oh, but you didn’t allow me to touch his skin. A man will do anything to save his life. Hit his flesh and bones, and he will curse you to your face.”

The Lord said, “We’ll see. I give you permission to strike him, but you can’t take his life.”

Soon afterwards, Job was covered with boils, from head to toe. He sat down in ashes and took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself. His wife said, “How can you go through all this and still keep your integrity? Curse God and die!”

He said, “You’re talking foolishness! I’m willing to accept whatever God gives me, good or bad.” And so, with all of this, Job didn’t sin or blame God.

Three friends of Job heard about what had happened, and went to visit him. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw him sitting there. They yelled and threw dust in their hair. All three sat down next to Job and didn’t say anything for seven days.

Finally Job cried out, “I wish I’d never been born!”

His friends then tried to help him understand what was happening to him. One friend explained that righteous people don’t suffer like this, only sinners do. Job agreed with him, but he didn’t know of anything he had done to deserve this.

His second friend was a bit more bold. He said, “Job, you’re a hypocrite! You need to confess your sin, and then God will be merciful.”

Job again held to his innocence. He said, “I remember seeing the righteous suffering, while evildoers were prospering.”

His third friend was the most bold of all. He said, “Job, you’re a liar! You’re a sinful man and deserve God’s judgment.” Now Job became passionate about his innocence.

A young man came along with a different perspective. He wanted to encourage Job. He said “God meant this suffering to be educational. Yes, the Lord is trying to correct your sin, but he’s also restoring you to righteousness.”

Suddenly, God talked to Job. He said, “My ways are far above what you can understand. My purpose for suffering is an individual matter for each person. Job, listen. I always know what is going on with you, and I’m always with you. I simply want you to come to the end of yourself and totally trust in me.”

The Lord then turned to Job’s friends. “I’m angry with you. All of your advice is false. Only Job spoke the truth.” God told them to make a burnt sacrifice and ask Job to pray for them.

God then restored to Job double of all that he had before. He got twice as many sheep and camels. He got twice as many oxen, and donkeys. God also gave him seven more sons and three more daughters.

Job lived to be an old man. He died at the age of 140 after living a full life.

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Achan

58 – Achan

Joshua 7:1 – 8:35

Before conquering Jericho, Joshua had made it clear to the people, “Be careful! Don’t take anything that is set aside for the Lord, or you will be set aside for destruction.”

One of the soldiers that went into Jericho that day was a man named Achan. There he saw a bag of silver coins, a bar of gold, and a beautiful coat from Babylon. He took them and hid them inside his tent. This angered the Lord. 

After the victory at Jericho, Joshua sent scouts to spy out a city called Ai. They came back and said, “There are only a few people at Ai. We won’t need to send our full force there, possibly only two or three thousand men.

So Joshua sent 3,000 men to conquer Ai. To their surprise, the men of the city won the battle! They killed thirty-six Israelites and chased away the rest of them.

The people were horrified at this defeat. Joshua tore his clothes. He and the elders fell down before the Ark of God with their faces to the ground. They put dust on their heads and stayed there all day.

Joshua said, “Oh Lord! Why did you bring us across the river? The Canaanites will hear about this defeat. They’ll surround us and wipe us off the earth. Then what will happen to your great name?”

The Lord said, “Get off the ground and stand up! Israel lost today because there’s sin in the camp. They disobeyed my command and took what was to be set apart. As long as you have those things, you’ll lose every battle because I’ll no longer be with you.”

The next morning, Joshua had all of Israel stand before him. Each tribe passed in front of him. The Lord selected the tribe of Judah. All the clans of Judah passed in front of him. The Lord selected one of them. All the families of that clan passed in front of him. The Lord selected one of them. From that family, Achan was selected.

Joshua said to him, “Son, what have you done. Don’t hide anything from me.”

Achan broke down and said, “It’s true. I sinned against the Lord. I saw a bag of silver coins, a bar of gold, and a beautiful coat from Babylon. I wanted them, so I took them and hid them in my tent.”

Joshua sent men to Achan’s tent to get the things he took. He then spread them out before the Lord and all of Israel.

The people then gathered everything that belonged to Achan; his sons and daughters, his livestock, his tent, and the things he took from Jericho. They stoned them until they were dead, and then burnt their bodies. They put a pile of stones on top of their ashes.

The Lord was no longer angry with his people. So he said to Joshua, “Take your entire army and attack Ai. I’ve given them to you. Once you conquer them, the people may keep whatever they find there.”

Joshua sent a group of men out at night. He said, “Go behind the city and hide.” He gave them exact instructions of what to do.

The next morning, he sent a troop to fight Ai. The men of the city saw them coming and went out to fight them. In the heat of battle, Israel started to run away, as they had done before. The men of Ai chased after them, leaving the city unprotected.

Once the men were away from the city, the Israelite soldiers came out of hiding and went into Ai and set it on fire. The men of Ai turned and saw their city on fire. They realized they were now between two parts of the Israelite army. They tried to escape, but couldn’t. All of them were killed in the battle.

The people were allowed to keep everything they found in the city, including the livestock. Then they destroyed the city.

After all of this, the people sacrificed to the Lord. Afterwards, Joshua read the entire Law to all the people, including the men, the women and the children.

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Twelve Spies

49 – Twelve Spies

Numbers 13:1 – 14:45

When the Israelites arrived at the border of Canaan, God said to Moses, “Send twelve men to search out the land.” So Moses selected one man from each tribe of Israel. He told them to go into the land and bring back information about the people and their cities. He also told them to bring back some of the fruit that was growing in the land. 

The men stayed in Canaan for forty days. When they came back, two of them were carrying a large cluster of grapes on a pole between them.

When the men gave their report, ten of the men said, “It’s true, the land is great and flows with milk and honey. But, the people are big and powerful and live in cities with high walls.” 

The other two men were Caleb and Joshua. They gave a different report. They said, “We must go up and take this land. We can do it!” 

The other ten yelled, “No, we can’t attack these people! They are stronger than we are. We felt like grasshoppers next to them!”

The Israelites were afraid when they heard this report. They turned against Moses and said, “Did God bring us here to be killed? We could’ve died in Egypt! The men of this land will kill us and make slaves of our wives and children. We’re going to select a new leader and go back to Egypt.” 

Joshua and Caleb ran out in front of the people and tore their clothes. They cried out, “This land is very good, and the Lord is about to give it to us! Don’t rebel against him because you’re afraid. The Lord is with us. We’ll swallow up these people!” 

The people of Israel attacked Joshua and Caleb, but suddenly the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tabernacle. God said to Moses, “How long will these people refuse to believe in me? They saw the wonders I did in Egypt. They saw the many miracles I did among them. Yet they still test me. 

“Therefore these people won’t see the land I promised their fathers. I’m sending them back into the wilderness, and they’ll stay there for forty years until they’re all dead. Everyone who is twenty years old or older will not see the land, except for my servants Caleb and Joshua. They’ll go into Canaan because they followed me without hesitation. Since these people worried about their children, I’ll take their children into the land of Canaan, and give it to them.” 

Moses told the Israelites what the Lord had said, and they broke down and cried. The ten men who brought back a bad report were suddenly stuck by a plague and died. Early the next morning the people said, “We now realize we’ve sinned. We’ll go into the land as the Lord commanded.” 

Moses said, “No! The Lord is sending you back into the wilderness. Don’t disobey him again. If you go into the land, you’ll be defeated because God is not going with you.” 

Nevertheless, they went into Canaan against God’s will. And just like Moses said, they were defeated in battle. Many were killed and the rest came back in disgrace. 

So the people of Israel turned back into the wilderness where they remained for the next forty years. All of the adults who came out of Egypt would die there. Still, the Lord was with them and met their needs. Their clothes and shoes didn’t get old, and God provided their daily food.

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Graves of the Craving

47 – Graves of the Craving

Numbers 11:4 – 11:35

Graves of the Craving
Numbers 11:4 – 11:35
As the people of Israel traveled toward Canaan, they started complaining about the food. They said, “All we have to eat is this manna. We miss the meat and the fish and the vegetables we had in Egypt.” The grumbling spread from family to family, until Moses could hear it from every tent. 

In frustration he prayed, “Lord, what have I done to deserve this heartache? Why have you done this to me? I didn’t give birth to these people, so why do I have to nurse them? I can’t take it any more! If this is what you want for me, then kill me right now.” 

The Lord said to Moses, “Choose seventy leaders from the people and bring them to me. I will take some of the Spirit that is on you, and put it on them. They’ll help you bear the burden of the people.” 

He also said, “Tell the people to prepare themselves. Tomorrow they’ll have meat to eat. They keep craving, longing for Egypt, so they’ll eat meat until they’re totally sick of it.” 

Moses went and told the people this, and then he called the seventy leaders to come before the Lord. When they arrived, only 68 men were there. Two of them were still back in the camp. 

The Lord took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy men—all of them. Immediately, the men started prophesying, even the two who were still in the camp. 

Joshua said to Moses, “Tell those two men to stop!” Moses said, “Oh, Joshua, don’t be jealous for me. I wish that God’s Spirit would fall on all his people.” The next day, the Lord sent a wind that blew quail in from the sea. They dropped down to about three feet off the ground, and covered an area in all directions as far as a man could walk in a day. People went out and caught them. They worked all day and into the night. The person who gathered the smallest amount of quail, still gathered thirty-three bushels full. Every family was able to get a large amount of meat for their family. 

Still, God was angry with them because they longed for Egypt and wouldn’t trust his care for them. 

So, as the people were eating the meat— while it was still between their teeth—God struck them with a plague. Many died at that place and were buried there. So the people called it, “Graves of the Craving.”

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The Lord My Banner

42 – The Lord, My Banner

Exodus 17:1 – 18:27

As the people of Israel continued to move toward Mount Sinai, they camped at a place that had no water. They once again complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us here to die? At least in Egypt we had water. Is the Lord really with us?” 
Moses yelled at the Lord, “What am I to do with these people! I bring them here, and now they’re about to stone me.” 

The Lord said to Moses, “Take your staff and stand in front of the people. Have some of the elders with you. I’ll stand in front of the rock. Hit the rock and water will come out so the people can drink.” 

Moses did as the Lord commanded and hit the rock. Water gushed out. It was enough for all the people and the livestock. 

While they were at that same location, the people of Amalek attacked them. Moses told Joshua to organize the men for battle. Moses then stood on the side of the hill and held his hands in the air. As long as his hands were high in the air, Joshua was victorious. But when his hands came down, the people of Amalek started winning. 

Moses’ arms became tired and heavy, so he sat on a stone with Aaron and Hur on each side. They supported his hands, so he could keep them high in the air. The three men stayed there until the sun went down. Joshua was victorious over Amalek. Moses then built a monument and called it “The Lord, My Banner.” 

Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses. He had watched over his daughter and her two sons while Moses was in Egypt. He brought them back once the Israelites camped at Mt Sinai. 

Moses went out to greet his family. He told Jethro about what the Lord had done for the people of Israel—how God’s hand was against Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He also shared some of their hardships, and how the Lord delivered them. Jethro then led the people in a sacrifice to God. 

The next day, Moses sat down to do his work as a judge for the people. Jethro watched as people came with every dispute they had, great and small. It was up to Moses to decide who was right in each case. This went on all day. As he was judging, Moses was also teaching God’s laws to the people. 

That evening Jethro said, “What you’re doing isn’t good. You’re wearing yourself down, as well as the people. You need to realize that this is too big of a job for one man to handle. Here is some advice, and I believe it’s God’s will for you. 

“It’s your job to teach the people about the Lord and his commandments. You’re also to represent their needs to God. You must keep yourself free to do this. 

“So, select some good men who fear God. Make sure they don’t take bribes. If they do, the people won’t trust them. Place them at different levels over one another. Their full-time job should be judging the people. 

“They’re to deal with everyday problems, while bringing the more difficult conflicts to you. The people will be happy with this, but mainly it frees you to do God’s will.” 

Moses listened to this advice, and followed it. He chose qualified men, and placed them at different levels of responsibility. These men devoted themselves to their new task. Still, all the difficult cases were brought to Moses. 

After all of this was done, Moses said good- bye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went home.

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Straw for Bricks

37 – Straw for Bricks

Exodus 5:1 – 7:13

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says. ‘Let my people go into the wilderness for three days so they can worship me.’” 
The Pharaoh was shocked and said, “Who does the God of the Hebrews think he is—telling me what to do? I don’t know him, and I’m certainly not going to let my slaves go into the wilderness.” 

He then focused on Moses and Aaron. “All of your talk about worship is keeping my slaves from doing their work. Stop all this talk and get back to work!” 

He then called for his slave drivers. “My slaves are lazy! They have so much time on their hands that they’re talking about going out into the wilderness and worshipping God. 

“Well, I’ll fix that. From now on, stop giving them straw for the bricks. Let them go get it themselves. Still, they’re to make just as many bricks as before. That’ll teach them not to stand around and listen to these fools!” 

The slave drivers went and told the Israelite foremen what the Pharaoh said. “We’re not going to give you any more straw. You have to get it yourselves. Still you’re to produce just as many bricks as before.” 

So the people immediately went throughout Egypt gathering straw. Because of this, they weren’t able to fulfill their allotted quota for making bricks. Therefore the slave drivers beat the foremen. They said, “You aren’t doing your job. You aren’t making enough bricks.” 

The foremen went to Pharaoh. “Why are you treating your slaves this way? If we don’t have the straw, we can’t make the same amount of bricks as before.” 

Pharaoh yelled at them. “You’re lazy—Lazy, I say! You’ve got time to stand around and say, ‘we want to go worship the Lord.’ So now it’s time to work. Go get your own straw, and I want the same amount of bricks as before.” 

Moses was waiting for the foremen when they left Pharaoh. They said to him, “You have made us stink before Pharaoh. You put a sword in his hand, and he’s going to kill us with it.” 

Moses went to the Lord and said, “Why did you send me here? You haven’t delivered the people. You’ve only caused them more trouble.” 

The Lord said, “Oh Moses. You’re about to see what I’m going to do with Pharaoh. When I’m done, he’ll beg you to take these people away. 

“Go tell the people that I am the Lord. I have heard their groaning, and I’m about to take them back to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 

Moses went to the people and gave them this message, but they wouldn’t listen to him. They were defeated and discouraged. 

Then the Lord told Moses to go and talk to Pharaoh again. “Tell him to let my people leave this land.” 

Moses said, “I’m not any good at this. If the people of Israel won’t listen to me, why would Pharaoh?” 

The Lord said, “Moses, I have made you like a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your prophet. Go and I’ll give you the words to say.” 

So Moses and his brother Aaron stood before Pharaoh and asked him to allow the people of Israel to go into the desert and worship. Pharaoh asked for a sign, so Aaron threw his staff on the ground and it became a snake. The court magicians and sorcerers threw their sticks on the ground and they also turned into snakes. Suddenly Aaron’s snake ate the rest of the snakes! Still, Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to them.

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