Ever feel like the man who said, “People said there are worse things. And that showed up next!”
Oh no! If it isn’t bad enough that Pharaoh says a highly impertinent “No!” to the God who controls his heartbeat, he then says to himself, These people must not have enough work to do if they’re holding conferences about vacations! “So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, ‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God’” (Ex 5:6-8). The Hebrew supervisors appealed to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people” (vv 15-16). Brave words, but Pharaoh replies, “You are idle! Idle!” (v 17). He would make sure no one was talking about sacrifices to Jehovah; they would only be thinking about straw! “And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble” (v 19). There’s an understatement for you! Find your own straw to mix into the bricks. But your brick quota remains the same. And if you don’t meet the daily requirement, it’s the lash for you. The leaders of the people returned to Moses and expressed their serious concerns. He went to the Lord about it—always a good policy. Why? Why? he asks. The Lord patiently explains to Moses, as He does to us when we ask why, that He is right on schedule. Then He gives Moses something to tell the people, “I am the Lord; I will bring you out” (6:6). He has a long record of keeping His promises. It’s true; our God cannot fail!