MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

PROCLAMATION

“And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, ‘Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves.  And the tale of bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof …’ ”  Exodus 5:6-8 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After meeting with the elders of Israel, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that The Lord God said, “Let My people go.”  Pharaoh said that he did not know this God and he would not let Israel go. (Exodus 5:1-2)  He was upset that they wanted the people to stop working for a three day journey into the wilderness to go worship their God.  So, he ordered the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite overseers in charge of the people to stop supplying them with the straw which they used to make bricks, and said that their quota of bricks must be the same as before. (Exodus 5:3-9)  After the people were not able to meet their quotas, the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh (Exodus 5:15-16) and he said that the Israelite people were lazy and they should get back to work and produce the same quota of bricks. (Exodus 5:17-19)  When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron and told them that they had made their situation worse.  Being blamed for the increased burden on the people, Moses turned to The Lord God in prayer. (Exodus 5:20-23)

 

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, we are a very impatient people.  When we ask The Lord God for something we expect to receive it immediately.  Even that which He has promised us will not be given to us when we want it, but we will receive it according to His plan and timeframe.  Some of the time our bad situation will get worse before it gets better.  However, God is still in control of things.  We just need to learn to wait on The Lord.  Patience is a skill which must be learned and acquired.  Our patience is produced by going through trials. (James 1:3-4)  “… Wait, I say, on The Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)