Have you ever obeyed God—only to have things get worse instead of better?
Key Verse:
“But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.’” —Exodus 5:2 NASB
Background Context:
In Exodus 3–4, God calls Moses, overcomes his objections, and brings him to a place of obedience. Moses moves from reluctance to action, stepping forward in faith to do what God commanded.
This begins a clear spiritual progression: God calls, we wrestle with doubt, we choose obedience—and then we encounter resistance. Exodus 5 marks the moment where obedience meets real opposition.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
Israel’s Labor Increased
1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!” 5Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9“Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”
Reflection on Exodus 5:1–9:
Moses and Aaron finally stand before Pharaoh and deliver God’s command: “Let My people go.” This is a bold act of obedience. Moses is no longer making excuses—he is doing exactly what God told him to do.
But instead of immediate success, they are met with rejection.
Pharaoh responds, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice?” This is not just defiance against Moses—it is defiance against God Himself. Pharaoh does not acknowledge God’s authority and refuses to submit.
This moment is important. Obedience to God does not guarantee immediate results. In fact, it often exposes resistance that was already there.
Pharaoh then makes the situation worse. He increases the burden on the Israelites by requiring them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same workload. What had already been difficult now becomes even more oppressive.
From a human perspective, this would seem like failure. Moses obeyed, and conditions worsened.
This is where many people struggle in their walk with God.
We trust Him, but we also expect to see results quickly. When those results do not come—or when things become more difficult—it is easy to become discouraged.
Yet God has already warned us that His ways are not our ways.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8–9
God not only works differently in how He accomplishes His plans, but also in when He fulfills them. We tend to look for quick results, but God works according to His perfect timing.
Scripture reminds us:
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.” —Lamentations 3:25–26
“Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” —Isaiah 40:31
Even Moses would soon become discouraged when things did not improve immediately. But this was not outside of God’s plan. In fact, God had already told him this would happen:
“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.” —Exodus 3:19–20
This means that the resistance Moses encountered was not failure—it was confirmation that God’s plan was unfolding exactly as He said.
This reveals an important truth:
God’s delays are not His absence.
God’s resistance is not His rejection.
This fits the pattern we see developing:
God calls → we struggle → we obey → resistance comes.
Exodus 5 reminds us that opposition is not a sign that we are outside of God’s will. It is often the place where God is preparing to demonstrate His power.
The question is not whether we will face resistance—but whether we will remain faithful when we do.
Application:
- Do not assume that difficulty means you are outside of God’s will.
- Be patient and trust in God’s timing rather than expecting immediate results.
- Stay faithful to what God has called you to do, even when things get harder.
- Remember that God is working even when you cannot yet see the outcome.
- Strengthen your faith to continue in obedience despite opposition.
Closing Prayer:
Father, help me to remain faithful when obedience becomes difficult. Teach me to trust in Your timing and not my own expectations. When I face resistance or discouragement, remind me that You are still working and that Your plans are unfolding perfectly. Give me the strength to wait on You and continue walking in obedience. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
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