What can we learn about obedience from Pharaoh's command to "Go, worship"? __Verse Under Study__ “During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.’ ” (Exodus 12:31) __The Scene So Far__ - Ten plagues have shattered Egypt’s confidence in its gods. - Pharaoh has repeatedly promised release, only to harden his heart (Exodus 8:28; 10:11, 24). - With every refusal, God’s word stands firm while Egypt’s power crumbles. - At last, after the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh finally utters, “Go, worship.” __What Pharaoh’s Command Reveals About His “Obedience”__ - It is reluctant, wrung from him by unbearable loss. - It arrives far later than God’s first demand in Exodus 5:1, showing that delayed obedience is disobedience in disguise. - It is incomplete until this moment; earlier offers tried to set limits (only the men, leave the herds), exposing a heart still bargaining with God. - It is self-centered: Pharaoh’s words are about removing judgment from himself, not about honoring the LORD. __Key Lessons on Obedience__ 1. Timing matters • Immediate obedience is the pattern Scripture commends (Psalm 119:60). • Procrastination hardens the heart (Hebrews 3:13). 2. Obedience must be wholehearted • “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). • Half-measures invite continued chastening (compare Exodus 10:24). 3. God’s word does not bend • Every “Let My people go” was fulfilled exactly as spoken, underscoring Numbers 23:19. 4. Motive matters • Pharaoh obeyed under duress; true obedience flows from love (John 14:15). 5. Delayed obedience carries a cost • Egypt’s devastation shows that stubbornness invites discipline (Proverbs 29:1). __Scripture Echoes__ - 1 Samuel 15:22—“To obey is better than sacrifice.” - James 1:22—“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” - Luke 6:46—“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?” __Practical Takeaways for Us__ - Act promptly when God’s word speaks; waiting only entrenches resistance. - Refuse partial obedience—hold nothing back, whether time, talent, or treasure. - Examine motives: am I obeying to avoid consequences or to honor Christ? - Remember that God’s commands are invitations to freedom, not restrictions (John 8:32). - Let the high cost paid by Egypt warn against the high cost of our own delay. __Final Reflection__ Pharaoh’s faltering “Go, worship” stands as a negative mirror. By God’s grace we can answer His commands not with grudging surrender but with eager, immediate, and wholehearted obedience—showing a world still in bondage what it truly looks like to “go, worship the LORD.” |
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