What can we learn about obedience from the taskmasters' actions in Exodus 5:10? The verse in view Exodus 5:10: “So the taskmasters and foremen went out and said to the people, ‘This is what Pharaoh says: “I am no longer giving you straw.”’” Setting the scene • Israel has just asked for time to worship the LORD; Pharaoh responds by tightening their chains. • Straw was critical for binding bricks; removing it while demanding the same quota multiplies the burden. • The taskmasters—Egyptian officials over Hebrew foremen—become the mouthpiece of Pharaoh’s hard-hearted decree. Observing the taskmasters’ obedience • Immediate: they “went out” without delay. • Precise: they relay Pharaoh’s words verbatim. • Public: they proclaim the order before the people, making obedience unavoidable. • Unquestioning: no hint of protest, compassion, or appeal for moderation. • Fear-based: their loyalty lies with Pharaoh’s power, not with justice or mercy. Layers of authority • Human authority is real (Romans 13:1), and God often works through established structures. • Yet authority has a hierarchy: God > kings > servants (Acts 5:29; Daniel 3:18). • The taskmasters obey the lower authority while ignoring the highest, showing the peril of misplaced submission. Key lessons for our obedience • Promptness matters—but only when the command aligns with God’s will (Psalm 119:60; John 14:15). • Discernment is essential; obedience is never blind (1 Thessalonians 5:21). • Motive counts: obedience driven by fear of man produces oppression; obedience driven by love for God produces life (1 John 5:3). • Compassion must guide obedience; God never sanctions cruelty (Micah 6:8; Colossians 3:12). • Ultimate allegiance belongs to the LORD; when earthly directives collide with divine truth, believers obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). Living it out today • In workplaces, fulfill assignments “with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord” (Colossians 3:22), not merely to please supervisors. • Evaluate every directive against Scripture; honor leadership unless it requires sin. • Let love temper every act of obedience—family rules, civic duties, church ministries—so that commands are carried out with grace. • Remember that God sees both the act and the attitude (1 Samuel 16:7). Supporting Scriptures • Romans 13:1: “There is no authority except that which God has established.” • Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.” • Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” • Colossians 3:22: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.” • Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” |
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