How can believers today respond to God's call to obedience despite resistance?

Exodus 7:4—Facing Certain Resistance

“Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the Israelites, from the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.”

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Core Truths from the Verse

- God speaks plainly: resistance is real, not imagined.

- The narrative is literal history, affirming that God’s words and acts happened exactly as recorded.

- Obedience is commanded even when refusal is guaranteed.

- God reserves decisive action (“great acts of judgment”) for Himself, not His servants.

- The outcome—deliverance—is certain because it rests on God’s power, not human negotiation.

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Why God Allows Resistance

- It magnifies His glory when He overcomes it (Romans 9:17).

- It tests and refines faith (1 Peter 1:6-7).

- It exposes the futility of human pride (Exodus 14:17-18).

- It creates a stage for His people to witness and recount His faithfulness (Psalm 105:26-45).

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Practical Ways to Obey Today

• Expect pushback without surprise

– Jesus promised tribulation (John 16:33).

• Anchor in God’s Word first, not majority opinion

– “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

• Speak truth graciously but firmly

– Moses still delivered God’s message, word-for-word (Exodus 7:2).

• Lean on the Spirit’s power, not personal skill

– Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.”

• Persevere until God brings His outcome

– Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good.”

• Celebrate small evidences of God’s hand along the way

– Each plague in Egypt confirmed God’s steady progress toward freedom.

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Encouragement from Other Passages

- Joshua 1:9 — Strength and courage spring from His presence.

- 1 Corinthians 15:58 — Labor in the Lord is never in vain.

- James 1:22-25 — Blessing rests on doers, not hearers only.

- Hebrews 10:36 — Endurance receives the promise.

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Long-Term Perspective

- Resistance is temporary; God’s covenant purposes are eternal.

- Obedience plants seeds whose harvest may outlive the one sowing.

- Divine judgment on opposition assures believers that righteousness will prevail.

- The same God who liberated Israel is actively guiding His people today, guaranteeing that steadfast obedience is always the right response, no matter how strong the resistance appears.