The Battle

This week I have been reading the beginning of the Exodus. Another familiar story, but God's word is living and active and He speaks through even familiar stories. Moses and Aaron, called by God, approach the Pharaoh of Egypt. They demand that the Hebrew people, who are bound in slavery to the Egyptians, be set free. Of course, the Pharaoh refuses. So, Moses and Aaron request the people be permitted to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord. Not only does the Pharaoh refuse this request. He also punishes the Hebrew slaves even more. While previously they had been provided straw to make a quota of bricks, now they must gather their own straw and still produce the exact same quota. Of course this is impossible and the foremen are beaten for their laziness and inability to perform. This is the part that struck me. What is the response of the Hebrew foremen? They blame Moses and Aaron, saying: " May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” In the midst of their oppression, they see the very ones sent by God to deliver them as their enemy. The reader, however, can see a more accurate picture of what is really happening. We see that Moses and Aaron are being sent by God, the sovereign I AM. They are merely instruments of the faithful God, who made a covenant with the people, who are held in bondage. We also see in Exodus 4:21 the reason for Pharaoh's response: "I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." This is not a battle between Moses and Aaron and the Hebrews or between Moses and Aaron and the Pharaoh. Of course, it cannot be, for our battle is not against flesh and blood. This is a battle between a good God and the forces of evil. 

In a way, I see similar responses in our current situation. Some blame the federal government. Some blame the health officials. Some blame the scientists. Some blame the local government. Isn't that similar to what the Hebrew slaves did? Is our battle against other people? I answer no. There is a much larger battle going on, between God and the spiritual forces of evil. If that is what I truly believe, then my response to this global pandemic should fall in line. How can I respond to a battle that occurs in the spiritual realm? I must fight this battle with prayer.