Bricks Without Straw

In the previous article, I explored one parallel between Pharaoh during the Israelites' coming out of Egypt and the "old man" referred to by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17, who represents the part of each one of us that is being put to death as we strive to live our lives in submission to God. In particular, that article discussed the role of the magicians in Pharaoh's court as it applies to our conversion. Today, as promised, I'm going to spend some more time addressing the lessons that we can learn about the "old man" who is still trying to hold us captive in spiritual Egypt.

Bricks Without Straw
One of Pharaoh's tactics, from the time that Moses and Aaron first arrived to free their people, was to oppress the Israelites by forcing them to make bricks without straw. Straw helped the bricks to solidify faster, so taking it away would mean that it would take substantially longer to make them; however, Pharaoh additionally required that they had to continue to meet their quota of bricks in spite of this restriction. Furthermore, he had his overseers beat the Israelites and treat them harshly if they didn't keep up. The Israelites quickly turned their attention away from the salvation that God had promised through Moses and Aaron:

 Exodus 5:15-21
 The children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.” But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you"... Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” 

The people became resentful of Moses and Aaron because of this oppression. They shouldn't have - it was Pharaoh who was oppressing them, not Moses and Aaron - yet the people had the audacity to say "let the LORD look on you and judge!" Moses had come to set them free by the order and power of God, yet the people failed to look past their immediate physical suffering. Even Moses wasn't all that certain that the liberation of the Israelites was going according to plan, and this is evident in his prayer after the Israelites had complained against him:

Exodus 5:22-23
So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

God didn't bring trouble on the people! Moses even admits this in the next verse that it was Pharaoh that had done evil to the people; however, it was because God intended to deliver them from Pharaoh.

The lesson that we should take from this is that it's tempting to dwell on the "negative" aspects of following God's way, even though the negativity actually stems from the fault of those outside of God's way. If you lose your job because of the Sabbath right after you start observing it, then you will be tempted to resent it. Or, even if you don't lose your job, 20% of your paycheck is going to first and second tithe anyway, plus offerings on top of that! If you give in to your worldly desires, you may be tempted to resent tithing, especially if you are already in a strenuous financial situation. Or what if your family gets angry that you won't go to church with them on Sunday or eat dinner with them when they serve pork or other unclean foods? Will you then answer their anger towards you with anger towards God for requiring you to keep His law that causes disputes between you and your family?

If you suffer as a result of keeping God's law, it is the old man and his overseers who oppress you rather than God. When you submit to the power of the old man by rebelling against God, then he treats you in a way that you perceive to be good - you keep your job, you keep your whole paycheck, you don't have to argue with unbelievers about why you can't do certain things with them. You only perceive these things to be good because you are BLIND to the freedom that is in God's law of liberty and the bondage that you are in to sin, just as the Israelites turned a blind eye to the deliverance that God had promised. The old man will continue to oppress you in whatever ways he can! We can't be like the Israelites, who blamed God for the curses inflicted on them for striving to be liberated by God.

Therefore, as we go through the process of being freed from the cruel and oppressive old man, how should we ideally respond when we find ourselves suffering because of God's commands?

1 Peter 2:18-21
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps...

We all have to suffer for God in one way or another, or else we are not truly His followers. When we are brought grief by our worldly masters, in whatever form they may come, because of the good things that we do in keeping God's law, then we are to bear these sufferings with patience and humility. This is the attitude that God will reward: not because He desires that we should suffer, but because He desires that we be made perfect in suffering because of our devotion to Him, so that He can save us from all of these things by His power.

Exodus 6:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

The Israelites lost their focus on the salvation that God was working out for them. Don't get caught up in the losses that you might endure for keeping God's law, but bear it all with patience, knowing that all things will work together for your good if you trust in God. Don't let the old man's decree to make bricks without straw hinder your sincere, humble devotion to your Creator.