Context No. 3238 of 4322 · Exodus

Exodus 5:15-23: in context

15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!” 19The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!” 20They met Moses and Aaron, who stood along the way, as they came out from Pharaoh. 21They said to them, “May the LORD look at you and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!” 22Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people. You have not rescued your people at all!”

Things have gotten worse, not better. Pharaoh, angered by Moses' first demand, has ordered Israel to make bricks without straw while keeping the same quota, and the Israelite foremen are beaten and blame Moses. Moses turns to the LORD with an anguished, honest complaint: Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I came to Pharaoh, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered them at all.

After Moses' first confrontation with Pharaoh, the burden on Israel only increases, the people turn on Moses, and Moses turns on God. His complaint is raw and wrestling: why have you done evil to this people? why did you send me? This is honest prayer from a called servant, confused and disappointed that obedience seemed to make everything worse. And God does not rebuke him for the honesty; the next chapter answers with renewed promise. Sometimes obedience makes things harder before deliverance comes, and in that hard place, honest complaint brought to God is not faithlessness but a form of faith that keeps talking to him.

When obedience seems to make things worse, do I bring my honest confusion and complaint to God, keeping the conversation with him going, rather than abandoning it?

Sources

Exodus 5:22: "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?"
Exodus 6:1: "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh."
Psalm 13:1: "How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?"