“Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.” (Ex 7:23NIV)
That was Pharaoh’s immediate and regular response to the disasters coming upon his land and his people as result of his refusal to obey God’s command. God had sent Moses and Aaron to him to command him to release His people, the nation of Israel, so that they would go and worship Him at a designated place. But he was unwilling to release them. Why? It was because he and his people were profiting from the miseries of the people of Israel.
But then, when God intervened in the matter and began to afflict this monarch’s land, Egypt, because of His people, Israel, what should he have done? He should have let the people go, seeing that he had no power to resist God. Something similar happened when the Philistines defeated Israel in a battle and captured the Ark of God’s covenant during Eli’s time. Their land was grossly afflicted by God with an outbreak of tumours. (Cf. 1Sam 4-5)
And how did their leaders respond to that? They humbled themselves and sent back the Ark of God to Israel and with gifts. Why? It was because they cared more about their people and their welfare than their ego. And when they humbled themselves in this manner, God showed them mercy and withdrew His hand of judgment from them. (Cf. 1Sam 6)
Sadly, that was not the case with the Pharoh that Moses and Aaron had to deal with. When God began to afflict his people with all kinds of plagues, he did not take the matter to heart at all, as we see in our opening Scriptures. Initially, that was because his sorcerers and magicians were encouraging him with their witchcraft not to mind Moses and Aaron. But even when they realised that it was God’s fingers they were fighting against and withdrew themselves from the fight, he still would not take the matter seriously.
Now why was this monarch like that? Why was it convenient for him to watch his people suffer and not do anything about their suffering, even though he knew the right thing to do? It was because he had not fully shared in the affliction of the land. But the very day the affliction of the land fully entered his place and took away his heir, he lost no time to set the Israelites free. (Cf. Ex 12:29-32)
What is this teaching us? It is that unless callous leaders share fully in the affliction of their people, they may never do what is right about their welfare. Just like Egypt of Moses’ time, different nations of the world today have leaders like Pharoah, who will see their people suffering, crying and wallowing in poverty and will still not take what they see to heart at all. There are equally leaders of organisations and industries like such. It does not matter what they hear or see about the suffering of those under them, they will not take it to heart.
Why? Some of these leaders, like Pharaoh, have diabolical people around them that are encouraging them to act indifferent to the plight of their people or the command of God. Some others just don’t have any conscience anymore. Their consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. So, even if the skies are falling down on their people, they will not be moved. The only thing that such people respond to is personal judgment.
Therefore, if you are under their leadership in any way and want relief from their oppressive and wicked rule, your constant prayer must be that God will move quickly to judge them in a personal way and let them have a full dose of the consequences of their wickedness. That is the only way you will ever be delivered from their bad leadership, if they do not have a divine encounter that will lead to their repentance.
Then, if you too are like Pharaoh, indifferent towards the plight of those under your care, whether at home, in your office or wherever you may be, know that you are not far from receiving a personal and huge judgment from God, especially if those you are oppressing are crying out to God against you. so, repent now that you still have time to do so. Otherwise, the coming judgment may be too terrifying for you and those with you to bear.
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