July 23, 2025 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Exodus
Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. 6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. 10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? 15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? 16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. 17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. 18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
The scenario is the same today as it was back then, distract the people and cause them to focus on something other than God. We know this Pharaoh did not know Joseph and what Jospeh had done, by the will of God, in preserving Egypt through famine.
All this pharaoh could see was a group of people who grew larger in population and were a threat to his nation. His reaction was to distract them and place them under slavery and force them to work, control them and use them. God heard their cries and sent Moses and Aaron to be His spokesmen to redeem them.
Moses, now being on the scene and after presenting himself to the leaders of the Israelites stands before the same Pharaoh. The people are excited, there is someone whom God is using to help them. This news causes the Israelites to diminish their work looking toward the hope that God sent. Pharaoh is beginning to lose control.
What is pharaoh’s response? He accuses Moses.
Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Pharaoh take his response a step further and demands the people gather their own straw for making bricks. He keeps the tale, the demand for bricks the same. Now the Israelites have to work twice as hard to keep up with demand. If they failed to keep up they were beaten.
They had no time for God.
Today, we have our work and we have our play and we have our leisure, and we still have no time of God. We are distracted, not by task but by self and self pleasure. Has the affection of the believer changed from God to self?
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Don’t let the cares and riches of this world choke the word of God from your life.
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Reset your affection on Christ.
The choice is till yours,
Pastor Cook
