WAIT AND SEE

‘So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. ‘

Exodus 7:10-12

Every time I read the bible I am mindful of the fact that these are not just fairytales or made-up stories, these accounts are telling of real-life people. Every single detail was the reality of a living breathing person. Let that thought be with you as you read this today.

Picture Moses and Aaron whom God just sent to do the most terrifying assignments of their lives. We have talked about Moses and how He struggled with this assignment (read about it here). He debated the matter to the point that provoked God (Exodus 4:14). Oh, but Moses had come a long way from that timid, fear-crippled, fugitive on the run he was when God called him. Now he was like a god to Pharoah and Aaron was his prophet. He wasn’t hesitant to stand before Pharoah, he had built courage, he had seen signs and he was sure that God was with him every step of the way.

It Worked

So he steps up to Pharoah with his trusted side-kick and they tell Pharoah what God said. This time they did more than talking. Aaron threw down his rod to prove to them that they were not on a fool’s errand, they had the power to back up their claims. To their expectation, the rod turned into a snake.

I can only imagine how much more confident they felt at that moment. The sign God showed Moses worked! it actually worked!! This time he didn’t run, no! He was sure of himself, sure of his God. However, something else was happening. others were not amazed and Pharoah was not impressed. I can almost hear him say “Get me the magicians. Call all the wise men.” And just like that, there were more snakes. These imposters replicated their miracle.

Not So Special

What do you do when what you thought was special becomes common? How do you respond when you look up and see undeserving people with the same results you got by faith and they got theirs cheaply through backhanded means? You have to understand that this rod was one of the things God used to convince Moses and prove that he could do this assignment. It must have felt pretty special and unique to him, but these diviners just photocopied it.

I know how I will respond, I will panic. My confidence will fall and if I do not run away from there I will surely start questioning God under my breath while I pray with my mouth (not audibly but definitely with as much panicked passion as I can get). But these men did not respond like me, they stood there patiently waiting and trusting God. We have no record that they ran off, or lost heart they stayed there before Pharoah, confident in the one who sent them.

Play It Out

As we read on, we discover that the snake God made swallowed the snakes that the diviners made. This is the outcome every single time. What God made will eventually swallow what man or hell made. But we have to WAIT and see what God will do and that is usually the problem. What we read in a few seconds did not happen in the same length of time. It must have taken a couple of minutes for all the magicians to assemble, assess the situation, get their rods, do their incantation, and create snakes. All this while Moses and Aaron stood there faithfully. And you can be sure that they must have been mocked by all who were there.

Moses and Aaron had minutes but sometimes our encounter takes weeks, months, and even years before we get to see the outcome. That’s enough time to make any heart entertain doubt. Yet our only option is still to wait and see what God will do.

Beloved, sometimes we encounter more than we prepared for. Sometimes, we don’t feel so special serving the Lord and we might let our fears make us wonder if it is even worth it to continue trusting Him. In these moments we must remember that the story isn’t over yet. The snakes are still crawling around, we are still in front of Pharoah and God is still with us. We have to wait and see what He does next. It would be hasty to summarise a book while on the first page, get to the end first before you write your report. And I can tell you for free now that the end is always better than the beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me be patient with the process of my life. Help me to trust you even when trusting you seems impossible. Give me the grace to hope in your word and your promise everyday of my life, but especially on those days when I lack the faith and courage to continue. Amen.

Shalom