Our Need for a Savior

Exodus 5:4-9

“4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labors!” 5 Pharaoh continued, “Now they are more numerous than the people of the land and yet you want them to stop laboring!” 6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will pay attention to it and not to deceptive words.”

The Pharaoh thought that by adding more tasks, demanding more, and generally making their lives harder, the Israelites would blame Moses, not listen to him and reject him.  

Also, by making their lives harder, the Pharaoh hoped to convince the Israelites that the God that Moses said sent him was not real and they would pay no attention to the words of Moses.  

One of the arguments people use to persuade people that there is no God is to point to the hardships and the evil that exist and say, “See, if there was a God, these things would not exist.”

But, the Pharaoh was responsible for the evil and the hardships of the Israelites, and much of the evil and suffering of today is created by human hands.  

The evil and suffering that we create does not disprove God…

but does prove our bent to sin and our dire need for a savior.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)