Exodus 5:1–2 – Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”
I could imagine if this discourse had taken place in the present time, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, would be found by Moses surrounded with the luxuries and carelessness of our age. He would have the most expensive automobiles lining his garages. He would have great mansions with many rooms built with only the finest materials. He would have hundreds of servants to wait on every need for every conceived comfort. The latest technologies would control every aspect of his life. He would own jet planes and luxury yachts to transport him and his entourage at a moment’s notice to anywhere in the world. He would have only the most physically good-looking men, women, and children to play with like inanimate toys to fulfill deviant sexual desires (no doubt an evil lucrative enterprise even today in the dark secret places of the world). People would line up to get just a sliver of the wealth and sell themselves into slavery to get it.
Tell of wealthy sheiks with pure gold toilets or billionaires who buy $23,000 cell phones. I could reduce it a hundred times to a miniature “wannabe” version of these elite few where ordinary people pretend daily to ascend the ranks of this world but have no lasting pleasure in it. I could find story after story of multitudes of people who are slaves to the success of indebtedness. There is always a debt to pay to those who hold the lever that opens and closes the floodgates of wealth and poverty in this world. Pharaoh was this person, and he dared defy the Living God who rules the heavens and earth. Big mistake!
Daniel 4:34–35+37 – for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” …praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. -Nebuchadnezzar, Ancient King of Babylon
What success is there in gaining wealth, power, or fame when in the end you have nothing to take with you? What fulfillment is there in giving up what is most precious and enduring in life for that which perishes. What profit is there in gaining the whole world but losing your soul in the process? I have seen a common sentiment in people who don’t truly know the Love of God — that life is something like a ride we take; we get on, and we get off, like an amusement park ride. Some have the time of their lives from start to finish, and some get sick and want off immediately. No matter what experience a person has the ride ends eventually for everyone. Everyone must exit so that the next batch can board. Of course; we want to be rich or famous. Of course; we desire only the finest of things. Of course; we want to be beautiful or attractive to strangers whose promiscuous drama make our costumes more comfortable to wear. These are moments of pleasure for what? To come to the end of our time in this world with nothing to show but that we lived our lives as a tale that is told. What respectful story would we be for those who hear it? He could party! She dressed with such style! Look how rich they are! What a good looking couple! It’s everywhere we look, many self-fulfilling paths that lead to somewhere, but nowhere good. God is looking for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the pure of heart, and for the peacemakers who are concerned with loving others rather than pining for acceptance. You are valuable already! You don’t need the successful masks of this world to be valuable. You are valuable already in the eyes of Him who sits on the most exalted throne!
I am not exempt from these desires, nor would I pretend to have never fallen into the abyss of dark pursuits. I have, and still do from time to time, at least in my mind, to my regret! But God forgives me and sets my feet on the right course of living for Him and trusting in His leading. When we pursue worldly things for the temporal pleasure they afford we are saying with Pharaoh “I do not know the Lord.” If you knew Him, you would never roll your eyes or dismiss His ways as legalism or fanatical. True lovers of God are passionate about loving Him and others — being pure of heart and peacemakers with all men and women. Those who are obsessed with a political side or societal issue forget the day and age where the Bible was written and the exhortation of those who wrote it:
1 Peter 2:17 – Honor all people. Love the brotherhood (the Church). Fear God. Honor the king.
My purpose is not to accuse but to relay the Truth of God to those He loves. Here is the Truth: The same sentiment of “I do not know the Lord ” from the mind and mouth of Pharaoh thousands of years ago, is the same attitude found in the hearts and minds of those who have forgotten God in the present time. In their pursuits for success in this life, they become nothing more than glorified brick makers for the Pharaohs of this world. Only now the deception is in allowing a pawn to feel like a king for the sake of establishing trust in those who hold the whips. God is not against riches or comforts. All one needs to do is read in Revelation what the temple of God looks like; streets of pure gold! What is important to remember, what is imperative never to forget, is that God has made us to love us and be loved by us. If we do not acknowledge Him in all our ways, then all our ways will lead to death, and ultimately separation from Him. God is not threatening people, no more than a person may see a dehydrated man near death and urge him to drink water. God is the life of all living things and gives us all good things to enjoy. A thankful heart is always pleasing to Him. He has sent His Holy Spirit to those things in our lives that take His place and with absolute authority declares, “Let my people go!”
