As I read the story of Moses, I prayed for new perspectives. It is so easy to gloss over a well-known passage. "Poor Moses," I thought. The guy had it bad. Everyone hated him (for good reason, but anyway)so he left the country. God sent him back against Moses' wishes. Then, imagine his feelings of powerlessness, things in Egypt are much worse than when he left. His adoptive family's oppression of his birth family continues.
I imagine great internal conflict for a man who has already shown his impulsivity. Yet, his task might even feel worse. The message Moses and Aaron give to Pharaoh causes even more suffering. "Moses, can you let up?" the people must have begged. When he came back to the land they had straw, at least.
The people, clutching at straw, must have hated him even more. Then the plagues start. Everyone's water turns to blood. Frogs invade. Gnats/Lice infest. Swarms of flies descend--but only on Egyptians. The Egyptian livestock sicken and perish. Boils cause suffering for Egyptians. Thunder and hail cause ruin of Egyptian crops. Great darkness covers Egyptian areas. First born Egyptians die.
My question is this, at what point did the Hebrew slaves realize that they were becoming free. When did their straw stop being so precious? Was it while they swept up the dead flies of their masters, or did it take longer than that.
This matters in my life, too. I wonder when it is that I see circumstances as things to endure and how often do I view them God's provision for my freedom? What 'straw' do I grab for, expecting it to be my life when a greater salvation awaits me?
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