DLCM DAILY MANNA NO TIME FOR GOD?

DAILY MANNA DAILY DEVOTIONAL

NO TIME FOR GOD?

8^TH JANUARY, 2022

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 17-19

TEXT: Exodus 5:1-14

1 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.’ ”

2 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.”

3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” 

5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”

6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 

7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 

8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 

9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 

11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 

13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 

14 Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”

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KEY VERSE: Exodus 5:8

“ 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.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Give God the best, not the rest.

THE MESSAGE:

Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world, is known to be decidedly non-religious. In a televised interview in 1995, he said he believed in the values derived from religion, though not in the ritual itself. The following year, he drew worldwide criticism, especially from devoted Christians, when he told Time Magazine that he found organised religion a waste of time.

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Pharaoh's attitude and utterances in our text likewise shows complete disregard for God and His worship. When Moses told him to grant the Hebrews leave to enable them go three days into the wilderness to worship God, he was furious. He concluded the people were idle and punished them for thinking of worship and religion. Pharaoh's officers and taskmasters were given orders to increase the burden and tasks assigned to the Hebrew slaves. They were required to provide straw by themselves to make the bricks. When the Jews could not meet up with the required quantity of bricks, they were flogged mercilessly.

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Pharaoh's response to the demand for the Jews to worship their God was intended to weaken Moses' leadership of Israel at this time. It was also meant to break the will of the people and force them to submit to him instead of God.

Some organisations use higher pay on Sundays as inducement to make Christians abandon church service to work for more money. We must resist those who think we worship God because we are idle. Our devotion to God comes from the understanding that we are from Him and for Him; and at the end of everything, we will return to Him to give account.

DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY

©2022 DAILY MANNA IS a daily devotional by PASTOR W.F KUMUYI (General Overseer, DEEPER LIFE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY )