Selective Hearing

Introduction: Anyone have selective hearing? Women, I know at this moment if I were to say that your husbands tend to have selective hearing, I would get a hearty amen. That is usually a joke made about men, that we only hear what we want to hear. I often like to tell people if I don’t hear them that I only got one ear, and I jokingly use that with my wife, but she rightly affirms that yes, you only have one ear and you have selective hearing. Double whammy.

I joke with that illustration, but let me bring that to a level that we all need to hear. How often do we selectively hear what we want to hear when it comes to God speaking through His Word to us? And when that happens, what happens when we had an expectation of God that he clearly showed wasn’t there?

Moses and Israel rightly heard and got excited about the prospect of their deliverance, but they missed the part that God said clearly that this deliverance wouldn’t come without difficulty. But in that difficulty, God will be brought most glory and sanctify God’s people to rely on Him.

CTS: Let Bible form your expectations of God / Don’t have selective hearing when it comes to the Word of God.

The Reality of Conflict

Walking through this text, we are going to see how God will reveal how faithful he is to His Word. God never relents on his promises and never lies. So, when he says something, it can be banked on.

The problem is, Moses, Aaron, and Israel missed part of the promise. But what did they miss? Chapter 5 reveals it.

(1-5) The Rejection of Pharaoh

Moses and Aaron, I can imagine, are ready and pumped to go forward. They just had the acceptance of God’s people after they came before the elders. There was worship at that revelation. Who wouldn’t have been excited.

Now comes the time. With acceptance by God’s people, together they enter Pharaoh’s chambers. Side by side, they confront Pharaoh.

They tell Pharaoh their request. Let our people go so we can go and hold a festival (which is a little different from what God told them, to go and three days so they could sacrifice there.) Regardless, the idea remains the same.

The reaction of Pharaoh: What was his reaction? Rejection. Who is the LORD? The original language in Hebrew indicates that this isn’t a literal question of who, but rather, a disrespectful why. Who is He that I should obey him? Remember, Pharaoh is considered a god in the eyes of Egypt. A God who can challenge him? I don’t know him and I will not let you your people go. Here we see the first rejection of God. Disbelief. Disrespect.

Moses and Aaron reiterate the consequences: Moses and Aaron then communicate that this God, their God, has told us to do this. If we don’t, there will be consequences. Though it’s hard to see in the English, what Moses and Aaron are saying is not just that they’ll face the consequences, but that everyone will face it, including the Egyptians. It would be wise to let us go.

Pharaoh’s second response: All this is to take away my work force. This Pharaoh was different from the earlier Pharaoh in chapters 1 and 2. He wanted genocide. Pharaoh wants a slave workforce. And his workforce wants to leave. He can’t have that. No Moses and Aaron. All you want is to take away my workforce. Go back to work. This is a huge workforce and all you want is to take away rest. I desire to work them to the bone. God wants rest for His people. The enemy wants burdened labor.

Well, this didn’t go to plan, did it? Rejection. No deliverance. He said no. But he’s not finished.

(6-14) The Oppression of Pharaoh

The scheme of Pharaoh: Pharaoh, in his hatred of God and his people, and his desire to keep them as a workforce, now wants to cut off the rebellion right at its knees. He’s going to oppress them so much that they will reject their leaders.

This scheme is simple. The taskmasters of Egypt were not going to give the Israelites straw to make brick. They were already slaving over making bricks, but now they wouldn’t have the materials provided for them. Instead, they will need to keep the quota and gather the materials needed. Double labor. Impossible labor. And if they don’t, the taskmasters would beat them because, well, they would face the wrath of Pharaoh themselves if they didn’t make quota. Of course, the Egyptians don’t respect the Israelites either. They are slaves!

And the key verse of what Pharaoh does, his response to the prospect of worship of God’s people is verses 8 and 9. They are idle, and they want to worship to get out of their work, so let’s make it harder on them. Don’t listen to their lying words. They just want to stop working. So instead, we’ll make them suffer more, and show my power over them.

So, impossible labor. And on top of that, beatings to go along with it. This seems like a far cry from deliverance! Seems like God is not in control, but Pharoah is!

(15-21) The Rejection of God’s People

Rejected by Pharaoh: So, the Israelites foreman come to Pharaoh, maybe thinking that they can convince Pharaoh that their taskmasters are being abusive. We can’t do what the quota is, they’ve taken our straw. Maybe it was a mistake. We can’t do it. Tell your taskmasters to give us straw.

Yet Pharaoh, the one who told those taskmasters what to do, declares they are lazy and that your desire to worship is unheard. I don’t care. I will not let you go. I’m the boss, not your God. He is nothing to me. You are nothing to me but a slave force to give me what I need.

Reject Moses and Aaron: As Israel was rejected, they come out and Moses and Aaron are waiting. And as they come out, they declare to them a curse. From acceptance of the Word and worship in light of it, they quickly turn and curse Moses and Aaron.

the officers voiced their anger toward Moses and Aaron in the most forceful way possible, by uttering a formal curse, an appeal for divine judgement against the two brothers in the form of a poetic imprecation. This was extremely powerful language. As the following text illustrates, it left Moses badly shaken. - Duane Garret

(22-23) The Rejection of God?

And in these last verses of chapter 5, Moses goes to the Lord and essentially asks? What just happened? Nothing went according to plan. Why did it get worse? Why is there this evil? I thought you were going to save us, not enslave us even more.

That didn’t go according to plan.

What does this all mean?

What was missed? Why did everything end up this way? Well, if Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites people had paid attention to everything the Lord had said, their reaction may have been a little different.

But that other question is one that we must wrestle with for ourselves at times. God was going to break their reliance on Egypt. And he wanted to make sure without any shadow of a doubt that it will only be Him that delivers them, saves them. There can be no question to who has the power in this narrative. It’s Yahweh.

A major theme of the exodus narrative is that Israel was released solely because of the power of God, and not because of any generosity on the Egyptians parts or because of any heroics on the Hebrews' part. - Garrett

Letting God Form Our Expectations of Him

I’m framing this sermon a little differently than I normally do. One of the harder things for me to do is to not let myself make narrative an academic exercise of trying to drive points home out of it into a nice and neat three point outline. Here, we have a narrative heavy section of Scripture that comes right after an address between God and Moses. Within that dialogue is major themes of who God is, what He is going to do, and how He is going to uses Moses to deliver His people from slavery.

Unbiblical expectations:

But tucked into those glorious truths are the ones that are often missed, or maybe, ignored. This happens more often than we often like to think or realize. And it may be unintentional. Or it may be because it is we are prone to seek comfort rather than have to deal with the hard things, the things that cause us to squirm a little. Sometimes we bypass the parts of the Bible that inform us by virtue of being one of God’s people, you are going to experience difficulties and suffering.

Moses, Aaron, and God’s people went into this chapter most likely giddy and ready to see God do his thing. This is it! God’s going to deliver us! We are about to leave this awful slavery and this awful place called Egypt and be free. We believe! We are ready!

But what happened? Exactly what God said was going to happen. But they forgot what God had said was going to happen. Their exuberance of faith and worship got confronted with the reality that we live in a broken and fallen world, and we have an enemy that desires to squash us.

But instead of heeding this, they got upset, curse Moses and Aaron, and then Moses gets upset at God. Let me say this, this is the proper place of struggle, and actually Moses needs to be commended that he goes to God first. Sure, his expectations weren’t met, but he knew God is the one who could take care of this.

So the question becomes, and we must look at ourselves in the text here: How many times do we come to the Lord like this? God, I did what you asked. I lived the way you asked me to. I got blackballed, made fun of, rejected for my views. I went and shared the gospel with someone. They didn’t believe and got angry with me. I tried to lead my kids at home to read the Bible and do devotions. They ignored it and complained the whole time. I tried to make church a priority. Everyone was grumpy, getting mad at one another in the morning, and complained about going to church. I tried to give joyfully to the Lord, put my money in the offering in the plate. I lost my job and wondering what I’m going to do.

God, why have you done this evil to us? God, why did you even send me? Why am I going through this?

Remember what the Word says:

We are reminded that when we go through trials and tribulations, when things don’t go our way, that we must remember the word.

We are told in Scripture to expect trouble. Expect tribulation. This is all over the Bible. It was all over this text in Exodus. It was promised by God previously chapters 3-4.

Exodus 3:19–20 ESV

19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

Exodus 4:21–22 ESV

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,

Christian, the same has been said of us as God’s people. It’s not something out of the ordinary. God hasn’t forgotten. As a matter of fact, he has promised that these things would happen. Why? Because sin exists. The world is dark. People reject God and reject His revelation. They will reject his people. Here are some Scriptures that we remember.

Trials test and strengthen our faith:

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Suffering is expected because Christ suffered

1 Peter 2:20–25 ESV

20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Did you hear that in the early part of that text? It is a gracious thing to suffer for the cause of Christ.

Trials test our faith by fire and leave a genuine faith:

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Trials and sufferings show God’s power and glory

Moses and Israel forgot also the second part of the promise that would happen. Pharaoh would reject, harden his heart and be hardened by the powerful signs of God. All of these things would eventually lead God’s people to see the powerful working of God. We often struggle not only that our faith would be strengthened, but that God would be given glory through his presence in that suffering. So when we ask the question, God why are you allowing this evil? Why is this happening to me, my family, or our church? We are to be reminded as Paul reminded the Corinthian church.

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Trials and suffering break us from our worldly reliance and idols

In the midst of all of this, we must remember that God is doing two things. Remember the theme I have mentioned a few times. God is delivering Israel out of Egypt. But he is also working to get Egypt out of Israel.

And that is what sanctification is for us. God has delivered us, given us a new exodus, salvation, but he is also breaking our reliance on worldly things. Breaking our sin. Breaking our idols. Breaking our proclivity to put all of our faith in things or people. We tend to often, maybe unknowingly, to run to relationships to help us, sooth us, save us. And what we realize over time is that these things can’t save me. My wife can’t save me. This church can’t save me. My friends cannot save me. My job can’t fulfill me. Money won’t fulfill me. Possessions won’t fulfill me. Health won’t fulfill me. Looks won’t fulfill me. Only Jesus can fulfill my life. His presence. His purpose.

And my life is to built on him. Paul talks about his life and ministry is to be built on the foundation of Christ. This a good word for us as well.

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 ESV

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Trials and sufferings point us to Jesus and the Gospel

But what we must remember more than anything else, is that these trials and sufferings were part of the deliverance of God’s people. And the trials and sufferings of true Israel himself, Jesus, is what brings about our salvation. He suffered for our sins. He died the death we deserved. He was forsaken for us.

What will ground us in the midst of the hard times, the trials, the tribulations, the sufferings we endure is to remember that Jesus suffered for us. How can we expect any different? If Jesus the perfectly righteous one suffered, we cannot expect any different. And every person that has suffered from then until now has done so for the glory of the One who suffered. Men and women burned at the stake. Martyred. Imprisoned. But they counted it joy to suffer.

Conclusion

In Matthew 13:18-23

Matthew 13:18–23 ESV

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Jesus talks about faith and what happens when the seed of the gospel is sown. There are varying responses. There is outright rejection (we could say Pharaoh was here). There are those that initially receive the word with joy, but fall away when the tribulations and persecutions come. Some hear it, but the cares of the world choke its growth.

What God does in our hearts is to take His Word and grow it into our lives. But part of that is teaching us His whole Word, and what that entails. Its the beautiful thing of God’s sovereign work to save and sustain us, but also our responsibility of faith and trust in God.

So we must not have selective hearing, but hear the whole of Scripture.

How can we not have selective hearing?

Read and meditate on all the Word, not just selected verses. Don’t just read one verse devotionals. Read whole books of the Bible.

Pray that God would draw your attention and hearts to even the hard parts of Scripture.

Put Christ at the center of the Scriptures. Faith in him yes, but also, reminded that life in Him will be a process of sanctification and a testing of our faith, that he will refine us for His glory.

Pray God would break your heart over your sin and break your reliance on things and people, and to run to Jesus.

Finally, rest in the Gospel, that everything we go through is only a sliver of what Jesus went through to save us from eternal sin and death. Let the words of Edvard Grieg words close out our time to remind us of the great cost of our salvation and why it should cause us to stand strong for Jesus.

Exodus—Saved for God's Glory Pharaoh, Save Us!

God’s Son hath set me free from Satan’s tyranny,

from base desire, enslavement dire,

from fear of death and hell’s hot fire.

Lord Christ did intercede, with God for me did plead;

he underwent my punishment, to torture, death, was sent.

I cannot fathom love so great however much I contemplate:

that he could be so merciful to me,

a sinner frail, whom naught could suit but tasting the forbidden fruit;

by day, by night, old Satan’s might my soul had captured quite.

Exodus—Saved for God's Glory Pharaoh, Save Us!

“O blessed sign! Christ’s cross doth shine, makes bliss eternal mine. God’s Son hath set me free!”