Caught In The Middle

Caught In The Middle Exodus 5 Before we begin today's message, we need a little background info on today's Scripture. Moses and Aaron went up to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.'" Pharaoh answered and said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go?" Later that same day, Pharaoh gave the order to the overseers who were in charge of the people to stop supplying the Israelite slaves with straw. Pharaoh said, "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." And herein lies the problem and the lesson for today's message; we like our straw. We are a straw people. What I mean by that is, even though we might not be where we want to be or doing what we want to do, as long as we keep getting our straw, we're happy. Straw is easy to carry. It's not heavy. It's easy to work with. You look around at the world, and lots of people are looking for their own type of straw, something that's easy to carry, not burdensome, and easy to work with. Straw also has other benefits. While growing in the field, it produces wheat, oats, and barley. Once it's harvested and only the stalk is left, it becomes straw. Lots of people are straw people because they want the benefits. They want the food it produces for their bellies. But they don't want to just stop there because if you get enough straw, then you can sell it. Instead of makin that cheddar, you'll be makin them oats! And as the world says, the more oats you got, the happier and more free you'll be. People tend to say, "the more straw you have, the better off you are, and the more secure you feel." On the surface, you might give off the appearance that your happier, but will you really be freer? I don't think so. Why? Because just like the Israelite slaves, when we get straw, things get muddy. You see, back in Egypt, to make bricks, they would mix straw with mud and let it harden to become strong. The straw was meant to add strength, but just like so many people today, when we get the straw we want, and it keeps coming, we tend to muddy things up. Life becomes muddy when we want our own way and when we want more and more. And although you're getting more, instead of the outcome being the lightweight straw, we're instead making bricks. In all of our getting and desire for more, life becomes so muddy that all we're doing is adding the weight of bricks to our lives. Straw has a purpose, but when we muddy it up with our own desires, all we get is bricks. And like the Israelite slaves, they were told to keep working harder and faster. Egypt desired those bricks; they needed those bricks; they just didn't want to do the work themselves. Pharaoh's plan was for someone else to do the dirty work and get muddy for his gain. In today's world, people work hard. They work long hours producing the world's bricks. And just when they think they're getting ahead, the Pharaoh's of today say it's not good enough. They take away our straw and tell us to get our own. They hold the power and the authority, and because of that, they do what they want. It doesn't matter how many overseers come and say it's too much, because they're not the ones getting muddy. Straw and bricks both hold value, but somebody's always got to get muddy. Many people won't complain when they get muddy if they have their fair share of straw and bricks. But take something away from someone that they hold dear, something that they value, something that has become a way of life, and just watch how fast they'll complain. And that takes me to another lesson a want to share with all of you today. When our usual way of life begins to get muddied up, everyone starts feeling like they're caught in the middle. So allow me to share with you three perspectives of feeling getting caught in the middle. The first perspective is Pharaoh. In verse 1 of today's Scripture, when Moses and Aaron come asking if Pharaoh would let God's people worship, Pharaoh wouldn't listen. The Pharaoh had never heard or seen the God of Israel. In verse 2 Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him?" Did you realize that ancient Egypt had over 2000 gods they worshiped? Over 2000! God's such as Ra, the god of sun and radiance, or the god of Horus, the god of vengeance. Pharaoh was familiar with Egypt's gods, but he never heard of the God of Israel, so he assumed Israel's God couldn't be very powerful. After all, Israel's God was the God of slaves, so Pharaoh wasn't at all worried about Moses' message. Pharaoh also said in verse 2, "I do not know the LORD." Because he didn't know the LORD, he didn't respect the LORD. This still happens today. People who don't know the LORD may not listen to God's Word or His messengers. Like Moses, when you share your faith with somebody, and they reject you, you may feel discouraged, but don't be surprised. Pharaoh felt like he was caught in the middle because of his authority over Egypt. He worshiped false gods and felt the pressure to rule the people. He had his own agenda, and when things started to get muddy, he felt caught in the middle as Egypt's ruler. A second perspective of being caught in the middle were the foreman. They were the Israelite overseers tasked with keeping the peace between Pharaoh and the Israelite slaves. In verse 7, when Pharaoh gave the order to stop supplying the slaves with straw for making bricks, but demanded the same quota of bricks, this problem lay flat in the overseer's lap. So what did the overseers do? First, we read in verses 10-11 how they tried to get the people to work more and produce the same amount of bricks. The foreman kept pressing their fellow workers and said in verse 13, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." But you can't take a necessity out of life and expect life to remain the same. It's like taking the battery out of a car and still expecting that car to keep running. Soon, the Israelite's were running on a low battery and slowing down from all the strain. In verse 14, when the Israelite overseers began getting beat, they went to Pharaoh second. They appealed to Pharaoh in verses 15-16 and placed the blame on Pharaoh. No matter who is to blame, who out there knows it doesn't feel good when someone calls you out. So when the overseers placed the blame on Pharaoh, Pharaoh's pride responded defensively and he called the Israelites "Lazy" in verse 17. When that heated debate with Pharaoh ended, the foreman went to the only other person they could complain to, Moses. Perhaps you've felt caught in the middle with work, with church, or with family. And perhaps you've looked for people to vent to. But complaining or turning on the leadership does absolutely nothing to solve the problem! The overseers felt caught in the middle, and because they had their own purpose, they complained. The foreman were blinded by their own purpose that they failed to see God's bigger purpose. So many times, people's words and actions stem from their own situations and how they feel. So when you start losing your straw, instead of turning on others when your situation becomes muddy and not the way you want it to be, turn to God to see what He might be doing in your situation. A third perspective is how Moses felt caught in the middle because he expected God to rescue His people. When Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to "Let my people go," their result was suffering. Sometimes hardship comes as a result of obeying God. So if you're ever suffering, don't assume that you've fallen out of God's favor. Prayerfully examine yourself because you may be suffering for doing good in an evil world. Moses felt caught in the middle because he was between listening to the people and listening to God. And the whole time, Moses expected faster results with fewer problems. You know, some people participate in scams. Say, for instance, there's big, fancy banquet someone is invited to where they have to dress a certain way. So they go to the store and buy the fancy clothes, just to return them the next day. Or how many people buy that huge tv, only to return it after the big game? These people never intended to purchase these things to own them; they just wanted to use them for their own purposes. Likewise, many people today are trying to run a game on God. They come to church, and they go to God and tell Him what they want. We tend to take what we want for our own purposes, but when the situation ends, we return to God what we wanted because we don't need it anymore. We tell God we live for Him and His purposes, but then at our own convenience, we live for our own purposes. Folks, that is running a game on God! But the difference is, with God, we can't run a game, because God can search our heart. As Jeremiah 17:10 reminds us, "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve." When God is at work, suffering, setbacks, and hardships may still occur. But as James 1:2-4 teaches us, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." That leads us to the final lesson for today: Problems can develop our patience and character by teaching us 4 things. First, we must trust God to do what's best. Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." Second, look for ways to honor God in your present situation. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Don't always expect fast results with few problems, because our problems can be used by God in ways that only He can solve. Third, remember that God won't abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." 1 Peter 5:7 adds, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." When you feel caught in the middle, seek the Lord first, because He will never leave you. Fourth, always watch for God's plan. You know, if you go to a doctor and he diagnoses what's wrong with you, he'll prescribe a treatment. The doctor will write out a prescription for medication. He gives you everything you'll need to feel better, but it's up to you to work it out. You've got to go to the pharmacy, get the prescription filled, and you have to take the medicine so you can benefit from it. When you're watching for God's plan and praying for His will to be done, you'll follow His guidance and work it out. God knows how to measure how much you value Him and Christ's salvation because if you do, you'll work it out. You'll work out what you value, so value God and let Him lead you to work out His plan. As Romans 8:28 says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." So, the next time you feel caught in the middle, look for God's purpose. There's an old saying that says, "A friend is someone who always gets in your way when you are on your way down." Well, we have a friend in Jesus. Sin had brought us down, but Christ was raised up for your salvation. Jesus said in John 15:15, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you." So when you're caught in the middle, you can rely upon Christ, because He will remain our faithful guide. The only question is, knowing what Christ says and asks of you, how will you work it out? You know, life is challenging, and many times we feel caught in the middle. So often we rely on ourselves as guides to fix our situations. But we all know how far short we can fall. So I pray that you come to Christ today. Work it out with Him because He worked out salvation for you. AMEN 2