Now You Will See...

Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Let that one marinate for a little bit, and dig deep down into the well of experience that's called your life.

It was a little over two months ago when I was reading about the Israelites and their deliverance from Egypt. For those not familiar with the story, I'll spare the details and give a quick rundown: 1)Israel enslaved by Egypt after a new Pharoah takes the top job, 2)Hebrews are beaten, oppressed, killed by their slave masters, 3)God sends Moses to confront Pharoah and deliver his people from slavery into freedom.

I've likely read this Bible story hundreds of times in my life, but this time something I hadn't really paid much attention to jumped off the page and into my face. Things got a whole lot worse before they got better. Moses, the man of God, was given every tool in the arsenal to compel Pharoah to release the Israelites. Think "shock and awe" with the mere movement of a hand or staff. Besides literally hearing the voice of God, this guy had seen two different miraculous signs to help bolster his faith. You can't get much more of a confidence-builder or reassurance than that. But the fight was just beginning.

Moses then goes to Pharoah and tells him it's time to let the Lord's people go (Exodus 5:1). But Pharoah matter of factly says "No. I don't know the Lord, now get back to work" (Ex 5:2-4). On top of that, Pharoah also decides the slaves will now have to gather their own straw everyday, but still produce the same amount of bricks. Double the workload, with no payday and a bigger threat of a beatdown. Modern day translation: "Yeah, we just let go of Stan, so now you'll be doing his job on top of yours. By the way you won't be getting any extra help or extra pay, and if you want to keep this job and feed your family you better keep up with both positions and not drop off for a second."

I'm wondering right about now what Moses was thinking. I mean, God had promised him Pharoah was going to let the people go two chapters earlier! But Pharoah was no fool. He probably figured he would get rid of Moses by playing his own people against him and making him into the scapegoat for all their newfound trouble. Public opinion immediately goes south. "They found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them and said, 'May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharoah and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." (Exodus 5:20-21)

Talk about going from bad to worse. The panic buttons are flashing, and the leaks are seemingly springing everywhere. Moses received a promise of deliverance, but now he's getting everything plus the kitchen sink thrown at him. If he was really the man that was supposed to open the doors to freedom, why would everyone be turning against him? What I like about Moses is that he doesn't care about being diplomatic, he lets it out and pulls no punches. "Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharoah to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." (Ex. 5:22-23)

To me, the key moment is right here. Moses had stepped out and was moving in the right direction. He did as God asked and confronted Pharoah. He was on the right path, the road to freedom. But opposition starts to rain down, then slam down. Things for Moses were temporarily getting worse, even though he was moving toward a better future. Then the reminder that it is indeed just temporary as God intervenes: "Now you will see what I will do to Pharoah. Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." (Ex. 6:1)

"Now you will see..." I don't know about you, but those four words stir something way down deep inside me. Like a breath of fresh air after being cooped up inside all day. You probably know the rest of the story for Moses. God turns the tables, and pounds on Pharoah until he finally relents and freedom for Israel is not just hope but reality. So what about your story? I don't know what your circumstances are or what you may be facing at this moment in life. I haven't lived a long time compared to others, but I do know that sometimes things get worse before they get better. And it's only temporary. God does not disappoint, he always, always comes through even if it's not in the way we expect it. Sometimes you just have to hammer through the trail and keep moving. Because then you will see.