"Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all" (Exodus 5:23).
Have you ever felt like the more obedient you are to following God, the more adversity there is? Moses had been instructed to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release the people of Israel. God had said He was going to deliver the people through Moses. The only problem is that God did not tell Moses at what point they would actually be released. When Moses complained to God, the Lord told Moses that he had to harden Pharaoh's heart in order to perform greater miracles. God was behind the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. We forget that the heart of the king is in the hand of God. God had a specific reason for each plague and each delay. God said to Moses in chapter 10 of Genesis: "I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord." God has a reason for everything He does. These delays were designed to bring greater glory to God and were to be a lasting legacy for generations to come of God's miracle working power.
Once the people were freed, God, once again, hardened the heart of Pharaoh to seek after them. This action of God to harden Pharaoh's heart was to set the stage for an even greater miracle -- the parting of the Red Sea. The people were really angry with Moses for bringing them to the desert "to die." But God said to Moses, "Why are you standing here talking to me? Keep moving!" There was only one place to go by this time -- the Red Sea. God parted the Red Sea, and another greater miracle took place.
Moses learned several lessons that each of us must learn. His promises are true, but His timing is not the same as ours. God always wants greater glory than what we might be willing to give Him. God puts obstacles and adversity into our lives in order to build perseverance and faith. Why has God put the mountain in your life at this time? To demonstrate His power through your life. To show His glory.
