Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文：「摩西回到耶和華那裡，說：『主啊，你為甚麼苦待這百姓呢？為甚麼打發我去呢？』」——《出埃及記》5:22
《出埃及記》第四章最後，是一個充滿盼望的畫面。摩西和亞倫回到埃及，把神的話告訴以色列百姓，也在他們面前行了神蹟。百姓聽見神眷顧他們、看見他們的困苦，就相信神，低頭敬拜。
他們受苦多年，如今終於聽見：神看見了。神聽見了。神要拯救他們。摩西也終於不再推辭，正式回應神的呼召。可是到了第五章，事情不但沒有立刻變好，反而變得更差。摩西和亞倫第一次進到法老面前，正式宣告：「耶和華以色列的神這樣說：容我的百姓去，在曠野向我守節。」這句話非常重要。
神稱以色列人為：「我的百姓。」在法老眼中，以色列人只是勞工，是為埃及製磚的奴隸；但神宣告，他們真正的身份不是法老的產業，而是屬於耶和華。可是法老拒絕了。他說：「耶和華是誰，使我聽他的話？」之後，他不再供應草給以色列人製磚，卻要求他們每天仍交出同樣數量的磚。
百姓不但要製磚，還要四處尋找碎稭；工作增加了，要求卻沒有減少，官長還因為不能完成數量而被責打。最難明白的是，這一切不是發生在摩西違背神之後，而是發生在他順服神之後。摩西已經照神的話去做，亞倫也與他同行，百姓也已經相信，但當神的話真正進入埃及，壓力反而增加。
我們也常常不能明白：我已經順服神，為甚麼事情反而更難？我已經禱告，為甚麼環境沒有改善？如果真是神的帶領，為甚麼會有這麼多阻力？《出埃及記》第五章讓我們看見，順服後遇到困難，不一定表示神沒有工作，也不一定表示我們走錯了路。
一、因為神的話觸動了原有的權勢
「法老說：『耶和華是誰，使我聽他的話，容以色列人去呢？我不認識耶和華，也不容以色列人去。』」——《出埃及記》5:2
摩西和亞倫一開始就清楚宣告：「容我的百姓去。」這句話直接觸動了法老的權柄。在法老眼中，以色列人屬於埃及，是他的勞動人口；但神卻說：「他們是我的百姓。」神是在告訴法老：「你不是他們真正的主人。」「你不能決定他們最終屬於誰。」「你也不能阻止他們敬拜和事奉我。」所以，法老真正拒絕的，不只是一個三天的旅程，也不只是一場敬拜聚會。他拒絕的是神的主權。
當神的話臨到，法老的反抗便立刻顯露。這也是為甚麼，摩西一順服，事情便開始變得困難。神的話不只帶來安慰，也會挑戰一切不願降服神的權勢。當一個人決定不再活在罪中，舊習慣可能更強烈地拉扯他。當一個人開始建立禱告生活，各種忙碌和攔阻可能突然增加。當一個家庭按神的原則修補關係，過去壓抑的問題可能先浮現出來。當一個人開始回應神的呼召，反對、誤解和懷疑也可能一同出現。
這不一定表示神沒有帶領。有時候，正因為神的話已經進入，原有的權勢才會顯露它真正的反應。所以，不要用「是否立刻順利」作為判斷神是否帶領的唯一標準。摩西順服了，法老卻反抗；神的話已經說出，環境卻先惡化。但這並不表示神的計劃失敗，而是神與法老的爭戰正式開始。
二、因為壓力顯露了人裡面的依靠
「他們就向摩西、亞倫說：『願耶和華鑒察你們，施行判斷；因你們使我們在法老和他臣僕面前有了臭名，把刀遞在他們手中殺我們。』」——《出埃及記》5:21
第四章最後，百姓相信神，也低頭敬拜。但到了第五章，當法老加重工作，他們的態度立刻改變。原本他們歡迎摩西和亞倫，現在卻責怪他們。原本他們相信神要拯救，現在卻覺得摩西使事情更糟。這讓我們看見，他們的信心仍然建立在環境是否立刻改善之上。
當環境變好，他們就相信。當壓力增加，他們就埋怨。壓力不只是使人辛苦，也會顯露人真正依靠的是甚麼。以色列人雖然渴望自由，但他們長期活在法老的制度下，心裡仍然非常害怕法老。神說他們是祂的百姓，但當法老發怒時，他們仍然覺得，法老的反應比神的應許更真實。我們也常常如此。事情順利時，我們很容易相信神。有人支持時，我們很容易繼續。很快看見成果時，我們也很容易感恩。但當壓力增加，我們真正依靠的是甚麼，便會顯露出來。
有些人依靠環境。有些人依靠人的肯定。有些人依靠自己的控制。有些人依靠快速的成果。壓力會顯露，我們到底是相信神的話，還是只相信眼前的結果。神不只是要把以色列人帶出埃及，也要讓他們看見，埃及仍然怎樣活在他們心裡。他們的身體想離開法老，心裡卻仍然被法老的反應控制。
今天，我們也需要問自己：我現在最害怕失去的是甚麼？我最在意誰怎樣看我？我是否仍然用環境的好壞，判斷神有沒有工作？
三、因為神要我們在不明白中回到祂面前
「摩西回到耶和華那裡，說：『主啊，你為甚麼苦待這百姓呢？為甚麼打發我去呢？』」——《出埃及記》5:22
摩西承受了很大的壓力。他已經照神的話去見法老，但法老拒絕了，還加重百姓的工作。百姓也沒有體諒他，反而責怪他使事情惡化。從人的角度看，摩西第一次正式執行使命，好像完全失敗。法老不聽。百姓埋怨。環境惡化。神的應許似乎還沒有出現。但摩西做了一件非常重要的事：「摩西回到耶和華那裡。」他沒有與百姓正面衝突。他沒有立刻為自己辯護。他也沒有責罵百姓沒有信心。百姓把埋怨帶到摩西面前，摩西卻把自己的疑問帶到神面前。這是一個非常重要的態度。摩西不是沒有情緒，也不是沒有困惑。
他很直接地問神：「你為甚麼苦待這百姓？」「為甚麼打發我去？」「你一點也沒有拯救他們。」他沒有假裝自己明白，也沒有用屬靈的話掩蓋裡面的失望。他把最真實的疑問、挫敗和痛苦，全部帶到神面前。這不是離開神，而是回到神那裡。
真正的信心，不是從來沒有問題。真正的信心，是有問題時仍然回到神面前。真正的信心，也不是假裝不痛。而是在痛苦中仍然選擇向神說話。第五章是在問題中結束的。摩西說：「你一點也沒有拯救他們。」但第六章一開始，神便回答：「現在你必看見我向法老所行的事。」摩西看見的是事情沒有改善。神看見的卻是祂的作為正要展開。
有些時候，我們也停在自己的第五章。我們只看見事情變差，只看見人的反對，只看見自己的失敗。但神已經預備第六章的回答。我們現在不明白，不代表神沒有答案。我們暫時看不到拯救，不代表神沒有工作。
《出埃及記》第五章讓我們看見，順服神之後，事情有時不但沒有立刻改善，反而變得更難。摩西順服神去見法老，法老卻加重百姓的工作。百姓剛剛相信和敬拜，環境一惡化，便立刻埋怨摩西和亞倫。摩西奉神的名說話，結果卻看不見任何拯救。
但是，第五章讓我們明白三件事：第一，順服後更難，有時是因為神的話觸動了原有的權勢。第二，順服後更難，有時是因為壓力正在顯露人裡面真正的依靠。第三，順服後更難，是要我們學習在不明白中回到神面前。
今天，也許你正處在自己的「第五章」。你已經順服了，卻還沒有看見改變。你已經禱告了，環境卻更加困難。你已經付出，卻換來誤解。你已經照神的話去做，卻覺得事情比以前更差。不要忘記，第五章不是故事的結局。神仍然在工作。你現在看不見，不代表祂沒有行動。
省察
- 我是否因為順服後遇到困難，就開始懷疑自己是否走錯了路？
- 最近的壓力顯露出，我真正依靠的是神、環境、人的肯定，還是自己的控制？
- 當我被誤解、失望或不能明白時，我是與人爭辯、自己關閉，還是回到神面前？
禱告
親愛的天父，當我順服你之後，事情沒有立刻改善，甚至變得更難時，求你保守我的心，不要太快懷疑你的帶領。幫助我明白，困難增加不一定代表你沒有工作；有時，是你的話正在觸動原有的權勢，也是壓力正在顯露我裡面真正的依靠。
主啊，當我不明白時，求你使我不向人發怒，也不離開你。幫助我像摩西一樣，把最真實的困惑、失望和疑問帶回你面前。即使我仍然停在第五章，求你賜我信心，相信你已經預備第六章的回答。讓我在看不見時仍然相信，在困難中仍然順服，在不明白中仍然回到你面前。奉主耶穌基督的名禱告，阿們。
Key Verse: “So Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?’” — Exodus 5:22, NKJV
At the end of Exodus 4, everything seemed full of hope. Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt. They told the people what God had said and showed them the signs God had given. The Bible says: “So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” — Exodus 4:31, NKJV
The people had suffered for many years, but now they heard: God had seen them. God had heard them. God was going to rescue them. Moses had also stopped making excuses and had finally obeyed God’s call.
But when we come to Exodus 5, things did not become better. They became worse. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and clearly declared: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” This statement was very important.
God called Israel: “My people.” In Pharaoh’s eyes, the Israelites were only workers and slaves who made bricks for Egypt. But God declared that they did not belong to Pharaoh. They belonged to the Lord. Pharaoh refused. He said: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?” Then he stopped giving the people straw for making bricks, but he still demanded the same number of bricks each day.
The people now had to find their own straw and still complete the same amount of work. Their workload increased, but the demand did not change. The most difficult part was that all this happened after Moses obeyed God. Moses had done what God told him to do. Aaron was with him. The people had believed. But when God’s word entered Egypt, the pressure increased.
We often ask the same questions: “I have obeyed God, so why are things becoming harder?” “I have prayed, so why has the situation not improved?” “If this is really God’s leading, why is there so much resistance?”
Exodus 5 shows us that difficulty after obedience does not always mean that God is not working. It also does not always mean that we have taken the wrong path.
- Because God’s Word Challenges Existing Powers
“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.’” — Exodus 5:2, NKJV
Moses and Aaron clearly said: “Let My people go.” This directly challenged Pharaoh’s authority. Pharaoh believed that Israel belonged to Egypt. They were his workforce.
But God said: “They are My people.” God was telling Pharaoh: “You are not their true master.” “You cannot decide whom they belong to.” “You cannot stop them from worshiping and serving Me.” Pharaoh was not only rejecting a three-day journey.
He was rejecting God’s authority. When God’s word came, Pharaoh’s resistance was revealed. This is why things became harder after Moses obeyed. God’s word does not only bring comfort. It also challenges every power that refuses to submit to Him.
When someone decides to leave sin behind, old habits may pull even harder. When someone begins to build a prayer life, distractions may suddenly increase. When a family decides to repair relationships according to God’s way, hidden problems may first come to the surface. When someone begins to answer God’s call, opposition, misunderstanding, and doubt may appear at the same time. This does not always mean God is not leading.
Sometimes, resistance appears because God’s word has already entered and touched the real problem. So we should not use immediate success as the only sign of God’s guidance. Moses obeyed, but Pharaoh resisted. God’s word had been spoken, but the situation became worse. This did not mean God’s plan had failed. It meant that the conflict had truly begun.
- Because Pressure Reveals What We Depend On
“Then they said to them, ‘Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.’” — Exodus 5:21, NKJV
At the end of Exodus 4, the people believed God and worshiped Him. But in Exodus 5, when Pharaoh increased their work, their attitude changed immediately. At first, they welcomed Moses and Aaron. Now they blamed them. At first, they believed God would rescue them.
Now they believed Moses had made everything worse. This shows that their faith was still connected to whether the situation improved quickly. When things went well, they believed. When pressure increased, they complained. Pressure does not only make life difficult. It also reveals what we truly depend on. The Israelites wanted freedom, but they had lived under Pharaoh for many years.
Deep inside, they were still afraid of him. God said they were His people, but when Pharaoh became angry, his reaction felt more real to them than God’s promise. We are often the same. When life is peaceful, it is easy to say that we trust God. When people support us, it is easy to continue. When we see quick results, it is easy to give thanks.
But when pressure increases, what we truly depend on begins to appear. Some people depend on circumstances. Some depend on the approval of others. Some depend on their own control. Some depend on quick results.
Pressure reveals whether we truly trust God’s word or only trust what we can see. God did not only want to bring Israel out of Egypt. He also wanted to show them how deeply Egypt still lived inside their hearts. Their bodies wanted to leave Pharaoh, but their hearts were still controlled by his reaction.
Today, we need to ask ourselves: What am I most afraid of losing? Whose opinion matters most to me? Am I judging whether God is working only by whether my situation improves?
- Because God Wants Us to Return to Him When We Do Not Understand
“So Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?’” — Exodus 5:22, NKJV
Moses was under great pressure. He had obeyed God and gone to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh rejected him and made the people’s work harder. The people did not understand Moses. Instead, they blamed him. From a human point of view, Moses’ first attempt looked like a complete failure. Pharaoh would not listen. The people complained. The situation became worse. God’s promise had not yet appeared.
But Moses made one very important choice: “Moses returned to the Lord.” He did not argue with the people. He did not immediately defend himself. He did not attack them for having weak faith.
The people brought their complaints to Moses, but Moses brought his questions to God. This is a very important spiritual response. Moses was not without emotion. He was not without confusion. He asked God directly: “Why have You brought trouble on this people?” “Why have You sent me?” “You have not rescued Your people at all.” Moses did not pretend that he understood. He did not cover his disappointment with religious words. He brought his real questions, pain, and frustration to God.
This was not turning away from God. It was returning to God. True faith does not mean that we never have questions. True faith means that when we have questions, we still return to God. True faith does not mean pretending that we are not hurt. It means choosing to speak to God even while we are hurting.
Exodus 5 ends with a question. Moses said: “You have not delivered Your people at all.” But Exodus 6 begins with God’s answer: “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.” Moses saw that nothing had improved. God saw that His work was about to begin. Sometimes, we are also living in our own “Exodus 5.” We only see things getting worse. We only see opposition. We only see failure.
But God has already prepared the answer of Exodus 6. We may not understand now, but that does not mean God has no answer. We may not yet see rescue, but that does not mean God is not working.
Conclusion
Exodus 5 shows us that after we obey God, things may not immediately improve. Sometimes, they become harder. Moses obeyed God and went to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh increased the people’s work. The people had just believed and worshiped, but when the situation became worse, they blamed Moses and Aaron. Moses spoke in God’s name, but he still saw no rescue.
Yet this chapter teaches us three things: First, obedience may become harder because God’s word has challenged an existing power. Second, obedience may become harder because pressure is revealing what we truly depend on. Third, obedience may become harder because God is teaching us to return to Him when we do not understand.
Today, you may be living in your own “Exodus 5.” You have obeyed, but you have not yet seen change. You have prayed, but the situation has become more difficult. You have given your best, but you have been misunderstood. You have followed God’s word, but things seem worse than before.
Do not forget: Exodus 5 is not the end of the story. God is still working. You may not see it now, but that does not mean He is not moving.
Reflection
- Have I started to doubt God’s leading because obedience has brought difficulty?
- What has recent pressure revealed about what I truly depend on?
- When I feel misunderstood or disappointed, do I argue with people, close my heart, or return to God?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, When I obey You and things do not improve, or even become harder, please guard my heart from quickly doubting Your leading. Help me understand that greater difficulty does not always mean that You are not working.
Sometimes, Your word is challenging old powers, and pressure is revealing what I truly depend on. Lord, when I do not understand, help me not to become angry with people or turn away from You.
Help me to be like Moses and bring my real questions, disappointment, and pain back to You. Even when I am still living in Exodus 5, give me faith to believe that You have already prepared the answer of Exodus 6.
Help me to trust You when I cannot see, obey You when life is difficult, and return to You when I do not understand. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
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