If you search the Internet for ways that autocrats control their nation, the top response is the way Pharaoh responded to Moses’ request for God’s people to worship him in the wilderness.
Pharaoh’s fellow autocrats rely on repressive measures such as surveillance, censorship, arbitrary arrests, torture, and even extrajudicial killings to instill fear and discourage dissent. This creates a climate of intimidation and suppresses opposition.
The foremen over the brick-making project ordered the people to gather straw for the production of bricks.
When they failed to reach their quota, they “were beaten and were asked, ‘Why did you not finish the required quantity of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?’” (Exodus 5.14).
If you are unfortunate enough to be sentenced to a Russian prison, you will have an experience similar to the Hebrew slaves.
People who exist in the Russian penal system experience overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions. They perform dangerous tasks like mining and logging while being underfed and abused.
Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Turkey are a few of the nations that are authoritarian as opposed to democratic.
We can be thankful that we don’t live under an oppressive regime. We can pray for the people who suffer under authoritarian leaders.
The World’s System
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor fined one of the nation’s largest food safety sanitation services $1.5 million.
They found the company had employed at least 102 children – from 13 to 17 years of age – in hazardous occupations and had them working overnight shifts at 13 meat processing facilities in eight states.
Iowa recently signed into law a provision that allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work in industrial laundry services and in freezers and meat coolers. With parents’ permission, 16-year-olds can serve alcohol in restaurants.
Child labor is certainly not like a Russian gulag, but it shows the far reach of the world’s system in human affairs.
The drive to produce more at reduced expenses, while costing the laborer, is a universal problem.
When we view authoritarianism from a spiritual perspective, we see that the evil one and the world’s system use every means possible to keep humans enslaved to sin.
Lazy, Lazy
The foremen for Pharaoh’s brick-making business complained to him about the harsh treatment the Israelites experienced.
Pharaoh responded by calling the slaves “lazy.”
He said, “You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord’” (Exodus 5.17).
“Some people were born on third base, but think they have hit a triple,” said an insightful man.
The third-base-people believe that those who have been born with three strikes against them don’t work hard enough. Like Pharaoh, they complain that they are “lazy, lazy.”
The privileged ones are convinced that people remain impoverished because they are dependent on welfare and don’t want to work.
This is a challenging discussion, but I encourage people like me (who were born on third base) to have compassion for those who were born with three strikes against them.
Complaints
It is understandable that Israel’s foremen complained to Moses and Aaron.
They said to them, “The Lord look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us” (Exodus 5.21).
Every leader receives complaints, some of them justified. When others complain to us, the good news is that we can take our issues to God in prayer.
This is what Moses did.
Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O my Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?
“Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people” (Exodus 5.22-23).
Prayer is a consistent theme in the Book of Exodus. God is revealed as a personal Being, who is available for conversation, intercession, and even complaints.
The old hymn reminds us of the privilege of prayer.
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
YouTube Video
Whispering Danny, Rudy Ross, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 