Exhortation Station

A nugget related to last week’s Torah Portion —

In Exodus 8, we read about the second plague which Yahweh sent upon Egypt leading up to the deliverance of His people from bondage. In this plague, frogs infested the land on a massive scale. When Pharaoh could take it no longer, he pleaded with Moses and Aaron that Yahweh rid the frogs from the land.

Exodus 8:8
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat YHWH that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to YHWH.”

Yahweh did stop the frogs, and immediately we read this:

Exodus 8:15
But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as YHWH had said.

This is an interesting statement. Pharaoh hardened his heart once there was relief. Before we say to ourselves, “I would never do anything like that,” let us consider whether there is a lesson for us here. It is easy, I think, to cry out to God when we feel hopeless. Naturally, when we feel we’ve reached the end of our rope, we are driven to seek outside help. But what about when there is relief? Do we stay on our knees, acknowledging our unending dependence on His tender mercies, or do we act like we’ve got it covered?

It seems humans are prone to saying, “who is Yahweh?” when things are easy-going. A man named Agur, whose oracle we read in Proverbs 30, knew this.

Proverbs 30:7-9
“Two things I asked of You; do not refuse me before I die: ⁸ Keep deception and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, ⁹ That I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is YHWH?’ or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

Yahweh warned Israel over and over not to become conceited when they become prosperous. Over and over, He commanded them — us — to remember how He brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (e.g., Deuteronomy 5:15).

Deuteronomy 8:11-14
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless YHWH your God for the good land which He has given you. ¹¹ Beware that you do not forget YHWH your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; ¹² otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget YHWH your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

We are entirely dependent on Yahweh’s hand for every ounce of sustenance we enjoy every single day. May we never forget that, especially when we have eaten and are satisfied. Especially when there is relief.

Psalm 145:15,16
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. ¹⁶ You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

For related thoughts, see earlier post, Daily Manna.
(Bible passages NASB; Hebrew transl. added.)