Still Want to Be Free?

Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people Lord? … Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them! – Exodus 5:22-23 (NLT) 

The children of Israel’s desperate cries to God for freedom from Egyptian bondage were soon diluted when the Israelites discovered what freedom required. 

Moses went before the Pharaoh with a divine directive: “Let my people go, so they can worship God in the wilderness.” In direct response, the Pharaoh issued a direct punishment: “Force the lazy Israelites to make bricks without straw, but do not decrease their labor production requirement.” 

The Pharaoh then had the Israelite foremen they put in charge of the work crews beaten for failing to meet their daily production quotas. The Israelite foremen consequently turned on Moses and declared, “May the Lord punish you for making us detestable before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us.” 

The cost of freedom is often a significant deterrent to those who claim to want it. 

In our society, being “woke” to the intricacies of injustice comes with a cost of social stigmatism.  

And if, like Dolly Parton, you are a proponent of intellectual curiosity and unfettered imagination, be prepared to have literacy initiatives dismantled and defunded by socially conservative vigilantes with the backing of the U.S. government. 

And if you desire to build economies that serve the needs of workers instead of feeding the greed of gluttonous corporations and private interests, get ready to be vilified as a communist. 

The greatest obstacle to people’s freedom is often the people’s reluctance and refusal to pay for what they want. 

Prayer
Lord, let faith move us to freedom when fears cause us to falter. Amen.

About the Author
Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Decatur, Georgia.