Ales Hubacek

Why didn't Moses accept Pharaoh's compromises? Moses has clear "face-to-face" order from God what to tell Pharaoh - any compromise in this would deliberately bring Moses outside of God's will. On the other hand it is it is interesting to see Moses to give Pharaoh several times the benefit of the doubt - Pharaoh promised to let people go, Moses prayed to take away the plague and then Pharaoh took his word back. Would not it be "natural" (after the first bad experience) to revert the order - first let people go and then I will pray to end the plague? Can this be considered a compromise? As for today In what instances should/should not church leaders accept compromise? It is also too easy to say that church leader should not compromise on issues that would go against the word of God. In history the church divided many times on issues that seem to me unimportant but I believe that the people at that time considered them to be a clear order from God (women covering head, baptism of the spirit, ...) that cannot be compromised. Also, Jesus compromised on issues that leaders of that time considered to be clearly forbidden by God, like touching leppers, meeting sinners, working on Sabath, ... So I think it is always important to consider also guidance of the Holly Spirit and if there is not any other "higher law" that gives basis for compromise on things that seem to be clear God's orders (e.g. loving ones neighbour, passion more that sacrifices, love more than faith and knowledge, unity ...).

It was God who called Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him the message. I guess that Moses expected that if God told him to do something he should be succesfull. But God's plan was different and Moses left the Pharaoh with the feeling that he failed again and refused to continue. The reasons for his stubborness are mixed - At first he did not know God well. His plans often totally differ from our expectations and what seems to be a failure from a short perspective makes perfect sence in a broad picture. And we have to learn it. He also did not remember God's word - God clearly said that Pharaoh would not listen. Therefore his explanation of the event probably was that something went wrong - God had not been him, or that he spoiled it, or that God did not have enough power to change Pharaoh's mind, etc. At that situation God had to command Moses and Aaron to get them back on the track - He knew perfectly their hearts and probably they were in a state that something weaker would not be enough.

As for me, I am mostly afraid of these things: - possible negative effects in the area of relationships like refusal, anger, misunderstanding, mockery, .... - negative effects in physical area, e.g. that I will suffer some loss, like loosing job, loosing some of my comfort, .. - that I do it wrong and spoil something and then feel the shame and my insufficiency When I am afraid I do couple of things: I pray to God for getting courage, I try to rememeber stories and verses from the Bible that deal with fear and courage - like Joshua crossing Jordan, etc. I also try to remember stories from my life where God led me through tough things in past. Courage is a way to overcome fear and to do something in spite of fear. Courage is required for leaders because the role of the leaders is to step first into areas where people would naturally not step into because of fear.

I think that God got angry with Moses because of his disobedience. Fear is not a problem, the problem is if we subdue to it. Also God's response to Moses'unbelief was very patient - He kept on persuading and giving evidence. The problem was when Moses in the end refused to go. Therefore I think that God's anger was appeased by Moses' decision to go in the end. As for God being angry with me - I believe that thanks to Jesus God is not angry with me any longer. It does not mean he does not raise me sometimes in a way that is not very pleasant to me.

This passage IMO reflects only Moses' lack of faith and low self image. There are many reason for Moses to feel like a looser: being taken from his family in the childhood raising in environment that considers his race to be suitable for extermination not accepted and betrayed by his people (even though he tried to help them) on the run because of a crime living away in another country and feeling there as a foreigner not having his household (pasturing his father-in-law's flock) being raised and educated to be a leader while not used anything of his potential (working as a shepheard) living a lonely life in pastures far away from settlements Also his experience with Hebrews seems to be so strong that most of his objections are directed toward not acceptance by Hebrews, not by the Pharaoh. His fear is so strong that inspite all his objections are answered by God, his response is "Send someone else".