Perception

Moses had no doubts. He had no hidden motivations or secret agendas. He really had heard from God. This was not a personal matter. He simply was delivering God’s message: “Let My people go” (v. 3).

But Pharaoh was not convinced. He accused the Israelites of being lazy (Exodus 5:8). To Pharaoh, Moses’ request was a spiritual attack. His perception was that they were motivated by evil. He thought it represented a rejection of Egypt’s fundamental beliefs. He felt his conclusions were justified, certain he was defending their way of life.

In some ways, Pharaoh was right. This was a spiritual issue, a conflict between the one true God and the gods of Egypt. To agree with Moses’ request was to acknowledge that the Israelites were right that their God was more powerful. To reject Moses’ request continued the argument that the Egyptian gods represented the correct religion.

Similarly, we should not be surprised when people in the world develop their own perceptions of our beliefs about God and the Bible. They think differently about what it means to be born again and follow Jesus. They may project their philosophy and develop explanations that make sense to them. From their point of view, our actions may be contrary to their best interests – even wrong.

Ask God to help you be sure about what you believe. Be confident in your relationship with Him. Stand on His Word. Don’t compromise.