The greatest challenge of believing in God as our Sovereign Lord is maintaining faith in the face of circumstances that seem to run against what He has called for. We see this illustrated perfectly in the story of the people of Israel during their captivity in Egypt. God sent them Aaron and Moses who “spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses.” and “did signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” Exodus 4:29-31

And yet, when Moses and Aaron went before the pharaoh of Egypt and asked him to let the people go, his response was to refuse. Instead he insisted that they still meet the quota of bricks that was required of them. Except now he commanded his taskmasters to no longer give them the straw they needed to make the bricks, instead they would have to gather that up on their own in addition to making the bricks. Then finished his commands with this line: “Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” Ex. 5:9 He refused to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over His own people, refused to behave in a way that aligned with what Israel expected from their Lord, and finally called into question the very words God had spoken to them via His servants Moses and Aaron.

And the people of Israel responded not out of faith but out of doubt. They viewed the situation from the perspective of perpetual slaves with no way out. One moment they are excited at the prospect of freedom and worship their God. The next moment, they are downcast and defeated. They approach Moses and Aaron and say to them, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Ex. 5:20-21

They had yet to learn how to trust in the Lord as their Sovereign and Deliverer. They wouldn’t have to wait for long. When Moses and Aaron go into the chambers of Pharaoh once more to issue God’s commands, they no longer merely speak the commands of their King. Now they will begin to display His sovereignty! God says to His servants, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves’, then you shall say to Aaron, “Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh and let it become a serpent.'” Ex. 7:8-9 I want you to notice two things in this statement. The first being that God is telling them in advance what Pharaoh will say to them. Pharaoh thinks himself the ultimate authority. And yet, God has pointed out that He already knows what Pharaoh will do. God already knows how this situation will go and how it is going to end. He will not allow for it to end any other way then the way that He wants it to. The second thing is that He says to “let it become a serpent”. He doesn’t say “make it become a serpent” but “let it”. As if He is saying to Moses and Aaron, “Do not try and exert your own authority here. Abandon what you think will work. Submit to Me instead”. The staff is a symbol of authority and He is asking His servants to submit their own authority over their own selves and actions to Him as their ultimate King and Authority. In contrast to this, not only is Pharaoh rebelling against God and exerting his own authority but his own servants embody this when they come in and threw down their own staffs and turn them into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up all the others showing that no matter what others may try to do, those who walk in obedience to God’s will, have His authority backing them. What God wills becomes reality. What others will is only as powerful as God allows for it to be. And when someone exerts their will in opposition to God’s, they are always defeated and their authority swallowed up.

Unfortunately, Pharaoh hardened his heart. So God displayed His authority over heaven and earth, destroying any perception that Pharaoh, his magicians, or any of their so called “gods” had any control or dominion over themselves or the land. Blood, frogs, lice, flies, disease, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. God destroyed the land of Egypt and they were helpless to stop Him. But Pharaoh still wouldn’t concede that he had no power over the God of Israel. Then God killed the firstborn sons, including Pharaohs. God entered Pharaoh’s own home and took his son from him. Pharaoh could do nothing to stop it. When he finally allowed Israel to leave he then rode out after them when he thought they were trapped in the wilderness because he still believed that he could change the outcome. All he accomplished was to get himself and his whole army drowned in the sea.

So, we see how Israel at first thought that Pharaoh’s resistance and evil behavior were enough to thwart God’s will over their lives. And how in the end, no one has authority over God. We need to take this lesson to heart. God has spoken over our lives both through scripture and in our personal relationships with Him. In response, the world and the enemies of God have attempted to dissuade us from belief. They, like Pharaoh, say “Do not listen to false words.” Circumstances happen that provoke us to question if God will really deliver us from our troubles. They seek to make us question God’s promises over our lives. Pharaoh may have sat upon a throne but his throne was of no consequence without God backing it. It was nothing more than a fancy chair. The only throne that truly matters is the great white throne upon which God Himself rests. God is on His throne, now and forever! The devil tried to overthrow Him with a third of the angelic host at his side and was thoroughly defeated. Pharaoh rose up against God, failing to realize that God rose him up Himself (Ex. 9:16), and then cast him down in the midst of the sea.

No one, I repeat NO ONE, is great enough to overthrow God. No one has a plan that is more secure than God’s. In spite of all the rebellion and chaos filling the earth, God already told us through the mouths of His prophets that all these things would happen and how the world would eventually end. If you are looking at your life or at the world and society as a whole and are wondering if God is still in control, then rest easy in the knowledge that yes, God is still in control. Even now, the demonic forces rage and lie that God has lost control, that He has abandoned us to our sins. But He is still on the throne! These tribulations were foretold. This is the greatest time to prove ourselves faithful. Trust in the Lord even now. He is still Light, though the world be shrouded in darkness. He is still Omnipotent though it may be difficult to see His power at work. And He is still the Sovereign over all creation despite the chaos. Though the world may mock us for our faith, remember that Pharaoh mocked as well. Look ahead of what is happening now and fix your gaze on the coming salvation!