03/14/2010 12:40

"Like a Rock"

Flash is not enabled! Please, install/enable Flash plugin.

Exodus 5: 1-18 

    1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.' "

    2 Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."

    3 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword."

    4 But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" 5 Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."

    6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: 7 "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, `Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies."

    10 Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: `I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.' " 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." 14 The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?"

    15 Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, `Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."

    17 Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are--lazy! That is why you keep saying, `Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks."

Isaiah 52: 1-3 

    1 Awake, awake, O Zion,
    clothe yourself with strength.
  Put on your garments of splendor,
    O Jerusalem, the holy city.
  The uncircumcised and defiled
    will not enter you again.

    2 Shake off your dust;
    rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
  Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
    O captive Daughter of Zion.

    3 For this is what the LORD says:
  "You were sold for nothing,
    and without money you will be redeemed."