Sh'mot 5:18-21 "So go now and work; for you shall be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks." And the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, "You must not reduce your daily amount of bricks." When they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moshe and Aharon as they were waiting for them. And they said to them, "May the L-RD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."
They were angry because of their increased workload for Pharaoh and that they would not be able to make bricks without straw and they blamed Moshe. Moshe was considered a curse to his people but in the end he would be a blessing. The true curse was the law coming down from Pharaoh. Moshe had to take some heat from the people for serving HaShem. Sometimes we have to take this kind of thing from others. Yeshua is also considered a curse; however, He is a blessing. The curse came from the law because of our sin. The instruction was our schoolmaster to tell us we cannot keep from breaking it because of our sin nature. This is not only talking about sins we do but things we should do and do not. We all have failed at one point or another to fulfill this impossible task. This is then what keeps us from eternal life. As sinners we need someone to set us free from this corruptable body. This perfect one is the Messiah.
Galatians 3:13-14 Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"-- in order that in Yeshua Messiah the blessing of Avraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
When we are persecuted for Messiah's sake we are should think of ourselves as blessed. Remember sometimes we all have doubts or get discouraged. Can you imagine being a person written about in the scriptures? I can just see them saying, "Boy, this happened how many years ago and I still have to hear about the mistakes I made. I sure wouldn't want to be one of the people mentioned. Your life is under a microscope for everything you do and say. We must remember that many of the characters have been forgiven for their actions if they have looked forward to the Messiah. So why go over the past. One reason is they are to be shown in contrast to the perfection of the Messiah Yeshua. WE are also to see certain similarities in their lives and to the Messiah and the same should be said of our lives. This is to be our daily walk. Messiah centeredness.
Philippians 1:18-22 whether in pretense or in truth, Messiah is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Yeshua Messiah, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Messiah shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Messiah, and to die is gain.
Philippians 3:10-12 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Yeshua Messiah.
Yes, His people were suffering. He allowed it for a time and His people were being conformed into the image of His son who suffered also. Sometimes we will have to suffer in our walk for the sake of Messiah. It was HaShem who hardened the heart of the Pharaoh.
Romans 9:14-25 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with G-d, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moshe, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on G-d who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth." So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to G-d? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if G-d, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. NAS
Sh'mot 5:22-23 Then Moshe returned to the L-RD and said, "O L-rd, why have you brought harm to the people? Why did you ever send me? "Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done harm to this people; and you have not delivered your people at all."
What are we to do in this kind of situation? Pray for strength, courage, and for HaShem to help our unbelief. Be still and know the G-d is G-d.
Tehillim 46:10 Be still, and know that I am G-d; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Not by might, nor by power, but by Ruach HaKodesh. (Zech 4:4)
He also wants us to be in a position that we have to totally rely on Him and Him alone for our physical needs as well as our spiritual redemption. We should not trust in bricks or the work of our own hands to deliver us. We should trust in G-d's works that will deliver us from sin. This is represented by a stone.
Sh'mot 20:25' And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.
These stones point us Spiritually to depend on the Rock that is Yeshua HaMashiach.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 According to the mercy of G-d which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Yeshua HaMashiach. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.
Ps 18:48 He delivers me from my enemies;Surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise up against me; Thou dost rescue me from the violent man.
Is Yeshua HaMashiach concerned with straw?
Fire will burn wood, hay, and STRAW. Fire will purify gold, silver, and precious stones. If you have built your foundation on the precious stone that is the Messiah your works will not burn up. All work done in the flesh will be burnt up and you will receive loss. If you have trusted in Yeshua you will preserve your eternal life. You will be rewarded for the work you do in the Spirit through Messiah. Without Him, we can do nothing. He gets all the glory for what He does in our lives.
John 15:5-6 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. NAS
Have you built your foundation on the precious stone of Yeshua?
If not you may have to go through a time of plagues, war, famine, etc. It is called "The Time of Ya'akov's Trouble" and it will come upon the whole world. Those that trust in Him will be taken out of harms way like Enoch, Lot, Noah; and Elijah.