Real-Life Moments From ExodusMuestra

Do you expect good leaders?

For the past handful of years, people from both political parties in the U.S. haven’t exactly been thrilled with the president. It’s as if we are surprised when leaders are selfish or arrogant or make decisions that don’t benefit citizens.

The Egyptians (the ones who lived about 3,500 years ago) would probably laugh at us. They lived through nine devastating plagues that tanked their physical health and economy. But Pharaoh didn’t back down. Even his officials begged, “Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” (Exodus 10:7).

Apparently, Pharoah said, “Ruined-shmuined,” because there was a tenth devastating plague. The firstborn son of every person and animal in Egypt would die. Even after Moses told him this would happen, Pharaoh—in a jaw-dropping display of arrogance—let his people suffer this pain.

For me, it’s a reminder that people often live under self-centered rulers, because rulers are humans and humans are sinful. While we absolutely pray for our leaders because we know their authority has been established by God, we don’t expect them to always act on our behalf.

Maybe that makes me a pessimist. But what it really does is make me even more thankful for a heavenly King who sacrificed his firstborn so that we would no longer be subjects but family: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).