The Bondage of Busy

Exodus 5

Israel’s 400 years of bondage and God’s desire to free them is the context of this passage. Pharaoh is a type of the Satan and has God’s children in bondage. When they attempt to leave to serve and worship God, their adversary increases their burden. We can draw a comparison to ourselves. We often find ourselves in bondage. Satan doesn’t need to physically hold us in bondage. But like Pharaoh he can increase our burdens and render us in bondage, the bondage of busy.

The Devil doesn’t need to put you in physical bondage, he just needs you in the Bondage of Busy

1. He must keep you busy [Ex.5:4]. “Get you unto your burdens”, our call of the day!
   1. Work, making a living, paying bills, so busy that you can’t do any one thing well!
   2. Home, family, hobbies, even church, [Luke 10:41-42] Martha, Martha… (focus on the what and not the why) So busy God can’t use you.
   3. No Bible, No prayer, No church, No fellowship; all your choice!
   4. Before you realize it, you’re stuck in the bondage of busy. [Ex.6:9]
2. He will add to your burden to keep you busy [Ex.5:7-9]
   1. Take that first step, and he will add to your burden to make you busier, just like the first time you attempted to tithe! What extra bill showed up?
   2. After awhile you believe more in your work than God’s words (vain/worthless). Israel was at the point where they were more comfortable with the bondage than the price they had to pay for freedom.
3. He will accuse you of being idle, so you suffer guilt [Ex.5:8,17]
   1. Being idle is just as bad as being busy, both keep you from God.
   2. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. We attempt to keep children and teens busy.
   3. There is a guilt associated with not being very busy, you may believe that would make you a bad mother, etc.
4. He will make you discontented and unhappy [Ex.5:21]
   1. Adding to your burden and guilt of idleness will cause discontent and unhappiness
   2. Many people find reasons to be mad at pastors or others at church, and then use that as an excuse to not be at church.

The Better way to live, God wants you to have the Blessing of Balance

Just like the promises God made to Israel in [Ex.6:1-8], here are some promises for us:

[Matt.11:28-30] Rest and an easy yoke and light burden

[Heb.11:6] Believe that he is a rewarder of them that seek him

[2Cor.6:17-18] Faith to step out of the world and separate

[Prov.16:11] Use His weights, and you will have a just balance! Start each day with His List, not yours!