Consider the story of Pharaoh: when God appears to Moses in the burning bush, He says, “I’ve heard the cry of my people; I want you to go to Pharaoh.” But what does God actually ask Moses to do? He instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” Interestingly, the original request was not to permanently free the Hebrew people, but to allow them to travel to Mount Sinai for three days to worship and then return. Many overlook the fact that the ask was only for a temporary release, not for a journey to the Promised Land. Yet, God knew Pharaoh’s heart and anticipated his response.

As each plague descends, Moses repeatedly returns to Pharaoh. Each time, Pharaoh admits, “I’ve sinned against God,” and tries to negotiate: “You may go and worship, but leave the women behind.” Moses refuses. Then Pharaoh says, “Leave the cattle,” but again Moses insists the entire community and their possessions must go. This cycle continues—Pharaoh begs for forgiveness, Moses prays, God lifts the plague, but Pharaoh’s resolve crumbles. Despite being the richest and most powerful man in the world, Pharaoh keeps retracting his promise, convincing himself it was all in his head and refusing to let the Hebrews go. 

My friend, this entire conflict was about granting freedom for just three days. Isn’t it striking that the wealthiest man in the world brought curses upon himself simply because he could not imagine life without his slaves, even for a short time? That’s scarcity in its purest form. The lesson is clear: God is fundamentally anti-scarcity. He calls us to trust in His abundance and possibility, not to cling to what we have out of fear.