“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.” Exodus 3:19 NIV
When God called Moses to go back to Egypt to deliver the suffering Israelites from their oppression, He sought to prepare him for what would be a prolonged ten plague battle, due to Pharaoh’s ruthless, hardened heart.
Vladimir Putin is a modern day Pharaoh in his treatment of the Ukrainians and in praying and interceding on their behalf it makes one wonder what it will take to make him relent from his grievous intentions.
It took the succession of ten plagues, with Pharaoh increasingly hardening his heart and doubling down on his oppression of the Israelites, before the personal loss of his own son finally got to him to relent and let them go.
Yet even then he regretted his acquiescence and his stubborn heart, bent on keeping the Israelites under his rule, caused him to pursue them. But God used it to mete out a final judgement upon him and his army by finally swallowing them alive in the depth of the sea.
Both natural combat and the spiritual warfare, that ultimately determines the victory, require a steely, long-haul commitment to persevering, no matter what the setbacks, believing that God’s victorious purposes will prevail. Lord, strengthen us in our praying to that end.
Lord stretch forth your mighty hand to force Putin to let the Ukrainians go (Ex. 6:1). Bring them out from the yoke of Russian oppression! Redeem them with your outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment (Ex. 6:6).