We are in chapter sixteen of Exodus with our word for today. מָאֵן refuse, to be unwilling, to show unwillingness or disagreement towards something or some action. It is used 46 times in Old Testament. We find our word used by Jacob in his grief when he thought his son Joseph was dead. Genesis 37:34-35 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, וַיְמָאֵן֙ but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him. It is also used of Joseph who rejected the sexual advances from his master’s wife. Genesis 39:8 וַיְמָאֵ֓ן But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.
Most of the time we find our word used in people’s relationship with God. Before taking the life of Pharaoh’s son God warned him of this consequence if he did not let his people go and worship him. Exodus 4:22-23 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’” We find our word connected with humility that is needed to obey God. Exodus 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you מֵאַ֔נְתָּ refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Our word is connected to disobedience of God and his will. Nehemiah 9:17 וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. Psalm 78:10-12 They did not keep God’s covenant and מֵאֲנ֥וּ refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt. Jeremiah 5:3 Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they מֵאֲנ֖וּ refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and מֵאֲנ֖וּ refused to repent. This is the sense of how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 16:28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?
One of the dynamics of disobedience that we fail to see is how it also affects God. Because God loves us and wants to save us so that he can bring us close to his side. It hurts him when we refuse this close relationship with him. Jeremiah 9:6 Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they מֵאֲנ֥וּ refuse to know me, declares the Lord. Did you catch that disobedience is really refusing to know God? It is rejecting having a close personal relationship with him. I’ll close with two passages that shows us God’s heart for us when Jesus was looking out over the city. Luke 19:41-42 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. Matthew 23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
