In Exodus chapter one, verse eleven, the new king of Egypt set taskmasters over the Israelites. These men managed the slave work and supervised the slave labor under Pharoah’s command. They afflicted the Israelites and oppressed them “with heavy burdens,” which could be hard labor of any kind. The building of Pithom and Raamses was “the result of” this decision by Pharaoh. The harsh treatment of Egypt from these taskmasters to the Israelites’ experiences is binding, brutal, race-based, permanent, and possessive slavery.
Taskmasters are slave drivers that make people work hard. Today, taskmasters can be similar to demons in the spiritual realm or earthly people he would use that will attempt to make believers’ or Christians’ life challenging. The devil will try to provide situations for the people of God or those who desire to serve Him with problems to counter their plan. These kinds of taskmasters will be creating various activities to tempt the people of God to get them mad or upset to turn them away from God. To make believers or Christians sin to sever their relationship with God.
How do these taskmasters impact the people of God? First, if the people have their minds on the things of the world and not the things of God will give them access to make our circumstances rougher than they should. Second, if we possess something that belongs to or signifies the enemy, it permits the devil to wreak havoc on our life. We should not allow the enemy any opportunity to do as he pleases. The devil knows our likes and dislikes and has his agents to monitor these areas. Our responsibility is to be free from these taskmasters making our lives so hard by abstaining from worldly and ungodly things.
God permitted and used the oppression of Israel to separate them from the idolatry and the evil ways of Egypt and prepare them for their miraculous deliverance and their faith-relationship with them. Liberation and building our relationship with God can start now if we let Him.