Say No to Deodorant

They said to them, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."--Exodus 5:21

What was Moses' crime? How did he make the Hebrews odious in Pharaoh's sight?

He had the nerve to obey the LORD and ask Pharaoh for permission to observe a feast in the wilderness.

Now, fast-forward through all the plagues (except the plague of the first-born) and consider a commandment God gives to the Moses:

"Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold."--Exodus 11:2

The response?

Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.--Exodus 11:3b

The reason?

The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.--Exodus 11:3a

I am by no means advocating that we intentionally act in an offensive way. However, in an era when so much blame is passed on believers when they are not received well by unbelievers, we must remember the reception is in the hands of the LORD.

Beloved, you smell. But please don't try to cover it up:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?--2 Corinthians 2:14-16