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Good morning my summer journey friends.
Today is July 11, Wednesday, and if all is working according to plan, Dawn and I will arrive in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, sometime today, and we will be re-united with our daughter April & husband David, and our wonderful grandgirls Emma, Hailey, Kylie and Claire. You remember they live in Senegal, Africa. We’ll have several days with them and with my father Lloyd, so we will be four generations together, and three generations of adult missionaries!
Today we are looking at Exodus 11.
You’ll recall, as we ended chapter 10 of Exodus, the Pharaoh was throwing Moses out of his throne room, and threatening that the next time they meet, Moses will be killed. Chapter 11 continues the story of what happened next. Notice “Now the LORD had said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Egypt…” God’s patience had reached its limit with Pharaoh.
Beginning with the miracle of Aaron’s staff turning into a snake, there had been 10 remarkable demonstrations of God’s Almighty power in striking Egypt. Do you remember them?
1. Aaron’s staff becomes a snake & swallows the staff/snakes of Pharaoh’s sorcerers. (Ex. 7:10-13)
2. The plague of water of the Nile turned to blood (Ex. 7:14-22) Pharaoh’s sorcerers do the same.
3. The plague of frog invasion (Ex. 8:1-15) Pharaoh’s sorcerers duplicate this miracle, but cannot stop the invasion.
4. The plague of dust turned to gnats (Ex. 8:16-19) Pharaoh’s sorcerers unable to duplicate this plague. They say “This is the finger of God”.
5. The plague of flies (Ex. 8:20-31). But NO flies where the Hebrew slaves lived.
6. The plague of death to Pharaoh’s livestock (Ex. 9:1-7). No livestock of any Hebrew died.
7. The plague of boils on humans and animals (Ex. 9:8-12). We presume no boils on Hebrews or their animals.
8. The plague of a huge hailstorm (Ex. 9:13-36). No hail where the Hebrews lived.
9. The plague of locusts invasion (Ex. 10:1-20). We presume no locusts in Goshen were the Hebrews lived.
10. The plague of 3 days of total darkness (Ex. 10:21-29). No darkness in Goshen.
I think it’s fair to say, when the sun rose over Egypt, after the 3 day darkness, there was great relief in Egypt, but quickly followed by great despair. For everywhere the people looked, the landscape of Egypt was devastated. What animals has survived the hail storm now had nothing to eat, because the locusts had stripped Egypt bare. Yet still Pharaoh refused to bow his prideful, stubborn heart before Almighty God. Pharaoh was surrounded by some of the wisest men of his time, yet he rejected their counsel, and his paralyzed mind refused to release the Hebrews. Now perhaps you are pointing to the fact that this little phrase is repeated several times during these plagues “but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart…”.
This matter of a hard heart is very important my friends, because it is an epidemic all across our world today. Hard hearts are breaking up marriages, as selfish spouses refuse to serve each other and they seek other lovers to comfort their hard hearts. Hard hearts lead people to try and soften the pain through drugs, alcohol, gambling and pornography. Hard hearts move leaders to unwise decisions which can bring disaster to an organization or a nation.
While God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh was responsible for his choices and actions, just like you and me. God has given us minds to think, and He invites us to rely on His truth, His life changing power, His guidance and to immerse ourselves in His unconditional love. But we can refuse all that help, and be totally self-consumed, self-sufficient, and our hearts will respond to the harsh realities of life, by becoming wounded, broken and hard. In that place of a hard heart, we will not think wisely, and the choices we make will be destructive. . . and we will be accountable, responsible for those wrong choices. A hard heart is a reason for wrong choices, but does not earn a reprieve from accountability. That is why Exodus chapter 11 is so important.
Do you see the wonder of 11:2&3? God was working in the hearts of the Egyptian people and even Pharaoh’s officials. Their respect for Moses kept growing, as did their compassion for the Hebrew slaves. God knew that when the Hebrews would leave Egypt, their elation at being free would soon turn to discouragement, if they left empty handed. So do you see God’s provision for them in vs 2?
The pronouncement of death of the firstborn of Egypt, which Moses announced to Pharaoh, is heartbreaking. It is beyond horrific. But it is the only thing which will finally break the pride of the Pharaoh. There’s an important lesson here friends. Our pride, our stubbornness, will put those we love at risk.
It happens when people drive too fast, disregarding the speed limit or warning signs. It happens when people drink and drive drunk. It happens when people insist they can control their addictions but soon their addictions control them and they lash out and hurt or kill those they love or innocent people they do not know. It happens when people cover up their lies or cheating and other people’s reputations are destroyed or innocent people go to jail.
Do you notice Moses gave Pharaoh a specific time when this calamity would happen? Why? Once again it was God’s mercy. It gave Pharaoh until 11:59 that evening to humble himself and repent, but he didn’t. Can you imagine how his advisors begged him to relent? They knew their families too would be struck by the angel of death. But Moses had said “There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites, not a dog will bark, …then you will know that I the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (11:6,7)
Note verse 9 is a reflection, a reminder that God had promised Moses, that the Pharaoh’s hard heart and his refusals would provide the opportunity for God’s miracles to be seen, through the plagues, by all humanity. This last announcement of Moses, however, is not a plague as the others. This is judgment on Pharaoh’s unrepentant heart. It’s a picture my friends for all of humanity. God is patient. God continues to invite us to see our sin, our need for a Savior and confess and repent and turn to Him for forgiveness. But in the end, there will be both accountability and judgement. Remember we saw in 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
There is no escape from accountability before God for EVERY person, and EVERY word and choice and action they have ever made. Hebrews 4:13 is clear:“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
But rejoice my friends, 1 John 1 is also equally clear and true:“…if anybody sins, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world…If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-2:2)
As we end today, put yourself in Pharaoh’s golden slippers for a moment. Warning of accountability and death to his firstborn son has been issued. There is no doubt it will certainly happen…but not until midnight, there is still time to repent. To turn from his hard heart, to see the evidence all around him, that Almighty God is more powerful than he, and is a loving, merciful God who wants to help His people and also help the Pharaoh.
It’s the same for you and me. God is inviting us, each of us, to look closely into our lives. Accountability is coming. A wonderful relationship with God as our heavenly Father is available through Jesus Christ. Have you and I allowed anything to harden our hearts? Are we far from where God would like us to be in our relationship with Him and others? Why not right now… spend some time getting your heart re-aligned with God. Repentance is a wonderful, healing action…please don’t harbor any sin, any hardness of heart any longer.
Thank you Father for your patience and mercy, and your constant invitation to us. . .
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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