God’s Power Displayed in Judgments

Transcript

GRS 2-17
5/1/2005
God’s Power Displayed in Judgements
Exodus 9-11
Gil Rugh

We are going to the Book of Exodus tonight and we are about Chapter 9. Exodus Chapter 9, and we are in the midst of the plagues that God is bringing on the land of Egypt and these are a display of His might and power and sovereignty as He brings the mighty nation of Egypt to its knees. And the purpose of the plagues and the spacing of the plagues and the series of these plagues as they are developed as we will see emphasize again all serve the purpose to draw attention to the majesty of God to His power. It’s God’s intention through this that only that His people Israel be delivered, He could have done that much more quickly, but that His power be displayed not only for the benefit of the Israelites, not only to impact the Egyptians, but so other nations of the world would be impacted.

The testimony of what God did in his great deliverance would continue to be reiterated down over time. These events what happens here with Pharaoh, we noted will be used in the New Testament to remind us about the absolute sovereignty of God and His power to work His purposes and use sinful people to accomplish His purposes. We have had several of the plagues as we come to Chapter 9, the Nile has been turned to blood, there has been the plague of the frogs, we have had the plague of the gnats or mosquitoes, and the plague of flies. So we have had four plagues, there will be ten altogether. Should say nine plus the climatic judgment of God on the firstborn that is almost in a category all of its own because of the severity of it. When it is all said and done the testimony of Pharaoh’s own servants will be “Egypt is destroyed, bow the knee,” but he will be stubborn to the end and so will those around him when all is said and done.

In a series of plagues at this point, the result of Pharaoh just hardens his heart, made reference to 2 Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 14 to 17, where Paul says that as we give forth the message of Christ we are a savor of life to life and death to death. We noted that the word of God is always effective. It always accomplishes God’s purposes. Isaiah the prophet was used of God to remind us that God’s word never returns to him empty. It always accomplishes God’s purposes. It does not always accomplish our purposes. We need to be reminded it is always accomplishing God’s purposes and where people are not softened by the truth of God as it is given forth, people are being hardened. It is an extremely serious matter to be exposed to the word of God and refuse to submit to it because something is happening in your life when that occurs. A person is being hardened to the word of God and so even if the unfolding of these plagues, the purposes of God are accomplished. He doesn’t go straight to the death of the firstborn and brings about the deliverance and every time Pharaoh says no his heart is further hardened and so that has been the pattern Chapter 8 ended, but Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and he did not let the people go.

Chapter 9 begins and we are going to have the fifth plague, which is a plague on the livestock and the cattle and you remember each of these plagues focuses on some of the gods of Egypt. This is really a battle between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt and with each destructive plague certain of the gods of Egypt are demonstrated to be powerless. Series of gods associated with the cattle, cows, bulls, and in the judgment on these animals so that these gods that are often worshipped in the form of a bull or a cow were gods that were powerless before the God of Israelites.

Chapter 9 opens up, first seven verses deals with these plagues on the livestock of the Egyptians. Then the Lord said to Moses go to Pharaoh and speak to him, "Thus says the Lord the God of the Hebrews let my people go that they may serve me, they are my people, I want them to leave Egypt and serve me." If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, behold the hand of the Lord will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, their herds, on the flocks, but the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel. So the livestock which are in the fields are going to suffer a devastating destruction.

God will spare all the livestock of the Jews, so you see that this just doesn’t happen to be a series of amazing coincidences that these plagues follow on one another. Obviously that can’t be and Pharaoh and his servants recognize that, but as even further emphasize because there is an island of tranquility if you will in Egypt. It is the land of Goshen and here we see none of the livestock of the Jews will be impacted by this plague. The Lord set a definite time “tomorrow” the Lord will do this thing in the land. So the Lord did this thing on the next day. All the livestock of Egypt died; a devastating plague. What we are seeing is the destruction of Egypt because we are going have with the destruction of the animals and the livestock and we are going to move on and have the destruction of all the crops and vegetation. So we are going to have Egypt literally destroyed by the time we are done, but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. Pharaoh sent and behold there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. He went and checked. He sent servants to Goshen “Go find out about the livestock of the Jews” and when he finds out that they have not been impacted by this plague, he think what this has to be the hand of God. You note the next statement in verse 7 “But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened” amazing and Pharaoh is an example of sinful man in Romans Chapter 9, he is not an exceptional case in that way. I have not the people around bow the knee before the living God because they are determined, they will not.

So we have to move on to the next plague; boils, personal suffering, boils will break out upon the people. We don’t know exactly what kind of boils perhaps open sores or abscesses on the bodies of the Egyptians. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron take for yourselves handful of soot from the kiln and let Moses throw the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. So here you have these ashes from the kiln. He takes a handful in the sight of Pharaoh and throws it in the air and the Lord multiplies and so it is like a fine dust that permeates throughout the land of Egypt and naturally it settles on every body and when it does these boils, these sores, and abscesses break out on men and beasts throughout all the land of Egypt.

Verse 11, remember the magicians were pretty good. In the early stages of the plagues they could reproduce them it wasn't much of a help when you have got the land overrun by frogs you don't need more frogs, but their magic arts they did it. We are not told how they did it, but they may have to convince Pharaoh, but here you know what, the Egyptians don’t even show up, you know why, they are covered with boils, too painful. You get an idea of what this was like you know we got boils all over even the soles of your feet, I mean what would you do, agonizing misery.

Verse 12, and the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart. We had much discussion about why God would harden Pharaoh's heart. We have already noted this. Pharaoh was not an innocent person. He is sinful man in defiant rebellion against God and he has displayed that. This is the first time that it is said that God hardened Pharaoh's heart after a plague. We have been told that Pharaoh hardened his heart. We were told that God would harden Pharaoh's heart, but we have come to the sixth plague. Before we were told that God hardened Pharaoh's heart and he is working his purposes in the sinful heart of Pharaoh. He did not listen to them just as the Lord has spoken to Moses, amazing the stubbornness of Pharaoh.

So we will move on, the Lord said to Moses, verse 13, rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, say to him “Thus says the Lord the God of the Hebrews now remember this is a battle between the gods of the Egyptians and the god of the Hebrews. "Let my people go that they may serve me, for this time I will send all my plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know there is no one like me on all the earth." Note this, God says, I could have put an end to this a long time ago. For this time, I will send all my plagues on you, but verse 15 “For if by now if I had put forth my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would have been cut off from the earth. I could have wiped you out way back.

It’s been my purpose to bring these on you one after another, building why verse 16 “But indeed for this reason I have allowed you to remain and you note this, Pharaoh and the Egyptians have been allowed to live because in order to show you my power and in order to proclaim my name through all the earth and you remember what happens in the future history of Israel after the Exodus even after 40 years of wilderness wanderings when the children of Israel move into the land of Canaan there is terror on the part of people even though 40 years have passed they know this is the people whose God destroyed the Egyptians with plagues.

There you see why would God tolerate this Pharaoh? Why not just squash him like a bug and get it over with it? Well, I am using you to show my power and I am using you so that my name will be proclaimed through out all the earth. God uses the sinful man even the most defiant rebellion to bring glory to himself. Still you exalt yourself against my people by not letting them go. This has served Gods purpose. It has also been an opportunity for Pharaoh and his servants to bow before God. Every plague has been a revelation of the power and might of the living God, bow before him, you will not do it. So now we have the seventh plague, hail, and at least three Gods or Goddesses of the Egyptians will be interacted by this, the sky goddess, the goddess of life, the protector of crops, I mean where are the gods, the hails rains down, they are shown to be powerless before the God of the Hebrews.

Hail, devastating plague. What do you say, "Behold this time tomorrow I will send very great hail, there has never been a hail like that in Egypt." God says "this will be the worst hail that Egypt ever experienced." God is gracious, He gives advance warning to the people of Egypt, anybody who wants to believe that what I say is true has warning, gather your servants, gather whatever livestock you have, put them in shelter, anything left unprotected is going to die, human or animal. Verse 19, “Therefore bring your livestock whatever you have in the field to safely, every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home when the hail comes down will die. Now note verse 20, the one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses, there were some of the servants of Pharaoh that beeline home, I mean we have seen enough evidence. This is the seventh plague, get everybody in, those people will survive.

So verse 21, he who paid no regard to the word of Lord left his servants and livestock in the field. The Lord said to Moses "Stretch out your hand towards the sky that hail may fall on the land of Egypt man and beasts, plants all through the land." So he does and you note this kind of a hail, this is one of the storms that you see sometimes on the weather channel or something, you know that unique combination was is happening. Here is an awesome scene. Moses stretched forth out his staff toward the sky, verse 23, the Lord sent thunder and hail and fire down to the earth. The Lord rained hail on Egypt, so here you have hail like Egypt has never seen pouring down and it is thundering and the lightning is flashing across the sky and flashing down to the ground and it is an awesome and frightening scene. Hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail. Very severe, such as has not been seen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And whatever was unprotected in the field was dead. Any servants that stayed out there with the livestock, both the servants and the livestock are dead, but it is an amazing storm, fierce as it is. There is another island of tranquility, it is the same one that has been that island of tranquility, there was no hail, no thunder, and no lightning in the land of Goshen where the Jews are because the God of the Jews is protecting them as he brings judgment on the Egyptians.

Verse 27, then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to them “I have sinned this time, the Lord is the righteous one, I and my people are the wicked ones," you note that three fold confession. I have sinned, Your God is righteous. I and my people are the wicked ones, that’s true, we when sometimes see people who make a confession, who say all they profess to believe. Oh, this is one of those cases, but is not a saving confession. Until the pressure of time Pharaoh is convinced of his own guilt. This has to be the hand of God. I am a sinner, God is righteous, my people they are sinners with me. Please ask God to be merciful I will let you go you don’t have to stay here any longer. That’s what he says in verse 28, and Moses says all right. When I walk out from your presence I will stretch out my hand that will bring the storm to and end, it’s just that simple. The worst most violent hailstorm that Egypt has ever experienced and Moses says when I will walk out from your presence I will stretch out my hand and it will all be done.

Then to verse 29 “That you may know that the earth is the Lord's, he sovereign over the earth and we look at this what happens to the Egyptians, there are good lessons for you and I. These things are written remember for our admonition. The earth is the Lord’s; it is under His control it is under His power. Verse 30, “But as for you and your servants I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God." They can make a great confession, give a great testimony, verse 27, but have no real change of heart, but it can goes no deeper into Pharaoh than his mouth. He doesn’t fear the Lord. Have a little note here, the flax and the barley were ruined. For you know they were getting near harvest. The wheat and the spelt were not ruined for they ripen later, so we can identify this is late January and early February. The flax and the barley would be harvested in March. So you get some kind of idea where we are in the seasons in Egypt. The result is as Moses said would be he went out, stretches out his hand, the storm stops.

Verse 34, but when Pharaoh saw that the rain, and the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He did not let the sons of Israel go and God was surprised. No, it is just as the Lord has spoken through Moses, its all part of the sovereign work and plan of God. Good reminder, people can be exposed to the truth, the reality of God and even during that exposure, we move to make a great confession, but a true submission to the Living God would be borne out by the life that follows. We saw where Pharaoh is, a few verse down. We are not done, Pharaoh cannot outlast God, I mean we know the end of the story. We say yea its history, but you understand we have read the end of history as we know it. That’s just as settled as past history that we may have the same confidence. God has written for us. The last chapter in the world history and how it will end, that’s just as sure as what happened here. We say this is a hopeless contest. When all said and done, it will be as God said and that should encourage my heart.

I read the prophecies and promises of scripture and what is yet to come and what will take place, I am secure. Whet's going to happen to our world, what’s going to happen to our country, what’s going to happen to the church, what’s going to happen to our kids, when all said and done Gods purpose would be accomplished? His son will rule and reign. Isn’t that encouraging, I mean, there is difficulty coming, there is trials coming all part of the sovereign plan and we are all done. So we come to Chapter 10.

Chapter 10 has two plagues, it will have the locusts and will have darkness, and these are the eighth and the ninth plagues which will bring us to the climax judgment of God on Egypt and the deliverance of the Jews. First twenty verse talk about the locusts. Some of you may have seen there was recently a program on one of the channels like the History Channel or one of those, it does these kind of programs, or it could be National Geographic, they were dealing with a plague of locusts and they have a pictures. You know that, you see the description here, but you know they show these locusts, the sky was black, you know it is just like the sun shut down. And here you have got these millions and millions of locusts descending on the land and then you know it is just amazing and they just devour every piece of vegetation there was. You couldn't help think of Egypt as I watched that.

Verse 10, “Then the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart," this is all part of the plan of God. God is not making adjustment as some will try to teach today, because you know he has to adjust to what’s going on because he is never sure. All part of Gods plan, He hardens his heart, the heart of his servants. You know he says I have hardened his heart, the heart of his servants that I may perform these signs of mine among them. Its God's intention that there be 10 plagues on Egypt and these are spread over a period of time so that the impact of this 40 years later in the land of Canaan. They are still talking about what the God of the Jews did and when the Jews show up in Canaan, they are terrified. You may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I made a mockery of the Egyptians, how I performed my signs among them that you may know that I am the Lord, says for future generations of Israel. They can learn there is one God and the gods of the nations are nothing that they may learn to trust him and obey him.

Verse 3 brings out the basic problem of sinful men, the basic problem of Pharaoh. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him “Thus says the Lord the God of the Hebrews. We have that periodic reminder “The Lord God of the Hebrews.” You know, we have that repeated reminder, the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "How long will you refuse to humble yourselves before me.” Here is the foundational problem, pride of the human heart that refuses to humble itself before even the living God. The problem of fallen humanity is not the lack of self esteem, the problem of fallen humanity is an overwhelming arrogance to the point that we are unwilling apart from divine intervention, to humble ourselves even before the living God who is sovereign overall. "Let my people go that they may serve me." I mean, The God is gracious even to address Pharaoh. "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?”

Bottom line – would rather die than bow before you. Nothing is changed. One of the difficulties we have is to appreciate how sinful we are as fallen beings, how stubbornly sinful we are, how hard we will fight against the Living God when it makes no sins at all. You cannot win. I mean, you will not win; is it possible that there will be one exception among angels or men who will succeed in their rebellion against God. It will never happen. All sinful beings will be cast into hell and so here. "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me, let my people go, if you refuse to let my people go behold tomorrow I will bring locusts in your territory, they shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land, they will eat the rest of what is escaped." Remember certain crops were not developed enough to have experience the destruction of the hail.

You know what happens the locusts they come across right across the ground and eat off everything and as mentioned in the program that was doing the plague of locusts, and interesting to me they still not sure just how these look because as you know the type of the cycles and they tried to associate # droughts or what because you know all of a sudden you have these winds and they blow in these locusts and they show here they go across the ground, shows the ground when they are done, there is nothing left. You know just goes across and mulching it all, eating at all. So they will cover the surface of the land that no one will be able to see the land, I mean you won't even see the ground because all you see is the locusts, they are going to be like a carpet and what was left from hail they will eat every tree, which sprouts for you out of the field. Then your houses will be filled, all the houses of all your servants, the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers had seen from the day that they came on the earth till this day. There will never have been a plague of locusts in Egypt like you were about to experience.

Moses and Aaron turn on the hills and walk out from the presence of Pharaoh and now there is conversation among Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us, let the men go that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?" I mean this is the eighth plague. This had been announced. We have good reason to believe it will be exactly as they have told us. You understand Egypt is destroyed and now you add this upon the destruction that’s always take place in other words will Egypt ever be able to recover lest let them go, what is the point you keeping them as our servants if there is nothing left of Egypt. So Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron back and he said to them in verse 8 "Go serve the Lord your God, now tell me who do you want go and we have a compromise offered." He knows, I mean how many times has Moses and Aaron been in before Pharaoh and given him the instructions. Now, tell me who has to go. Moses said we shall go with our young, our old, our sons, our daughters, our flocks, our herds, everything and everyone.

Verse 10, he said thus the may the Lord be with you, if I ever let you and your little ones go. You talk about proud man. He says you can go and serve the Lord. Now who, he has already offered his compromises when Moses said "Nothing has changed, it is going to be exactly as God said." You note that, there is not going to be any change in God's plan, what God has said will stand. "Heaven and earth will pass away; my word will not pass away." Every word that God has said will come about. There can be no change, there is no compromise. When Moses and Aaron reiterate who is going to go, "It is exactly we told you last time, everybody and everything we have is going." "Well then, may the Lord be with you if I ever let you go, you won't go, well, I am Pharaoh." Still got a lot to learn, doesn't he?

Verse 11, I have a compromise offered. Not, so go now, the men among you and serve the Lord, for that is what you desire and he drives them out. I tell you what, you can't take everyone, you can't take everything, but the men can go. So he has given God now a choice. There is no chance you can get everything you want. I will never let you all go, but I will let a portion of you go to worship and offer sacrifice to God and I will keep the rest here, the women, the children, bulk of your processions, but you the rest of the men can go out. You can do your active worship, then you come back. Then he drives them out as though he is in-charge here. I mean God says here is what has to be done, Pharaoh says here is my deal, now get out, you know as though he is in a position to bargain. I mean here is the best you are going to get from me, because I will never let you all go. So you better take my offer, the men can go. Well you think God now is talking to Moses and Aaron saying you know maybe this is best deal we are going to get, maybe there is room for compromise.

Verse 12 then the Lord said to Moses; stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land even all the hails left. Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. The Lord directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. What do think the Egyptians were thinking, now all of sudden it is awful windy. They have had locusts, plagues before, you know that from secular history and records that have been left. They never had locust plague like this, but all of a sudden we got an awful strong wind blowing from the east. They said locusts are coming. It blows all day, blows all night. It is almost like the Lord gives them time to wait and you know what happens, when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, settled on all the territory of Egypt, they were very numerous. There had never been so many locusts nor will they ever be so many again and gave you some figures on how many locusts that they have you know said be on a plague like this. One square mild of a swarm will normally contain from 100,000 to 200,000 locusts and have had swarms of locusts to cover 400 square miles and all they are doing is here to eat everything that is left from the hail, so not a pretty sight. They cover the surface of the whole land, the land was darkened.

Verse 15, they eat every plant of the land, all the fruit of trees that the hail had left, nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron and he said "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you." Have we not heard this confession before? Chapter 9, verse 27, "Now, therefore please forgive my sin only this once, make supplication to the Lord your God that he would only remove this death from me."

Moses goes out and makes supplication to the Lord. Wind changes, all the locusts are driven into the red sea. I love the end of verse 19, here you have multiplied millions or billions of locusts; not one locus was left in all the territory of Egypt. I mean when God brings locusts to in, He brings them in and when he takes them out, he does just as good job, I mean Egypt was never so locust free as when God cleaned them out. Verse 20, the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. He didn't let the sons of Israel go. We are not surprised or we. Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand toward the sky that there maybe darkness over the land of Egypt even a darkness which maybe felt. Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky; there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They didn't see one another nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but the sons of Israel had light in their dwelling. I mean it was so black, you know we still use an expression it was some dark you could feel it. I mean you couldn't even see the person next to you. Nobody did anything because you couldn't see anything, it was absolutely pitched dark.

I don't know there are a variety of son gods that would be impacted by this, but Pharaoh was the divine representative of RE the Sun God, supposedly himself partaking of that divinity and here you have all the light gone, but in Goshen things are fine, plenty of light. Well another compromise offered, verse 24, Pharaoh called Moses and said "Go serve the Lord, now the women and children can go too, only let your flocks and your herds be detained, even your little ones can go." Though the compromise, "All the people can go." Moses said "No we take all the animals, there will we use for sacrifice. We are going to be ready, offer whatever sacrifices the Lord tells us.

Verse 27, the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. You know sinners are amazing. Here Pharaoh recognizes the power of God, he can't deny it, but he refuses to bow, there is no way to partially bow before the living God. The compromises Pharaoh is offering are like he is a God, but not maybe on the same levels so let’s work this out. You do not partially bow before the living God, its all or nothing. I told someone a long time that you cannot honor God by exalting Him to second place in your life, we cannot. Remember Jesus said, He loves father, mother, brother or sister more than me is not worthy of me, I mean I have to be everything or you can't be my servant, that’s it. So Pharaoh is frustrated. This is a God who does not negotiate with sinners. He gives the terms. Pharaoh said to him "Get away from me, beware do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die." Moses said "You are right; I will never see your face again."

Now, Moses is going to be called before Pharaoh again, but he will never seek an audience with Pharaoh again. The next time he appears before Pharaoh will be at the invitation of Pharaoh. So Pharaoh can tell him "Leave and take all the people and all the animals and all the possessions with you and go." So if you will the contest is over. Now, this speech of Moses, verse 29, continues with verse 4 of Chapter 11. So the Chapter break here shouldn't cause you to think that there is a later event because verse 4 says Moses said "Thus says the Lord, and he tells him about the death of the firstborn." So he continues from verse 29, verses one to three tell you the preparation that God has made for His people Israel to plunder the Egyptians, so it is like a parenthesis here. The first three verses of Chapter 11, we see that God has prepared his people for what is going to take place.

Pattern set out here is exactly what the Bible says, remember in Luke Chapter 16 verse 31, the rich man who died lifted up his eyes being in tormented, told father Abraham says, send Lazarus back from the dead, I mean to tell my brothers that they don't want to come to this place of torment and Abraham says what, "If they don't believe Moses and the prophets, if they don't believe the word of God, they will not believe even if one is raised from the dead." All the wonders of God's power displayed in judgments upon Egypt did not bring Pharaoh and his people to their knees before the living God. This will come when we come to a future time in the 7-year tribulation when God's judgments are poured out on the earth.

In His plan they will be used to bring Israel to salvation, but the peoples of the world are going to do what, assemble of Armageddon and turn to do battle with Jesus Christ as he descends from heaven to take control of the world and establishes His Kingdom and you are familiar with the book of revelation as the judgments are poured out, we find men cursed God for the judgments that He is sending. Apart from the grace none of us would be saved because the stubborn arrogance of our sin would cause us to stand in defiance against God to the bitter end and that’s what will be Pharaoh, the bitter end.

Okay, look at little bit into Chapter 11. Here I wanted to get it started because I mean new Chapter 11 was really short. In Chapter 12, I want to talk about something with Passover related to the New Testament, take a little bit of time there. Chapter 11, is the announcement of the final plague, but the first three verses tell you the preparation that God has made for His people to plunder the Egyptians. Now the Lord said to Moses, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he let you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely, in other words, he wants you and everything associated with you gone. 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." The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.

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, strange. Now, when exactly Moses told the Jews to do this, we are not told. Some connected right after the darkness and before the announcement of this plague, could have been before the plague falls on them. At any rate, we have been told here why the Jews will come out with so much. God has prepared the way and it’s remarkable. You know just like that you went next door, knocked on your neighbors door and say why don't give the gold and silver you have. Oh' sure, I was hoping you would come over and ask and they are happy. They are giving them clothes. They are giving them gold, they are giving them silver.

God has acted supernaturally upon the hearts of these unbelieving Egyptians. He gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians for some strange reason. They liked the Jews and wanted to give their stuff to them and furthermore Moses was held high esteem among the Egyptians even among the servants of Pharaoh, even though they won't submit to the message Moses is bringing, they still hold him in high esteem, and that causes them to look favorably upon the request of the Jews. So they are going to plunder the Egyptians in Chapter 3 verse 22, God told Moses "This is what would happen, they would plunder the Egyptians in Chapter 12 verse 36, we were told that they did indeed plunder the Egyptians.

Couple of ways to look at this, the Jews have been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. So they are not stealing from the Egyptians, they are just getting paid with their own. They didn't go down in Egypt as slaves; I mean one of their own Joseph was the second in command. So they are owed and perhaps the Egyptians realized that they have been unfairly treated and enslaved. So it’s repaying a payment.

Also, in Second Chronicles 20, verse 25 and we won't turn there, but there is a case with Jehoshaphat and an army that was marching against him is supernaturally destroyed by God and then they go and take the plunder from the army and really this has been a battle between the God of the Hebrews and the gods of the Egyptians and the Egyptians and their gods lose. So God's people plunder the Egyptians, the defeated host if you will so. Both are true here. Note verse 4, Moses said thus says the Lord, about midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt. Remember now, Moses is still talking to Pharaoh.

Moses said thus says the Lord in all the firstborn though we are continuing verse 29, we have just this parenthesis in the first three verses. You find here is the preparation for the Jews here so that they will leave, well cared for. The Jews could be out asking the Egyptians for these gifts even when Moses is in before Pharaoh. By midnight, I am going out in the midst of Egypt, all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on the throne even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones and that expression has been found in Egyptian writings and it is an expression that refers to the poorest of the poor. So you go from Pharaoh, the richest of rich in Egypt to the poorest of the poor, there is not going to be any family that doesn't have someone die. So they will all be impacted, the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstone, all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be a great cry in all the land of Egypt such as there has never been before and shall never be again, but against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not bark whether against man or beast that you may understand the Lord makes a distinction between Israel and the church. All these your servants will come and bow down to me, and bow themselves before me, saying "Go out you and all the people who follow you and after that I will go out," and he went out Pharaoh in hot anger.

You see there is a heated exchange here that takes place at the end of Chapter 10 and really from verses 4 through 8 of Chapter 11. As Pharaoh has told Moses "I better never see your face again or you are a dead man and Moses says "You are right I am never coming back before you." He will come back at Pharaoh's invitation, but he will never come before Pharaoh on his own initiative again and he only come to be sent out according to the word of God and he tells him that verse 8 "Your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me and say go and all the people will follow you." Moses is more meek than any man on the face of the earth the bible tells us, but he was a man who could display anger on occasion, he will get him in trouble later, but here, he is angry in a righteous way over the continued defiance of God by Pharaoh.

Then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh will not listen to you so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, yet the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, he did not let the sons of Israel go out his land. You know, turn over to the Book of Revelation Chapter 20. We will wrap up here. Their principles established here, they carry out through scripture and carry us to the ultimate final judgment and all the judgments that God displays against sin and sinful people throughout the bible are reminder of the coming climatic judgment that will come upon all who do not bow the knee before Him.

In Revelation Chapter 20, you have the final judgment of scripture and the final pouring out of the wrath of God on those who have not bowed their knee before Him. I want you know remember the judgment in Egypt, it would be on everyone from the household of Pharaoh to the poorest of the slaves and you come to # judgment, is just that encompassing. "I saw a great white throne, verse 11 of Revelation 20 and "He who sat upon it from His presence earth and heaven fled away, no place was found for them." Now note this, I saw the dead the great and the small standing before the throne and they are judged. The God's judgment is totally impartial. It is not affected by how much you have, but you understand it is not affected either by how little you have. Oh, I mean I can see the rich deserve judgment, but what about the poor who struggle so much and have it so hard.

The judgment is not based upon the material things they have, the judgment is based upon the condition of their heart, and their actions are come out of that heart. You know the poorest person on earth is just as arrogant in his rebellion against the living God when he refuses to bow in faith before God as the most wealthy man on earth. There is no difference in the condition of the heart. The heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked in the wealthiest of people and in the poorest of people and the heart out of which comes all the wickedness and vileness as Jesus said in Mark chapter is the same in the wealthy and in the poor. That’s why all need to hear the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we have it now in the completed Revelation that they might escape the judgment of God. We read this as an historical event and as a mighty deliverance. We are going to see the Passover take place as it is instituted. We see as a type of Jesus Christ, the Passover God provides, there He will be one provision to escape the wrath God, that ultimate final wrath. Those who belong to God will escape His wrath, those who do not will not. He who has the son has life. He who has not the son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. I share this with you because it is important that we don't become sentimental in our thinking.

The message of the truth of the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming important because God has displayed the seriousness of His Holiness, the seriousness of His justice. He displayed His wrath in the judgments that have been poured out. He is offering mercy. You have a chance to respond. So that’s why, this is a time of grace, a time of salvation. Now those of us who have in God's mercy and grace respond to that, need now to take this message and offer it to others rather they are rich rather they are poor, this is what they need to hear. They maybe hostile to it, that doesn't matter. They must hear it so that God can use the truth to do what He chooses to use. For some we will be a savor of life to life, for some we will be a savor of death to death, who is sufficient for these things. Not sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God who made us sufficient as ministers of the New Covenant, the heart of which is the message of Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together. Thank you Lord for the display of your power, coming to its climax in the awful judgments upon the nation Egypt and the death of the firstborn in every family. Lord we are reminded in these judgments that you are the Sovereign God, a God of Holiness, a God of righteousness, a God who will not compromise your words, a God who will keep his word. Lord even in judgment you offered mercy, a mercy that Pharaoh, his servants rejected again and again and again and I pray that the truth that is revealed might impact our hearts. We might not view this as stuffy history of a bygone day, they are an ongoing reminder of the God that in mercy and grace has called us to salvation in Christ and now entrusted us with that message salvation for the rich and for the poor that you might use your truth as spoken through us as your servants for accomplishing the purposes that you have in bringing honor and glory to yourself. Use us to that end through the days of this week. We pray in Christ's name, amen.