Tag: Pharaoh
Procrastination!
Scripture Reading for January 21st: Exodus 7-9
When I was younger, we would hunt frogs each fall on a late October night. It was an annual ritual that our neighborhood used to enjoy. The men would go out after dark with flashlights, spears, and burlap sacks and head for the farm ponds. The frogs would be gathering in clusters, getting ready to head down into the mud for the winter. They were easy picking! After harvest, the neighbors would gather to eat fried frog legs and pot-blessing, play cards and swap stories about the harvest. It was great food and a good time!
Moses had decreed a plague of frogs on the land of Egypt because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go to worship God and they worshiped frogs. Frogs filled the land. They were in the fields, houses, marketplace, Pharaoh’s palace, and in the bedrooms! Pharaoh summoned Moses to ask him to pray to get rid of them. Moses, trying to be polite, allowed Pharaoh to set the time when the frogs would be gone. Pharaoh’s answer was, “tomorrow”. Why tomorrow? Did Pharaoh want one more night of frog hunting too? Did he enjoy sleeping with the frogs? Maybe one of his magicians had turned one of his kids into a frog? These are some silly questions to ponder but there are more serious ones.
It amazes me that when God offers us freedom to ask Him for anything (John 14:13), we often answer like Pharaoh. We must want one more night with our addiction or to be sick one more night. Maybe we want one more night to be angry and bitter. When we procrastinate, we are saying that we love our sin or problem more than we love God. In essence, we want one more night with the frogs! Ask the Lord to help you break the bondage of procrastination. Sit down with him today and get it taken care of!
“Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
Between a rock and a hard place!
Scripture Reading for January 23: Exodus 13-15
Have you ever followed the Lord’s direction and gotten into more trouble than you bargained for? Moses had obeyed the Lord and witnessed the 10 plagues that humbled Pharaoh and judged the people of Egypt and their gods. He and Israel had experienced God’s protection and blessing throughout this time, even though they were slaves and had cruel taskmasters. The final plague had comvinced Pharaoh to send the Israelites away. The Egyptians had given them many items of silver and gold and they went away rich! God healed their bodies and there was not one feeble or sick person in the company of over one million people! The lamb that they had eaten and the blood over their doors had brought them amazing deliverance and blessing! They left Egypt following the cloud of God’s presence by day and a pillar of fire by night! But, trouble was lurking not far behind them and would soon put them between the proverbial “rock and hard place”!
The Egyptians came to their senses and Pharaoh decided to bring them back. He ordered all his army into mobilization and hot pursuit! The chariots were fueled and the chase was on! The Israelites, under the direction of the Cloud and Fire of God’s Presence, were camped in the desert by the Red Sea. They looked up and saw the army of Egypt bearing down on them and “cried out to the Lord”. (Exodus 14:10-13) They then began the “blame game” on Moses, saying that they should have stayed in Egypt. They blamed God for bringing them out in the desert to die! What had started out so good with such joy and blessing now looked like trouble–or death!
But God fought for them! If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31) The God of the pillar of cloud and fire can do anything! When you are following His instructions, the journey may get wild and even scary at times, but you will enjoy the ending! Moses had the instructions from the Lord and held out his staff over the waters. The waters were parted and the Israelites walked over on dry ground between two walls of water. As soon as the Egyptians were between the walls of water, their wheels started to come off and the Lord fought against them. Moses held out his staff again and the Egyptians were all drowned in the surging sea!
The lessons for us are plain! Follow God closely and trust Him no matter what obstacles you face. When you find yourself between a “rock and a hard place”, look to the cloud and the fire to direct the way! Stand still and see the salvation of God! (Exodus 14:13)
A Picture of Jesus that Saves!
Scripture reading for January 22nd: Exodus10-12
My wife and I adopted two girls from Russia in 1999. They were 8 and 9 years of age and spoke no English when they came to America from near Siberia in August of that year. We were eager to share our faith in Jesus with them and took them to church each week. We had to communicate in sign language most of the time. For Easter of 2000, I did an illustrated sermon with a live lamb, a basin of red paint, and a door frame. I also had a big knife. I explained the story of the Passover lamb that was killed for the Israelites from Exodus 12. That day, one of our girls prayed to receive the Lord as her Savior! Pictures are powerful tools for presenting truth!
The plagues were sent, one by one, to attack the deities and idols of Egypt. Egyptians worshiped many gods and Pharaoh, himself, was considered like a god. Scripture states that Pharaoh hardened his heart through the first few plagues. (Exodus 8:15, 32) After the plague of death on Pharaoh’s animals, it states that “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Exodus 9:12 This hardening of a heart is what happens when truth is denied and a person or nation refuses to hear God’s voice or obey His instructions. Men are really without excuse because God makes Himself plain to them. Miracles don’t always persuade a person, however. If not heeded they can harden you as well. When you pass a certain point, God then turns you over and hardens your heart to your own destruction!
The last plague was the death of all the firstborn. The only way to prevent the death of a firstborn son or daughter or animal, was to obey God’s plan. A lamb was to be brought into the house on the tenth day of the month. They were to be sure it was a perfect lamb, without blemish. They were to keep it until the fourteenth day and slaughter it at twilight. The elder in the home was to take blood and sprinkle it on the doorpost and over the lentil. Every family member was to be inside. The lamb was to be roasted in the fire and eaten. They were to be ready to travel. They were also to ask the Egyptians for gold and silver and valuables for the trip. At midnight, the death angel would visit each household. When he saw the blood on the door post of a house, he would pass over that home. Every home that failed to be covered with the blood would find the firstborn child suddenly dead! Only those with faith to obey God would be spared!
It is the same today! The lamb that was slain for our sins was Jesus Christ! He was examined in the temple from the 10th day until the 14th. He was crucified early in the morning and died at three o’clock in the afternoon. He ended his life with the words, “It is Finished!” Everything necessary for our deliverance from the death angel has been accomplished by the death of God’s firstborn Son! God did for us what we could not do for ourselves! Praise Him today for this beautiful picture of our salvation!
“Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are, for Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” Ist Corinthians 5:7
One more night with the frogs!
When I was younger, we would hunt frogs each fall on a late October night that was lit by a full moon. It was an annual ritual that our neighborhood used to enjoy. The men would go out after dark with flashlights, spears, and burlap sacks and head for the farm ponds. The frogs would be gathering in clusters, getting ready to head down into the mud for the winter. They were easy picking! After harvest, the neighbors would gather to eat fried frog legs and pot-blessing, play cards and swap stories about the harvest. It was great food and a good time!
In our reading today we have another story about frogs. Moses had decreed a plague of frogs on the land of Egypt because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go to worship God. Frogs filled the land. They were in the fields, houses, marketplace, Pharaoh’s palace, and even in the bedrooms! Pharaoh summoned Moses to ask for prayer to God to get rid of those frogs. Moses, trying to be polite, allowed Pharaoh to set the time when the frogs would be gone. Pharaoh’s answer was, “tomorrow”. Why tomorrow? Did Pharaoh want one more night of frog hunting too? Did he enjoy sleeping with the frogs? Maybe one of his magicians had turned one of his kids into a frog? These are some silly questions to ponder about this story! There are more serious ones.
It amazes me that when God offers us freedom to ask Him for anything, (John 14:13) we often answer just like Pharaoh: “tomorrow”. Do we want one more night with our addiction? Do we want to be sick one more night? Do we want one more night to be angry and bitter? Tomorrow never really comes. When we procrastinate, we are saying that we love our sin or problem more than we love God. We want one more night with the frogs!
Ask the Lord to help you break the bondage of procrastination. Sit down with him today and get it taken care of! Frogs may be tasty animals, but you don’t need another night with them!
“Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
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